Pentax friends: To sell stock photos or not to sell stock photos? Do you want to earn money?

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

Of all my endeavors over the years, I never tried to sell stock photos through a Stock Agency. Maybe I should have. In the film era, there was a lot of money to be made, but the process was more complicated than it is today. Gone are the days that agencies like Corbis or Getty would sell your images for hundreds or even thousands. The Digital revolution has changed all that.

Nowadays, with luck and taking thousands of photos, anyone can produce decent images. Let's face it, the modern DSLRs are better "photographers" by themselves that most of us are as photographer.  With an good DSLR, anyone can get great results by simply using the auto-modes. Of course that takes care of correct exposures, but someone still has to have an eye for photography to produce well composed images.

So, assuming that you have good images and that you are accepted by a stock photo agency. You get a small percentage per file downloaded, which usually amounts to as little as .25 cents per download. Yes, many claim to make a reasonable profit from new generations of Stock agencies such as iStock.  Some apparently have quit their day job and are now making a living from selling stock images.

Is that a reality or is that another marketing trap? To make a living earning say: $50,000.00 per year, one would have to sell 200,0000 (Two hundred thousands) downloads @ .25 cents each. That's 548 downloads every day for an entire year. Is that really attainable?

Unfortunately, some businesses make huge profits by making you believe that you can become a millionaire if you just join their organization, buy their books or CD's full of proven methods to get rich, etc. To some extent, some prey on people's dreams of becoming rich and famous.

With iStockphoto and other similar agencies, you don't actually have to pay anything to join. You supply the images, and if accepted, you get a commission for every download. Can you verify how many of your photos are downloaded?  I'm not sure that there is a full-proof method of doing that. I think you could sell enough images to pay for your equipment, but I'm not sure one could make a decent living at it. I would love to be proven wrong.

Here's my point, If you are using stock agencies, let all of us know how it is working for you, in the comments section of this blog. In fact, if I can download and pay for one of your image from a stock agency I will  post it here as example that it does indeed work, I will. buy a photo (up to 20 from different photographers) from your stock agency (provided I can buy one and not sign a contract for hundreds of dollars). That would make an excellent blog subject and would certainly help many photographers wanting to sell their images. It will also be a free advertisement for your images listed with your stock agency.

I hope to hear from many photographers using stock photos agencies to sell their images. 1001 Noisy Cameras site has agreed to simultaneously run a survey about Microstock photography to complement this blog. I will publish the results and comments from both sites. Visit them as well. Let's get the truth about Microstock photography. Can you make a substantial income?

The above is what the survey on 1001 Noisy Cameras looked like Sunday January 31, 2010 @3:00 PM California time. 

The above seems to be the final results. 80% never tried Stock Photography. Of the people that tried, 42% were disapointed. There you have it. Of course this is only a survey and it's only as accurate according to the people that took the survey.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

We support this site by selling e-books for the Pentax Digital SLR cameras, including theK100D, K10D, K20D, K-7 and the K-x. This site does not ask for contributions. We sell real tangible merchandise that can improve your photography. Our free Auto-focus adjustment charts have been downloaded thousands of times by Pentaxians as well as Nikon and Canon users.

New Pentax Digital Cameras Announcement. Do you remember the Pentax Auto 110?

Above are the new Pentax Digital I-10. What SLR does it remind you?

Pentax Auto 110 Super film camera, sold from 1978 through 1985


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Hi Pentaxian friends.


PENTAX UNVEILS THREE NEW DIGITAL CAMERAS:

PENTAX Imaging Company announced three new digital cameras with designs so unique that not one can be labeled as “just another silver digital camera.”

The Pentax OPTIO I-10

The most unique is the slim and stylish PENTAX Optio I-10 with a design inspired by the classic look of film SLR cameras. To me, it is the answer to all the Pentax enthusiasts that have asked for a digital camera similar to the unique Pentax Auto 110 film camera, sold from 1978 through 1985. This head-turning first model in the new Optio I line features a flash unit and speaker in the upper mid-section of the SLR-shaped body while the camera’s front panel is embellished with high quality leatherette texture and the classic PENTAX logo placed front and center.

