Pentax joins ranks of SLRs that shoot video

Canon and Nikon will no longer be alone as the only camera companies making SLRs that can shoot video. Pentax today announced the K-7, a 14.6-megapixel SLR that, in addition to shooting high-resolution still images, will be able to capture video. The video format will be 720p at 30 frames per second.

The K-7 will be available in July (an exact date was not announced) and will retail at $1,300 for the camera body only. That's pricier than two video-capable competitors—the Nikon D5000 and Canon Rebel T1i are both priced under $1,000—but less than the Canon 5D Mark II, which retails at $2,700.

Here's what's most noteworthy about the new Pentax:

• It's one of the first SLRs I've seen with an HDR (or high dynamic range) image-capture mode, which captures three images then combines them in-camera into one composite image. The intent is to expand the dynamic range of images and bring out detail in all areas of an exposure. It will be interesting to see if other SLR makers follow suit and start including HDR controls on their cameras.
• It has a 3-inch live view LCD.
• It's somewhat more compact than previous Pentax SLRs.
• It offers in-camera lens-correction function, which electronically adjusts for various types of distortion and aberrations.

The Pentax K-7 D-SLR is expected to retail for $1,300 (body only) in July. (Click image to enlarge.)

Here's what else Pentax says you'll get; most of these features are now fairly common on SLRs:

• 5 frames-per-second burst mode capability.
• Image stabilization that's body-based, and so should work with any lens.
• A dust-reduction system for keeping debris off the sensor.
• An HDMI output for viewing pictures and video on HDTVs.
• Eleven points of autofocus.

Also, Pentax has announced two new weather-resistant SLR lenses: DA 18-55mm, $200 and DA 50-200mm, $250, also available sometime in July.

The K-7 might seem to suggest that video capability has become a standard feature for any new SLR. Not quite the case, it seems, since Sony just announced several new SLRs that will not capture video. (They are, however, relatively inexpensive.)

I'll have more soon on how SLRs, both current and upcoming, stack up on video specs—and address how those specs may, or may not, necessarily align with actual video performance. —Terry Sullivan