Wiesn Girls in dirndl

A girl at Oktoberfest 2011 München (aka Wiesn). Wiesn girl #1

A trademark of Wiesn (the original Oktoberfest) are girls wearing dirndl for showing off their (sometimes remarkable) décolletage also known as cleavage. Dirndl are a traditional dress in Bavaria. It used to be worn by poorer working girls in the past. But more recently, it became rather popular at Oktoberfest because of its figure-hugging qualities. It even appears that the dirndl currently makes new friends all over the world. A fashion trend made in Munich.

So, all of this theoretically provides for ample of photo opportunities like in a giant fashion show. Except that Wiesn is a very crowded party zone and nobody would want to make it easy for you. On the other hand, taking photos is a tolerated sports as long as they are serious and don't show up in the internet without permission (which is why I omitted the face of people I have no permission from). Nevertheless, good décolletage photos are rare (except from prominent people posing to be photographed) and I made a test of what can be achieved.

Equipment wise, I used a Pentax K-5 with the DA* 60-250mm/4 using AF and a Pentax K-x with a DA 15mm/4. I fixed the latter to f/8 and 1.4m manual focus with SR turned off to have sub-second reaction time to take photos in the crowd. No photo bag to keep a low profile. This turned out to be quite a capable combination.

Actually, the girl in the opening image is taken from a video I took with the K-5 at 250mm using manual focus while she walked up the staircase to the Bavaria monument at Wiesn. The manual focus was difficult to maintain (and is not perfect). But I still like the result as a photo I may not have been able to shoot as a still.

Below is this staircase in the background.

Bavaria monument

Below, I'll show impressions from Wiesn 2011. Note that many images are heavily cropped. Also, some post-processing was applied to reduce some hard shadows from the sunny day.

Wiesn girl #2

Wiesn girl #3 (note the cleavage)

Wiesn girls #739.347 to #968.567

Wiesn girl #4 ("Awaiting him while being looked at")

Wiesn girl #5

Wiesn girl #6

Wiesn girl #7

Wiesn girl #8

I'd like to know from any comments if you like the fashion trend at Oktoberfest. It definitely provides for some nice eye catchers. If you have any favourites in this mini series, post a comment. I'd like to know your taste too :)

Thanks for stopping bye and I hope you enjoyed your stay.


Falk

A hypothetical Pentax DFA* 500mm F5.6 ED(IF) SDMii

Kestrel



Kestrel in the wild near our garden.
 The 35mm-equivalent focal length is 2600 mm. Shot with a Pentax K-5 and Pentax 1.7x AF converter using a 500mm lens. Cropped to half size.

The Pentax system as great as it is does still lack a super tele lens option from Pentax which is in production. This made me wonder which lens exactly Pentax should do to both fill the empty space and to attract new photographers into their system.

Pentax once was famous for optically great and affordable super tele lenses such as the Pentax FA* 600mm F4 or gorgeous 645 600mm F5.6 etc. It is a shame they take so long to revive their tradition of great long glass.

To my big surprise, the answer which lens to start with was pretty easy:
A Pentax DFA* 500mm F5.6 ED(IF) SDMii.

Before I'll dig into details, let me explain why. First, shorter lenses don't make sense with a popular DA* 300 F4 or DA* 60-250 F4. After all, digital cameras are crop machines and need larger steps between lens options to make sense. But an even faster or longer lens becomes too expensive to be a smooth enough upgrade (as detailed below, a 600/5.6 would have to be 80%, a 500/4.5 100% more expensive). Same goes for a very long zoom lens which would become too heavy and too expensive too. Moreover, f/5.6 is really fast enough with the advent of great sensors such as the one in the Pentax K-5.

However, it must not be slower than f/5.6 (or maybe f/5.4) because then the Pentax AF system wouldn't work anymore in conjunction with an 1.4x tele converter. Yes, it does work with f/5.6 or f/7.8 effective. How do I know? Well, the above photo was shot with a Sigma 500mm f/4.5 APO manual lens and the Pentax 1.7x tele AF converter which is f/7.7 effective. The AF works flawlessly and fast! Heck, the K-5 even gives me a stabilized 850 mm autofocus lens this way :)

A 500/5.6 lens really is the sweet spot between long enough, fast enough, not too heavy and not too expensive. And it is the missing option from Sigma, Sony, Canon and Nikon! Their product suites are all so 2000-ish! Optimized to be fast, expensive and heavy rather than the versatile resolution super weapons modern sensors need so much.


