Pentax Resources
Pentax information on this site and elsewhere
Photographs
• Vintage Motorcycles • Loire Valley, France • Motorsports • Panoramas • Grandfather Mountain • Wales • Bolinas Lagoon • Flora • Dolly Sods Wilderness • Superbike Racing • Fungus & Lichen • PESO: My Photoblog • Portfolio • Miscellaneous Galleries
Like so many others, I started using Pentax cameras with the famous K-1000. Years later I'm using the digital K10D as my main camera and Pentax is experiencing something of a boom, with sales of the K10D and K100D exceeding production capacity and lenses also in short supply because they can't build them fast enough.
This page contains links to all my various collections of Pentax camera and lens information, plus links to my favorite resources for Pentax users. If you're an long-time Pentax user, some of them will surely be familiar to you already, but I hope you'll find a few new (to you) gems here as well. If you're a newcomer to Pentax, be sure to browse through and see what kind of resources the Pentax community has to offer.
My Pentax Pages
These pages are all on this site and amongst the "Photo Specific" links in the navigation bar on the left side of this page, but I'll give you some detailed descriptions here.
• PDML Photo Annual
Every year members of the Pentax Discussion Mailing List donate their photographs to a book project that raises money for charity. I'm the editor of this remarkable project.
• Lens/Camera Compatibility
One of the great things about Pentax's digital cameras is their lens compatibility: You can use any Pentax lens made since 1975. But the functionality varies from the oldest lenses to the newest. This guide shows what features work with each lens series and what to beware of when buying third-party lenses.
• Filter Sizes for Pentax Lenses
A reference guide of the filter thread size of every Pentax K-mount lens ever sold. Also includes a chart of the transmission characteristics of various Pentax filters.
• Pentax Service Manuals
A collection of service manuals for older Pentax film cameras. You still sometimes see people selling CDs of these on eBay. Don't buy from these scoundrels: They've just downloaded them free from my web site. You can too!
• National Childhood Cancer Foundation
With help from my friends on the Pentax mailing list, I've set up a Cafe Press store of humorous gifts for photographers. Find out more here.
• Annual PDML Quotations Archive
Every year I compile the most interesting quotes, quips and non-sequitors that find their way
onto the PDML
and post the list. Here's the archive for your enjoyment:
2008 -
2007 -
2006 -
2005 -
2004 -
2003
• PDML Members' Web Pages
Many members of the Pentax Discussion Mailing List have their own web sites. Here's the ever-evolving list.
Other Useful Pentax Web Pages
From around the web, here are some excellent sources of information and various Pentax-related products and services.
• Boz's K-Mount Page
The grand-daddy of them all! A comprehensive listing of Pentax cameras, lenses and accessories, with full technical specifications.
• Stan Halpin's Pentax Lens Page
A huge collection of user evaluations of Pentax lenses.
• Pentax Discussion Mailing List
Probably the best source of technical information, photographic advice and outright entertainment. The PDML, as it is known, is where you can meet a great group of people with vast experience with Pentax equipment.
• Pentax User's Gallery
A monthly photo gallery by members of the Pentax Discussion Mailing List (see the PDML listing at left). Send in your own photos and be part of the PUG.
• The Official Pentax Photo Gallery
• Ned Bunnell's Blog
Ned Bunnell is the president of PENTAX Imaging Company. His blog is usually a good read. He's a fine photographer, too.
• Yoshihiko Takinami's Lens Resolution Tests
Thorough, objective tests of the resolution of many Pentax lenses.
• Pentax-Manuals.com
A big assortment of Pentax owner's manuals.
• NoviiRemote
Software ($24.99) that lets you use your PDA as an infrared remote control for just about anything electronic, including IR-equipped Pentax cameras. Download the codes for Pentax cameras here (zipped).