Natsuki Shinohara at the beach on a cloudy day.

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

Hinamatsuri WF Pinky on March 3.

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!

Pinky News

Latest Pinky news: It has been the Summer Wonder Festival again. Pictorial report in this blog. Lots of custom Pinky here. VANCE showed series 11 and the second Kobato figure. Preorder Hanato from Hobby Search or from HLJ.
NHK Sawako is starting to appear. She is a stunner. Closeups at natalie's place! More great pics here. She is actually two figures and comes with two bases.
The series 10 Pinky started selling June 15. Her official page is here. The first reports are up – here are a bunch of neat pictures.
The Kimi no Todoke Pinky Sawako from NTV is now listed on the Pinky site. She should become available at the end of June. Preorder at HLJ or HobbySearch.
The first Summer Wars Pinky reports are in. She really looks very nice. P is for Pinky report. Another well illustrated report (Japanese) with Yoshiko standing in.
The Summer Wars Pinky Natsuki Shinohara started shipping May 14. VANCE page here. Order her at HLJ, Hobby Search or JBOX.
The Kobato Pinky New Type version ships in May and the gerneral release version in June.
BABYsue opens a web shop for Japanese customers Friday March 26.
Excellent images (138) from Pinky reporter HIRO.
Very complete WF report from P is for Pinky.
Pinky and more from Shopping Basket.
RuiRui report part A.
WF report with many cool Pinky customs from HajimetenoPinky:st. here.
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).
The Official Pinky Site now has a photo of the painted Kobato Pinky display! This was 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.
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!
Latest Pinky site addition: Series 8 is new on the site.
What we are waiting for: Kobato Hanato in August. The postman Pinky and series 11.

New European K-x colors (limited).

Pentax News

Pentax has released firmware 1.10 for the K-7 with movie editing, level indicator and more.
The retro styled Optio I-10 will come in classic silver i August, in addition to the original pearl and black. Pentax will also offer a black leather case for the small camera. DCWatch (Japanese) offers some pictures.
DCWatch offers a review of the 40MP Pentax 645D. Not surprisingly, its resolution is awesome. But this comes at a price, at 1,6 kg this DSLR is a behemoth.
Pentax has announced another compact called Optio M90 that with 12 MP and 5x zoom should cater for most peoples basic needs. Should become available in June for about £199.
The very compact and mechanically excellent DA Limited lenses are made for the APS-C sensor in the Pentax DSLR. They work equally well for the K-7 and the K-x and are a joy to use. DCWatch has looked at the 15mm, 40mm, and 70mm lenses and offers a bunch of pictures to examine (text in Japanese).
Pentax now offers the K-x in several new colors to US customers that soon can choose between bright blue, green, orange, purple that have joined the existing black and red. The original navy blue is no longer available. No pink though. DCWatch (Japanese).
The Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.2 from Apple addresses som RAW issues for the K-x and K-7.
The Pentax K-x is the TIPA Awards 2010 Best DSLR Entry Level.
DCWatch (Japanese) presentation of the Optio W90 with lots of picture samples.
DCWatch has more pictures of Optio I-10 that looks like the old Auto 110 that featured inter changable lenses, just like some of todays 4:3ds.
After some teasing, Pentax has now launched the medium format DSLR 645D. This attractive camera offers a 40 MP sensor in a weather proofed house at a comparatively low price. Weight: 1480 grams. A new 55mm SDM lens will also be available in May. At the start, the 645D will only be offered in Japan. DPReview press release. DCWatch 645D page, D FA645 55mm F2.8 AL [IF] SDM AW page here. More 645D pics at PIE 2010. Akihabara report from PIE. Extensive photo documentation of the 645D with various lenses and comparisons to other Pentax SLRs, film and digital.
On March 13, Pentax will launch a Limited Silver version of the K-7 with additional enhancements to the viewfinder and the display. More cool pics at the DCWatch site.
The popularity of the multicolored K-x has lead Pentax to release more colors internationally. Valentine Pink is obvious but European customers can also choose between Beige, Chocolate, Metal Fuchsia, Metal Turquoise, Metal Dark Grey, Olive green, and Soft brown.
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.
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 has 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.
Ned Bunnel offers several great sample pictures from the new K-x and the venerable FA77mm lens.

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)