Important: I am continually updating this post with new links. Reload this page every couple of minutes….not every second please, it would crash my server 🙂
Preorders and price info:
Black K-01 body at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here)
Silver K-01 body at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
Yellow K-01 body at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
K-01 with all different possible kit lenses at BHphoto (Click here).
K-01 body +40mm pancake preorder at Adorama (Click here)
K-01 body +18-55mm and 50-200mm preorder at Adorama (Click here)
40mm pancake at BHphoto (Click here)
Previews and image samples:
Hands-on preview at Imaging Resource
Hands-on preview at ePhotozine
Hands-on photos at Photographyblog
New lens roadmap:
Photographyblog saw the new K lens roadmap: “the roadmap predicts that 3 new lenses will be released in 2012 – a DA Standard lens, DA High Magnification Zoom lens, and a DA Telephoto lens. In 2013 4 new lenses will make an appearance – the DA Zoom Limited, DA Tele Zoom, DA Wide Zoom and DA Zoom, with a new DA AF RC 1.4x teleconvertor too.“
Press release links:
ThePhoBlographer
Amateur Photographer
Dpreview
Techradar
Photoscala (german)
Focus Numerique (french)
Pentaxforums
Quesabesde (spanish)
Prweb
Nexthardware (italian)
Hands-on videos:
Interview with the K-01 stardesigner:
Poll:
Take your time to read all previews and specs carefully. Only after that answer:
Camera pictures (Click on it to enlarge):
151 Responses
I hope it’s got a nice personality.
Wow that is……………………………UGLY!!!!!!!!
I hope for Pentax that it will take superb pictures.
+1 extremely ugly.
No more megapixel race.
Now its the race for the ugliest camera: Fuji, Pentax,… who’s next?
oh no…I think it’s beautiful!
What is the K mount like when adapting old manual lenses? That sony sensor with stabilization and peak focusing is very tempting if you have loads of old glass but the distance from the mount to the sensor has me worried.
It will focus as fast as an E-P1!!!!
was talking about manual focusing….and if that K mount takes old OM and leica lenses without the need of an adapter with glass in it.
hold on… it has peak focusing but no viewfinder? ffs
I thought it was the sensor from the K5 ? I wouldn’t say it is beautiful but I still like it, except for the green and red buttons. Makes me think of traffic lights.
yeah the sony one in the K5 … that does 13 or 14 ev’s of dynamic range or something
Check the pic of the yellow one… looks like something out of 2001 a Space Odyssey.
as time goes by it’s starting to look a little too Fisher-Price for comfort though. And I’m starting to think the ergonomics won’t be that good. The mode dial is funky but might be too far from the grip for the forefinger, and the grip really should be deeper, and there should be a thumb pad of some description on the back.
So I think this guy went too far to be different.
But damn, it gives me hope Nikon or Canon might do something like this so I can pair it with the 16-85 or 15-85.
I honestly can’t see why people hate it do much? Keep saying it is ugly – what exactly is ugly about it?
Nothing ugly. People aren’t to used it, happens often with new designs.The buttons look neat.
The spray paint colors. The lego buttons……… Pretty much everything.
It looks like plastic crap and the vertical pattern is soooo old fashioned!
It could be much worse. It reminds me a little of Thomas the Tank Engine, though. Not a bad thing, just not inspiring. Maybe that is good: it disappears and isn’t too big. A reminder of the days of SLR’s following the OM series where size was kept to a minimum.
It is really ridiculous to see comments about its physical look.
Last time I saw lots of comments about “I don’t care how it looks. I care only its IQ.” Now these comments are changed differently. People never feel satisfied indeed. HA HA HA.
No it is not ridiculous at all. Why do you think are Apple devices so popular ALSO? Design next to functionality….
Both is important! Design and functionality. You also do not drive a Trabbi (old East German car), aren’t you? It also brings you from A to B like a Porsche….
