This week, Firmware Friday brings news of a raft of updates for cameras from Pentax, Sony, and Canon — but that’s not all. Mixing things up just a little, we also step outside of the box for a software update from Nikon.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ll start off with Ricoh’s firmware updates for Pentax cameras, which cover every single APS-C camera the company has made since May 2009, bar one. (For some reason, Pentax K-x owners don’t get any love — their camera launched in September 2009, but it hasn’t yet received an update.)

If you own any of the other APS-C sensored DSLR and mirrorless cameras the company has launched in the last five years, though, you’re good to go. What you get is support for the company’s imminently-available HD Pentax-DA 1.4x AW AF Rear Converter, a 1.4x teleconverter whose development actually predates every single one of these cameras. And that, as far as listed changes, is as far as it goes. As always, the company holds out the promise of unspecified stability / performance improvements, but doesn’t specify what these might entail.

It’s also important to note that if you own one of the limited-edition versions of the Pentax K-r, any customized startup screen offered by the camera will be replaced with the company’s default screen after the update has been applied.

With that proviso borne in mind, you can get the updates from Ricoh Japan at the links below. The company’s US branch has yet to offer any of these updates for download, but we’re sure they’re on the way soon.

• Pentax K-01 version 1.05
• Pentax K-3 / K-3 Premium Silver version 1.03
• Pentax K-5 / K-5 Limited Silver version 1.16
• Pentax K-5 II / K-5 IIs version 1.07
• Pentax K-7 / K-7 Limited Silver version 1.13
• Pentax K-30 version 1.06
• Pentax K-50 version 1.02
• Pentax K-500 version 1.02
• Pentax K-r version 1.15

That about does it for Pentax; now we’ll look at Sony. The company isn’t yet shipping the new firmware for the Sony A7 and A7R full-frame mirrorless cameras; instead, it has pledged to deliver it in a little under a fortnight from now. Changes are as follows:

• Compatibility with FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS (SEL70200G) lens:
  • Fast Hybrid AF support; also supports future E-mount lenses (Sony A7)
  • Improved autofocus performance (Sony A7R)
  • Corresponding Focus Hold button function added
• Start-up time reduced
• Image quality improved
• Functional improvements for PlayMemories Camera Apps:
  • “Live View Grading” and “Smooth Reflection” apps added
  • “Time-lapse” app (v2.00 or later) now ramps autoexposure more smoothly

Sony’s updates will arrives, says the company, on March 19th, 2014 in the Japanese market. No word on availability in other markets as yet.

And that wraps up the firmware; now for the software. Nikon has launched an updated for its Wireless Transmitter Utility package, available for both Mac OS and Windows platforms. Wireless Transmitter Utility v1.5.0 has several changes, all related to camera and operating system support. The app now supports the Nikon D4S digital SLR, as well as 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft’s Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise operating systems. It also makes a straight trade on the Mac platform, switching new OS X 10.9.1 support in place of the now-sunsetted OS X 10.6.8 support. Get the update here.

Last, but very definitely not least, Canon has detailed an unusual return-to-base upgrade for another of its pro cinema cameras. From May 2014, owners of the professional Canon Cinema EOS C300 movie camera will be able to have their cameras upgraded to support Dual Pixel CMOS AF, as first introduced on the EOS 70D DSLR last year. This mirrors a similar upgrade for the EOS C100 announced late last year, and just like as with camera, you’ll be paying for the upgrade. (And newly-shipped cameras won’t be upgraded at the factory, either.) Canon says it isn’t replacing the sensor to enable Dual Pixel CMOS AF, suggesting it was there all along, and merely disabled. After a US$500 fee, the function will be activated in your EOS C300, and you’ll be able to send your camera in for the service from May 2014.

And that’s our lot for Firmware Friday this week. Be sure to check back next week for all the latest on the firmware front!

(Camera parts image courtesy of Kelly Hofer / Flickr; used under a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license.)

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It’s Firmware Friday time, and this week we’ve got news of updates for no less than nine different interchangeable-lens cameras from the Pentax brand.

A couple of weeks ago, parent company Ricoh announced that it would be releasing new all-weather flash strobes with LED video lights. The company also revealed updated versions of its lustworthy DA Limited lens lineup with its new HD lens coating.