Pentax DFA* 500mm F5.6 ED(IF) SDMii details

I compared a couple super tele primes from Sigma and Canon (Canon MSRP prices divided by 1.34 to meet Sigma MSRPs, e.g., for the 800/5.6). The following two formulas are the best description to predict weight and price:

Weight [kg] = D[mm]^2.20 /12000 (typical error is +/- 15%)

Price [MSRP in USD] = D[mm]^3.26 /1177 (typical error is +/- 25%, street price shouldn't be higher)

D is the diameter = focal length / f-stop number.

D^2 is the expected term describing how glass surface grows with diameter. 2.2 accounts for increasing thickness, I guess. Price should be proportional to weight but isn't. It has an extra factor D probably accounting for increasing rareness and hand-made production steps. Anyway, the above formula allows to describe the lens in fairly accurate terms:

• Lens: Pentax DFA* 500mm F5.6 ED(IF) SDMii
• Mount: Pentax KAF
• Price: 1940 USD (MSRP)
• Weight: 1630 g
• Filter size (front): 91 mm
• Length: 300 mm
• Close distance: 4 m
• Lens elements / groups: ~12 / ~11 (e.g., like the Pentax A* 645 600mm F5.6).
• Stabilized: Yes (in body)
• Autofocus: Yes (SDM, version 2 (ring motor); screw drive supported; focus limiter in firmware)
• Teleconverter: Yes, optomized to support Pentax DFA 1.4x SDM converter (tba ;) )
• Image circle: 43mm (full frame)
• Weather-sealed: Yes
• MTF characteristics: Blur widths below 2px in the center, similiar to DA*300, outresolving the sensor x2 ("made for cropping" (tm)).

Option:

• Pentax DFA 1.4x SDM converter
  700 mm, F7.8, phase AF supported in daylight.

I am pretty sure that this lens would sell in a volume high enough to make it an economically viable option for Pentax. And drag new users into the Pentax system. And keep existing users happy as well ;)

Pentax, where is your pre-order page? :)

LumoLabs: Pentax K-5 low light focus with firmware upgrade 1.03

Fig.1: "Caribbean Sunset".
Why doing measurements is no substitute to taking photos (taken while I type) ;)

The current story is continued from the blog article Pentax K-5 low light focus after Pentax has published the version 1.03 firmware upgrade officially featuring an improvement of focus operation in low light.

When the 1.03 update was released, many users reported positive findings. So, I was optimistic to find that the low light focus issues are a thing of the past. Unfortunately, this isn't what I eventually found.

Please refer to the updated version of the complete paper for my findings:

• www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/articles/k5focus (HTML version)
• www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/articles/k5focus/K5Focus.pdf
  (PDF version for download and offline reading)

Summary:

Basically, I find no significant difference between firmware versions 1.02 and 1.03 when using my testing scenarios. This means that there is no significant improvement if:

• The background is white
• The target has high contrast
• The AF assist light is disabled

Under the above circumstances, the K-5 auto focus starts to lock focus in a false front focus position at tungsten light levels below 0 EV for a fast lens (like f/1.8) or below about 2-4 EV for slower lenses. This did not change at all with release 1.03. Note that the above light level values would read 2-3 steps higher with a target like a Caucasian skin (18% gray).
Moreover, I found that at low enough light levels, the 1.03 firmware seems to rely more than 1.02 on color information outside the direct selected AF spot. With a uniform color distribution, this can lead to somewhat improved results in the vicinity of the focus shift transition. OTOH, the focus system is more easily fooled by features with a singular color. Overall, the advantages may dominate and the effect is small anyway. Version 1.03 still doesn't seem to make use of white balance information, either manually or automatic.

If I believe that Pentax improved the low light focus situation for many users of the 1.03 firmware, then the progress must be bound to any of the following:

• AF assist light engages more actively (not tested by myself).
• Focus improved in the presence of dark backgrounds (not tested by myself).
• Focus improved with low contrast or dim focus features (not tested by myself).

As I don't have a version 1.02 K-5 anymore, I cannot find it out. But any progress brought by the 1.03 firmware upgrade is limited rather than universal.

