Pentax K-01

My first impression is "oh dear"

Thanks for the link Peter. Interesting reading.

in fact I may sell of my ds2, k10's, one of my sony camcorders, and buy two of these k-01's and a k-5
just to cut the amount of different batteries I have to contend with...

link
not so ugly with a bigger lens attached.. still smaller than the kx..

I quite like it... but...bit large isn't it? Looks like it was made in the Duplo factory.

When I heard this was coming out, I nearly waited a month before to see what it was like before ordering a Sony Nex5N converted to IR, but I went ahead and bought the Sony. I am glad I did now, it's half the size, has an articulating screen, and has an optional EVF. Only downside is all my Pentax lenses are manual focus with an adapter, which also makes the lenses longer.

If I was after a second body, I would probably buy one of these. But I'm not, so I won't.

I'm presuming you can only use Pentax lenses with an aperture ring otherwise you have to shoot wide open?

Judging from the published specs, it looks as though it could be the same situation as we have with the DSLRs. This needs to be confirmed yet.

Sorry John, the question was aimed at Jonathan regarding using his Pentax lenses on the Sony Nex5N.

That's correct, Mike, but I have several with aperture rings; 15mm, 24mm, 50mm, 90mm, 135mm, 75-150, even an 80-400 (which will probably be a bit unwieldy on such a small body).

Edit:

Also, the manual focus "peaking" feature is very good in IR, which makes manual focusing very easy. I believe the K-01 also has this feature.

Just wondering if it was the same as when I put mine on the 50D.

Being able to use the A* 300mm f2.8 and 2x-L teleconverter does make it quite interesting.

Ah, I see.

I can see why Don would want one, for the video.

Apart from that, and the superficial seductiveness of being able to use all the existing lenses, I just don't see the point.

For anything except the very short lenses, it's not going to really occupy much less space than a K-5, and it's a lot less flexible in terms of its controls.

I dont care whether the K-5 replacement has a mirror or not, providing it has a viewfinder. I even don't care whether it's an optical or an electronic viewfinder, providing that if it's electronic, it's as bright and responsive as an optical one.

But having to hold the thing far enough away to see the LCD to compose has two massive disadvantages.

One, with longer lenses, the whole 'wedge-elbows-into-sides' technique for stability goes out the window.

And two, I've just started to need reading glasses. I can still get away without them most of the time, but that won't last much longer. However, I'm fortunate that my distance vision is still perfect. I'm damned if I'm going to wear half-moon reading glasses out and about (or even at all!!) just to be able to see what's on the LCD.

I can't see myself getting a K-01.

I really really do sometimes wonder what is going on with Pentax, do they not have any PR company on hand at all, this interview with Pentax UK's general manager Johnathon Martin is just woeful...

link

No PR person would allow this to happen...

BJP: But for a compact interchangeable lens camera, don't you think it's too big?
Jonathan Martin: No I don't think so. I think the size of the product is outweighted by the range of lensesthat you can use on the product.
BJP: But how are you going to convince people that have a DSLR camera to go with something that is almost similar in size to a DSLR?
Jonathan Martin: Well, it's whether they want to go with mirrorless features rather than a traditional DSLR.
BJP: What are these mirrorless features that you don't find in a DSLR?
Jonathan Martin: ... design, really. Design.
BJP: So you're basicaly banking on design?
Jonathan Martin: We're banking on design, and on the fact that they are - we know because we've done market research - a lot of Pentax users that have been waiting for a K-mount mirrorless product.

there are already pro solutions available..the inclusion of an hdmi out on the k-01 means there are countless options from laptops to pro field monitors to these: link d-slr solutions...
this means there has got to be a hotshoe mount option in the consumer price range somewhere...

He truly is the PHB from Dilbert.

By the way, what are 'mirrorless features'?

It's a bit smaller than a dSLR, but otherwise worse in every way apart from more convenient video?