(UPDATED with lens specs) Pentax mirrorless system with ultratiny sensor (5.6x crop)!

Pictured above. The old analogue Auto 110.

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It’s not a secret anymore that Pentax will announce their new mirrorless system in March (Updated, it’s May!) And as Mr. Hamada from Hoya-Pentax said a while ago: “we would like to release products with an individuality that shines through“.

The biggest challenge for all mirrorless system is to find the right balance between size (as tiny as possible) and image quality (sensor size). So what is Pentax going to do?

According to our sources Pentax wanted to create a sort of digital version of the popular and very tiny . That’s why the new system will use a 5.6x crop sensor! By comparison: Micro Four Thirds uses a 2x crop sensor and Sony/Samsung are using 1.5x crop sensors. Note that there are rumors saying that Nikon will also use a very small sensor for their mirrorless system. Pentax made a very risky but also intriguing choice! We have been reported that the camera is much smaller than the current smallest mirrorless body (which is the ).

The sensor itself has 14 Megapixel which can record HD h.264 movies. May this is a coincidence only but the new Kenko mirrorless system uses a 14 Megapixel 1/2,33? (crop factor 5,6). Will Kenko and Pentax share the same sensor?

What about lenses? For now we only know that two lenses will be announced along the camera and that three more will be launched by end of the year.
UPDATE: We just got the lens specs! There will be a prime 8.5mm f/1.9 (almost 50mm equivalent) and a zoom 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 (28-80mm equivalent)!

In Summary:
– One camera (Pentax NC-1?) and two lenses will be announced in May.
– 8.5mm f/1.9 (almost 50mm equivalent) and a zoom 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 (28-80mm equivalent)
– New mount
– 5.6x crop 14 Megapixel sensor (Sensor size around 1/2.33?)
– HD h.264 recording
– smaller than NEX body
– hot shoe
– Three more lenses to be announced later (very likely in September 2011)

As soon as we have more info we will post them here on mirrorlessrumors. Also Nikon,Panasonic, Olympus and Sony will release new products within the next three months! So stay tuned! Do not miss any of our future rumors and news:
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See you!
The Mirrorlessrumors guys!

P.S.: We published the rumor one hour earlier before of the end of the countdown. We didn’t want to make you suffer to much! :)