The Optio I-10 features a wide angle, 5X optical zoom lens (28mm-140mm equivalent), a 12.1 megapixel high resolution CCD sensor, a 2.7 inch widescreen LCD, and HD video capture at 720p and 30 FPS. For optimal image capture, the camera features a mechanical sensor shift Shake Reduction system and improved Pixel Track Shake Reduction technology for blur-free images as well as Smile Capture, Blink Detection and improved Face Detection that spots up to 32 faces including dogs and cats.

The Optio I-10 is remote control compatible (sold separately) and will ship in February 2010 in a choice of Classic Black and Pearl White for $299.95 USD.

I am excited about this new Digital camera. You can bring it with you anywhere you go and it also has HD Video recording at 720p/30fps. That's simply amazing.

PENTAX OPTIO I-10 FACT SHEET:

SLR inspired design The nostalgic, eye-catching design of the Optio I-10 resembles classic film SLR cameras. The Pentax Auto 110 is undoudebly the camera Pentax took the desing from.

PENTAX positioned the flash unit and speaker in the upper mid-section of the camera body to create this original SLR-shaped body, and the leatherette texture and classic 20th century PENTAX logo add elegance to the camera design.

Optical 5X wide angle to telephoto zoom lens The Optio I-10 features an optical 5X zoom lens that covers focal lengths from 5.1mm to 25.5mm (equivalent in the 35mm format to approximately 28mm wide angle to 140mm telephoto). This wide zoom range allows the Optio I-10 to capture a wide variety of subjects and scenes from breathtaking landscapes, majestic architecture and group shots in a confined space, to tightly cropped photos shot from a distance. An Intelligent Zoom function allows even tighter zoom on subjects and extends the digital zoom range to approximately 31.3X.12.1 effective megapixels for exceptional image quality. With 12.1 effective megapixels, a high-performance imaging engine, and the camera’s high performance PENTAX zoom lens, the Optio I-10 delivers brilliant, high quality images with well-defined details. Even when enlarged, the images deliver sharp, high-resolution prints with edge-to-edge sharpness.

Improved Face Detection recognizes dogs and cats The Optio I-10 features an improved Face Detection AF & AE function that detects up to 32 faces in the image field and captures them all in sharp focus with optimal exposure in just 0.03 seconds. This upgraded Face Detection technology now allows users to adjust the camera to detect dogs and cats. Users may program the camera to automatically release the shutter the moment the subject faces the camera, which is especially helpful for pet photography.

Triple anti-shake protection CCD-shift-type SR mechanism The Optio I-10 incorporates an advanced CCD-shift-type Shake Reduction (SR) mechanism that compensates for camera shake by shifting the camera’s image sensor (CCD) horizontally and vertically in relation to the amount of shake detected by the high-accuracy gyro sensor. This offers outstanding camera-shake compensation equivalent to up to 2.5 shutter steps even when shooting telephoto or in lowlight settings such as sunsets or indoors.

High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode* The Optio I-10 automatically raises the sensitivity to as high as ISO 6400 in low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting making it possible to use a higher shutter speed. This effectively minimizes the adverse effects of camera shake and subject shake under poor lighting conditions.

Movie SR mode** PENTAX Movie SR mode allows the Optio I-10 to digitally minimize camera shake to prevent blurry footage in movie recording mode. * When the High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode is selected, the recorded size is fixed to 5M (2592 x 1944 pixels).** When the Movie SR mode is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting.

HD movie recording The Optio I-10 captures flawless movie clips at 16:9 high-definition TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels)* at 30 frames per second. This mode also offers a variety of editing functions that allows users to extract still images, divide longer clips, and add title images to video clips. *When the Optio I-10’s AV output terminal is used, movie clips are output as normal image-size data. If the user wishes to play back movie clips at high-definition-TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels), the data must be transferred to a personal computer for playback.Picture In Picture function for constant display of a favorite image on the screen

The Optio I-10 offers new Picture In Picture function, which allows users to display a thumbnail of a recorded image in the upper left corner of the LCD panel. This function is handy when photographers want to reference a recorded image to shoot subjects from the same angle and at the same image size every time (as in food or macro photography) or when users simply want to maintain a favorite image on the screen.Creative digital filters to process recorded images

The Optio I-10 features 11 digital filters to add various visual effects to recorded images without touching a computer. Filters include Monochrome, Sepia, Toy Camera, Soft filters, and Starburst to create cross, heart or star-shaped highlights from nighttime illuminations or water reflections. Users may apply multiple filters to a single image.