Design and functionality are totally different. Some product with mediocre design can achieve the acceptance. Some with poor functions also can get to the marketing goal as well. My point is that we should judge the camera from design,
functionalities, and performance, rather than just its body.
+1
I prefer IQ over “cool” design 100 times.
So if this camera performs well (which is to be seen) it will be mine.
So said, it is just… hhhhorrible!!!! I knew it! I knew that this “great” “migthy” designer would screw it!!! I mean, how many milions you have to get paid before being able to design such an ugly camera? Let’s really hope that our genius concentrated his effords in UI functionality and ease of use…
(which, incidentaly, I doubt…)
http://www.frame.lt/pentax-pristate-sistemini-k-01/
Lithuania news
“One beautiful system” – there you have it. With bonus – IBIS, HDR and focus peaking. Are you listening, Olympus?
Btw, this has to have some kind of PDAF. It would be very stupid of them to sell it with kit zoom that has to focus via CDAF or manually.
Just read it. It does use 81 point Contrast detect Autofocus. Wonder how well Pentax lenses work with CDAF.
Pentax CDAF is nowhere near Olympus or Panasonic. It’s an E-P1 with better sensor, but that’s it.
how do you know how quick it focuses? You’ve be screaming that for a while now.
The focusing speed with “old” lenses is probably the same as in live view of a DSLR.
Saw it on dpreview… Madness. One lens system camera. As with all other mirrorless systems, waiting for second body.
Product Page is up
http://www.pentax.co.uk/en/digital-mirrorless/K01.html
still ugly
Maybe real life pictures will safe it
Geez, looking at the pictures. A song comes to ones mind
“another brick in the wall”
I mean really, the whole thing of having the same FL distance and kinda inverted lenses, keeping the same mount, it could have worked.
I even get it, a tiny SLR sized body without mirror -> NICE
but please that body is sooooo just noooo wait, LEGO’s look better
So high quality build, top end 16MP APS-C sensor, focus peaking, high ISO up there with the best, small high quality pancake lenses, small package, erm ‘unique look’, high frame rates, In body image stabalisation, high resolution LCD for $899. This seems to have everything that everyone is always asking for, ok maybe no VF, but other than that – yet every genius hates it because it doesn’t look like every other black brick.
The Pentax K5 currently sells for about 800€. The introductory price for this camera is about 650€ (749$). Who is going to buy a stripped down K5 at that price?!!!
The K5 was a lot more at introduction, even the Q was… Pentax start high and drop rather quickly.
I’d rather have an E-PL3.
What a brick!!!
I can’t believe they put a fixed LCD on a camera without EVF. Ruined the whole thing for me.
very very very unattractive design….
I had High hopes but this is EPIC FAIL.
Almost as big as the K5 and slow AF to boot, it’s only CDAF and most K-lenses will focus slow like my E-P1.
No VF and not even the possibility to mount an external one, on top of it all the LCD is fixed.
As I said it’s like my E-P1 just much bigger and heavier, the only plus is the imager from Sony but that doesn’t help, the rest is 3 years old performance!!!
I aggree that without articulated LCD, and without an EVF, it is a bit expensive for what you get.
I also find that even if KAF lenses can be used, the lens line-up lacks some “affordable but reasonable good” prime lenses. Something like the low-cost 35mmm F1.8 and 50mm F1.8 lenses that Sony released not so long ago.
A Sony A35 with the 35mm F1.8 SAM lens seems a better buy.
I like the look; it’s refreshing to see a camera that for the most part doesn’t mimic historical cameras with which it has little or nothing in common.
Unless you already have a collection of Pentax lenses, the camera may not make a lot sense though. It’s not lighter nor more compact than a traditional entry level DSLR so there’s no advantage in that regard. It also remains to be seen how the camera’s contrast detection AF will work with lenses that weren’t designed with this is mind.
I think you’re right.
How many are going to buy a butt ugly camera that feels like a DSLR and has absolutely no advantages that a mirroless camera can obtain. It’s not smaller nor lighter than DSLR, the total package with lenses will be BIG. The performance of the total package mediocre at best.
