A well-known imaging company, Ricoh launched its new mid-range weatherproof DSLR camera “Pentax KP” back in January this year and now, Ricoh India Ltd. has launched the same DSLR in India at a price tag of Rs. 88,584. The new digital SLR camera-Pentax KP is available on Ricoh India web store and other offline retail stores in the country. The Pentax KP is a compact, portable, dustproof and weather-resistant camera, which features a new-generation “APS-C- sized CMOS image sensor”, designed specifically for night time photography.
The Pentax KP comes with a 24.32 effective megapixel crop size CMOS sensor and is the first DSLR in the family to have a 5-Axis shake-reduction system built into the body, something similar to what Sony offers with its latest Alpha camera series. The another highlighted feature in this camera is its top light sensitivity technology. Pentax KP has very high sensitivity range of the image sensor which goes all the way up to ISO 819200, which should make it possible to capture images in next to no light without generating annoying noise.
“The new DSLR reflects our engineering expertise that weaves design, state-of-the-art features in a compact body that deliver the highest level of experience to customers,” Yuki Uchida, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Ricoh India, said in a statement.
The new Pentax KP camera has a range of customisation features, such as a grip replacement system to personalise the camera’s grip to accommodate the photographer’s capturing style or a mounted lens, and a control panel to allow a flexible panel layout. The camera’s rugged exterior is designed to be dust and weather proof. The camera has a whether sealed body which means light rain or extreme temperatures will not harm the camera. The company says its dustproof, weather-resistant and cold-proof for as low as -10 degree Celsius.
KEY SPECIFICATIONS & FEATURES
The Ricoh Pentax KP camera features a 24.32-megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor with a high-speed 27-point cross type autofocus system. This is the first Pentax APS-C camera to feature the SR II (Shake Reduction II) system in it. This feature is the five-axis image stabilization system which helps in capturing the best scenes and subjects even during pitch and yaw, horizontal and vertical shift, and roll by as much as five shutter steps. The SR II can be activated only in viewfinder shooting. The latest camera from Ricoh also comes with a Prime IV imaging engine, which the company boasts will deliver rich-gradation images.
Pentax KP sports a tilt-adjustable 3-inch LCD monitor with 921k dots resolution. By the versatile tilt mechanism, user can easily position at any desired angle for effortless shooting in high and low angle photography. Pentax technologies include Pixel Shift Resolution, which is another interesting feature that offers more accurate colour reproduction and an anti-aliasing filter simulator, which helps in reducing moiré effect just like as optical filter.
The new DSLR has maximum sensitivity range of ISO 819200, while the shutter has maximum speed of shooting at 1/24000 second, almost three times of what cameras offer in this price. The device also comes loaded with 27-point autofocus system with the SAFOX 11 module.
Other features of the Pentax KP include an electronic shutter speed of 1/24000 second and burst shooting of 7fps. The camera can also capture full-HD (1080p) video in H.264 recording format. The cold-proof camera also comes with a 3-inch vertical-tilt LCD display and built-in Wi-Fi in it. An air gapless structure used to minimize internal reflections and its tempered-glass cover assures excellent visibility even in sunny outdoor locations. It is also said to be compatible with Pentax’s DA-series lenses (PENTAX-DA 18-135mmF3.5-5.6).
The Pentax KP also offers a real-time scene analysis system, which analyses factors like brightness distribution in the image field and also the subject’s primary colour and motion. This system then uses deep learning technology to evaluate the scene/subject more accurately and sets the appropriate exposure setting.