As much as I applaud Pentax to having addressed the problem, as much I am a bit disappointed they didn't dig deep enough to address the root problem: that the K-5 AF subsystem locks focus even in a situation where the colorimetric sensor(s) fails to determine the light color. It simply shouldn't lock focus at all then. Or ask for user assistance like a priming shot. The light-sensitive AF system of the K-5 has too strong a color dependency to autofocus if the color of the focus feature remains unknown.

A better workaround than 1.03 in firmware is feasible and should stay on Pentax' agenda.

Please, read the full paper linked above if you have further questions and come back here to leave comments or questions. General comments about the issue should still go to the general (earlier) article while firmware release 1.03 comments should go here. Thank You.

LumoLabs: Pentax K-5 low light focus

Note: I updated the article to version 1.3.
2011, March 27.

Note: I updated the article to version 1.1.

I think, the feedback and experiments done after version 1.0 helped to understand the observed focus behaviour rather well and version 1.1 takes this into account.

An important (new) aspect is a description how low key studio photography, esp. when combined with an f/4 lens (or slower), can lead to inaccurate focus.

2011, March 07.


Fig.1: Accuracy of the Pentax K-5 phase detect AF vs. luminosity in EV. The above chart includes all measurements, i.e. various lenses, light colors, distances and apertures. The accuracy is measured as deviation of the focal plane from the sensor plane, in µm.

In modern times, each new release of a digital SLR camera seems to be accompanied by teething troubles. This applies to all makes across the board. Sometimes, they are fixed quickly by the vendor, like the “Green Line Syndrome” video issue in the Pentax K-7, the “Hot Pixel” video issue in the Nikon D7000 or the “String of Pearls” stain issue in the K-5. Sometimes, they aren't like the shutter-induced blur issue with the K-7 which LumoLabs succeeded to document in this blog.

Currently, there are two remaining teething troubles for the K-5 which are widely reported: wrong PTTL exposure with external flashes in some situations (confirmed in writing by 3rd party flash makers, even for Pentax' own flashes). And a systematic wrong lock of autofocus in low (tungsten) light.

Therefore, LumoLabs has decided to have a closer look at the issue. After careful evaluation and many hundred test shots we found the issue to be real. Pentax has unofficially reported to work on the issue. The pressure is on them to address the issue and the author hopes that our findings may contribute to their efforts. Buyers of the K-5 must be able to be confident that the issue is fixed sooner than later.

A preliminary copy of the paper was provided to Pentax earlier this week and the head of Pentax Europe officially receives a printed copy today. I have been told that Pentax engineering will receive a copy too.


The study

The results are too complex to be presented in the scope of a blog. Fig.1 above provides a first idea of our work.

Please refer to the complete paper for our findings:

• www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/articles/k5focus (HTML version)
• www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/articles/k5focus/K5Focus.pdf
  (PDF version for download and offline reading)

You'll gain a deeper understanding of Fig.1 too ;)

In a nutshell, this is what we find:

1. The K-5 as it presently ships indeed has a flaw in its phase detect autofocus module or software which causes it to front focus in low light below a lens-dependent threshold in EV.
2. If it does, it seems to consistently focus ≈ 255 µm behind the sensor plane (although with a significant ± 75 µm scatter of results which is about twice as large as the normal scatter of result).
3. Faster lenses seem to keep working in lower light but of course, are prone to more blur when the front focus does eventually happen. Slower lenses can already start to front focus at light levels metering as 4 EV or 6 EV even. A fast lens may work down to 0 EV in white light.
4. Light sources other than daylight emphasize this problem as they simply appear darker to the AF module. Moreover, it seems to be moderately color blind for red which further emphasizes the effect in deep tungsten light.
5. The effect is real and can negatively impact the daily work of a photographer.  On the other hand, it is possible to run into a low light tungsten situation without the problem.
6. The paper clarifies conditions to hit or avoid the issue. White light (halogen is not white enough though) and a wide lens stopped down help to work around the problem. AF assist light typically doesn't help though. But an LED flash light does. ;)

It may be interesting to note what we did not find: There seems to be no strong dependency on the light color. Except that colored light causes the transition to happen earlier as it means less usable light for the AF module. It seems to have a somewhat low sensitivity esp. for red light. Moreover, there seems to be no dependency on actual aperture or distance.

Move focal plane by 0xFF µm? Yes, do it so! :)

This may describe what's going on behind the curtain: a µm-valued variable becomes 0xFF (255) and causes a false shift of the focus plane by 255 µm. I call it the +0xFFµm hypothesis. :)
- Is it likely? No.
- Is it possible? Yes.

