Name: Pentax K-m
Category: digital SLR camera
Price: About JPY60,000 (body only)
Release date in Japan: Late October, 2008

Hoya Corporation's Pentax Imaging Systems Division adds to the growing range of lighter, simpler digital SLR (DSLR) cameras coming out of Japan, with the entry-class K-m. Less expensive than the maker's existing K20D and K200D models, the K-m puts an "m" in its name to denote "mini", "micro", and - says Pentax - "mama".

The 10-megapixel camera has the tech features you'd expect from a DSLR in 2008: Shake Reduction (special lenses not required), a dust removal system for the large (23.5x15.7mm) CCD image sensor, a big 2.7-inch LCD panel, RAW and JPEG formatting, and "digital filters" to apply special effects to photos. Features aimed specifically at DSLR newcomers include newly-simplified controls,  Auto Picture selection of shooting mode (with a new ability to automatically select Night Scene Portrait mode), and use of 4 regular AA batteries. There's a 5-point Auto Focus system and automatic ISO setting (100 to 3200) as well. Storage is SD/SDHC memory card.

All in all, it's a good basic package, with nothing outstanding: no radical move to a digital viewfinder, no "live view" preview, no swivel mount on the LCD display, and so on. The biggest attraction is not tech, but size: with a chassis redesigned to shed bulk, the K-m body is only 525 grams (over 100g less than the K200D) and only 122.5 mm wide. Pentax says that's the smallest width in any DSLR, beating even the Panasonic LUMIX and its compact Micro Four Thirds build.

Pentax is introducing two new lightweight, plastic-mount lenses to go with the K-m: the 200-g DA L 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL and the 235-g telephoto DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED. A K-m kit with the former lens will run about JPY70,000; with both lenses, JPY80,000.

More info (Japanese):
http://www.pentax.jp/japan/imaging/digital/slr/k-m/feature.html

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