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) that combines impressive for-the-money 12.4-megapixel resolution with copious amounts of style. The K-x is available in your choice of white or black as well as special, limited edition red and navy versions, all with a body price ($599.95) that's ...

Along with the K-x, Pentax announced the smc DA L 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED super-telephoto zoom lens, which I didn't get to test. This lens will be exclusive to a K-x Twin Lens Kit package consisting of a K-x body, this new lens, and the smc DA L 18-55mm f ...

There are few truly magical names in camera design but Carl Zeiss is certainly one of them.

There's none of that new fangled DX coding! You have to remember to change ISO speed when you change film types. Film speeds are set with a round knob that has a collar that, when raised, is rotated to set ISO. The problem is that knob is just a tiny ...

Full aperture and 1/30 or even 1/15 sec will surprisingly often permit sharp handheld pictures.

Even so, it is obviously related to its predecessors, the R2A/R3A, R2, T, R, and L-and, off to one side, R2C and R2S. In other words, it is a coupled rangefinder camera (as are they all, except the L). It shares a four-claw Leica M-compatible mount ...

Collapsible lenses almost invariably weigh more than the same glass in a rigid mount, and the Heliar Classic, bare (no caps, filter, or shade) is no exception, weighing in at an impressive 260 gm, a bit under 10 oz

Is there still a demand for an entry-level film SLR camera? The folks at Voigtländer seem to think so, evidenced by their new VSL 43. It is very much an entry-level SLR, with a manually set (but completely battery-dependent) shutter from 1/2 sec to 1 ...

It has to be said, too, that finding extra prime lenses (preferably in K-mount) is a good idea. The zoom that is supplied with the camera does not flatter it. Yes, it enables you to get started immediately, and if you take the trouble to put the ...

Zeiss Ikon with 35mm f/2 Biogon mounted.

The Zeiss Ikon looks quite a bit bigger and chunkier than a classic Leica (this is an M2), but differences are more visual than real. At 83mm (31/4") to the top of the eyepiece bulge it is about 6mm (1/4") taller but it is 3mm (1/8") slimmer front-to ...

Just when you thought the R2 was the pinnacle of Voigtländer Bessa design, along came the R2A and R3A. They differ from the R2 in several ways, most notably the adoption of an electronic shutter allowing Aperture Priority automation; this is combined ...

An added benefit is that the Effective Base Length (EBL) of the rangefinder is now longer. The actual length is still only 38mm or so but at 1:1 you get the full effective 38mm instead of less than 30mm. For comparison, the actual base length of an M ...

This month we begin a new column with renowned "camera collector" Jason Schneider. Jason will be out there scouring camera stores, Internet sites, and camera shows to bring you the best bargains in user collectibles, recent gems, and vintage gear

Is there a camera enthusiast on the planet who hasn't pored over the voluminous and fascinating listings on eBay, the world's largest online auction site? The sheer volume of cameras listed is intoxicating, as are the pictures and verbal descriptions, ...

The Argus A sold for $12.

The new "Argomania" book by Henry J. Gambino provides a detailed historical overview of this company and is copiously illustrated with dozens of black and white photos of nearly all the early pioneering Argus cameras

1950 was an important year for Canon. As they continued to make the Model IIB, incorporating some changes that resulted in an improved camera, they also produced several trial versions, between serial 50000 and serial 50200, of the models that later ...

In '50, the C. R. Skinner Company, based in San Francisco, became the first factory-authorized US importer of Canon cameras, and a randomly serial numbered batch of about 50 among the trial cameras was allocated to Skinner for sale. Canon must have ...