DSLR News

The Goods is a new feature in Shutterbug that spotlights the hottest premium photo gear out there.

Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. just announced the launch of the new PENTAX K-S1 D-SLR camera. This model offers users a newly designed 20.12 megapixel CMOS image sensor (with a sensitivity of ISO 51200), an in-body shake reduction (SR) mechanism, an AA (Anti-Aliasing) filter simulator for moiré reduction, a 100 percent field of view glass pentaprism viewfinder (with a magnification of approximately 0.95) and 5.4 fps shooting at a fast 1/6000 shutter speed. 

The Nikon D4 is a large sized, 16MP, lightning fast D-SLR, with high-definition video capability good enough to satisfy an independent film producer. At first, my thought was to see how the D4 worked when used for the more mundane subjects I shoot than what it was designed for, and to see how it compared to the APS-C sized cameras I prefer. But, by the time my experience with the camera ended, I had shot a tutorial video with it (www.setshoptutorials.com and then click on “Anatomy of a Still Life”), found its fast framing rate more helpful than I expected, and decided I especially liked Nikon’s D4, an FX camera, when shot in the DX (APS-C) mode. Although the primary difference between the D4 and the D3 is the D4’s increased resolution and its advanced video capability, I found the whole package that represents the D4’s feature set just as important, so let’s look at those.

When it was launched in October 2007, the E-3 broke new ground. It wasn’t a me-too SLR; it carried the Four Thirds format into new directions that were uniquely Olympus.

Pentax has a long history of innovation as well as a rabid fan base that loves the company’s tradition of optical excellence and originality. In fact, this fan base is the reason I’m writing this review. If you’re not already a Pentaxian you probably didn’t know that Pentax (derived from PENTAprism refleX) built the first camera to incorporate a penta-prism viewfinder and reflex mirror system in 1957 and went on to introduce the first TTL metering system in 1964. While late to the digital SLR game, when they finally arrived it was with a series of entry-level cameras that delivered impressive image quality at affordable prices. Over time they’ve dipped their toes into the semipro market and the K-5 is the latest model with professional aspirations yet it retains all the quirky uniqueness that all Pentax cameras have and that endears them to so many photographers.

Until recently, 10 megapixels was the norm among the enthusiast-level D-SLRs but that changed with the introduction of Nikon’s 12-megapixel D300. Pentax was the first to move to even higher resolution with their 14.6-megapixel model, the K20D, followed by Sony with their 14.2-megapixel Alpha A350. Aside from a 4.6 million increase in effective pixels, the Pentax K20D boasts some other...