Please, read the full paper linked above if you have further questions and come back here to leave comments or questions. Thank You.

LumoLabs: Pentax K-5 shutter

Total blur widths as a function of shutter speed for a Pentax K-7 camera (red) and a Pentax K-5 camera (green).

Our recent study of shutter-induced blur for the Pentax K-7 SLR camera has created a lot of buzz in the Pentax community. We are now actually watching to see similiar work been done for cameras of other vendors too.

Meanwhile of course I have been more than curious to see how the Pentax K-5 camera performs in this regard. I am glad to say that the lab work is done and a report is published. You may access it here (HTML and PDF):

• www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/articles/k5shutter/

In a nutshell: Pentax may not have changed much. But the little they changed helped. The increase of blur due to shutter operation (the amount which the image blur increases by at certain shutter speeds) is almost halved with respect to a K-7, at least at the most critical speed around 1/80s.

You may see this from the chart as depicted above as well. On average, the K-5 shutter induces a pixel blur increase by less than a pixel which should not be noticeable in day to day work. Normally, the increase is less due to other sources of softness or by not shooting at the shutter speed where the effect is largest.

Also note that every camera with a focal plane shutter (every SLR) will exhibit a certain amount of shutter blur for physical reasons.

We are not surprised to see the issue of shutter-induced blur for Pentax mitigated in the K-5. After all, the previous study for the K-7 was in reaction to numerous complaints and for the K-5, the first user feedback is very positive, incl. sharpness at the critical shutter speeds.


The conclusion cited from the white paper is this:

The shutter-induced blur in the Pentax K-5 is measurable but it should be small enough to be of no concern in day to day photography. The absolute magnitude of the effect sits halfway in between a K20D which has almost no measurable effect and a K-7 which exhibits an effect large enough to make some people notice in their work.

The matter may now have reached a satisfactory state with the K-5. But there remains work to be done for Pentax to fully understand and eliminate any unnecessary effects which compromise image sharpness.

It would be interesting to test another camera with fast shutter (like a D300s) to compare the absolute magnitude of the shutter blur effect which is never zero. Esp. at ~1/160 s. Ideally, vendors would measure it and make part of their cameras' shutter specification.

Pentax K-5 Preview

A cut model of the Pentax K-5 as shown at Photokina 2010
"The engineering masterpiece" (photo © 2010 Falk Lumo)
 

The Photokina 2010 has just closed its doors and I am compiling my findings regarding Pentax into this article. I posted my first impressions a week ago.

Pentax K-5

The most exciting part (besides trying out the 645D) certainly was to find out about the new K-5 camera. I gathered a lot of material from various sources and wrote a full Pentax K-5 hands-on preview report. A short blog article turned out to be the wrong format and therefore, I posted it on my website. Here you go:

-> Pentax K-5 hands-on preview

Don't miss the exciting news. Moreover, I tried to answer as many questions I received as possible in the report and to skip as much redundant info as possible too.

However, a small number of questions didn't fit the K-5 context so I am putting them here:


Lens questions:

DA 35mm f/2.4:

The new DA 35/2.4 introduced short before Photokina is specified here:

• DA 35/2.4 press release by Pentax Japan (English version)

The production capacity is 2/3 of that of the 18-135 lens and will be available as a kit lens for the K-5. Early reports about the 35/2.4 have been very positive (sharpness wide open, bokeh, very fast focussing, maybe 35mm image circle) and as a kit, may have a very attractive pricing.
The kit will be black only and non-black versions are said to be unavailable (at least outside Japan).


DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6:

This lens was announced together with the K-5 at Photokina and is specified here:

• DA 18-135 press release by Pentax Japan (English version)

The lens was received with much interest and will be offered as a kit lens for the K-5 too. A number of features I could clarify:

1. The aperture ranges are as follows:
   18-19 mm f/3.5
   20-29 mm f/4.0
   30-79 mm f/4.5
   80-135 mm f/5.6
2. DC focus motor:
   "DC" stands for direct current according to one source, and for dual current according to another. That needs further clarification although my bet is with the direct current camp ;)
3. Focus motor noise:
   The focus motor almost certainly is not ultrasonic. I tried to listen despite the show's background noise. It sounds different than an ultrasonic motor (it's more motor-like, less twitter-like) but isn't necessarily (much) noisier.
4. Focus motor speed:
   The focus motor appeared to be about as fast as a DA*16-50mm ultrasonic motor. Which isn't fast exactly. The DA 18-55 WR kit lens is a lot faster!
   Pentax missed a chance to deliver a higher speed focus motor (e.g. ring type) rather than a lower production cost one.
5. Image quality:
   I don't know. From the specs, it could be better than that of a usual floating aperture lens.

