While most camera makers have begun phasing out DSLRs in favor of mirrorless camera designs, Pentax believes that the aging format has more life.
To that end, the company has announced the Pentax KF APS-C DSLR.
Image Credit – Ricoh
“With the PENTAX KF, even first-time SLR users can easily and effortlessly enjoy the benefits of SLR photography and explore the entire process of making digital images,” said Ken Curry, president, of Ricoh Imaging Americas.
“The PENTAX KF is an extension of our PENTAX K-70, sharing many of the same features and proven performance even in extreme outdoor conditions.
As the only major manufacturer still producing true SLR cameras and building on our legacy and roots in SLR, high-quality still photography, we’re proud to fill the gap in the market.”
Image Credit – Ricoh
Essentially seen as a redesigned K70 DSLR with a few changes here and there, the KF has a 24MP APS-C CMOS image sensor with 4.5 stops of Shutter Step Stabilization, Ricoh’s in-body image stabilization system.
There’s an articulating LCD display with 1.04 million dots of resolution, about 12 percent larger than the original K70 screen. The KF also has a pentaprism viewfinder and the same ruggedized exoskeleton.
Ricoh says that in spite of these few changes, the Kf is only about .1 ounce (3g) lighter than the previous model, and even says that the camera is nearly identical in form and function.
Once the difference is the battery charger, which gets modernized to support USB-C cable, while the camera still relies on uses a micro USB port. Figure that out.
Feature-wise the KF has three custom image modes, including Stobi, Cross Processing, and Bleach Bypass. There are also special edition modes including Kyushu and Katen Custom Image, but those are only available when using specific lenses.
The KF also has original Pentax shooting features including the Hyper Program System, which allows the photographer to switch exposure modes from Program to Aperture Priority without taking their eyes off the viewfinder.
The camera has a 99-point SAFOX X Autofocusing system which uses 11 sensors, including 9 cross-type sensors for pinpoint focus and autofocus tracking of moving subjects which can regain the subject even after it moves away from the initial focusing point.
The camera also sports a 77-segment multi-pattern metering system and a top shutter speed of 1/6000 of a second.
The camera doesn’t support video, however, but it does have advanced interval shooting which captures a series of still images and stitches them together into a single 4K clip.
There’s also a Star Star Stream Movie option that records the traces of stars captured in the sky and stitches them together to show the rotation of the earth from the Sky’s perspective.
You’re not going to make a movie with it, but the time-lapse options are rather interesting. So if a Pentax fan wants to take video, then sticking with the K70 and its 1080p HD video capture is the best option.
The camera is dustproof and weather-resistant and is optimized for outdoor photography. It can work in extremely cold weather down to 14° (-10°C) as well as a wide range of other weather conditions.
Image Credit – Ricoh
The Pentax Kf DSLR will be available in late November 2022 for a retail price of $849.95 body only, or $949.95 with an SMC PENTAX DA L 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR lens Kit Lens.
There is also a special edition version in crystal blue and crystal white colors for $899 body only, with only 700 available.
The camera ships in late November. But the question is, who’s going to buy it?
[source: Ricoh]
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