michaelwatkins wrote:
With that in mind, I wonder what about this camera will draw existing Pentax DSLR owners.
I own the K5, K7 and K10, but I'm sad to say that I have no interest in this k-01, personally. Jman summed it all up above why that is, and all of the Pentaxians I know in real life feel the same way.
It's sad to see a company you support waste development resources on a product that appears to be very weak in fulfilling its intended role. We need more winners like the KX and K5, not these silly experiments like this K-01 (And honestly, The Q).
EDIT: I didn't know the K-01 got the K5 sensor. That changes my mind a bit. I still wouldn't buy one personally, but with that kind of image quality for half the price, I can see the value.
ken.vs.ryu wrote:
2. marc newson rhymes with amesome
lol. Classic
It's very much a "fashion statement" camera aimed at folks who bought the funky colored K-x...aka the "be different" people but still want the best image quality in a mirrorless camera.
The lack of an evf option is the biggest mistake.
Does TAv mode even work that well w/o a front dial? I love it, but only because you can use both dials...
I haven't shot Pentax in a while but I am not sure I get the sturm and drang over this little camera. I mean it has a K-5 sensor in a lighter, less expensive body sans mirror. And you get that sensor in a body with an even thinner 40mm pancake prim for hundreds less than the K-5 with same lens. Sure you give up the mirror but from what I've seen the K-5 sensor is sweet! Is it just the lack of EVF or somewhat different body design? (I realize the same AF weaknesses that plagued my K20D are probably still in effect here.)
From what I've seen you get the same IQ on a K-01 as you would on a K-5 and get a slightly smaller body at about half the price. I think that is actually a pretty reasonable deal. And that 40mm pancake looks cool
Pentax has some great small primes. I use them all the time on my NEX but it would be fun to have a compact body to be able to use the with AF again. A K-01 with a set of 15/40/70 lenses would be a sweet little hiking kit.
Pretty large body, Pentax bodies are already quite small and has very good layout.
Weak AF, no EVF accessory = no face brace = increased sway. Poor battery life according to testers.
No LCD tilt means you have to handhold it in a way (no natural body brace) where you are at risk of losing short DoF shots you would normally nail, due to camera/arm/body movement. And, you will lose a stop or more in effective handholdability for shutter speeds. Should you body brace it you will simply not see the LCD - which is your only means of checking composition with the K-01.
The K-01 fails in so many regards. What's to like about it? The design which resulted in a flawed and inadequate photographic tool?
Marc Newson needs to be schooled in mirrorless camera design.
On the other hand the 645D seems to be an excellent camera, partially because it is based on the tried and tested 645 design.
kosmoskatten wrote:
Pretty large body, Pentax bodies are already quite small and has very good layout.
Weak AF, no EVF accessory = no face brace = increased sway. Poor battery life according to testers.
AF seemed quite fine in my quick tests. Nothing to write home about, but not notably bad either. Perfectly serviceable for walkaround shooting.
Battery life seems to be 500+ shots. Hardly terrible, just not up to the K-5's longevity. Not surprising since it's the same battery powering an always-on LCD.
michaelwatkins wrote:
Instead I'd slap my Pentax lenses on the Sony NEX-7 (not pictured here but you can imagine it how they might look):
That picture is why I don't like the NEX...just not comfortable...it's like you're gripping the lens instead of the body in most cases.
deadwolfbones wrote:
AF seemed quite fine in my quick tests. Nothing to write home about, but not notably bad either. Perfectly serviceable for walkaround shooting.
Sorry...should have clarified...the pentax forums review mentioned the K-01's AF had more OOF shots as light dropped than the K-5.
The focus peaking definitely has me excited for the K-5 successor though
After three thousand some odd exposures using the slightly smaller NEX-5N, I can't say I found it uncomfortable. From a lens/balance perspective I found it very comfortable. Even with a relatively heavy Zeiss metal lens (a ZM, not the 24mm ZA pictured) was quite at home on the camera and I found it easy to walk around with, in hand, all day long.
My only issue with the camera from a size perspective had to do with ergonomics and button placement or lack of buttons - those issues are probably completely resolved on the NEX-7.
The K-01 without much of a grip and a thicker body looks like it would handle worse than a NEX, to me, but one never knows for sure until one picks up a camera and walks around all day with it.
kenyee wrote:
That picture is why I don't like the NEX...just not comfortable...it's like you're gripping the lens instead of the body in most cases.
i never understand these complaints, you're supposed to support the camera by the lens not the body. thats how everyone is taught to hold a camera for maximum steadiness, or at least it was in my day (i'm only 31). the big ergonomic problem with the NEX-3/5 is button layout, i have no idea if the pentax will be better in this regard, but the 7 seems to be a big improvement.
deadwolfbones wrote:
I found the 5N to be very uncomfortable, personally.
I found it decent but not stellar. The 7 on the other hand is excellent. The grip is larger and significantly more positive and the two top control dials are well located. What I don't get is how people manage to hit the movie button by accident, I actually find it awkward to press since my thumb is usually resting to the left with the lump in the way.
It's all about a leather half case on the 5N, IMO, which makes the grip and camera body nearly identical in size to the 7. If I get a 7, I probably won't bother with a half case.
I'd have sought a half case, and maybe Hassy'd up the EVF like Douglas so famously did, if I had kept the 5N. For my taste it was a little small feeling in hand but really comfortable in the shooting position nonetheless. I just found reaching with my thumb the buttons I'd customized was a little awkward for my hand.
I should get a half case for the GXR, I think it needs a bit more grippy-ness for all day carry in hand.
michaelwatkins wrote:
I'd have sought a half case, and maybe Hassy'd up the EVF like Douglas so famously did, if I had kept the 5N. For my taste it was a little small feeling in hand but really comfortable in the shooting position nonetheless. I just found reaching with my thumb the buttons I'd customized was a little awkward for my hand.
That's really where the 7 wins, with a much less awkward control layout.
