Pentax has announced the impending launch of its latest bridge camera, the Pentax XG-1 with an impressive 52x zoom lens and a 16 megapixel sensor.
Designed to mimic the appearance of Pentax's range of DSLR cameras, but lacking the interchangeable lenses and advanced features of the range, the Pentax XG-1 is designed with flexibility in mind. It's aimed at people that want full control over their camera and a massive zoom range, but who don't want to pay the high price for a DSLR and matching lenses to achieve the same effect.
Not that the XG-1 is a slouch in specs terms. It has a 16 megapixel back-side illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor, which sits behind a huge 52x optical zoom lens. This lens offers an aperture of f/2.8 to f/5.6 depending on where in its zoom range it sits and focal length equivalent to 24mm-1,248mm in 35mm terms. Framing is achieved using either a three-inch 460K-dot display or 200K-dot electronic viewfinder at the rear.
In-camera shooting modes include full-resolution continuous shooting at a range of nine frames per second, a high-speed mode of 30 frames per second at four megapixel resolution and an ultra-high-speed mode of 60 frames per second in 0.3 megapixel resolution.
A macro mode allows shooting from a distance as close to the subject as 1cm and pre-set scene modes are designed to make the camera easier to use. Full HD video recording is also supported, with audio being recoded via a built-in microphone. Ricoh, Pentax's owner, has confirmed that the Pentax XG-1 will launch in the UK in mid-August, priced at £250.
Check out our guide to the best digital cameras including award-winning SLR cameras, compact cameras, bridge cameras and CSC models.