The new firmware, as always, is said to bring unspecified stability and performance enhancements. The real meat and potatoes of each update, though, is to add support for all these new products. That means owners of DSLRs going all the way back to 2010’s Pentax 645D will be able to take advantage of the new strobes. In addition, all but the 645D — which has a much larger lens mount — will gain support for the newly-coated lenses.

You can pick up the new firmware for your camera(s) at the links below:

• Pentax K-01 firmware version 1.04
• Pentax K-30 firmware version 1.05
• Pentax K-5 firmware version 1.15
• Pentax K-5 II and K-5 IIs firmware version 1.05
• Pentax K-50 firmware version 1.01
• Pentax K-500 firmware version 1.01
• Pentax 645D firmware version 1.31

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Of all the cameras we’ve seen over the last few years, few have been quite as divisive as the Marc Newson-designed Pentax K-01. On the one hand, it had a solid, premium build quality and excellent image quality coupled with a pricetag that quickly fell to bargain basement levels, making it pretty popular with a section of the Pentaxian community. On the other hand, its much-hyped styling placed form before function, resulting in uncomfortable ergonomics and questionable design choices, especially the fiddly rubber flap over the card compartment door which came open at the slightest knock and was a pain to close again.

Its main problem, though, was more fundamental: The basic concept of the K-01 made little sense. Sure, it removed the mirror of the standard DSLR, just as does every other compact system camera on the market — but in doing so it rather missed the point. By retaining the standard Pentax K lens mount, it had all the disadvantages of a mirrorless camera with hardly any of the advantages. It was barely any smaller than some of Pentax’s own DSLR models, and not a whole lot lighter either, but lacked any form of optical viewfinder, and had to rely on sluggish contrast-detection autofocus.

While there were certainly things we liked about the K-01 when we reviewed the model last year, we could see no convincing reason to choose it over a standard SLR of similar size and cost. You could, after all, switch the SLR to live view mode for an experience similar to that of the mirrorless model, but with much better ergonomics. No amount of wishing would return to the K-01 the SLR features it was lacking, however. We must confess that we weren’t at all surprised when, just 11 months after it went on sale, Pentax pulled the plug on the K-01 without announcing a successor model.

The Pentax K-01 mirrorless camera is returning to the market in Japan, albeit only in one color combination, and likely in very limited numbers.

We’re much more surprised to see that some five months after it came off life support, the camera has actually returned to retail in Japan. Pentax Japan suggests the reissuance comes thanks to user demand, but the focus seems to be on buyers who were attracted to the camera for its styling, because the K-01 is returning to market in just one color variation — and it’s a new one. It is essentially the white-bodied version with black detailing that was available in the US market, but the black rubber grip has been replaced with a powder blue grip, instead.

In other respects, the Pentax K-01 Lens Kit White x Blue is identical to its predecessor. Availability is slated for July 25th in the Japanese market, and pricing — to include the Marc Newson-styled 40mm f/2.8 XS kit lens — has not been disclosed. We wouldn’t expect to see this model return to store shelves outside of Pentax’s home market, and indeed Pentax’s own website still lists the camera as a discontinued model.

What do you think — are you happy to see the Pentax K-01 return? Or should Pentax have left this one in the archives? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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It seems that in the midst of all the development work, an issue slipped through the cracks, though. The company has now acknowledged problems with contrast detection autofocus for two models after the update, and provided a fix. The two cameras affected are the Pentax K-30 DSLR and the K-01 mirrorless, and it’s likely not a coincidence that these are the only two models in the company’s lineup to feature the PRIME M image processor. Other models with different processor types were, it seems, not affected.

Pentax’s firmware updates improved contrast-detection autofocus for the DA 560mm f/5.6 lens, but for the K-01 and K-30 it also caused problems for movie autofocus with other lenses

Pentax states that with the new version 1.02 firmware on the K-30 and K-01, contrast detection didn’t work for movie capture with some unidentified lenses. As well as apologizing for the problem, the company has provided two new updates that aim to correct the newly-introduced issue.

More details and the updates can be found at the links below:

• Pentax K-01 firmware v1.03

• Pentax K-30 firmware v1.03

The post Pentax addresses movie autofocus issues for cameras with PRIME M processor appeared first on Imaging Resource.

Pentax Japan’s website has a new addition to its “Discontinued Model Lineup”: the barely more-than-a-year-old Pentax K-01 compact system camera. Announced in early February 2012, the 16-megapixel K-01 immediately made waves with its unusual form factor, created by famed designer Marc Newson, and its compatibility with the entire back catalog of Pentax lenses, thanks to its standard K-mount.

