Pentax claims smallest and lightest Interchangeable Lens Camera System

There's a mad race going on in the IRL (Interchangeable Lens Camera) segment and it is a race to the smallest, lightest and most convenient camera system.

Pentax just jumped in the fray with a promising new system of bodies and lenses. This is like the revenge of the digital rangefinders and it's starting to get really crowded. Sony just dropped their smallest NEX C3 camera, Panasonic countered with their petite but capable GF3 and now Pentax is big time flexing.

Sporting  a 12.4-million-pixel, 1/2.3in, CMOS sensor the Pentax Q will feature a 'Q' lens mount with an outer diameter around 6mm shorter than the K-mount, according to Pentax. 

'This is made possible by reducing the flange back to nearly one fifth of that of the K-mount, as well as by optimising the size of the image circle of its lenses to be proportioned to the size of the compact image sensor,' Pentax reps explained. The cameras and first lenses are expected to hit the market in September.

Olympus reveals 3rd Micro-Four Thirds camera - the E-PL1

Sweeter the third time around: Will the EPL-1's solid feature set and lower price get people excited?Olympus has beefed up  its roster of interchangeable lens Micro Four Thirds cameras. The new E-PL1 follows the footsteps of the Digital Pen EP1 and EP2 cameras which offer the versatility of interchangeable lenses in smaller bodies.  The E-PL1 will be sold for US $599.99 and offers 12 Megapixel resolution, HD video recording and a built-in popup flash as well as an ISO range between 100-3200. We like the lower price as well as the spiffy feature set- but there's still no viewfinder.... see the whole release after the jump

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