Pentax Announces Q7

PENTAX RICOH IMAGING CANADA INC. is pleased to announce the introduction of the PENTAX Q7 digital interchangeable lens camera, joining the already successful Q10 in the PENTAX Q Series. Available in 120 eye-catching colour combinations, the Q7 gives creative control to the user with a complete system of interchangeable lenses and fun smart effects and digital filters for truly limitless creativity.

The PENTAX Q7 features an upgraded 1/1.7 inch, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, high sensitivity shooting up to ISO 12800 and enhanced Q ENGINE with faster response time during start-up and shooting time. The Q7’s ultra-compact, lightweight body enables easily pocket-able portability while the fun filters and assorted lens variety inspire the casual photographer to elevate their creativity. With 19 smart effects and filters and a choice of seven interchangeable lenses, a retro look and feel can easily be applied in-camera with the ability to layer different effects for more personalized images. Additionally, with the Q7’s enhanced Eye-Fi SD card compatibility and built-in menus, users can now edit, re-size and share photos instantly.

The PENTAX Q7 will be available in a choice of three standard body colours: black, silver and yellow or select from a choice of 117 custom colour combinations (available by special order) to create your Q7 to be a unique as you are.

The PENTAX Q7 Kit, including the PENTAX-02 Standard Zoom Lens, will be available in Canada September 2013 at a suggested retail price of $499.99.

PENTAX-07 Mount Shield Lens
The PENTAX-07 Mount Shield Lens produces a truly unique and timeless visual effect, comparable to the original pin-hole camera—with a fixed aperture of F9 and a focal length of 11.5 mm (53mm in 35mm format when mounted on the PENTAX Q7 camera body or 63.5mm on the PENTAX Q or Q10 camera body), for an extra-ordinary image with distinctively velvety edges. Featuring a focusing range of approximately 0.3-2m, still life shots and macro photography are given a beautiful dream-like look and feel. Measuring a mere 6.9mm in length, it is extremely thin and compact for carry-anywhere convenience. It mounts onto the camera body just like a lens cap, making it the perfect choice for casual, everyday photography.

The PENTAX-07 Mount Shield Lens will be available in Canada July 2013 at a suggested retail price of $79.99.

PRESS RELEASE

PENTAX Q7

The newest addition to the PENTAX Q series – An ultra-compact digital interchangeable lens camera with an extra-large image sensor

Mississauga, ON – June 12, 2013

The PENTAX Q7 features an upgraded 1/1.7 inch, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, high sensitivity shooting up to ISO 12800 and enhanced Q ENGINE with faster response time during start-up and shooting time. The Q7’s ultra-compact, lightweight body enables easily pocketable portability while the fun filters and assorted lens variety inspire the casual photographer to elevate their creativity. With 19 smart effects and filters and a choice of seven interchangeable lenses, a retro look and feel can easily be applied in-camera with the ability to layer different effects for more personalized images. Additionally, with the Q7’s enhanced Eye-Fi SD card compatibility and built-in menus, users can now edit, re-size and share photos instantly.

The PENTAX Q7 Kit, including the PENTAX-02 Standard Zoom Lens, will be available in Canada September 2013 at a suggested retail price of $499.99.

Major Features

Extra-large 1/1.7-inch image sensor — the largest in the Q series
Thanks to the incorporation of a new 1/1.7-inch, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, the PENTAX Q7 boasts the finest image quality in the Q series. By coupling this image sensor with the state-of-the-art Q ENGINE high-speed imaging engine, the Q7 not only offers high-sensitivity shooting up to ISO 12800, it also delivers beautiful images with accurate reproduction of gradation and texture while minimizing noise effectively — even at high ISO levels. The Q7’s autofocus accuracy during low-illumination shooting has also been improved, assuring pinpoint focus on the subject even at the faintest light level of EV 0. Because of its larger sensor, the angle of view for the Q7 is wider than that of its sister models, even when the same lens is mounted.** For example, when the 02 Standard Zoom lens is mounted on the Q7, the angle of view is 23mm to 69mm in the 35mm format (compared to 27.5mm to 83mm for the Q10). Likewise, when the Adapter Q for K-mount Lenses is used with the Q7, the focal length of the mounted lens is extended by approximately 4.6 times (compared to approximately 5.5 times for the Q10).