Unfortunately for Pentax, the K-01 was not warmly received. Its design was widely mocked, and the K-mount necessitated a body significantly larger than most other CSCs on the market. The mixed reviews and generally unpopular camera body seem to have played a role in Pentax Japan discontinuing the K-01. The K-01 is currently available for just $400 in a kit, which is a fraction of its original $900 asking price. (If you’re not bothered by the K-01’s design, we found that the camera actually produced very good image quality.)

UPDATE: Pentax Ricoh USA has just responded to our query on whether the K-01 will also been discontinued in the USA with the following quote.

“Pentax does not make official statements on topics of this nature,” John Carlson, Pentax Ricoh USA’s senior marketing manager told Imaging Resource. “But, I can let you know that despite the production run of this product being complete, we are still actively selling this product and will continue to support firmware updates and product repairs.”

(Via Rice High and 1001 Noisy Cameras)

The post Pentax Japan discontinues Marc Newson-designed K-01 compact system camera (UPDATED) appeared first on Imaging Resource.

If you’re shooting with a Pentax interchangeable-lens camera made in the last few years, there’s a good chance the company has released new firmware for you, among a raft of updates today.

The new firmware covers no less than five different K-mount digital SLRs, as well as the K-01 compact system camera. In all cases, there’s only one change specifically called out in the firmware, but Pentax also notes that it has “improved stability for general performance” for each camera. Precisely what that entails, we’re not sure. Better stability can only be a good thing, though, so it would seem advisable to update, regardless of whether you need the tweak Pentax describes.

Pentax’s firmware updates improve contrast-detection autofocus for the DA 560mm f/5.6 lens

As for that one change that Pentax has specifically called out, it’s one that actually won’t be of huge impact for most K-mount photographers. That’s because it relates specifically to one lens: the mighty HD PENTAX DA 560mm F5.6 ED. With limited production and a pricetag of US$7,000, the 560mm lens will be out of the reach of many Pentaxians, but for those who can justify the cost, it’s unrivaled among current first-party, K-mount glass. The new firmware updates for each camera tweak contrast detection autofocus for better performance when using this lens.

So… which cameras are covered by the updates? The oldest models for which Pentax has issued new firmware are the Pentax K-5 and K-r, both of which shipped in October 2010. Every Pentax K-mount camera launched since then is also included: the K-01 mirrorless, and the K-30, K-5 II, and K-5 IIs digital SLRs.

More details and the firmware updates for all six cameras can be found on the Pentax Ricoh Imaging software downloads page.

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According to Pentax, the K-01 v1.01 firmware update improves performance of its contrast-detection autofocus system. It also improves support for various Secure Digital flash cards, both SDHC and SDXC types. (The company doesn’t identify any specific cards for which these improvements have been made, however.)

The Pentax K-01 is the company’s first APS-C mirrorless camera.
Photo provided by Pentax Ricoh Imaging.

And finally, Pentax says that the K-01 firmware v1.01 improves general stability of the camera.

More details on the update process, as well as the update itself for both Windows and Macintosh platforms, can be found on the Pentax Japan support website.

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John Carlson, Senior Manager of Sales and Marketing, Pentax Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp.

During the Photokina show, Dave Etchells sat down with Pentax representatives from both the American and European continents to talk about future directions for the company’s cameras. Topics for discussion included the medium-format 645D digital SLR, some of the technical issues surrounding a future full-frame camera, and how the company can best get its message across to photographers.

Representing Pentax in the Americas was John Carlson, Senior Manager of Sales and Marketing at Pentax Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. From the European branch of Pentax was Genichiro Takaoka of the Europe Team, Global Sales Support Group, System Camera Planning Team, Product Planning Group, Marketing Department, Pentax Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd.

Dave Etchells/Imaging Resource: We’re very happy to see Ricoh decide to give Pentax an important role, and to see Ricoh making big investments in Pentax. Can you tell us anything about the potential collaborations or sharing new features and technology that you’re most excited about between the firms?

Genichiro Takaoka/Pentax Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd.: Yes, we are just joining the Ricoh engineers from the first of April to collaborate on some of the projects. We’ve just started.

John Carlson/Pentax Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp: We really haven’t seen the impact of having the two groups together, so maybe in the CES timeframe or later.

GT: We can’t exactly say when and what kind of products are going on currently, but you will see them in the future.