Additional features

Eye-Fi connected: optimized for use with Eye-Fi wireless memory cards
Wireless remote shooting using optional PENTAX remote controllers
Auto Picture mode to automatically select one of the eight shooting modes for best results
D-Range setting to prevent whitewashed (overexposed) and blacked-out (underexposed) areas in images
Original Frame function to add a decorative frame and/or letters/characters to a recorded image
Digital Panorama mode to create a single panoramic picture from as many as three images
Digital Wide function to compose an ultra-wide-angle picture (roughly equivalent to an image taken with approximately 21mm lens in the 35mm format) from two images
Menu Magnification function to enlarge menu items for easier viewing
Media Impression 2.0 for PENTAX image viewing, editing and filing software included (compatible with latest operation systems, such as Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6)

I am going to get one of the new Pentax Optio I-10. Read the specifications carefully. All the features they packed is such a small camera is nothing short of amazing. I also like the "vintage look" of this little gem. Now, that's going to have some people talking.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

Pentax announces two P&S Digital cameras, The H90 and the E90 for only $99.95.

New Pentax E90.

New Pentax H90

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

PENTAX UNVEILS THE : OPTIO H90 AND AFFORDABLE OPTIO E90 PRICED UNDER ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS

The Optio H90 digital camera with a clean, contemporary design that is as in style in a museum of modern art as at a concert or sporting event. Developed with the concept of “functional beauty” in mind, the fashionable and affordable Optio H90 offers a full assortment of features to capture a variety of subjects and scenes. This first model in the new Optio H line features a wide angle 5X optical zoom lens (28mm-140mm equivalent), a 12.1 megapixel high resolution CCD sensor, and widescreen HD video capture at 720p and 30 FPS. Improved Pixel Track Shake Reduction technology captures blur-free images and the Face Detection, Smile Capture, and Blink Detection functions help users create better portraits. The Optio H90 will ship in February 2010 in a choice of Orange-Silver, Matte Black and Ceramic White for $179.95.

The H90 offer Eye-Fi connectivity capability for use with Eye-Fi wireless memory cards.

PENTAX OPTIO H90 FACT SHEET

Clean, modern, functional design

Designed with functional beauty in mind, the Optio H90 features clean, straight lines and easy-to-push round, control buttons. Featuring high quality aluminum alloy and matte paint finish, the body is shaped for a firm, comfortable hold.

Optical 5X zoom lens for wide coverage from wide angle to telephoto The Optio H90 features a high-performance optical 5X zoom lens covering focal lengths from 5.1mm to 25.5mm (equivalent in the 35mm format to approximately 28mm wide angle to 140mm telephoto). With this wide zoom range, the Optio H90 may be used for a wide variety of subjects and scenes from spectacular landscapes, majestic architecture and group shots within confined spaces to tightly cropped snapshots from a distance. Featuring an Intelligent Zoom function, which allows for even tighter zooming in on the subject, the digital zoom range extends approximately 31.3X.

Exceptional image qualityFeaturing 12.1 effective megapixels The Optio H90 delivers exceptional image resolution with the PENTAX-developed high-performance imaging engine for high quality images with well-defined details. Even when images are enlarged, the camera delivers sharp, high-resolution prints with edge-to-edge sharpness.

Large, easy-to-view LCD monitorDespite its compact body. The Optio H90 features a large 2.7 inch high-brightness color LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots. With this large monitor, the user may check results of images and make any desired menu adjustments quickly.

High quality HD movie recording The Optio H90 captures beautiful, high-definition movie clips (1280 x 720 pixels).* The camera is equipped with sophisticated Movie SR (Shake Reduction) mode,** which automatically compensates camera shake during movie capture for high quality, stabilized movie clips with minimal effort.* When the Optio H90’s AV output terminal is used, movie clips are output as normal-image-size data. If the user wishes to play back movie clips at high-definition-TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels), the data must be transferred to a personal computer for playback.** When the Movie SR mode is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting.

