Denver, CO—Building upon the legacy of developing durable SLR cameras, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation debuted the Pentax K-S2, featuring a 20 megapixel, AA filter-less CMOS sensor and a Prime MII engine.
With a weather-resistant body incorporating 100 seals as well as built-in Wi-Fi and NFC sharing components, it is being marketed as the “perfect companion for families and those who enjoy capturing images.” Kitted with the Pentax K-S2 is a newly designed, retractable standard zoom lens that measures less than 1.5 inches in height.
“The Pentax K-S2 takes the best of all our innovations and combines them into the ultimate family DSLR,” said Jim Malcolm, president of Ricoh Imaging North America. “The K-S2 has everything to capture the active family, including Pentax legendary quality, compactness, weather resistance and built in Wi-Fi to easily share with family and friends. We are fulfilling our promise to deliver the highest quality and innovation imaging products.”
The entry-level DSLR combines a compact, lightweight body with in-body shake reduction for blur-free images and a SAFOX X AF system developed to ensure fast, accurate autofocusing even in challenging situations, such as low light, action shots and adverse weather. The camera also has a vari-angle, 3-inch LCD with 921K-dot resolution and “Air Gapless” construction.
Its new self-shot assist, vari-angle monitor and second shutter release button help users to capture the perfect selfie. By rotating the monitor 180º to face the subject, users can activate the self-portrait shutter button, which is provided in addition to the regular shutter-release button to keep a firm hold when shooting self-portraits. Sharing favorite images can be accomplished with the camera’s built-in Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication module. Along with the free Image Sync app, users can remotely operate the camera, transfer images and share images from the K-S2 to social networks. Connecting the camera to a smartphone or tablet is made simple with built-in NFC and the touch of a button.
Also notable is the camera’s clarity enhancement function, which adds more realistic texture impression. This technology covers broader and more gradual tone changes of the subject since it was originally developed to reproduce the images that best match the whole screen on a display device. Clarity enhancement is applied automatically in advanced HDR mode and is user selectable for most still images on the setting menu.
Other features include: an anti-aliasing (AA) filter simulator for effective moiré reduction (users can switch the AA filter effect on and off and adjust the level of the effect); ISO settings to 51,200; an optical viewfinder with nearly 100% field of view; 5.5-frames-per-second continuous shooting; 11 custom image modes; nine digital filters; 19 scene modes; the hands-off auto picture mode; and Full HD movie recording with an integrated stereo microphone.
Ricoh Imaging announced the K-S2 will be available in three standard colors—black, white and graphite with an orange accent—as well as expanded options through its color order service. The service provides users with a way of expressing their individual style by offering the K-S2 in a choice of seven color options in two outdoor-themed collections: three in the Nature Collection, forest green, desert beige and stone gray; and four in the Sports Collection, white and lime, black and pink, white with a racing stripe, and black with a racing stripe.
The Pentax K-S2 kit includes the new, retractable standard zoom smc Pentax-DA L 18–50mm f/4–5.6 DC WR RE lens, which boasts seven rounded aperture diaphragm blades for capturing bokeh. It will be available in standard colors in March for a suggested retail price of $799.95. Color collections will be available in April. ricohimaging.com