JC: For us, a lot of the changes so far have been more management changes and not necessarily product changes.

DE: How is the Ricoh relationship different from the one you had with Hoya?

JC: They are definitely much more involved and want a lot more growth from the camera division. Ricoh didn’t have a consumer business side besides their digital cameras, which is relatively small in the US. So this really represents an opportunity to get into the consumer market. And they’re really–from capture to output–an imaging company, so having this consumer side of things helps the overall brand. So we really think it’s going to be a positive thing.

DE: This is actually more of a specific product question relating to Ricoh. The electronic viewfinder has become a really popular feature in cameras like Sony’s NEX-6 and 7 and the Olympus E-M5. Can we expect to see Ricoh GXR bodies at some point with built-in EVFs?

JC: I’m not sure about built-in. We have the accessory EVF, but I’m not sure about an actual built-in.

DE: Can we expect to see AF systems with more AF points and more or expanded cross type sensors?

GT: I have some information from our engineering team. Currently, there are 11 AF points in our products, and they’re thinking that’s not enough for the current market, so they’re looking at adding more.

DE: Turning for the moment to medium format, another reader question, the 645D was released in December of 2010. What sort of need do you see to refresh offerings in that line up and can you talk generally about both the near term and the longer term plans for that line?

JC: Not specifics, but right now we’re focusing on expanding the lens line-up because, while you can use the older film lenses, they’re not currently available for distribution by us. So I think that’s where we need to go first is expand the line up. So now we’re up to 3 lenses–the 55mm f/2.8, the 25mm f/4, and the 90mm f/2.8. But I think that that type of camera, just by the nature of the product, the price, everything has to have a longer life cycle.

DE: That’s my next question, specifically relative to the lenses. On your site, you show a very complete lineup of 645-compatible lenses and most of them aren’t available currently. Have there been any plans to renew production on some of those FA models as a way of filling out the line? You have a lot of great lenses there.

GT: I can’t say what kind of products we’re now developing but I can clearly say we launched the 90mm macro at Photokina, and we’d like to continue to analyze the lineup to satisfy customer demands.

We are receiving many suggestions from the users, they’d like to use live view on the 645D, that kind of thing. As you mentioned already, the 645D was launched in 2010 so we need some enhancements or more developments for future models.

DE: Relative to your expectations, how has the 645D been doing?

JC: It did very well at the start and then it slowed down a little bit. The existing lens owners bought into the system and then the fact that we initially had only the 55mm lens available slowed things down. While it was a good start, it didn’t really speak to the professional market. So now that we’ve added the 25mm and we’ve added the 90mm, we’ve got the wide angle for the landscape, we’ve got the 90mm for the more portrait level, we have a more complete system to offer so we expect it to come back up. Plus we just recently lowered the price so that obviously should have an impact.

It’s now at $8,795 in the US. At that price you can buy the body and all three lenses for about the price you’re paying for a body from one of the other medium format manufacturers. So you can have a fairly robust system for the price of just the body from anywhere else.

DE: Can you tell us anything about future plans for flashes?

GT: We understand the necessity to launch a new product. Now with technologies like LEDs coming on to the market we are looking at what kind of technology is acceptable for the future product. We are still thinking about our next flashes.

DE: That’s very interesting that you said that this is a point in time when it really makes sense to look at just what technology you should use. I hadn’t really considered that to think that it applies to flashes.

GT: It used to be that only the Xenon is available for the flashes but the technologies are different now today.

JC: We look at the power consumption and everything. It pulls up a lot of possibilities.

DE: Also in size because with the xenon, you have to have a big storage capacitor and you have to charge it up. LED could be very, very compact and very energy-efficient.

GT: Our camera bodies are relatively small compared to the competitors, so we’re looking at developing small flashes as well.

DE: Jumping to lenses, to the DA series, a reader asks, “So we’ve seen prime lenses become very popular on mirrorless cameras for their street photography appeal. Do you have any plans to produce more pancake primes like the DA limited offerings from a few years back?”

JC: The DA Limited line is–besides the telephotos–it’s pretty complete. I mean, you have the 15mm, you have the 21mm, you have the 35mm macro, the 40mm, the 70mm. So there’s a lot to it right now. The only hole there is maybe a telephoto. But then you look at our 100mm macro–while it’s not considered a limited lens, it has the build quality.

