Worth the wait? A look inside the Pentax K-1

I am neutral on the floppy screen. All I need is for it to make shooting from the hip easy. It does that so I am happy. I certainly prefer it to the twist out to the side and swivel types, which I really dislike...

The VF isn't small though is it? It is equivalent to 0.93X is it not?

I would have liked a bigger VF as well, this one is of the same magnification as the ones on all Nikon FF dslrs. And like with Nikon, there is a vf magnifier which is nice if you don't wear glasses.

What is the problem with the screen? haha some people likes to hate things that haven't try first hand yet ;)

yes Stu and other good friends here, saw that video already and i'm not against being innovative, as long as it is *guaranteed* to both 'work' as well as 'last' ...

the gentleman who wrote the review also has a similar concern with this LCD's weird movement, especially its connection to the body ... it's something K-1 could have done without comfortably and no one would even have thought about it much less to worry if it weren't there in the first place! (would you?)

correction: Pentax was the 1st Japanese camera maker to come up with the 1st Pentaprism mechanism in a 135 camera body in late 1950s ... East Germany's Contax was the first one that did it in 1949 ...

Yeah those Samyangs work brilliant on Pentax bodies.
Automatic metering on fully manual lenses what's not to like. Especially with the ultra-wides and Fisheyes which have everything in focus.

What if your subject happens to be out of the AF array's coverage (even if it's a still subject)?

You know, not everyone's approach to shooting is the same and not everyone shoots the same things. If you're okay with what's a drawback for me, then go ahead and buy that camera.

So, JacobC, you've never had focal plane shift after focusing and recomposing? Am I wrong for wanting to be able to use a more direct (and more precise IMO) approach when shooting?

It's "loser" not "looser", bro.

Keep in mind that, like most contemporary PDAF systems, the boxes represent the centre of each focusing element. The detectors themselves likely extend outwards enough to detect focusing cues closer to the edge of the frame. Of course, you better not have any curvature of field in that lens you're using or you're in for a surprise, anyway.

"Also, apart from the Sony A7RII it has the best full frame sensor currently available by ANY manufacturer"

This is a bit exaggerated, don't you think? Maybe with pixel-shift it is but the use of it is limited. And only a sensor doesn't make a whole camera great - it is an important part for sure but so are all other pieces...

"it is digital era!! a good camera is a good sensor."

well then i will sell you a camera which contains only a good sensor for a good price :) good to know somebody would be interested. i should open a company that sells a sensor in a body and a view finder - just very minimalistic apporach. my marketing department will claim that only manual focus will be the truth of photography and nobody needs any automatics of exposure, face or eye tracking, etc. :) lenses? dont care. flash? dont care. service? dont care. support? availability? dont care. dont care. but hey my brand will be famous, i dont need to worry :)

If you like all the pentax full frame lenses then it is probably the right decision. the tamron rebadged pentax ones are also available for anybody else. do you print very big that you need 36 megapixel?

canon does not allow crop lenses to mount on their fullframe bodies(unless you remove some plastic) :) I actually think it is a bad move from their side since canon seriously lack pro grade aps-c lenses(wide angle-normal)

@Teila: It's a waste of time whispering in Canon's ear. Canon is stone deaf. They do what they want, when they want, oblivious to the world around them.

I think you are confused as to what an electronic shutter is. No Pentax DSLRs have had electronic shutter option up to this point (assuming the k-1 will have one in the final version)

I completely missed the LV e-shutter menu option (odd) and assumed you were referring to the silent shutter option.
That said, I'm not sure if this option is truly an e-shutter or more along the lines of past Pentax LV modes which allowed to take lower res. high speed images with mirror up type of thing.
I'd also add that DPReview mentioned that the K-1 lacks an electronic first curtain which makes me question whether this is an e-shutter or not.

Great.

Mirrorless means you won't get the optical viewfinder. The mirrorless body may be smaller, but the lenses are larger because whatever they took out of the body must be added to the lens for it to focus to infinity. If a mirrorless body has a lens mount to sensor distance of x and the DSLR body has similar distance of x + 20mm. That means every lens designed for the mirrorless camera must have an extra 20mm added to its length.