The only thing it has going for it is the sensor, it should have very good IQ, but that’s it.
My E-P1 is just as fast has very nice IQ (just not at the extreme ISO) but is far more portable. I really don’t get it.
How is this thing going to lure the masses to Pentax?
agree … I thinks it’s a great looking camera. No VF turned me off it. That’s a stellar sensor, with ibis and peak focusing…got me excited but no VF?
why settle for an unattractive design when they are suppose to give you a well-designed camera??? even though if the IQ is great, they shud have better render a well-designed camera. It does not mean if the IQ is good, an unattractive design is ok. That is not a good excuse….
clearly they don’t think it’s unattractive. I suspect the majority of retro lovers will dislike because they are super conservative style wise, but maybe this isn’t aimed at them. Looks like it’s aimed at Tron.
Think I’ll stick with the Spotmatic.
no vf no tilts lcd..serious photographers?? how can you pretend to involve “serious” photographers with this tool?
max wants it known that he is a “serious” photographer and reminds us of all the serious photographers through out history that demanded vf and tilty lcds.
If we’re sticking to historical precedent, why use digital at all?
However, I heard that Cartier-Bresson always used LCD screens to compose shots, so maybe you’re right.
In any case, “serious” or not, viewfinders are good for shooting photos, and variable-angle screens are good for shooting videos.
I really, REALLY like this camera ! I like the design very much, fits into my expectations of “modern”. With the launch lens, I think that it is in fact thinner than the NEX-5n with the 16mm lens attached. Also, you don’t have to wait for lenses, just use the huge range already available. If the sensor is the Sony NEX-5n sensor, I think this camera will be a winner.
I like the yellow one. I will buy one if the video function 24p 25p is great.
This makes the soon to announced olympus look really old tech
Possibly so, but my word what an ugly camera.
In comparison the Olympus OM can’t fail to be a beauty.
Olympic… not without a viewfinder, standard or optional…The K-01 is just a point and shoot, not a photographer’s tool, but then I guess the look and colors show us who the audience is. No?
Someday, some company is going to get it ALL right. We need a camera with the Sony sensor and all of the system attributes and size of MFT. Why is that so hard to get right. No one has yet.
a point and shoot, with a very well accepted bayonet, and probably the best aps-c sensor tweak ever, at a pretty competitive price
The sensor is very good, I agree with you there…and the lens size and selection is very good too, but for me ….no VF…no sale. Period. Its just silly. Buy the K-5, its worth the extra $229.
What is so great about taking a K-5, removing Mirror and OVF, putting it into an ugly housing, and sell it for 800$?
This will combine “disadvantages” of mirrorless cameras, contrast-AF and EVF (wait, the K-01 even doesn’t offer this), with disadvantages of DSLRs, namely size. I don’t get the point why one should buy this over a K-5 or even a K-r.
I’m kinda with you here. Although I don’t dislike its design (Pentax has always done good jobs on usability, so I’ll give’em credit for that. I don’t think they’d sacrifice usability for design purposes only), I cannot stop wondering: What’s the point of the K-01 if it is basically a K5 without the viewfinder?
They are almost the exact same size (except for height).
Let’s wait and see wheter will offer an option EVF later or not.
This might just be the last nail in the coffin for Pentax. It’s just a huge dissapointment. A total, complete and utter failure. Leaving the estethics aside, there are just far to many designflaws in functionality. Buttons are small and difficult to press, combination of no viewfinder and not articulated screen, whole user interface is like a cheap compact consumer camera, But formfactor is bulky like dslr (together with zoom optics). It should be the other way around. Interface more like pro, and formfactor compact. The whole point of mirrorless is slimming down size. Here the choise of K-mount means no significant gains in size, just loss of the veiwfinder. Oh dear, oh dear…. I had such hopes for pentax…. It’s just pure sadness to see this decay
… and by the way… why oh why this 40mm lens. It was a great focal length on FF. 40×1,5=60 !?!?! Probably one of the least used focal lengths in history. Sure Pentax has som really great compact optics. Together with the excelent 16Mp sensor, it has great potential. But then why why why this “Hello Kitty” design and interface????
