In 1979 Pentax launched the ME Super as a manual focus, aperture-priority automatic SLR with an electronic focal plane shutter. It was small, light, and by all reports had excellent ergonomics. It used the by-then ubiquitous K-mount lens system and was sold successfully through '84. Fast forward to 2007 and Pentax Imaging launched the K100D Super D-SLR with a few of the...

What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay there--unless it happens to be one of the eight hot new D-SLRs that debuted at the annual PMA Show. Yes, 2008 is shaping up as a banner year for the expanding D-SLR sector and neither the pace of D-SLR sales nor the advancing technology that goes along with it is showing any sign of slowing down.

With eight new D-SLR...

During a recent trade show, I was walking across the exhibition floor with Joe Hall, sales and marketing manager for Jobo Fototechnic, Inc., when we heard a speaker say: "You can make a 5-foot print from this 2MB file. And it will be goorgeous,"...

The primary emphasis was on D-SLRs during the photokina 2008 show, but many new digicams with integral lenses were introduced, including some inexpensive models strictly for quick snapshooting. While those may find eager buyers, I’ll concentrate on cameras intended for the photo enthusiast. In these categories, only a few trends became obvious, starting with resolution: 13- and 14-megapixel...

The long-awaited replacement for the SD10 that was released in 2004, Sigma's new SD14 (average street price: $1599) retains the best features of its predecessor but benefits from improvements that make it more competitive with the latest cameras. These include higher resolution; a larger/brighter viewfinder; a faster, more versatile autofocus system; greater burst depth;...

The first digital SLR from Sony, the Alpha A100 ($899, body; $999 with 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens) offers amenities from the Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D along with Sony technology. This first camera from the Konica Minolta/Sony collaboration announced in 2005 employs the Alpha designation that was previously used for the Maxxum line in Asia. More than a "re-badged Maxxum...

When Sony introduced the A100 in June 2006, the company made a commitment to develop the Alpha system to include a full line of products. Since then, many Sony and Carl Zeiss ZA T* series lenses have been released, and now, the second camera is available. (A third D-SLR, targeting professionals, will be announced in 2008.) The new A700 maintains compatibility with Maxxum as well...