Teleconverters:

Pentax showed its 1.4x autofocus teleconverter at Photokina 2 years ago. It has disappeared. I asked what happened to it. The response I obtained was hard to accept: Pentax Germany requests production of the teleconverter but Japan denies saying that teleconverters aren't required anymore in the digital age. Pentax Germany tried to explain that a digital magnification may actually have a negative impact on image quality (as we all know) but obviously it did not help much. What shall I say...?


Post Photokina Pentax strategy (as I guess it):

Overall, Pentax is a bold performer in 2010: 645D, K-5 and K-r seem to be 3 winners. And the company itself is making profit. So what else should it take to make a Pentaxian a happy Pentaxian? Not much should one think. Esp. as an Olympus E-5 (good-bye gift?), Canon 60D (downgrade?) and Nikon D7000 (Pentax clone?) are not particularly exciting. But the grass never is green enough ;)

It's because many Pentaxians are addicted to their hobby. They want to invest further in their system and are imaginative enough to foresee "their" camera and lenses in one or two years time.

Therefore, it's a bit irritating that all signs emanating from Pentax at Photokina (foremost but not only from Pentax Germany staff) cry out: we're not going upstream with the K mount. Not now. The 645D digital medium format is as professional as one may actually desire. "Unfortunately" however, cameras in the tradition of the *istD or the higher end film bodies attracted quite a few rather professional photographers into Pentax. Over the last couple years, their fraction is shrinking though and this Photokina won't halt it. It's no fortunate coincidence either that no new Star-lenses are announced and FA Ltds. are tagged "end of life" (whatever that means...) in Germany. Personally, I also don't expect a revival of non-standard lenses (like 85/1.4, 135/1.8, 300/2.8, 600/4, maybe not even a 400/5.6), based on a statement that the rarer lenses aren't currently profitable for Pentax to make. And I hear a bold "no" to full frame. Pentax doesn't see their enthusiast user base go full frame.

To be fair, nobody knows about the future prospect of mirrored cameras. On the other hand, Pentax seems still to be in an evaluation phase with respect to mirrorless cameras and meanwhile anticipates to sell the K-r against mirrorless cameras from other vendors. This worked out fine in the past (with the K-x) but Pentax may start to realize that this won't continue for too long. So, it may be understandable that in this atmosphere of change, Pentax may not invest in the $1500+ segment in order to re-establish their share in that market segment. On the other hand, Pentax learns that what was the $1500 segment (K-7, D300) now is the $1200 segment (D7000) and soon will be in a region with aggressive price competition. As will be mirrorless cameras.

So, some kind of either upstream or innovation strategy was expected and missed from Pentax at this year's Photokina. That's the one complaint. But I hear it from many, from Pentaxians and all over the press watching the market: "where is Pentax heading?".

As a side note, there has been staff from Hoya visiting Pentax and Photokina. E.g., Ned Bunnell was spotted at Photokina and Eguchi Kazumichi (head of marketing imaging systems division) gave an interview. So, if anybody (not me) had a chance to meet with Hoya Int'l management at Photokina and exchange some ideas, please drop a comment... ;)


Summary and verdict:

• K-5: Very solid and satisfying performance. (as known so far) 
• Hoya Pentax: In good shape but tight on resources. Communication skills leave some room for improvement.

P.S.
I activated some ads on my blog. It enables a certain guy to pay reparations:) (just joking!)

Photokina 2010: First impressions

Marie showing the Pentax K-r.

This morning, I made a first tour across Photokina opening tomorrow in Cologne. It is already open to the press and most booths are still under construction. I'll report more about Photokina later today and this week. Nevertheless, I have a couple first impressions to share.