PS By by Pentax, RIP
I understand this thing polarises in a way I haven’t seen this before. So I decided to take a look at the main features and design choices in my blog. You can find it at: http://florianhassler.tumblr.com/post/16918182445/pentax-k-01
I’d love to hear your opinion in the comments, so come and discuss with me!
can’t reply on your blog because it asks me to log in thru Fb or Yahoo which i dont have.
I wouldn’t dare to compare it with NEX-7 Florian, nor the Fuji X-Pro 1. This has a sensor that is similar to NEX-5N and you should compare its price and features to this baby. And then it gets pricey.
On the positive side about CDAF: no one will suffer anymore from front/backfocusing issues 🙂
You miss some points:
1) lens diversity is as high at Sony or Olympus with use of an Adapter. Critical point is not the mounting, but using the Contrast-AF. So the new pentax will have exactly the same challenges as the competition. The adapters the competetion uses are simply inside the K-01 body to keep flange distance. But with the external adapter you have at least the choice to go very small.
2) You state it is cheaper than the competition. Well, the competition you quote has inbuild EVF, which increases the price (check the price of the external VF from Sony…)
I think it looks much nicer than all DSLRs around. But visually it’s still not up to the level of classic cameras.
This is how the old Pentax looked like :
http://www.picturesofdigitalcameras.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/asahi-pentax-spotmatic.jpg
Spotmatic = gorgeousness
Oh Pentax/Ricoh… First the utmostly redundant GXR, now this. I guess Pentax really missed a meeting about mirrorless cameras. The whole point is to make it smaller, lighter, more convenient and use a variety of third party lenses for creativity. Old system lenses could be used through an adapter, just like in case of FourThirds, Nikon, Sony etc. Pentax could be the first one to actually offer the adapter in the box, so people don’t have to dish out a lot of money for it. But making a mirrorless so big and with a regular mount? They sooooo missed the point.
calling the GXR redundand shows your lack of knowledge and taste, the GXR is the best mirrorless on the market (i have/had all…), IQ rivals leica, fantastic built, very small and portable, but comes at a price, if you can afford it hands down the best, and the recently announce aps-c zoom is kickass too.
“IQ rivals Leica” LOOOOOOOOOOL you really made my day… To claim Leica having the best IQ is an antiquated point of view and certainly not true anymore (provided we are talking about the M9 and not the Leica S2). Yeah beat me, but this is TRUE. Consult DxO Mark and all the comments here
http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=1789
I work in the design industry and this is pure designer b.s.
A major design fail for the sake of individuality.
Would have been a fine camera otherwise.
This camera really makes sense within the whole designer culture and history and could well get this or that international design award for its intelligence and originality, but it actually looks …BAD. Typical of the current design zeitgeist. In the future we’ll find it in books on design history but not in people’s personal collections. As opposed to this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leica_lucent/3130578868/sizes/z/in/photostream/ or even that:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/egyszeriember2/6273012176/sizes/l/in/photostream/
I really don’t care how a camera looks. It’s not jewelry, it’s a tool.
And most of the time I don’t even see what the camera looks like when I am looking through the viewfinder.
…oh, wait…!
+1
Ooohh!
I see what you did there…. :o)
Yes, with that logic in mind, why would folks buy well designed, “sexy” products? Why bother a Lexus or BMW? Most of the time you will be sitting in it. imagine all the cars in the world look like a ford sun dance.
Design (aesthetics) + function = great tool
Bad design + function= pentax ko’d 1
Ouch.
And pls take those colored m&m’s off the top!
Pentax is really the KO one. LOL
I am alone to think this camera is actually beautiful ?
I say simple and elegant.
The different design in itself is so refreshing !
These flat surfaces with rounded edges and simple forms make me think of a leica in some way.
