Pentax K-01: First Impressions

January 01, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Happy New Year! The first day of 2013 sees me in possession of a new toy: the much maligned/ much defended Pentax K-01. Rather than dwelling on the Marc Newson design (I must say it has begun to grow on me ... though my first impression was "Yikes") I'd prefer to share a few comments in regards to the user experience.

So why did I buy this camera? I think 2 reasons. Primarily because I have been intrigued by mirrorless cameras for a while but have been put off because of the investment required in a new lens system. Secondly I have been looking for a slightly smaller, less conspicuous and quieter camera than the K-5 to assist me in my street photography adventures. While I have used the GRD IV and continue to use the RX-100, I have been on the lookout for a larger sensor tool for some time. So when Pentax introduced its foray into the mirrorless market earlier this year I was enticed. When they dropped the price dramatically this November I was sold.

Anyway, here are my preliminary impressions. First off (and Pentax followers have probably heard this said many times before) it looks and feels like a brick. The solid construction and ergonomics immediately recall a DSLR. So let this be a warning to those out there who do not own a DSLR and hope to enjoy all the benefits of a more compact EVIL/ Mirrorless camera coupled with a APS-C sensor: this camera is only a minor step down from the Pentax K-5; if you want a smaller package look to Olympus, Panasonic or Sony. If, however, you own a lot of legacy Pentax glass and want a mirrorless that lets you take advantage of this fact, then the K-01 is the camera for you. This is the reason why the camera is built the way is. It allows you to use a huge number of legacy and extant Pentax lenses (the same that could be used on any Pentax D-SLR).

Secondly, image quality is very impressive. I'm still to test extensively, but (and it's not just the DxO labs score) there's something about the colours and the image clarity that may make this camera special. Below are two test shots:

Both shots were handheld, OOC jpegs with the kit lens (40MM F2.8 XS). The first was taken at ISO 1600 and the latter at ISO 800. These images easily match and in the latter case seem to outshine the K-5.

Lastly, while autofocus is reasonably fast in bright light (sunlight or tungsten), it is sometimes less than stellar in low light. In fact, the little Sony RX-100 may outperform the K-01 in this department. Having said that, I still need to install the software upgrade that promises to dramatically improve the camera's autofocus capabilities.

In the next few days I'm going to try on some of my limited and macro lenses, will test the focus peaking feature, and will challenge the camera as a street photography tool - from both a user interface and an image capture perspective.

Will keep you informed!

Keywords: K-01 first impressions, K-01 user review, Pentax K-01

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Pentax K-01: First Impressions

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