Automatic Face Detection for effortless snapshots The Optio H90’s Face Detection AF & AE function detects up to 32 faces and optimizes focus and exposure settings in a mere 0.03 seconds even when faces are tilted or turned sideways. The Optio H90 is equipped with a Smile Capture mode that automatically releases the shutter the moment the camera detects the subject’s smile, and a Blink Detection function that alerts users if a subject’s eyes closed at the time of shutter release.

Additioanl features


Eye-Fi connected: optimized for use with Eye-Fi wireless memory cards
Pixel Track SR (Shake Reduction) mode to effectively compensate for camera shake during still-image shooting
Auto Picture mode for automatic selection of one of eight shooting modes for optimum results
Digital filters, including Toy Camera and Retro, to add distinctive visual effects to recorded images
D-Range setting to prevent whitewashed (overexposed) and blacked-out (underexposed) areas in an image
Auto-tracking AF mode to keep constant focus on a moving subject
Digital Panorama mode to create a single panoramic picture from as many as three images
Digital Wide function to compose an extra-wide-angle picture (equivalent to an image taken with an approx. 21mm lens in 35mm format) from two images.
Frame Composite function (with 90 frames stored in the camera) to shoot or compose images with decorative photo frames
Image Recovery function to recover accidentally erased images
Media Impression 2.0 for PENTAX software for image viewing, editing and filing (compatible with the latest operating systems, including Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6)

__________________________________________________________________

PENTAX UNVEILS THE AFFORDABLE OPTIO E90 PRICED UNDER ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

The latest model in the easy-to-operate, affordable Optio E series is the PENTAX Optio E90. Priced at just $99.95 USD, the Optio E90 features a 10 megapixel CCD, a 3X wide angle zoom (32mm-96mm equivalent) and a large 2.7 inch LCD housed in a luxurious rubber coated body for a sure grip.

Take advantage of the Optio E90’s travel-friendly design with AA battery compatibility. Auto Picture mode selects the best shooting settings for the scene, and a high 6400 ISO that freezes subject movement in Digital SR (Shake Reduction) mode. The Optio E90 features an intelligent ergonomic design with a sure grip and an easy menu that makes the E series a popular choice. Available in Black and Wine Red, the Optio E90 will ship in February 2010.


PENTAX OPTIO E90 FACT SHEET

10.1 effective megapixels Featuring 10.1 effective megapixels and a high-performance PENTAX zoom lens, the Optio E90 delivers brilliant, high quality images with well-defined details. Even when images are enlarged, the camera delivers sharp, high-resolution prints with edge-to-edge sharpness.

Optical 3X zoom lens covering angles as wide as 31.5mm The Optio E90 comes equipped with an optical 3X zoom lens covering focal lengths from approximately 31.5mm to 94.5mm (in the 35mm format). The 31.5mm wide-angle coverage is perfect for confined spaces as well as landscapes, magnificent structures or group snapshots. The Intelligent Zoom function, which allows even tighter zooming in on the subject without compromising image quality, extends the digital zoom range to approximately 17.1X.

Comfortable, easy-to-hold grip The Optio E90’s exterior has been treated with a luxurious, satin-like, non-slip rubber coating and the right-front panel is slightly raised to form fatigue-free, firm camera grip.

Travel friendly AA-size battery compatibility Two universally-available AA-size batteries power the Optio E90 and replacements may be found almost anywhere in the world. The energy-efficient design captures approximately 600 images* with a pair of fresh lithium batteries.* Based on measurement conditions conforming to CIPA specifications.

Automatic Face Detection with Smile Capture function The Optio E90 features advanced Face Detection AF & AE function that automatically detects the subject’s face then optimizes the focus and exposure settings. The camera also is equipped with a Smile Capture function to detect a smile on a subject’s face and releases the shutter automatically.

Auto Picture mode for automatic selection of the ideal shooting mode The Optio E90 features PENTAX-original Auto Picture mode that automatically and instantly selects one of eight shooting modes (Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Flower, Sport, Standard, and Candlelight) for a specific subject or scene. This user-friendly mode helps photographers capture beautiful, high quality digital images of various subjects and scenes, without having to worry about making the proper adjustments to their capture settings each time.

Green mode for beginners The Optio E90’s user-friendly Green mode automatically selects the optimum combination of exposure settings, ISO sensitivity and other factors for a given subject or scene for high quality digital photography that is simple and effortless even for first-time digital photographers. This feature retains settings when the user asks someone else to take a picture or when a user has lost track of camera settings.