The back panel and top plate are lovely.
It s such a pity there is no evf though.
This kills it for me right away.
Why buy this camera if you can buy a camera like a Canon EOS 600D (EOS Rebel T3i / EOS Kiss X5) with more options for about the same price? The size is almost the same. Pity.
@Peter what about all the pentax prime lenses ?
Besides it has built-in sensor IS, and if the sensor is better than the K-5 like pentax says it will easily knockout anything a 600D can do IQ wise.
Peaking mode with old takumar and pentax manual lenses is very nice.
Just so bad there is no evf T_T
OK – wtf! do they not understand the concept of a mirrorless? The point is to make it smaller and to have a really short registration distance. Dumb. Just dumb.
Yes, the Pentax lenses are really nice and IS is a good thing. But it’s too bulky for my taste. For me mirrorless has a benefit if the camera becomes smaller than a DSLR. Think a 600D comes quite close with the specs, like microphone-in port for example. And a viewfinder + swivel screen 🙂
Looks like the design is 100 % inspired by the work of Dieter Rams for Braun. Had have the CSV and CE 250 stereo amp and tuner and the form factor of the buttons on the top of the camera are nearly the same.
Have a look at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nite_owl/5507269643/sizes/o/in/photostream/
Okay, that’s funny.
Now show us the REAL new Pentax.
Good joke, though. 😀
God. I thought my E-PL1 was ugly, but this is just some recycled lunchbox.
Perhaps someone already alluded to a comment on another post, but it is so funny I have to pass it on … “Does this thing squirt water when the shutter button is pushed?”
Another one I read, “So when did Fisher-Price buy Ricoh/Pentax?”
What an ugly camera!
Nice quotes! 🙂
I hope that designer reads them. 🙂
Pentax should hire people here. There are lots of experts able to judge a camera even though they’ve never used it. 555 very funny.
Wake up Ryan_t: Pentax already hired “an expert” for design who probably never took a foto picture.
The K-01 has the size and depth of a DSLR because Pentax, as a major design decision, kept the same flange back or registration distance as if the camera had a mirror assembly in order to maintain compatibility with legacy lenses without the need for an adapter (a lot of empty space behind the lens). Same for the APS-C sized sensor and 3:2 format in driving camera size. In short, the K-01 provides the form factor of a traditional DSLR although without the mirror assembly. Olympus would have had almost the same result had it tried to maintain compatibility with legacy 4/3 lenses using the same design parameters instead of moving on to MFT. The K-01 appears to provide nothing new to photo enthusiasts except a boutique design.
I don’t mind the design, and I like the price! That’s the price to beat for other APS-size mirrorless lines. K-5, according to DxOMark, has one of the better sensors, so I’m looking forward to seeing more tests and specs.
I don’t like pancake lenses, but wasn’t everyone on this blog clamoring for one? And who wants shorter LTF distance when the world of K-mount lens is available, and many others can be adapted via Leitax?
I will want an EVF sooner or later.
A mirrorless APS-C dSLR sized camera but with an integrated EVF and fast phase detect AF (like the Nikon 1) for use with standard dSLR lenses is the correct formula.
Pentax missed out on the EVF (hopefully, it has an optional external EVF). AF performance with standard dSLR lenses remains a big question mark but I expect it to be slower than the K-5. Pentax should have retained the K-5. Too bad for Pentax.
Canon and Nikon will likely implement this camera-type correctly when they released their equivalent models.
That’s just the thing. If you want the current registration distance, an EVF, and don’t want the new pancake lens, then why would you want the K-01 (unless you like the unique looks) when you can get a Pentax DSLR instead?
The whole point of mirrorless is to sacrifice the benefits of a mirror (i.e. the optical viewfinder, PDAF (except for the Nikon 1), less dust contamination, etc…) in order to get a smaller camera body.
The K-01 has all the negatives of a mirrorless camera but none of the benefits. What did Pentax actually gain by making this camera mirrorless? They could have made their DSLR look exactly the same if the look is what’s unique about this camera.
