Pentax is a brand name used primarily by Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company, Ricoh for DSLR cameras, lenses, sport optics, and CCTV optics. The Pentax brand is also used by Hoya Corporation for medical products & services, TI Asahi for surveying instruments, and Seiko Optical Products for certain optical lenses.
Advanced Photo System type-C (APS-C) is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System film negative in its C ("Classic") format, of 25.1×16.7 mm, an aspect ratio of 3:2. It is therefore also equivalent in size to the Super 35 motion picture film format, which has the dimensions of 24.89 mm × 18.66 mm.
The Pentax K-mount, sometimes referred to as the "PK-mount", is a bayonet lens mount standard for mounting interchangeable photographic lenses to 35 mm single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. It was created by Pentax in 1975, and has since been used by all Pentax 35 mm and digital SLRs and also the MILC Pentax K-01. A number of other manufacturers have also produced many K-mount lenses and K-mount cameras.
This article discusses the cameras – mainly 35 mm SLRs – manufactured by Pentax Ricoh Imaging Corp. and its predecessors, Pentax Corporation and Asahi Optical Co., Ltd..
Pentax lenses were first badged as Takumar. The Takumar branded lenses were well respected for their line of Super Takumar, which designated the high performance coating applied to the lens as well as the optical formulas used to make them. The majority of the industry at the time was still satisfied with the variations of the "plumb" coating process and later some of the two and three layer processes as well. Asahi Pentax soon introduced the Takumar Super-Multi-Coated line of lenses which was a 7 layer process as the industry had just caught up with similar forms of 5 layer multi-coated optics. Eventually Asahi Optical and Pentax slowly shifted much of their lens production under the Pentax name and transitioned some of the successful designs that were first introduced under the Takumar name to use Asahi/Pentax badging as well as beginning to use the "smc" abbreviation. Eventually the Asahi partnership disappeared and the Pentax name became solely used. Pentax lenses saw many feature changes to answer the market, such as: incorporating "Auto-Aperture" with the M42, the light weight and compactness with the 'M' series, Aperture Priority overrides with the 'A' series, and Auto-Focus with the 'F' series. Modern Pentax lenses for digital SLR cameras have seen the elimination of the aperture ring completely as found on Pentax DA and D-FA series lenses. They use the Pentax KAF mount. All of these lenses have an autofocus feature, either operated from the camera body or from an internal SDM motor. Pentax compatible lenses are also made by third-party companies.
The Pentax K-x is a 12.4 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 16, 2009. Pentax K-x uses an Exmor, Sony-made sensor. In some cases it even approaches the quality produced by full-frame DSLRs like the Nikon D700 and the Canon 5DMkII, both with larger sensors. The Pentax K-x is suitable for low light conditions for both still and video photography.
The Pentax K-5 is a 16.3-megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, announced on September 20, 2010. It began shipping in mid-October 2010 and it was replaced by the Pentax K-5 II in the third quarter of 2012.
The Pentax Q series is a series of mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras made by Pentax and introduced in 2011 with the initial model Pentax Q. As of September 2012, it was the world's smallest, lightest interchangeable lens digital camera. The first models used a 1/2.3" back-illuminated sensor CMOS image sensor. The Q7, introduced in June 2013, uses a larger 1/1.7" type sensor. The Q system is now discontinued.
The Pentax 645 is a medium format single-lens reflex system camera manufactured by Pentax. It was introduced in 1984, along with a complementary line of lenses. It captures images nominally 6 cm × 4.5 cm on 120, 220, and 70 mm film, though the actual size of the images is 56 mm × 41.5 mm.
The HD Pentax DA 55-300mm lens, is a telezoom lens line for the Pentax K-mount. There are 4 generations so far.
The smc PENTAX-DA* 1:4 300mm ED [IF] SDM is a supertele prime lens for Pentax K-mount. It uses Pentax' silent SDM motor for autofocus on compatible cameras, and has Quick Shift Focus to allow manual adjustments in autofocus mode.
The HD Pentax-D FA* 70–200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW lens is a professional telephoto zoom lens for the Pentax K-mount. Announced jointly with the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW in February 2015, it is one a pair of full-frame lenses to reboot Pentax' involvement in that format, the last previously introduced full-frame lens being the D FA 100mm weather-sealed macro lens in 2009. On Pentax APS-C cameras, the D FA* 70–200mm has an equivalent focal length range of 107–307mm.
The Pentax K-S2 is a weather-sealed digital SLR camera announced by Ricoh on February 9, 2015. It is the first Pentax SLR to feature an articulated LCD, and it is the smallest DSLR to include this feature and also be weather-sealed. In 2015, the K-S2 won the TIPA Award in the category Best Digital SLR Advanced.
The HD Pentax-DA 645 28-45mm F4.5 ED AW SR is a wide angle zoom lens for the Pentax 645 medium format system, announced by Ricoh on August 4, 2014.
The Pentax K-1 is the first production Pentax full-frame digital SLR camera. As the flagship model of the Pentax K-mount system, it includes several new and improved features, including a five-axis SR II in-body image stabilization system, newly designed flexible tilt articulating screen mounted on four metal struts allowing for rotation about the optical axis in addition to upward and downward tilt, and improved autofocus and metering systems.
The HD Pentax-D FA* 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens is a professional normal prime lens for the Pentax K-mount. It was officially announced on October 27th 2017, launched on June 28th 2018, and first shipped on July 26th 2018.
The HD Pentax-D FA 70–210mm f/4.0 ED SDM WR lens is a telephoto zoom lens for the Pentax K-mount. The lens was on the roadmap since 2019, has been announced in January 2020 and should be available from March 2020. It is an additional full-frame lens to reboot Pentax' involvement in that format, the last previously introduced newly developed full-frame lens being the D FA* 50mm ED SDM AW in 2018. On Pentax APS-C cameras, the D FA 70–210mm has an equivalent focal length range of 107–322mm.
The HD Pentax-D FA* 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW lens is a professional short telepohoto prime lens for the Pentax K-mount. The lens was officially announced on February 26th 2019, launched on June 25th 2020 and announced to be first shipped on June 26th 2020.
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