DE: At IR, we’re big fans of Pentax SLRs for their unique mix of features. You’ve got great image quality for APS-C. You have strong lenses. You have weather proofing at lower price points and a small form factor for full-featured SLRs. It looks like the K-5 II really extends those advantages. But how do you get the message out to people about your unique features? Are there particular applications or user communities that you think you could target your messaging to? And what other features do you think could help you compete with some of the bigger names?

JC: It’s a difficult question because that’s the Holy Grail – how do we get the message out to people. And we’re doing it in the US somewhat by advertising. We just started a campaign on the K30 to really talk about the weather sealing and that commonality between our K30, our WG2 and our binocular product. The K-5 II has the weather sealing. The 645 has the weather sealing. That’s a simple message we can talk to customers about, whether we get that out to social networks, through forums, through different avenues. We’re constantly looking for ways to get that story out.

DE: With the strong APS-C size mirrorless offerings from Sony, Samsung, and Canon and your own K-01, where will SLRs continue to offer advantages. What’s the role for the SLR as we go forward?

JC: I think it has to do with shooting style. I think there’s a fairly large group of photographers who are used to shooting a certain way using a pentaprism viewfinder, taking advantage of that 100% field of view. The sort of advantage that I don’t think electronic viewfinders offer now. A lot of those folks aren’t going to use an LCD panel; but there’s definitely a customer for that as well. So I think there’ll be a place for both of them. It depends on what’s next for the mirrorless cameras.

I look at all different kinds of cameras and I’ve been a photographer for 20 years myself. I have trouble using an electronic viewfinder. It’s just not the same shooting experience and I think there are probably a lot of people who have that same feeling and like a certain style of photography versus another.

GT: We have heard the voice of some users, they say, “Please continue the DSLR range” because they try to use EVF on a competitor’s model but they don’t like it. They don’t think much of electronic viewfinders, but they are more comfortable with conventional mirror or prism viewfinders.

JC: As an analogy, some people can use an iPad, for example, as an e-reader type device. Some people will continue to use an e-ink type of device. Personally, I can’t use an iPad to read something for an extended amount of time where I can pull up my Nook and read for a couple of hours and it doesn’t bother my eyes. I think you kind of almost have that similar kind of thing with the EVF versus an optical viewfinder.

DE: Then you have the guys like me who still like books! I guess that probably equates to going back to film or something. (laughs)

A big trend of Photokina 2012 seems to be “Full-frame goes mainstream.” We’ve seen Nikon, Sony, and Canon have all announced full frame cameras at lower price points. At Pentax, you have the K-5’s low light capabilities and you already have a medium format offering. And years ago, you showed one of the first full-frame SLRs that didn’t actually make it out into the market. Where do you see the role for full-frame generally and then in particular with respect to Pentax?

JC: It’s a very difficult question. Everybody is asking us about how Pentax is approaching full frame products. As always, we’re saying that we’re continuing to develop full frame technologies. We have also found some issues and challenges, but we continue to develop it.

We also believe the APS-C sensor has a lot of future potential. APS-C used to have noise problems, and so on. But with the evolution in technology, for example, the K-5 has an available ISO of 51,200.

So as of today, we will continue focusing on the APS-C cameras. It depends on the user demands, also the market situation. We will study continue to study the market.

JC: It’s a big commitment because while it’s not a different mount, you have to create lenses for that, because all of our current lenses, except for three Limiteds, are designed for the APS-C sensor. We have the Q mount that we’re dedicated to. We have the K mount that we’re dedicated to with the APS-C sensor, and we have the 645D. So we have a lot going on already.

GT: And also, the medium format sensor has a lot of potential. It used to be that 40 megapixels was a lot, but now Nikon’s D800 has 36 megapixels. So if we launched a future 645D product, it might need, I don’t know, 60 or even 80 megapixels.

And also we understand that full-frame has disadvantages. The body is bigger, heaver, more expensive. There are disadvantages to full-frame as well.

DE: Speaking of the lenses, this was another reader question: There are rumors that many of your APS-C lenses might actually have full frame circles but they’re not advertised as such. Can you shed some light on that?

JC: All the tests I’ve seen, if you put those lenses on a film body, you get vignetting. So they’re bigger than if it were just an APS-C without shake reduction, but that added image circle is just to accommodate the shake reduction, it doesn’t accommodate full-frame.

DE: You’re the only company offering two different mirrorless camera systems. How are the Q series and the K-01 buyers different from each other?

