PMA Spring 2006 Show
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Pentax's logo. Click here to visit the Pentax website! Pentax: 10mpix DSLR launch this autumn!
By Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 17:00 EST)

Pentax Imaging Co. has today made an announcement that just might steal the thunder at this year's Photo Marketing Association tradeshow.

The company will be exhibiting three new products under glass on its booth at the show - its planned 645 medium format digital SLR, a new 21mm lens, and (drum roll, please) a ten megapixel digital SLR that should launch this fall.

We don't currently have any information on the digital SLR beyond the resolution and launch time - in fact, at the current time, there's not even a product name available. We fully expect that this camera will generate a lot of discussion amongst our readers, though, and you can be sure that as soon as we have more to tell you, we will!

The new lens that will be shown under glass on the show floor is the smc PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited, which the company notes is a uni-focal wide-angle lens that will offer a 68-degree angle of view and a 32mm equivalent focal length when used on the company's *ist D-series digital SLRs. It is tentatively scheduled for launch in June 2006.

Finally, the company will also exhibit its PENTAX 645 medium format digital SLR under glass at the show, that camera being based on an 18.6 megapixel Kodak CCD sensor, and compatible with existing smc PENTAX 645 interchangeable lenses. Three mockups of the camera were shown at the Photo Imaging Expo 2005 in Tokyo last March, doubtless gaining the company quite a bit of feedback on the designs. Today's announcement means that the camera will be shown in the USA for the first time...

Original Source Press Release:

PENTAX TO EXHIBIT UPCOMING DIGITAL SLR CAMERA PRODUCTS AT PMA 2006

(GOLDEN, CO.) February 23, 2006…PENTAX Imaging Company has announced three additional digital SLR products that are currently under development and will be showcased under glass at the upcoming PMA 2006 held from February 26 to March 1 in Orlando, Florida.

PENTAX has confirmed that the company will unveil a yet to be named PENTAX 10 megapixel digital SLR camera body, tentatively scheduled for a formal launch in Autumn 2006.

Along with the announcement of this PENTAX digital SLR body, the manufacturer announced a tenth lens that is compatible with the PENTAX digital SLR system. The smc PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited is an interchangeable uni-focal wide-angle lens for exclusive use with PENTAX digital SLR camera bodies. Offering wide-perspective coverage with a 68-degree angle of view (equivalent in focal length to 32mm in the 35mm format, when mounted on a PENTAX *ist D series digital SLR camera body), the lens features a PENTAX-original KAF lens mount. PENTAX has tentatively scheduled the lens launch for June 2006.

PENTAX also will preview the PENTAX 645 medium format digital SLR camera for the first time in the United States. Offering professional-quality digital image reproduction with 18 effective megapixels, a Kodak-developed extra-large CCD image sensor with 18.6 total megapixels (tentative), a PENTAX-original 645AF lens mount, the 645 Digital will maintain compatibility with existing smc PENTAX 645 interchangeable lenses.

Model names, designs, specifications and market launch schedules of these products are all tentative and subject to change without notice.

PENTAX Imaging Company is an innovative leader in the production of digital cameras, lenses, binoculars, eyepieces, mobile printers, scanners and Internet cameras. For more than 80 years, PENTAX technology has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of consumers and businesses. With headquarters in Golden, Colorado, PENTAX Imaging Company is a division of PENTAX of America, Inc.

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