* With Q-mounted lenses, the shift in angle of view may vary depending on the lens type.

Outstanding operability
Thanks to the incorporation of a new Q ENGINE which provides a 10% improvement in speed compared to existing engines, and optimized algorithm, the Q7 provides a shortened start-up time of approximately one second. Additionally, the Q7 provides much-improved response including a shortened time lag between exposures. The Quick Dial, which the photographer can assign as many as four favourite functions to, is more versatile and functional than ever, with the addition of AF/MF switching, focus assist ON/OFF, focus peaking ON/OFF and ND filter ON/OFF to the list of assignable functions.

Dependable SR mechanism
Featuring a latest gyro sensor, the Q7’s upgraded SR (Shake Reduction) mechanism compensates camera shake by as much as three shutter steps, producing sharp, blur-free images even under conditions prone to camera shake, such as when using a telephoto lens, shooting in the dark without flash illumination, or capturing landscapes in the twilight.

A selection of image-processing tools to create personalized images

Custom Images to add distinctive finishing touches
The Custom Image function adds a distinctive finishing touch to an image. Choose from 11 Custom Image modes, including Bleach Bypass, which produces a dramatic, movie-like finish.
Digital filter function to apply artistic visual effects
The digital filter function lets the photographer apply a variety of visual effects without requiring a computer. Of the total 17 digital filters, 11 filters including Toy Camera, Invert Colour and Posterization can be applied during the shooting of still images and movie clips, while the remaining six can be applied only during image editing. In playback, the user can apply different filters one after another to a single image to create more inventive visual effects.
Smart Effect function for simple dial control of finishing touches
Using the Quick-Dial positioned on the camera’s front panel, the user can quickly and effortlessly add the desired finishing touch to an image, while previewing the applied effect on the LCD monitor. Choose from nine Smart Effect modes — including Brilliant Colour which provides a high-saturation finish, and Cross Process, with its dramatic unique-toned finish. The user can assign four favourite modes to the dial in advance.

Effortless Bokeh control
Enjoy effortless bokeh control with the Q7’s bokeh control function. Bokeh is the out of focus part of the background that helps to emphasize the subject, drawing the viewer’s eyes to the most important part of the photo. This function simplifies the advanced, SLR-caliber technique of intentional defocusing, allowing even a first-time photographer to effortlessly capture highquality images with beautifully defocused foregrounds and/or backgrounds.

High-quality, Full HD movie recording, even during high-sensitivity shooting
Thanks to the improvements in the image-processing algorithm, the Q7 captures beautiful Full HD movie clips (1920 x 1080 pixels, at 30 frames per second, in the H.264 recording format) with minimal noise, even during high-sensitivity recording at ISO 12800. A new interval HD movie recording function adds more creativity to visual expression. The user can also take advantage of advanced image-processing tools including the Smart Effect modes,** an array of in-body movie editing tools, and autofocus operation during movie shooting.

* The frame rate may vary when a selected Smart Effect mode requires non-standard image processing

High-resolution, wide-view 3.0-inch LCD monitor
The Q7 features a high-resolution 3.0-inch, 3:2-proportion LCD monitor with approximately 460,000 dots. The monitor has been treated with AR (Anti-Reflection) coating to offer sharp, bright images even under bright sunshine by effectively minimizing glare and reflection on the screen. Its wide-view design makes it possible to view the image from 170 degrees horizontally and vertically, offering a clear view of the image even when facing the monitor diagonally.

Simple, user-friendly Auto Picture and Scene modes
The Q7 features the PENTAX-original Auto Picture mode, which automatically selects the most appropriate shooting mode from such options as Portrait, Landscape and Macro for a given subject or scene, then optimizes all affecting parameters, such as shutter speed, aperture, white balance, saturation, contrast and sharpness. It also provides 21 Scene modes including Night Scene Portrait, Pet and Backlight Silhouette, allowing even an entry digital photographer to choose the best exposure mode for a complicated subject or scene with the simple choice of an icon on the LCD monitor.