JC: Speaking for the US market, the K-01, it’s a great imaging device. I think a lot of people, a lot of photographers, traditional photographers, look at the design and overlook that fact because it’s a great sensor. It does great stills. It does great video. We went a non-traditional route with the design. Because of that, it was very well accepted in the design community. Mark Newson–while many traditional photographers don’t know that name, there’s a large part of the population that does recognize that name and that’s the lowest-cost Mark Newson product you can buy.

I don’t think he’s as popular in the US as he is in other parts of the world, but you know, I just saw a jacket he designed that costs as much or more than the K-01 and it’s just a jacket. It’s had an impact in that community. And videographers are starting to recognize the K-01 is a pretty capable tool for that type of work.

The Q is a different challenge because unless you see it in person and hold it, a lot of people don’t realize how small it really is. But at the same time, you have pretty much all the controls of a traditional DSLR camera, from aperture control to DNG RAW capture to video capture. It does offer a lot.

DE: So the challenge there is really making people understand just how small it is.

JC: And because of its size, it complements a DSLR. It’s what you carry when you need better quality than your smartphone’s going to offer, but you don’t want to carry a DSLR. Because smartphones are convenient. They have connectivity that’s always on. But you’re still limited to a smartphone image that won’t hold up to enlargement. We’ve printed 13 x 19 images out of the Q that just looked beautiful. You couldn’t tell them from an image with a larger camera.

DE: Is there any gender preference for the Q?

JC: Actually, we’ve seen a lot of female buyers for the Q and we see that evidence in the colors that we’re selling. We’re selling more white than we are of the black. So it definitely appeals to the female market. I don’t want to say it’s a fashion statement but to a certain degree, it is. It’s small. It’s stylish. It kind of has a retro look to it.

DE: What gives you the greatest sense of excitement about Photokina this year, whether it’s the product or a trend or something you see?

JC: For Pentax, it’s the fact that our booth is branded Pentax and Ricoh. We are one company. It’s not two companies, it’s one company. And Ricoh is truly an imaging company from capture to print. And you see some of that displayed in the booth. Obviously, with the cameras, there’s a technology display that we have of some 360-degree capture technology, a twin-lens spherical capture. And then there’s output. We have a wide format printer that offers exceptional print quality. So I think, for the people who have been with Pentax for a while, we’re very excited because Ricoh really wants to make Pentax successful, to make cameras that are some of the best out there. So I think we’re all excited about the combining of the two companies.

DE: Great. Well, a pleasure as always. Thanks very much for taking time in the middle of the busy show.

GT: Thank you very much.

JC: Thank you. Take care.

The post Q&A with Pentax’s John Carlson and Genichiro Takaoka: Is full-frame coming, and what’s next for medium format? appeared first on Imaging Resource.

Starting with the adjusted pricing, Pentax Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. says that it has reduced pricing for both the tiny Pentax Q compact system camera, and the medium-format Pentax 645D digital SLR.

The Pentax Q is the smallest compact system camera on the market.
Photo provided by Pentax Ricoh Imaging.

List pricing for Pentax Q kits has been reduced by anywhere from US$150 to US$200, depending on the specific kit you choose. That takes the kit with 8.5mm f/1.9 prime lens (47mm equivalent) down to just US$400 or thereabouts, while even the twin-lens kit which adds a 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 zoom lens (27.5-83mm equivalent) now lists for just US$650. A kit including only the zoom lens falls somewhere in between. The price adjustment makes the incredibly small mirrorless camera a much more attractive proposition than it was when we published our Pentax Q review last April: you can now pick up a twin-lens kit for a full hundred dollars less than the original list pricing for the prime-only kit!

The mighty Pentax 645D medium-format digital SLR, meanwhile, gets a price cut of US$1,200, taking list pricing down to about US$8,800. With the SMC Pentax D FA 645 55MM F2.8 AL (IF) SDM AW lens carrying a list price of US$1,200, that saving is effectively enough to put an extra lens in your camera bag alongside your brand new body!

Detail of the medium-format Pentax 645D digital SLR.
Photo provided by Pentax Ricoh Imaging.

The rebates, meanwhile, kick off from tomorrow, and cover the Pentax K-30 digital SLR, the recently reviewed Pentax K-01 mirrorless camera, and six different lens models that can be used with either camera, as well as the rest of Pentax’s K-mount SLR lineup.