Pentax

Pentax K-5

Pentax officially launched the K-5 which is the successor to the K-7. A body is still on its way to Cologne and I'll have more about it soon. The press kit is out though and these are the specs:

• Same specs as the Pentax K-7 which it succeeds, except:
• New CMOS sensor with integrated A/D converter and 16.3 MP (4928 x 3264).
• Noise reduction configurable per ISO.
• New prime II four channel processing (but I believe K-7 had prime II too).
• 7.0 fps.
• New SAFOX IX+ 11 point autofocus with higher light sensitivity (larger light intake).
  "Complete rehaul and faster and more accurate".
• ISO 80 to 51.200 (standard is 100 to 12.800).
• Sensor position is adjustable in order to tune to lens (whatever this means, I will clarify).
• Full HD video with 1920x1080 25fps.
• HDR with image alignment and adjustable equalizing parameter.
• Golden rule grid and scale grid in LV.
• Electronic horizon for roll (old) and pitch (new).
• 670g body only w/o batteries.
• German list price body only €1.459,- which includes 19% VAT.
• Available in October 2010.

The press kit is full of errors and I'll have to verify a number of other details first. E.g., I doubt that the camera ships June 2009 ;) Meanwhile, I verified and it ships next month already! They fixed a number of other errors too.

The price hints at a US list price of $1,399.- which is only $100 more than the D7000 and means that both cameras will have an equal street price.

Let me repeat: The K-5 is not more expensive than the D7000!

... updated and continued from the break ...

Two points I have run a quick test for are (i.e., I may have missed a hidden custom function): no manual control in video (merde) and almost certainly no f/2.8 center AF sensor. However, the AF box on the bottom of the mirror box changed indeed. I took a photograph of it. The AF feels faster too.

"Sensor position is adjustable in order to tune to lens" and "New prime II processor" are two questions Pentax has to call back Japan to find out what this actually means ...

I'll have more about the K-5 in a separate blog article.

Pentax DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 ED WR new kit lens

This lens has the additional "DC" designation. I asked. It stands for a new, faster ultrasonic focus motor. Pentax could not answer the question if this implies a ring type motor. The list price is 799.- € incl. 19% VAT.

Pentax 645D

Pentax introduces the applauded 645D medium format digital camera in the Europen market. It is the same model as in the Japanese market and will be available January 2011 for 10,000.- € incl. 19% VAT list price. Add another 1,000.- € incl. 19% VAT list price for the 55/2.8 lens.

The positioning is straightforward: best image quality for both the entire range of outdoor as well as indoor photography. What a well defined positioning ;)

I heard people say that the backlog of orders in Japan is slowly decreasing now and this is why delivery outside Japan has become possible. In other words, it was sold out which is why we haven't seen more gray imports actually.

The 645D press announcement contains no mention about a creation of a professional support network. I heard that this is under consideration though. Strange.

For anybody visiting Photokina: Pentax has one single 645D in the business area behind the public area of their booth. This is an restricted area. You normally have to be press or a business partner to enter. But insist a bit, maybe refer to my blog, and I think you will be able to do a quick test. Bring an SD card because you can put your own card if you don't ask ;)

Fuji Finepix X100

Fuji announced a camera in development, the Finepix X100. They showed a prototype and it is awesome. It is the perfect blend between a rangefinder and an EVIL camera. Well, almost because its lens isn't interchangeable.

It is an APS-C camera with a an "exceptional resolution" 23mm f/2 fixed prime lens and a very rangefinder-like viewfinder: It is both optical and electronic! You switch between optical and electronic. Additionally, the optical viewfinder may display an electronic overlay for additional information. And so, it is no surprise the camera looks like a rangefinder.

I asked why not with a lens mount? Answer: We want see how this one sells first. I asked: but you know that if this version does not sell it may be because it has no mount? Answer: no, is it so...?

Obviously, the X100 was made to compete against the Leica X1. With the optical viewfinder as its bonus. I asked if its cheaper than Leica X1. Answer was hesitant. Eventually they gave me "1000" as a ballpark number which would be about 2/3 of a Leica X1.

The Finepix X100 was one of the positive surprises of the Photokina.

More colors

Who says that Pentax is the only company with colorful bodies?

An Olympus P&S embedded into a frozen block of melting ice. Marie is behind the block though :)

Ah yes, Olympus showed the E-5 of course and a concept camera which is said to compete against the Panasonic LX5 with a high resolution Zuiko lens. They denied to answer questions about its sensor size. However to my eye, the camera looked larger than an LX5.

Lomographical bodies in various colors.

I'll update my blog with more articles about the Pentax K-5 as soon as possible. Enjoy the read for the time being.