Exactly. There is no point to this camera.
I would just like to know what execs at Pentax didn’t, at some meeting, point out that the yellow/black version is the ugliest camera ever designed….ever
Why oh why doesn’t someone come up with the digital version of this http://g4.img-dpreview.com/4AEE6B634A7240AFB96E37B2008C3C0D.jpg … it’s 1996
It looks like a Lego camera!!!!
My thoughts on this: http://blog.markprobst.net/2012/02/02/pentaxdoesnttakemirrorlessseriously/
My take – sure, if it was all black, the design would be tolerable. No VF is a real deal breaker though… However, I think this should have a way better feel then some other entry level cameras (Canon I’m looking at you)
It may be built like a tank and take fantastic photographs, but I think that the real killer here is the lack of an articulated screen. One of the videos described this camera as a semi-pro one. I thought one of the main ideas behind this genre of camera was that you could take it to the street with you and be discreet and blend into the background. But how can you do that with a yellow camera that you must raise to eye level. As thick as this camera is, that should have been easy to do without making the camera any thicker. Even the Sony C-3 has an articulated screen
From first glance I wanted to poke my eyes out… this is a camera that will sell very little. It will fade faster that anyone can expect it. I can imagine a number of people with this camera getting a comment “Wow! What an ugly camera!” after that some of these people will return it, some of them will hide it, and it will take away all the pleasure of taking picture because deep in their mind they will think everybody is saying “Ugly!” Now, if you are photographer this shouldn’t be an issue, but a lot of people would like to have a tool(camera) that takes great pictures and also looks great. There is a reason why Fuji is doing so well on the market and now Oly is coming with the retro design as well. So, I’m sure Pentax is a good tool but in this edition is an ugly tool which nobody would want to pick up and work with.
A tool is exactly what I had in mind too! The yellow one looks like a tractor. Kind of cool but not for that price.
Fire that designer.
It’s the same size as K-x / K-r!
http://camerasize.com/compare/#285,229
Don’t care what it looks like, just care how it works and performs.
No EVF = no interest.
Actually this is NOT a good tool never mind a good looking one.
A tool is a thing that helps you do a job and a camera without a viewfinder is like a hammer without a handle, sure you can use it to nail things but not conveniently.
A tilt screen would be a good option so you can use it as a Rollei TLR or a Hasselblad 500 but it has not even that.
Hell even if it had a OVF as the atrocious one of the G12 or G1X that would be a good tool.
So the 16MP APS-C sensor is good and there is at least some merit in keeping the mount in order to allow use of existing lenses. If only they had added an evf and kept phase detect autofocus, this would be worthwhile. Wait a minute:
http://www.adorama.com/ISOSLTA55V.html
Honestly, wtf were Pentax thinking?? This would’ve been popular twenty years ago. Looks like they hired the wrong designer, one who’s still stuck in the past.
This looks like the death of Pentax.
Methinks this is “putting a pig on lipstick.” 😀
I sure hope Canon doesn’t cop out like this when/if they go mirrorless. We’re seeing some experimentation with the G1X and K-01 on mirrorless format, but I’m not sure that either will be that attractive in the long-run. If I trade my Rebel set-up and various P&S’s for a compact system camera, I’m definitely going to want to save weight and space.
That is ugly beautiful. I don’t care how a camera looks, just as long as it returns beautiful images.
I am a Leica fan, but the K-mount line cannot be underestimated. Here are just the fixed-focus lenses available on the used market.
http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-35mm/system-Pentax-Manual-Focus/category-Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses?s=1&bcode=PK&ccode=6&cc=55968&r=WG&f
http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-35mm/system-Pentax-Autofocus/category-Fixed-Focal-Length-Lenses?s=1&bcode=AP&ccode=6&cc=55891&r=WG&f
Here are some zooms:
http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-35mm/system-Pentax-Manual-Focus/category-Zoom-Lenses?s=1&bcode=PK&ccode=7&cc=55968&r=WG&f
http://www.keh.com/Camera/format-35mm/system-Pentax-Autofocus/category-Zoom-Lenses?s=1&bcode=AP&ccode=7&cc=55891&r=WG&f
And then there are the screw mounts.
