She saw a big cat. A gigantic cat with a fierce glare. Hence Tamae’s sideways glance!

Pinky & Pentax

WHY PINKY? The Pinky Street girls are simply the most adorable creations to come from the Japanese world of cute and pop. Both attractive and innocent, they express so much with so little. They are also very photogenique and don’t mind posing for hours on end with very little food or rest. By mixing the hip clothes and hair pieces from the many girls available, you can create virtually millions of unique individuals.

WHY PENTAX? The digital SLR with the strange name (*ist D) followed a long line of extremely popular and useful cameras as the first of a several very good digital SLRs that all can use the many (230) excellent vintage lenses made by Pentax. Both the budget model K100D and the semiprofessional K10D has had great reviews and sold well both i Japan and elsewhere. Those were followed by the K200D and K20D as well as several new nice lenses. The smaller but still capable model K-m caters for the new users. Coming up in the summer of 2009 is another winner, the hot K-7 that will be a strong candidate for the DSLR of the year.

Recent Arrivals

Series 9 girl in her three poses and costumes.

Pinky Street Home

Sweet and innocent as they are, the Pinky girls would be virtually unknown without their friends all over the world. The best place for meeting Pinky friends outside Japan is pinky-street.com with the world’s best and largest Pinky Forum that now has over a thousand registered members.
But wait, there’s a lot more to wet your appetite; tons of Pinky images, lots of useful info in the Pinky University, the latest Pinky news, and several special Pinky activities!

Hinamatsuri WF Pinky.

Pinky News

Latest Pinky news: RuiRui has posted some pics from the WF showing prototypes of a series 11 Pinky!
The Winter Wonder Festival is over and VANCE was offering a limited Pinky release for the occasion. Two sitting Pinky in traditional Japanese robe make up a hinamatsuri couple. Absolutely adorable but only avaliable in Japan. However, mail order will doubtless place a good number on eBay or Yahoo so you should be able to get them for around 4,000 Yen plus shipping and handling (around US$50).
More pics of the Kobato Pinky are appearing in magazine ads. It looks as if a second version of Kobato Hanato will appear in 2010, this time with her standing fully dressed carrying a valise.
Delivery of the series 10 Pinky is now scheduled to March, perhaps to make room for the WF limited.
The Official Pinky Site now has a photo of the painted Kobato Pinky display! This is mail order from the NewType magazine only.
The Japanese Wiki Pinky page offers names for the series 7 and 8 girls! Not sure if these are official but they will do for now. My web editor does not allow for Japanese characters but their approximate English translations are – PK019 Chika, PK020 Aya(me), and PK021 Sandra (Sandy). Series 8 are PK022 Yasuko, PK023 Kurumi, and PK024 Megu (Meg).
VANCE is at the 49th Hobby Show with prototypes of the series 10 girl and other upcoming Pinky. New characters are anounced: Kobato Hanato from the CLAMP manga. Bell blog entry here and here. Akiba Hobby image of Summer Wars Pinky, series 10 girl, and Pinky Postman.
Series 9 Pinky are now arriving to thier supporters. BomberQ has already received his – blister photos here. More pics lilkely later.
The Official Pinky Site announces that Series 9 is now shipping. There is also new photos of the girls and their gear. Series 10 (PK028-30) has a new page with drawings of the new trio that should be ready in January. Looks like different versions of the same girl just as in series 9.
The BABYsue site is updated with info on the 76th Komike (Comic Market) where they sold a B&W booklet with drawings of the series 7 & 8 girls.
WF report from hajimetenoPinky:st. with many custom figures and pictures from the BABYsue and VANCE exibitions. Pinky-News report part A, part B, part C, and part D.
More VANCE info on the Wonder Festival took place on July 26. The finished series 9 (PK025-027) was exhibited, of course, but also prototypes of series 10 (PK028-030) and a new Pinky:cos and a Pinky:character, a Summer Wars Pinky and a Pinky Postman with moped! Visitors were able to snap photos of themselves with a giant (supadeka – 80cm, original deka was only 30cm) Pinky Yoshiko! As usual, there were also many Pinky related figures from both talented amateures and pros. Early photos can be seen at RuiRui’s site! Pinky-News report with pictures of Pinky school furniture prototypes!
Latest Pinky site addition: Series 8 is new on the site.
What we are waiting for: Series 10 in March and several new cos and char Pinky later in 2010.

The new 100mm macro lens.

