Pentax K-01 16MP APS-C CMOS Compact System Camera [Body] (Black)

 

Pentax K-01 16MP APS-C CMOS Compact System Camera [Body] (Black)

 

Price : $749.95

Customer Reviews

Without getting into too much boring detail, I have damaged eyesight, and I have a tough time using DSLRs because of their reliance on tiny flashing numbers in the viewfinder, along with the annoyance of having to dig through various menu screens to get anything done. As a result, I am primarily a film shooter. I like my cameras straightforward. I like to think about getting the shot, not worry about the camera.
Enter this little gem. It has Pentax's intuitive menu system, simple and easy exterior button design which calls to mind an old film camera, and a nice big LCD screen. It is mirrorless, so there's no noisy thing causing camera shake, but it has the same size sensor as most DSLRs on the market, and it takes Pentax's K mount lens line and older M42 glass via adapter. If you want you can get it with a nice 40mm ultra-thin pancake kit lens, which is of excellent quality; or you can get the standard kit with a couple of zooms, or a body only if you already have a set of Pentax glass.
It has a nifty feature called "focus peaking" to aid with focusing when using those wonderful older lenses.
Its video capabilities are very nice. I am not a videographer so I cannot go into a lot of detail on that.
Certain review sites have complained about its ergonomics; but I tend to think these reviewers have never held film cameras and I wonder how they think a camera is supposed to be held.
For me, the biggest drawbacks have been: 1) the rubber flap covering where the SD card slot goes: it's not intuitive, learning how to properly close it. It should not be closed like a door. If you do try to close it like that, it will keep coming open, or your finger will get caught on it, or some other such annoyance. The proper way to close it is to slide it back into place, then press down on it. 2) The LCD screen can be difficult to see in certain types of glare or very bright sunlight. I'm looking for the right kind of removable shade for these situations.
But overall, I am extremely satisfied with this camera. I think it's going to last me a good long time and I'll be getting more Pentax/M42 lenses for it.

The good:
Great image quality
Usable images up to ISO3200
Very fast and accurate focusing
Pretty good performer
K-Mount
The bad:
Horrible ergonomics
Trouble focusing in low light
Very cheap/loose feeling flap over SD/HDMI/Power ports
I had a ton of front/rear focusing issues with the K-x and K-5 since I take most of my images indoors. While I really wanted a true SLR, I figured the K-01 would be a good match for me. I do prefer using the LCD since I wear glasses and composing using the viewfinder can be difficult. I also know the contrast focusing system tends to be much more accurate (with Pentax cameras), thus eleminating the front focusing problems I'd had.
Well, when I first started playing with the camera, I was quite impressed by the focusing speed. it still focuses much like any SLR running in live-view, but about 25% faster. As long as you keep the lenses below about 100mm, they focus very fast and accurately...most of the time. Problem is in fairly dark areas, the camera simply wont lock on anything. And when you get beyond the 100mm mark with a lens, the focusing speed begins to drop tremendously. Once you hit about 250, its about a 1/10th the speed of say the kit 40mm lens.
But you may say this isn't a problem as you'll be using faster lenses like the DA 40mm. Well, at least for me, I couldn't stand to hold the camera for more than about 10 minutes. The camera has almost no grip to hang onto. So after using it a short time, my hand began to cramp. I think it's because you can't really wrap your fingers around it, you're basically pressing your fingers into it. And this is no small P;S or mirrorless camera like some others. This is almost the same size and weight as the K-x.
I suggest staying away from this, at least for now. Perhaps they'll come out with firmware to at laest fix the focusing in low light but the grip still doesn't work for me...

Product Description

Color: Body Only (Black)
Pentax mirrorless camera featuring the contemporary styling by world renowned designer Marc Newson. Large 16 megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor with low noise image capture with ISO range of 100-25600. Machined aluminum frame under a stylish black, white or yellow exterior. Supports all Pentax K-mount lens and is compatible with 25+ million Pentax K mount lenses. Full HD 1080p video capture 30 FPS with h.264 compression (60FPS at 720p). Sensor shift shake and dust reduction compatible with every Pentax K mount lens. Fast 6 FPS burst mode with shutter speeds from1/4000 to 30 seconds and bulb with a silent shutter action. Shooting modes include P, Av, Tv and M as well as powerful automatic modes, creative filters and finishing options. In camera HDR mode combines bracketed user-specified exposures into a single, perfectly blended still image. Built in pop up flash and external hotshoe compatible with modern Pentax flash units. Captures JPG still images as well as open standard DNG RAW. Body only kit

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.8 x 4.8 x 3.2 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0076396OA
• Item model number: K-01 Body Kit Black
• Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)