Build quality of the K-m is surprisingly good. I only say surprisingly because it’s a low classification camera and they aren’t usually the models to have money splashed on them. Saying that, it’s not a magnesium alloy body, it’s stainless steel and a new chassis was developed for the K-m using downsizing technology that Pentax are famous for.

Thanks to the new interface, the camera is extremely easy to use which is great news for newcomers. Coupled with the help button and simplified layout, this could well be the easiest DSLR to use on the surface.

link

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II
• Canon PowerShot G10
• Panasonic DMC-G1**
• Panasonic DMC-FX150**
• Panasonic DMC-FZ28**
• Panasonic DMC-LX3**
• Leica D-LUX 4**

And fixes the following bugs:

• Images rendered from the Slideshow export process produced a jagged effect on hard edges relative to the quality of normal JPEG export
• Increased the number of characters allowed in Web gallery labels beyond 150 characters
• Catalogs with hundreds of root (top level) folders caused very slow launch times
• Drag and drop to move a subfolder to a different folder showed the incorrect photos in the grid
• Print Sharpening produced edge artifacts in certain conditions
• Density defaulted to 100 percent for initial stroke regardless of position of slider
• The  Adjustment brush created blocky, straight edges to brush strokes under certain conditions
• Lightroom could become unresponsive when using the graduated filter under certain conditions
• It was possible to lose the ability to edit an adjustment brush setting after applying a graduated filter with hidden pins
• Turning auto-mask on produced a lag in Lightroom performance in when applying the adjustment brush
• Print to JPEG functionality produced a low resolution image when printing photos with panorama aspect ratios
• Extended characters in a folder name caused Edit in Photoshop functionality to fail
• Smart collection did not respond to changes in custom metadata
• Enabling auto-mask produced a lag in performance in when applying the local adjustment brush

Download: Mac | Win

Had the EOS 5D Mark II not suffered from the black dot issue, it would have easily earned our highest recommendation. It’s one of Canon’s most powerful DSLRs to date, capable of delivering superb image quality with decent handling and all the latest bells and whistles. The movie mode is also an excellent addition, and while it’s not a practical replacement for a camcorder for most amateurs, the results can be spectacular and independent film makers will love it. Indeed its testament to how good the 5D Mark II is that it can be highly recommended as a still-camera alone, or a movie camera alone.

link

The GRD II is compact enough to go everywhere, discreet enough to use anywhere, and is truly a pleasure to use. It is plain to see that Ricoh has taken pride in the creation of the GRD II and that photographers have played a prominent part in its design.

link

a firmware fix is possible. It may, in the process, make the 5D MkII images from raw appear a touch softer than they do right now. These ‘black dots’ are certainly not dead pixels, and don’t have much to do with the actual sensels on the CMOS. They are created after the image is read out from the silicon.

dPhotoexpert

We’re a little thin right now, but we have a number of cameras in house and the reviews are forthcoming. In the meantime be sure to subscribe to DCT to guarantee getting the latest updates from us and thanks for stopping by.

Thanks,

Seth Martin
Editor: Digital Camera Tech