The new Nikon D5100, with side tilt-swivelling LCD screen is now available for pre-order at Amazon at the price of US$899 [with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens] and US$799 [Body Only]

Hasselblad unveiled at Photokina 2010 limited edition of its H4D medium format camera, bearing Ferrari’s signature red and jumping horse emblem.

The Hasselblad H4D Ferrari Limited Edition will be produced in 499 units. It foresees the H4D Ferrari to appeal to Ferrari and Hasselblad fans who appreciate the innovation, quality and design that symbolize both brands.

Hasselblad H4D Ferrari Limited

BOLD RED... Hasselblad H4D Ferrari Limited Edition

At Photokina 2010, Hasselblad also announced that it had been exploring “next steps in creating ultra-high resolution capture” based on a multi-shot technology. It has also released test results from a new 200-megapixel capture device.

Medium format alternative for DSLR? Meanwhile, Hasselblad expands its H4D line with the new H4D-31 which it says a “perfect digital medium format alternative for 35mm DSLR photographers and for V-customers who are ready to transition to digital.”

Other announcement by Hasselblad — the introduction of a new digital back for V-System cameras, allowing users an additional option for turning their cameras into “a powerful digital capture device with the new 50 megapixel CFV-50.”

Macro photographs can be breathtaking, both laterally and figuratively. I mean, try getting close-up photographs of small insects with the camera hand held; you’ll find that most of the time you are holding your breath in an attempt to steady the hand. In many cases, you’ll run out of breath before you get any decent shot of the subject.

Here are 10 macro photographs of DeviantArt artists which I personally find breathtaking, in the figurative sense of the word. My eyes aren’t easy to please; so when I say breathtaking, it is because they are…

Breathtaking is among the many superlatives that cross the mind upon seeing this series of extreme close-up pictures of the human eyes by Armenian photographer Suren Manvelyan. He captures the intricate details of the eyes in a way seldom, or even never, seen before, giving the phrase beauty is in the eyes of the beholder a whole new meaning.

Cosmic eye... Photo Credit: Suren Manvelyan

Panasonic today announced the recommended retail price for its premium Micro Four Thirds camera, the Lumix DMC-G2, a price that is set to please Micro 4/3 camera fans. At US$799.95, the G2, along with the 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega O.I.S kit lens, is way cheaper than the GH1, the upgrade the G1. The G2 is the G1′s predecessor.

The GH1 was priced at US$1,499 when it entered the market last year. At the time of this writing, the Panasonic website still show the same price for the GH1 along with the 28-280mm telephoto kit lens.

At Amazon.com though, the Panasonic GH1 can be had at a much cheaper price tag.

Meanwhile, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10 will be sold at the recommended price of $599.95. Both the G2 and G10 ship next month.

Taken with the Pentax K-7, image parameter set to Muted, combined with Toy camera digital filter. Flash did not fire.

I wager my old Canon PowerShot G6 that in developed countries you no longer see electricity meters installed this way. Somehow, somewhere, there are places still trapped in the 60s.

Shutterbug magazine recently published an article, titled “Something Old, Something New; Are ‘Older’ 35mm Film Camera Lenses Suitable For D-SLR Cameras?”

The article discusses old lens compatibility of top camera brand and lens like Canon, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sigma and Sony and third party lens manufacturers namely Phoenix, Tamron and Tokina. The article also touched on the pros and cons of using old lenses in newer cameras.

Pentax camera owners, old and new ones alike, will be pleased to know Pentax has the best backward lens compatibility than other brands do. Go read the article here.

Pentax today announced the much awaited 645D medium format camera. Priced at US$9,400 and at a whopping 40 megapixels, the 645D will be available only in Japanese market in May.

A beast of a camera... Pentax 645D

Buttons and dials... Pentax 645D

The following are the 645D main features:

• Compatible with majority of existing Pentax 645 system
• Large 44mm x 33mm high performance CCD sensor produced by Kodak for an extra-sharp, super-high-resolution images with approximately 40 effective megapixels. It is 1.7 times larger than 35mm full frame sensor
• Lightweight but solidly built body featuring a magnesium-steel-alloy frame, reinforced glass LCD panel protectors and a dustproof, weather-resistant construction
• Wide dynamic range
• Features the acclaimed, PENTAX-original PRIME (PENTAX Real Image Engine) II as its imaging engine with new algorithm exclusively programmed for medium-format digital SLR cameras, ensuring super-high quality images and allowing speedy data transmission of large-volume image data
• 14-bit A/D converter for faithful conversion of image data to digital signals
• LCD panels — one on the camera’s top panel, another on the back panel — are covered with tempered glass plates for extra protection
• Dust-proof, weather-resistant construction with 70 special seals, cold-resistant performance to assure solid operation at a temperature as low as –10°C, and a newly designed shutter unit with a top shutter speed of 1/4000 second that can withstand as many as 50,000 shutter releases
• Dual SD/SDHC memory card slots in which recorded images can be assigned to different cards according to recording format (such as RAW or JPEG), or one of the cards can be used as the backup of the other
• DR (Dust Removal) II mechanism
• Features Pentax’s new SAFOX IX + wide-frame autofocus system features 11 sensor points (with nine cross-type sensors positioned in the middle) to assure the extra-high-precision focusing demanded of medium-format digital SLR cameras
• State-of-the-art 77-segment multi-pattern metering system to assure super-high-accuracy light metering
• The PENTAX 645D’s Custom Image function lets the user select one of eight modes, including the new Reversal Film mode designed to create images with the colors that are typical of reversal film. All parameters — such as saturation, hue, contrast, sharpness, key, and highlight/shadow contrast — can be easily adjusted
• Hyper Program function allows the user to instantly switch from Programmed AE mode to Shutter- or Aperture-Priority AE mode with a simple turn of the electric dials positioned around the grip. A single push of the green button shifts the exposure mode back to the original Programmed AE mode.
• When shooting in the Metered Manual mode, the PENTAX 645’s Hyper Manual mode lets the user to instantly set the proper exposure for the subject with a single push of the green button
• The unique Sensitivity-Priority (Sv) mode automatically selects the optimum combination of aperture and shutter speed for the user-selected sensitivity
• Shutter/Aperture-Priority mode that automatically selects the most appropriate sensitivity for the user-selected aperture/shutter-speed combination. It allows the user to effortlessly experiment with a greater range of photographic expressions
• Large, easy-to-view 3.0-inch LCD monitor with approximately 921,000 dots
• The PENTAX 645D is powered by a large-capacity, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which can capture approximately 800 images when fully charged
• HDR (high dynamic range) function to create one composite image with an extra-wide gradation range from three images with different exposures
• Dynamic-Range Expansion function to compensate for both whitewashed (excessively overexposed) and blacked-out (excessively underexposed) areas
• Mirror shock/operation-noise reduction function to assure smooth, quiet operation of the mirror during shooting.

[Source: Pentax press release]

This is like comparing apples to other fruits that are not apples, but here we go anyway — a comparison between two sevens, the Pentax K-7 and Canon 7D.

But before that, you may want to check this out — a discussion about how both cameras handle the details vs noise issue, at DP Review forum. Also check how the Pentax K-7 fares against the likes of Nikon D3x, Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Sony A850, Canon EOS 7D in this test shot.

Bear in mind however that the 7D used in the test shot was a pre-production model.

Pentax K-7 vs Canon EOS 7D