The Pentax K-30’s rebate is perhaps just a little surprising, even if the amount saved is fairly modest. The camera only started shipping in the US market eight weeks ago, and even at its list price it’s uncommonly well-specified. The K-30 lists for US$850 body-only, or US$1,200 with an 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, and includes features unheard-of at this price point, including a pentaprism viewfinder with 100% coverage, and a fully weather-sealed body. (The 18-135mm kit lens is also weather-sealed.) From September 1 to October 31, you can save an extra US$50, making the Pentax K-30 even more of a steal!

Unusually for its price, the Pentax K-30 is weather-sealed and has a pentaprism viewfinder.
Photo provided by Pentax Ricoh Imaging.

The Pentax K-01 merits a rather more significant rebate. While we weren’t terribly enamored of the chunky mirrorless camera when we reviewed it last June, it’s proven quite popular with a subset of photographers who want top-notch image quality, don’t use a viewfinder, and are swayed more by a good lens lineup than by a compact, camera-like body. The pricing with rebate included will make it quite a bit more interesting, and we’d wager a fair few more Pentaxians will now take the plunge and pick up the company’s first APS-C mirrorless model.

If you pick the K-01 up without a lens, Pentax is offering a US$200 rebate, taking pricing down to around US$550 based on the body-only list price of US$750. Buy the kit with DA 40mm XS lens and you’ll get a larger $300 rebate, while a kit with DA L 18-55mm and 50-200mm zooms gets a US$250 rebate. The DA 40mm XS kit in particular is something of a no-brainer–you’re effectively getting the world’s thinnest interchangeable lens with your K-01 for only $50 more than the body-only price!

And finally, we have the lens rebates, all of which are generously doubled if you buy the lens at the same time as a camera body. All told, there’s up to $900 of savings on offer if you buy all six lenses along with a Pentax SLR body, and up to $450 even if you’ve already got the SLR and are just stocking up on new glass! Lenses included in the rebates (and their rebate values before doubling) are as follows:Â

• SMC Pentax DA * 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL (IF) SDM: $75

• SMC Pentax DA * 50-135mm F2.8 ED (IF) SDM: $75

• SMC Pentax DA * 55mm F1.4 SDM: $75

• SMC Pentax DA * 60-250mm F4 ED (IF) SDM: $100

• SMC Pentax DA * 300mm F4 ED (IF) SDM: $75

• SMC Pentax DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED WR: $50

It’s worth noting that all of these are instant rebates–that is to say, there are no forms to fill in and mail, and no waiting around for a check to arrive. If you’re buying from an authorized retailer, you’ll get the rebate at the time of purchase, for no-fuss savings. Cool!

The Pentax K-01 is the company’s first APS-C mirrorless camera.
Photo provided by Pentax Ricoh Imaging.

“Save” image courtesy of “401(K) 2012” on Flickr, used under an Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) license.

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For SLR enthusiasts, Pentax has updated availability of its Pentax K-30 digital SLR in the US market. In a reply to a prospective K-30 buyer on Twitter from the company’s official Pentaxian account on Twitter, the company’s US branch confirmed that the first shipments of its hotly-anticipated K-30 digital SLR should be arriving this week.

The Pentax O-CC120 case is Mark Newson-styled, just like the K-01 camera body. Photo provided by Pentax Ricoh Imaging Co. Ltd.

Mirrorless shooters using the Pentax K-01, meanwhile, have a chance to get a Mark Newson-designed leather case to match their camera. It’s only a slim chance, though, because the case is only being offered in a very limited-edition run of just 300 units worldwide. Designed to fit the K-01 body with its smc PENTAX-DA 40mm f/2.8 XS kit lens attached, the case is crafted from deerskin, with a drawstring closure. Much like the camera body itself, the case has Mr. Newson’s signature embossed on the side.

More details on the case in the press release below. Pricing and availability haven’t been disclosed, and nor has the company stated whether any of the brief production run has been allocated to the US market. (Update: Shortly after posting our coverage of the announcement, we received confirmation from Pentax USA that the limited-edition pouch will indeed be offered in the US market. Pricing is set at US$300, and the case will be sold on the company’s official web store. No information is available on the number of units allocated to the US market. Although at press time, it wasn’t yet listed as a product available for purchase from the Pentax web store, we understand this will change shortly, and availability will be immediate.)

Production of the deerskin O-CC120 pouch is limited to just 300 units worldwide. Photo provided by Pentax Ricoh Imaging Co. Ltd.

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