Flexible exposure system available only with digital lens-interchangeable camera systems
The Q7’s comprehensive exposure system assures all the advantages and flexibility of a digital interchangeable lens camera system. It offers a choice of four different exposure modes: the allpurpose Programmed AE (P) mode, which automatically selects an optimum combination of aperture and shutter speed; the Shutter-Priority AE (Tv), Aperture-Priority AE (Av) and manual Exposure (M) modes, which allow the photographer to more faithfully reproduce specific creative intentions on resulting images.

DRII mechanism for effective dust removal
The Q7’s DR II (Dust Removal II) mechanism effectively prevents dust spots from spoiling captured images, even after the user changes lenses out in the open. Like the PENTAX K-5 II and 645D digital SLR cameras, it employs a highly effective supersonic vibration mechanism, which vibrates the image sensor at high speed to shake the dust off its surface.

Compatible with Q-Mount system of lenses
The PENTAX Q-mount system is a complete line up of lightweight, compact PENTAX Q-lenses, made with every photographer’s desires in mind. Choose from a family of seven specialty PENTAX lenses to use with your Q7—prime, zoom, wide-angle, fish-eye, and the new mount shield lens for a dreamy pinhole-camera effect. The Adapter Q for K-mount lenses, which allows the use of PENTAX K-mount lenses on the PENTAX Q Series cameras, is also available.

Other features
I. Compatibility with Eye-Fi wireless LAN SD memory cards
II. High-speed continuous shooting of up to five images per second
III. HDR mode to composite a photo with extra-wide dynamic range from three images of varying exposures
IV. CTE white-balance control mode to emphasize the predominant colour of a particular scene, such as the sunset
V. Multi-exposure mode (up to nine exposures on a single image), with an auto exposure compensation function
VI. Remote control receptors on front and back panels
VII. Digital level function to check the camera’s horizontal/vertical inclination
VIII. SILKY Developer Studio 3.0 LE for PENTAX RAW-data development software (developed by Ichikawa Soft Laboratory) included; in-camera RAW-data development also available.

PENTAX RICOH IMAGING is a leader in the production of a variety of adventure ready digital cameras including weather-resistant digital SLRs and stylish, compact, waterproof cameras, as well as lenses, flash units, binoculars, scopes, and eyepieces. With headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, PENTAX RICOH IMAGING CANADA INC. is a subsidiary of PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. Visit us on the web at www.pentax.ca

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PRESS RELEASE

PENTAX-07 MOUNT SHIELD LENS

The fourth lens in the Unique-Lens series for PENTAX Q-series digital interchangeable lens cameras

Mississauga, ON – June 12, 2013

PENTAX RICOH IMAGING CANADA INC. is pleased to announce the introduction of the PENTAX-07 Mount Shield Lens. This affordably priced, interchangeable lens produces a unique visual effect when mounted on a PENTAX Q-mount digital interchangeable lens camera body.

The fourth model of the Unique-Lens series and seventh in the PENTAX Q-mount system of lenses, the PENTAX-07 Mount Shield Lens produces a truly unique and timeless visual effect, comparable to the original pin-hole camera—with a fixed aperture of F9 and a focal length of 11.5 mm (53mm in 35mm format when mounted on the PENTAX Q7 camera body or 63.5mm on the PENTAX Q or Q10 camera body), for an extra-ordinary image with distinctively velvety edges. Featuring a focusing range of approximately 0.3-2m, still life shots and macro photography are given a beautiful dream-like look and feel.

Measuring a mere 6.9mm in length, it is extremely thin and compact for carry-anywhere convenience. It mounts onto the camera body just like a lens cap, making it the perfect choice for casual, everyday photography.

The PENTAX-07 Mount Shield Lens will be available in Canada July 2013 at a suggested retail price of $79.99.

PENTAX-07 Mount Shield Lens Specifications
Mount: PENTAX Q mount
Lens Construction: 1 element in 1 group
Angle of View: 44.5° (on the Q7); 37.5° (on the Q/Q10)
Focal Length (in 35mm format): 11.5mm (53.0mm on the Q7; 63.5mm on the Q/Q10)
Aperture: Fixed at F9
Focus Control: Fixed
Focus Range: Approx. 0.3m to 2.0m
Maximum Diameter x Length: 40.8mm x 6.9mm
Weight: Approx. 8 grams