Double anti-shake protection High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode When the Optio E90’s Digital SR mode detects low-lighting conditions in still-image shots, the camera automatically raises sensitivity to as high as ISO 1600, making it possible to use a faster shutter speed to minimize adverse effects of camera and subject movement under poor lighting conditions.

Movie SR mode** PENTAX Movie SR mode allows the Optio E90 to digitally minimize camera shake to prevent blurry footage in movie recording mode.** When the Movie SR mode is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting.

Digital filters for personal, creative touches The Optio E90 comes equipped with six digital filters to add various visual effects to recorded images without a computer including Monochrome, Sepia, and a new Starburst filter to create cross, heart or star-shaped highlights from nighttime illuminations or reflections on the water. Users may apply multiple filters to a single image.

Digital Panorama mode to compose extra-wide-perspective images The Optio E90 features the creative Digital Panorama mode that automatically creates a single panoramic picture from as many as three images. Users simply move the camera sideways (or up and down) as they capture images and follow instructions to stitch the images together. This mode captures expansive subjects, such as spectacular landscapes or high-rise buildings that may not be captured in a single standard-format image.

Additional features

Large 2.7 inch, high-brightness color LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots for comfortable viewing of images and menus
Recording of beautiful movie clips (640 x 480 pixels) almost equal in quality to those recorded by a video camera
World-time function to keep track of local time for 75 cities in 28 time zones around the world
Image recovery function to retrieve accidentally erased images
Media Impression 2.0 for PENTAX image viewing, editing and filing software included (compatible with latest operation systems, such as Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6)
High-speed continuous shooting mode to record 16 images (fixed at 640 x 480 pixels) in a mere two seconds

WOW...don't forget, this is for only $99.95.

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque

Las Vegas is also a City of Lights; Photo essay with the Pentax K-7 *Breaking the Rules*

Just another picture of streaking lights. Every photographer does it at least once.

The City Center with its ultra modern amenitiess reminds me of the 1962 TV show "The Jetsons".

It's hard to imagine a "Las Vegas" in black & white.

It has been said that because of the current economic situation, Las Vegas is becoming a ghost town. I believe I captures some ghosts myself!

Sometimes, you need to break all the rules.

One hand on the camera and the other on the steering wheel, while driving 40 mph on the Vegas Strip gives you the above.

_____________________________________________________

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

Most people like night pictures. I can't think of a better place for that than Las Vegas. I took the pictures above a few weeks ago. Instead of using a tripod, like I usually do for this type of pictures, I just held the camera whithout worrying about blurriness. Sometimes, breaking all the rules is simply fun. All the pictures in this post are breaking the rules, but yet, I do like them.

Sure, the images could have been crystal clear, but the blurriness does give a feeling of movement. You ought to try it, if you haven't already done so.

I also took some pictures of Las Vegas at Night with the Pentax K20D last year, whithout breaking the rules. See that essay here.

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque

We support this site by selling e-books for the Pentax Digital SLR cameras, including theK100D, K10D, K20D, K-7 and the K-x. This site does not ask for contributions. We sell real tangible merchandise that can improve your photography. Our free Auto-focus adjustment charts have been downloaded thousands of times by Pentaxians as well as Nikon and Canon users.

Las Vegas Neon Sign Boneyard through my Pentax K-7

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

A Company named "YESCO" has created most of the neon signs that used to identify the Las Vegas Casinos.

The Vegas " Strip", as it is still called, has seen an explosion in renovations and many Casinos were torned down to make place for new and bigger Casinos. The neon signs have been replaced by gigantic TV like screens. The old neon signs are a part of Las Vegas history and a group of people formed a non-profit organization to preserve the neon signs. The organization is called "The Neon Museum".

The museum was not open to the public when I visited on January 9, 2010. I was able to get some shots by climbing on the roof of my rental car and through the holes in the fence.

I decided to modify my pictures in Photoshop Lightroom in order to give a feel of antiquity to the signs. I moved the clarity slider to the left and decreased the vibrance as well. On some pictures, I decrease the luminance. The end results are pictures with less pronounce colors and a flair of early color film. I hope you like the effects. I used a Pentax K-7 with the 18-55mm kit lens and the 10-17mm DA lens.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

We support this site by selling e-books for the Pentax Digital SLR cameras, including theK100D, K10D, K20D, K-7 and the K-x. This site does not ask for contributions. We sell real tangible merchandise that can improve your photography. Our free Auto-focus adjustment charts have been downloaded thousands of times by Pentaxians as well as Nikon and Canon users.