Pentax News

Pentax have launched three new compacts, the Optio E90 DCWatch @$100, Optio H90 DCWatch @$180, and Optio I-10 DCWatch @$300. DCWatch (Japanese) overview of I-10. Delivery in February. Swedish Pentax has photos here.
In Japan, the Pentax K-x is now the third bestselling DSLR, according to the BCN rankings.
in The Online Photographer, Gordon Lewis selects the K-x as his Camera of the Year. It takes fine pictures and sells well at a good price, not the least to those who likes the idea of a colorful camera.
The Pentax K-x is a great little camera, perhaps especially in low light conditions. Here are some fine photos from Disneyland.
PDReview has now posted a very favourable review of the Pentax K-x. Swedish Kamera & Bild calls the K-x – best family camera!
Well, the rumors were true, Pentax today released the D FA Macro 100mm F2.8 WR. A surprisingly compact and light macro lens at 340 grams and 49mm filter thread. Should be avaliable in January for $850 (SEK 6 995). Pentax (Japanese) page. DPReview page here.
Here is a Japanese supplier of the multicolor K-x! Japan Exposures sell these for about EUR 608 (US$915). This site is actually a very nice introduction to Japanese photography, check it out! They also have a Hello Kitty Fuji instamatic camera!
We have not heard so much about the K-7 in the wake of the recent release of the popular K-x. Yesterday, however, Trusted Reviews placed the K-7 at the top of its 2009 list of DSLRs.
Ned Bunnel offers several great sample pictures from the new K-x and the venerable FA77mm lens.
Colored K-x are starting to appear. Richard has an orange one and this user shows his yellow-green K-x. Shane Gerrish has received the more regular red K-x with matching lens! You can actually order any color from biccamera (if you live in Japan, that is).
Another profusely illustrated DCWatch article with many images of the limited korejanairobo K-x but also of the regular colored models with various lenses.
Illustrated DCWatch interview on 100 Colors, 100 Styles for the K-x. DPReview forum translation here.
OK, the Pentax K-x is here – in 100 color combos! Very cool, this must be a first, no other camera has ever been available in so many colors. The specs are quite nice too and it takes good pictures. Links: DPReview announcement. DPReview brief hands on. Kamera & Bild hands on. DCWatch K-x features.
Another Ned Bunnel post with tomato (and skin) pics from the K-7 and 77mm. More 77mm pics from Japan here.
Ned Bunnel blogspot images from the wonderful FA 77mm f/2.8 lens, with the K-7, of course.
DCWatch now offers a review of the DA 15mm Limited lens. Like the other compact limiteds it is very attractive. It is mentioned by Mike Johnston in this article, I guess we can look forward to an interesting review.
It looks as if the Medium Format Pentax DSLR will come after all, at least to Japan. Digital camera gallery here.

You can get the official Pentax O-ICK1 image sensor cleaning kit from J-pop seller on eBay for $35 + S&H. Search for O-ICK1 on the bay.
No camera is better than its lens. There are good lenses, not so good ones, and a few really bad ones. Pentax makes some very good lenses. But there is more to lenses than optical performance. Size and handling also counts. The Pentax limiteds shine on both accounts, especially so the new DA range of tiny limiteds that cover the range of 21 to 70 millimeters. The tiny lenses where a deciding factor when Carl Weese purchased the new K10D DSLR. Read his musings in the The Online Photographer blogspot.
Latest Pentax site addition: Updates to the K10D page (K20D).

Links

Pinky:st Official Web Site
The Pinky:st. home (Japanese) VANCE PROJECT
The mother of all Pinky products (Japanese) Mr-Hobby Pinky Page
Papa Pinky with Pinky lineup BABYsue
European Pinky agent plasticpop New!
Choose your favorite among the Pinky Faces
All Pinky and goods listed (Japanese) Pinky:st.tenani?
The Pentax DSLR (US) The New Classic
The First Single Lens Reflex Pentax digiichi
Pentax Press Image Vault.
Pentax Lens Compatibility Chart
Print your own Free Lens Hoods
What’s a good first lens? PentaxLensWiki
Serious discussions PentaxForums
Find the answers in the Pentax SLR Talk Forum
Neat Pentax news blog PENTAX LIFE
PDML image gallery Pentax Users Gallery
Pro Pentax Photographers Pentax Discuss Mail List
DigitalPhotoNetz.de mit Schwerpunkt Pentax (German) Pentax News
PENTAXIAN.COM / New forum for photographers

Nothing compares with the simple pleasure of a bike ride (JFK)