That only applies if a mirrorless camera body was constructed with a shorter registration distance (usually for a smaller sensor). The Pentax K-01 takes K-mount lenses and has the same registration distance as the Pentax APS-C DSLRs and the new FF K-1. It probably could be resurrected in FF format if Ricoh was so inclined.

Wow, Anstigmat. Maybe don't take everything so seriously. And peep actually means:

"look quickly and furtively at something, especially through a narrow opening."

Get your mind out of the gutter maybe.

People do not have to accept the derogatory term "pixel peeping" and in fact, most photographers do not use it. A few of them do, but they are the exception, not the rule. Besides, the term EVIL was widely used to describe mirrorless cameras. Now it is difficult to find anyone who uses that term any longer. Don't tell me that people pay an arm and a leg for a Leica or Zeiss lens because they don't give a hoot about sharpness. Don't tell me Ansel Adams preferred to use an 8x10 view camera because he preferred soft images with little detail.

@Anastigmat: I've always thought the term "pixel peeper" applied to guys who just stare at photos on their monitors and never actually edit or print photos... just after bragging rights.

@ Anastigmat

Jeepers, creepers, where'd you get those...

I don't think that song was about furtive bush hunters. It is about pretty eyes. 'Peeper' does have a negative connotation but only because we let it have.

@ Daft Punk

Some dude... peeping at 100% is like enjoying music at 11

It's all good ;^)

+ you wrote "Most are not because they don't interpret it as you do."

I hadn't ever thought of pixel peeping as sordid. I will keep humming my innocent song until PP sounds normal again.

@Anastigmat, I'm surprised you despised the term "pixel peep" rather than "fap" in response to my post hahah

Probably because of weight too?

Disassembly of a D600:
https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/raUuXuQhiVXUQqt6

And the weight is already 850 g.

@Anastigmat, I am not sure the 6D has a plastic body... mine certainly feels like magnesium alloy but I could be wrong...

No doubt the K1 will be sturdier though but in all honesty, the 6D doesn't feel like a cheap low quality body and serves me well, even in tough conditions

...as they should. this K is one of the most anticipated 35mm dSLRs in the history of digicams.
as Pentax (Pentaprism-Contax) is one of the few historic brand names still in production (along Nikon and Canon), it is only natural that it's entry into digital "FF" would see this level of anticipation and attention.
I'm thrilled for Pentaxians! however, excluding the price tag, the mere spec sheet is anything but groundbreaking and a couple of years behind the dastardly duo...

Maybe that is intended as Ricoh wants to sell new lenses with this full frame body? Which isn't generally a bad thing if customers are willing to buy new lenses. A company that sells equipment and earns money can invest that money into new technology.

So... bladerunner6: what ís their chosen market for this apparently great product?

I agree that this camera won't be worrying D5/1Dx sales, and it won't worry D810/5DS(r) sales either.

Professional photographers are a conservative lot; they don't like to burn money by changing brands and systems unnecessarily. A slightly smaller camera body that is slightly heavier than its competitors (and the dearth of glass) won't sway them.

But you guys have noticed that full frame is getting cheaper and cheaper like the prices of a D610 which are going down a lot? That is the reason why the K-1 is for enthusiasts, too. Full frame gets more affordable for consumers and enthusiasts these days and they want to shoot action/sports too. It would be very limited to spend that money for a camera like the K-1 which would not be able to shot various types of photography genres.

Fair question. Now keep in mind I am not employed by Ricoh.
Obviously, the first category of customers is current Pentax users. Landscape, still life, astrophotographers and street photographers that would want to use a full frame.

People that like good build quality and WR.

Given the decline of so many areas of professional photography, there is not a lot of point in chasing after those markets, although this would be a great camera for certain types of product photography.

But this is mostly aimed at the hobbyist, which makes sense. The primary camera they have aimed at professionals has been the 645Z, which is a major success in its product category.

@bladerunner6 Have you tested the K-1 already? When you say "Landscape, still life, astrophotographers and street photographers" why don't you say action/sports? Have you tried it with the D-FA 70-200mmm f/2.8 before excluding it from your list?