Visit with Pentax in Las Vegas on Thursday January 7th.

ARIA Hotel suite on the 24th floor.

P.S. All the pictures at the Pentax suite were taken with the K-x, no flash and ISO 6200.

Michelle Martin to the left, Pentax's Events manager and Public Relations Coordinator and my wife Anne, Editor of my all my books.

Michelle Martin, Ned Bunnell, Pentax Imaging's President and Anne

John Carlson, Manager of Product Marketing and support, chatting with another Pentax employee. I believe it is Carolyn Pitcavage.

Invited guests and Pentax employees. I also met with Chris Pound, Product Manager, but couldn't find him when I took these pictures.

Member of the media chatting with Pentax employees.

Some were watching the football game between Texas and Alabama. Alabama won.

The above is an excerpt from DPReview Pentax Forum, thread No. 34242883.

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

I have received tons of emails asking what was new at Pentax following the CES. All are referring to the brief meeting I had with Pentax at the ARIA Hotel in Las Vegas, during the CES event. Pentax did have a suite at the ARIA Hotel, but there weren't any cameras or equipment on display. The meeting was mainly to introduce Pentax's personnel to Vendors, Store Owners, Bloggers and the Media in general. Many were invited but not all could attend. The CES is not the main media event to display and launch new cameras and equipment. I'm sure that their presence will be bigger at the PMA 2010 convention held at the Anaheim Convention Center. The exhibition hall will be open from February 21 through February 23, 2010.

I assume that if Pentax were to announce new cameras and equipment, they would do so at the PMA 2010. Of course, they have new cameras and equipment on the radar screen, but the launching will be done by Pentax when they feel the time is appropriate.

The Pentax 645 Digital Medium Format SLR has been the subject of many discussions in the past year. As far as I know, it is still to be launched this coming Spring and will be produced in a limited quantity to test the market first. It will only be available in Japan, and everywhere else if successful. We all know that if you want one, Adorama and B&H Photo will be able to get some.

I picked up a post on DPReview, shown at the top of this page. (Thread No. 34242883)

Pentax also had a small private area at the CES for meeting with clients that had requested a face to face during the CES. They had some products there but none that could be shared at this time without breaking the Non-Disclosure-Agreement (NDA). Some cool stuff is on the horizon. Stay tuned.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

We support this site by selling e-books for the Pentax Digital SLR cameras, including the K100D, K10D, K20D, K-7 and the K-x. This site does not ask for contributions. We sell real tangible merchandise that can improve your photography. Our free Auto-focus adjustment charts have been downloaded thousands of times by Pentaxians as well as Nikon and Canon users.

Follow-up to the Las Vegas Trip...Shelby Mustangs

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, here are some pictures of the Mustangs we saw at a gas station off of highway 15, on our way to Las Vegas.

Carroll Shelby is an icon in the Mustang performance world. On January 11th, a group of Shelby owners from Los Angeles drove to Las Vegas to celebrate his 87th birthday. We were lucky enough to be at a gas station when about one hundred of these Mustangs stopped to refuel. Shelby's main goal in life, we were told, has simply been to move faster, whether it was in the airplanes he’s flown or the cars he’s raced. Shelby’s legacy is one defined by the many roles he took in the automotive world and by the legendary high performance Mustangs he created.

Having my Pentax K-7 and my K-x allowed me to capture these wonderful Mustang pictures. I tried to get close to the cars as there were too many distractions in the background. I have never been surrounded by so many nice cars. They were to meet at the Las Vegas race track with more Shelby enthusiasts. What a weekend they must have had!

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque

We support this site by selling e-books for the Pentax Digital SLR cameras, including the K100D, K10D, K20D, K-7 and the K-x. This site does not ask for contributions. We sell real tangible merchandise that can improve your photography. Our free Auto-focus adjustment charts have been downloaded thousands of times by Pentaxians as well as Nikon and Canon users.

