Explore. Capture. Captivate. Faster and more durable than ever before, the compact, 14.6 megapixel K-7 truly is the most powerful PENTAX ever. Compact, magnesium alloy body. 14.6 megapixel. Weather, dust and cold resistant.
Pentax is a trade name of Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. Founded in 1919 under the name of Asahi Optical Joint Stock Company of Tokyo, Japan. But the company, Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. was named in 1938. It is one of the oldest optical company in Japan. It also produced the Japan’s first SLR camera in 1954, the Asahiflex, which utilized an instant return mirror system.
Followed by Asahi Pentax in 1957, the first camera that used the “Pentax” trade name. In 1964/65, Asahi Optical released the famous Spotmatic line of cameras which lasted until 1975 with the last model, SP-F (original Spotmatic, the SP, SP1000, SP500, SL, Spotmatic F, Electro-Spotmatic, ES, ESII). Then, in 1975, Asahi Optical introduced their bayonet mount – the K mount (The K mount was acted as a replacement for the popular Pentax screw mount and it even remains as many third party cameras standard mount). The K series was the first Pentax bayonet mount cameras (Models like KX, KM, K2, K1000) and a year later, in 1976, Pentax introduced the M series (Some models like MG, MV, MX, ME, ME-F, ME Super). While the Pentax ME-F, widely acclaimed as the world’s first TTL autofocus SLR camera employing a TTL autofocus sensor was launched in 1982 with a dedicated AF Zoom lens. Subsequently, in the eighties where the market was flooded with a new breed of multi-modes SLR, A-Series cameras like Super A, Program Plus, Super Program, P3, P5 were introduced to provide users with a wider selection. In addition to SLRs and compact cameras, Pentax’s medium format cameras have been strong sellers. These cameras include the Pentax 67 first released in 1969 and the Pentax 645 released in 1984.
Pentax is a name that will evoke fond memories for many photographers whose first SLR experience would have been with a Spotmatic, KM, K1000 or ME Super. Although the company’s market position isn’t as well entrenched as it was during the halcyon days of 35mm film, it continues to attract a devoted following of enthusiasts.
And that following isn’t just based on nostalgia – Pentax is alone in having developed a comprehensive range of prime lenses for the APS-C format that dominates modern DSLR photography, while most of its competitors concentrate on offering a selection of zooms.