@bladerunner6: Sensible reply. What I don't get is the choice of sensor. 36Mp for that market? The 24Mp of the 750 would have been a much wiser choice, albeit less spectacular.

Don't know if the SR technology (of limited value imho) would have been possible with such a sensor though.

"But you guys have noticed that full frame is getting cheaper and cheaper like the prices of a D610 which are going down a lot? That is the reason why the K-1 is for enthusiasts, too. Full frame gets more affordable for consumers and enthusiasts these days and they want to shoot action/sports too. It would be very limited to spend that money for a camera like the K-1 which would not be able to shot various types of photography genres."

Jorge Bayonas:

It may not be the best sports photography camera but it can certainly do it.

You talk about not being able to do genres, but what about the genres the K-1 does better than others? Architecture, still life, landscape & astrophotography.

You can put a lens on the camera, put it on the tripod and that is all you need for astrophotography. You can't do that with other cameras.

Not every camera is the best at everything. Yes, the few remaining pro sports photographers should buy a Nikon, but for other specialties, Pentax can be better.

I don't see it from such an extreme standpoint like you. It may not be the best means that it is possible. A camera is not limited to a certain type of photography at least that's how i see it.

So it will not eat into current Canikon pro sports etc sales, it will not eat into current Canikon hires sales, it will attract those already invested in existing or even old Pentax glass and it might attract newcomers to fullframe, because of the price.

Quite a challenge.

Yes that is what i could imagine, too. The only way to get new customers into Pentax is the low price of the new full frame which offers 36 MP for less money then it's competitors.

A Pro demands quality and performance from a camera far behind what a consumer does. thats is the reason why Canon and Nikon have this extreme powerful AF and extreme wide range of telephoto lenses. They get a lot of feedback which gets into the development of the next lens or camera. If it would be only developed for consumers you won't get any high performance gear - and lower priced models get the same technology after some time, so consumers get a profit out of this.

Jorge Bayonas
"@bladerunner6 Have you tested the K-1 already? When you say "Landscape, still life, astrophotographers and street photographers" why don't you say action/sports? Have you tried it with the D-FA 70-200mmm f/2.8 before excluding it from your list?"

No, I haven't tried the K-1 and except for maybe renting one, I will probably never use one. I am just trying not to oversell the lens. It may have fabulous autofocus for sports.

I don't see things in extremes. I AM saying this idea of a Canikon duopoly is very bad for all users. I would think Canikon users like you would be thrilled that somebody is offering new features in the FF market. It would absolutely be one of the best things ever for Pentax to have a rousing success with this camera. It might finally goad Canikon into offering IBIS and all the capabilities it adds.

You telling people that they should only buy Canikon no matter what their needs are is destructive for you and for them.

" would think Canikon users like you would be thrilled that somebody is offering new features in the FF market."

don't get me wrong i have absolutely nothing against the K-1. it is the fanbase - i can't stand people that are like apple sheep kind of guys and acting like their camera is a form of religion. turning every negative criticism into an advantage of a manufacturer. you should be true to yourself and stand to a fact, accept that a technical product is having some weakness instead covering everything in lies and getting angry at others.

"You telling people that they should only buy Canikon no matter.."

I think you are interpreting too much in my writings. i never said anywhere that somebody should buy this and that because it is better. that is a stupid way to think that you need to convince people you don't even know in the world wide web. why should i? it is not my job nor do i get money. everybody is having other preferences and that is just fine because i am not a racist.

Jorge Rayonas, in response to "A Pro demands quality and performance from a camera far behind ..."

There is some truth to technology drifting down, but Canikon doesn't do that as much as they should. Dual control wheels, weather sealing and real pentaprism finders haven't drifted down to their entry models. They have for Pentax.