Las Vegas, CES show, Meeting with Pentax, Vegas Neon Sign Graveyard, City Lights, Glass sculptures and the new ARIA hotel.

On our way to Las Vegas, we met a group of about 100 Mustang Shelby Cobras, going to the celebration of the 78th birthday of Carroll Shelby at the Las Vegas race track. There were some very impressive cars.

We were lucky enough to meet with Pentax at the new ARIA Hotel.

Glass Art exposition at the CityCenter. The artis: Dale Chihuly. His creations are just magnificient.

The new Aria Hotel with the impressive water wall that constantly changes.

Driving on the Vegas Strip at night.

The reality show "Pawn Star$" aired on the History Channel is a real place. The owners are very friendly.

The "Neon Sign Graveyard" of East Las Vegas.

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

I was in Las Vegas from Thursday January 7th through Monday January 11th. I was there primarily to attend the Consumer Electronic Show (CES), but there was so much to do in Vegas that I decided to split the upcoming blogs in several segments. I only spent one day at the CES. It's a fun show, but there was soo many people and other than the upcoming 3D Televisions, it was the same new stuff that has been shown on the G4 Network.

1. The first day, I was fortunate enough to meet with the Pentax group at the new ARIA Hotel. Pentax had a suite instead of the usual booth at the CES. I did met some influential people.


2. I visited the new ARIA Hotel and the new CityCenter. I took some very interesting photographs that I think you will like.


3. There is something magical about the Las Vegas city lights, the neon signs and the Strip. I have an essay on the night lights in Vegas I want to share with my readers.


4. There is a reality television show aired on the History channel, called Pawn Star$. Generations of men from the Harrison family – grandfather, father and son – amusingly clash while running the business together. We found the pawn shop and were able to take some pictures inside.


5. Las Vegas has grown so rapidly in the last decades that some of the old Casinos were demolished to make place for new bigger Casinos. Some of the old neon signs are kept in a "graveyard" on the east side of Vegas. I was able to locate the Neon Sign Graveyard, and although it was not accessible to the public, I got some great shots through the fence and by climbing on the roof of the rented car. ;-)


6. Finally, the CES was just a visit to the current and future electronic gadgetry's . I was unimpressed. Many bloggers, TV networks, and magazines have reported on just about everything that was at the show. I don't think I can add to it.

Come back in the following days. I will be posting photos and reports on the subjects above.

We support this site by selling e-books for the Pentax Digital SLR cameras, including the K100D, K10D, K20D, K-7 and the K-x. This site does not ask for contributions. We sell real tangible merchandise that can improve your photography. Our free Auto-focus adjustment charts have been downloaded thousands of times by Pentaxians as well as Nikon and Canon users.

Thank you for your visit,

Yvon Bourque

PC's and Apple allows third party software, Why can't Pentax do that?

The above is what writing code for Pentax Firmware looks like.

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Hi Pentaxian friends.

We all know that digital cameras are somewhat like computers. Sure, they use real glass lenses and many of the traditional analog cameras characteristics are still utilized. However, some of the functions , if not most of them, are embedded into the camera's "Firmware". Currently, only Pentax can modify the Firmware and they do so by issuing downloadable revisions mostly to fix problems reported by users.

You know that the cheaper DSLRs could have some of the same functions as the more expensive models. For example, the new K-x does not show the "red-illuminated" square over the focus point. I suspect that it could easily be added in the Firmware. The K20D and the K-7 have the capability of adjusting the front/back focus of any lens attached. Again, I suspect that this feature could be added in the Firmware. I remember the complaints from K10D owners wanting to have the K10D updated so that it too would have the capability of adjusting front/back focusing. I also remember some hacker, from Russia, coming up with some solution to the problem, that anyone could somehow enter in the firmware. Of course, any problems caused by someone unsuccessfully trying to modify the Firmware, automatically voided the warranty.

There are many great software companies in the world, that could come up with pretty interesting features. Why not grant a license to these guys and let them sell additional features for the Pentax cameras. Instead of reducing the sales, I believe it would increase them.

Would you buy an Apple computer if only Apple were able to write software for its computers? Would you buy a PC if it would only run on the manufacturer's software? Of course you wouldn't.

Pentax has always been a unique company with design and ideas outside the box. Maybe time has come. The time to beat Canikon at the game has come...maybe.

What do you think?

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque