Pentax K-01

Hope you like your new purchase es and we'll be interested to hear how you are getting on with it.

Thanks John, Will keep you posted. Regards Edward

Oooooh .... now that's nice.

Huffs not too impressed? Hey ho, can't like em all I suppose...
The Focus Peaking was the thing I liked best about my A77...
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/03/16/the-pentax-k-01-camera-review-design-ma...

You could tell that was coming after just reading the first few paragraphs.

It does look like the Leica from above though.

The reservations he expresses will form the basis for all the reviews on the camera- the design and lack of EVF. The camera has no flaws that aren't obvious by design. It takes very good pictures- I do think an optional clip on VF would partially take care of one of these problems- even if it were just an OVF at 40mm.

I was suprised to learn that the Fuji X Pro-1 doesnt have focus peaking- It looks a very interesting feature and a dream to use.

Warming to the K-01.

Clip on VF is a major flaw imo.

I bought one for my LX5 purely because I couldn't see a damn thing in bright sunshine using the rear screen (just like Huff with the K-01).

Glad he likes the IQ though .. guessing that sensor will be in the K-5 or K-r replacement

It would be quite simple for Pentax to produce an optical
finder for the K-01.... possibly with bright frames.

Mike- Is the main drawback inaccurate framing ? It certainly isnt ideal- but it would work in bright sunshine?

The main drawback is that you cannot see ANYTHING if the sun is on the screen. You may as well shoot blindfolded.

Went by SRS to have a look... It feels soooo nice to hold and looks a lot better in reality than in pictures. The back screen is gorgeous and the controls have a quality feel. It is quite big and heavy but the straight line boxy design should make it very easy to carry assuming you stick a pancake lens on. I was rather sceptical before but after seeing it and given that my 40mm could fetch 250 i would only be paying 430 for it...

Tried my 16-50 on it noticed a bit of hesitation to focus but I had no problems holding it and using it with the camera.

I can see the bright day no vf problem but not so sure it would affect me much.

All said I might be buying one!

And quite good price at SRS too! Tempted, but wondering what does it offer that the K-5 does not?

For me just like the GX1/EP3 (not the EM5 as it is both price and feature wise on a different field) the K-01 is the perfect alternative to a P&S while providing the flexibility of an ILS.

I have taken the K-5 to anything from mountain biking trips to fortnight holidays to hill walks and there were plenty of times when I wanted something smaller more streamlined and definitely less intimidating. It ticks all the boxes. The K-5 even with a pancake is still a fairly serious looking camera which kinda gets on the way of a non photography trip especially a more active one. I think the K01 will give you most of what the K-5 does while staying out of the way while doing so.

It sounds like I am simply trying to sell it to myself but I have been looking into getting an m4/3 for those situations but after playing around with a K-01 I am almost convinced it would work just as well and on top of that I already have lenses for it so I won't need to spend even more for a semi decent line up of glass.

I too have looked for a lighter backpacking option and eventually came back to the K5 as my lighter option as it's the smallest thing that does everything I want! Combined with Ltd's it would be ideal (Like the last time!) but that would mean buying that dammed 21mm again and I may as well just superglue it to the body because nothing else ever got a look in! My partner breifly owend a Panny GF1 which I liked the idea of, I think the ideal for me would be a bigger Q with the APSC Sensor, fitting somewhere in between the size of the current one and K-o1 with a clip on OVF with frames for the Ltd's, could be sold as a poor mans Leica? It may not now be "Different" enough for Pentax but still it may happen?
Still all that may change when I eventually get to hold an actual K-O1

P.S.
The trouble is when you start adding viewfinders to CSC's they stop being...Erm Compact...