If someone asked me that they wanted a DSLR that did really good video, I would tell them Canon. If someone asked me for a camera with lenses longer than 560mm for birding, then I would say Canikon. Not these things exclusively, but these would be the most important aspects. I wouldn't direct to Pentax.
But if someone asked me for a camera for such things astrophotography, landscapes, still life, architecture and street photography as their main interest, I would direct them to Pentax. Or if they have a budget For example, using pricing from B&H to compare apples to apples as much as possible, a Nikon D810 with the 24-85 walk around lens, the 105 Macro

"Dual control wheels, weather sealing and real pentaprism finders haven't drifted down to their entry models. They have for Pentax."

from a marketing standpoint pentax needs to evaluate what they can do differently than canon and nikon to be interesting for customers. so they provide another value for things which aren't great in the entry-level class of canon and nikon.

the same is true for olympus and fuji. you will find aspects there which you don't find at sony, pentax, nikon, canon. it is some sort of clever product placement.

the 300 f/4 VR and the Tamron 45 f/1.8 is a total of 6786.80. This is a pretty decent system: walk around, macro/portrait, telephoto and a fast normal. I used all stabilized lenses since all Pentax lenses.

For a Pentax with the 28-105 walk around, 100mm macro, 300 f/4 and 50 f/1.4 is $3795.59.

As for religion, Pentax is not my religion, but this automatic "buy Canikon only" is pretty much one. BTW, I never accused of being a racist. Where on earth did you get that?

My questions for you are, if you saw a posting that someone first interest was astrophotography mixed some of street photography and a little bit of everything else would you recommend a Canikon or a Pentax or something else as a first choice?

If someone had to put together a FF system for less than $4000 would you suggest a Canikon or a Pentax or something else??????

BTW, I used Nikon film cameras until my life changed and I gave up photography. Then I started again with a Nikon DSLR (check my challenge entries).

i think the best way is to look what a camera manufacturer has to offer and if you are interested to expand your system in the long run. at the beginning it is hard to say which interests you want to cover... it can be basically everything: architecture, landscape, street, action/sport, birds, cats, dogs, people, macro, portrait, products, abstract things, ... what has caught my attention was the sharpness, contrast, dynamic range and details of a photo...this was always outstanding when i compared photos on flickr and made my interest high to buy a nikon full frame which was my right choice - but it doesn't mean that it is the right choice for somebody else. basically you can't think for other people you need to try it out by yourself... you can give only a recommendation but people need find their own preferences.

"As for religion, Pentax is not my religion, but this automatic "buy Canikon only"

No. There is more then Canon, Nikon and Pentax. There is Leica, Sony, Olympus, Fuji too. But if somebody is not interested and want to pick up a "me too camera" then you can't really help those people. My first DSLR was a Pentax K-50 with three lenses.

Jorge, you forgot to answer my questions in a previous post. Thank you:

"My questions for you are, if you saw a posting that someone first interest was astrophotography mixed some of street photography and a little bit of everything else would you recommend a Canikon or a Pentax or something else as a first choice?

If someone had to put together a FF system for less than $4000 would you suggest a Canikon or a Pentax or something else??????

BTW, I used Nikon film cameras until my life changed and I gave up photography. Then I started again with a Nikon DSLR (check my challenge entries)."

I thank you in advance for your response.

If people are impressed by white lenses and yellow straps then they are fools. I think the space shuttle was cool but there was no reason to want one. Same thing for a $8000 500m f4 lens.

To be fair, it's all about visibility. I doubt people want white lenses etc, but when they know they're Canon and see how many pro's use Canon, it's as good as any other way of deciding whether a brand is any good or not. Since Pentax have become almost invisible, they could use some easy exposure to get their brand recognition rebooted.

Because idiot buy canon rebel
And nikon base camera

They should include the aperture coupler as well. Now that'd be something I'd buy in a heartbeat.

This would be sweet!

The fact that the K1 model is so close to the K01 probably means Pentax wants to forget the K01 ever existed.

Yes, they're practically the same camera... wait, what?

I disagree - the 0 in 01 is quite deliberate and pronounced by a clear majority of people.

OK, so name it K-02, or KM-2 or whatever. Just bring back to full frame.

Although a fan of mirrorless cameras I do not see how that would improve things unless a new line of lenses for the mirrorless were produced to take advantage of the smaller flange distance and reduce overall weight.
Unless of course the mirrorless was in the $1000 territory.