Pentax filed for a patent in Japan for a DA 12-35mm f/3.5-4.5 AL WR SDM lens:
A week ago I wrote a post about Kodak not attending PMA 2011. The initial source of this information was the PEN newsletter from December 6th, 2010:
After some clarifications from PMA, it seems that the presented information was wrong and was referring to the PMA Australia event and not the US PMA 2011 that will take place in Las Vegas during September of 2011:
“The event Mr. Marshall is referring to is our PMA Australia event, the “Imaging and Entertainment Expo,” June 23-26, 2011, in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Marshall does not speak for PMA, and any announcements of PMA 2011 exhibitors would originate from PMA here in Jackson, Mich.”
Multiple Pentax k-5 owners have reported stains on their sensors. Pentax Imaging USA have acknowledged the issue and an investigation is currently ongoing:
“I can confirm that Pentax Japan is fully aware of this situation and is diligently investigating the cause of these stains. I’d like to remind our US customers that their K-5 is covered under the 1-year warranty and that we’ll of course honor that. However, until we find out which batch(es) are affected by the stains, we recommend that photographers keep their cameras and refrain from exchanging them for another unit if purchased from an online retailer. Once we fully understand the origin of the stains and how to deal with them we will encourage affected K-5 owners to send in their cameras for warranty repair.”
The Canadian retailer Vistek is now listing the Fuji X100 as available for pre-order and the price is 1099 CAD (around 1091 USD). This probably confirms the previously rumored US price of 1000 USD. The release date is listed as March 31st, 2011. No US retailers are currently taking pre-orders for that camera (you can only sign up to be notified at Amazon).
Photojojo is now selling the “Subjectiv” 4-in-1 lens kit available for both Nikon and Canon mounts. The kit contains five modules: pinhole, plastic, glass, zone plate, and aperture. The rest of the specs:
Some samples after the break:
Fujifilm Corporation announced that it will increase prices for photographic papers (5%-20%) on a worldwide basis effective January 2011:
Fujifim published a Q&A section regarding the new X100 camera (see also previously released details):
Q: Will ‘Made in Japan’ remain on the back of the camera or be moved to the base?
It will remain etched on the back of the camera.
Q: Will the X100 be available in black?
No concrete plan is currently in place to produce a black model, but Fujifilm are aware that a large number of people have requested this option.
Q: What power source does the X100 use?
It uses the NP-95 Lithium-ion rechargeable cell. This battery is also compatible with a number of other FinePix models including the Real 3D W1.
Q:Does the X100 have a leather finish or a leather-like finish?
It is a leather-like finish as this is more practical and hard-wearing than leather.
FUJINON LENS
Q: Why does the X100 not have interchangeable lenses?
Image quality is paramount on the X100. That’s why the lens is fixed which, in turn, ensures that the light path and sensor position are perfectly matched for the best possible results. The designers also wanted to keep the camera’s size down. Making the lens interchangeable, or offering a zoom lens alternative, would have increased bulk, detracting from the X100’s original concept.
I received an email from B&H with their latest rebate programs:
Olympus filed a patent application for a modular DSLR camera. Here is the description of the system:
“The present invention relates to an optical unit to which an imaging optical system is detachably attached, an imaging unit, an imaging body, and an imaging device.
There is known a camera capable of exchanging an imaging element with another imaging element of a different size according to the purpose (refer to Patent Document 1). This camera has a horizontally-long box-like camera body and a photographing lens for silver salt single-lens reflex camera… Further, this camera has a configuration allowing exchange of a CCD substrate and thus different types of digital cameras can be realized by one camera body.
The shutter is disposed between the attachment/detachment portion and the intermediate image.
An imaging body according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: an attachment/detachment portion to which an optical unit is detachably attached; an imaging element; a conversion optical system; and a finder optical system, wherein the conversion optical system is designed to form an intermediate image, the finder optical system has an optical path folding member, the optical path folding member is disposed opposite to the imaging element with respect to the attachment/detachment portion, the direction of a reflecting surface of the optical path folding member is set such that the optical axis of the folded optical path is parallel to the optical axis of the conversion optical system, and another optical system is disposed on the folded optical path.”