It’s a Pentax Instamatic!
Its is ugly but nothing yet to show it can produce awesome images
Everybody relax, step back and take a look at the big picture.
The K-01 looks the way it does because the ‘serious’ and ‘semi-pro’ mirrorless K every camera enthusiast really wanted will be the inevitable K-Mount unit for the GXR.
Remember, they are the same company now and they just learned a lot about K-mount miniaturization. The K-01will eventually go down in price and be their entry-level consumer mirrorless, while the upcoming GXR-K becomes the true semi-professional mirrorless K.
Pentax made the RIGHT choice in not making yet another new mirrorless mount, and ONLY the Pentax K mount can work with mirrorless because they already are the SMALLEST SLR LENSES on the market. Quite simply, and smartly, they are double downing on their highly regarded, highly complete, LIMITED LENS line, the only line like it for SLRs from any brand. Even Pentax DA zooms are smaller and lighter than equivalents from Canon or Nikon.
I’m disappointed Pentax/Ricoh didn’t announce the GXR-K today, but I understand that would’ve drowned out the spotlight for the new K-01. For the people paying attention, Pentax/Ricoh did quietly announce a new 16mp APS-C unit for the GXR today, subtly setting the stage for what’s to come…
Contrary to all the kneejerk “UGLY! PENTAX DOOMED” commenters here, I see that Pentax has almost all their parts in place already. With today’s announcement, they also announced they have the most complete mirrorless mount in the world, with a full-range of tiny high quality pancake primes already available. The K-01 represents a powerful, but simple and welcoming trojan horse into K Land, just like the K1000 did before it. Once the price inevitably drops, I can easily see schools and parents buy tons of these, and then the “My First Camera” aesthetic of the K-01 will suddenly make all the sense in the world. Well played Pentax.
Some companys have the wrong marketing people in the background – pentax is one of them.
The had the chance to be the biggest at the beginneing of digitalphotographie but they descided to stay there where they always where…up to now!
Dang…
I’ve been waiting for Pentax to make an APS-c mirrorless. I love hacking together old lens, and/or using c-mounts with my M4/3 cameras. Been looking forward to having a Pentax with sensor-shift stabilization. Loved that on my K7, but didn’t like the flange distance of the SLR.
This is a total buzz kill for guys like me.
Flange distance and no EVF… I suppose the EVF could appear on a later modl, but I can’t hope for a shallower lens mount.
How hard would it have been to build it with a removable extension tube for K lenses?
Really bummed. Time to look elsewhere…
A shame you have to hold the thing at arms length to frame and shoot.
OMFG, Pentax must have hired the same people who design toys for dollar stores.
I hate to say this but Pentax is now like the old relative that’s slowly going senile…you know it’s happening and you’re powerless to do anything about it. Either that or most of the engineers that were any good have already left the company for greener pastures.
Sorry, but no viewfinder, no interested.
I wonder if you’ll be able to buy body panels in other colours and just snap them on to reflect your mood for the day.
Pentax does have a history of such things.
cameraman you are so right.Why didn’t they take the best design features of the lx and mx and stun us and create desire for their great cameras of their golden age.
Because Pentax is interested in the future, not pandering to their audience with nostalgic gimmicks.
The yellow version looks like a Cheerios cereal box!
Ugly ugly ugly camera. Looks like it has room for “D-cell” batteries!
Who care that’s ugly? This camera opens the doors of mirrorless for everybody, it’s clever!
Want a Canon mirrorless? Buy any Canon DSLR, unscrew the mirror and the viewfinder et voila’, you have a Canon mirrorless.
Want a Nikon D4 mirrorless? Buy a normal D4, remove the the mirror and the viewfinder and you have your Nikon FX mirrorless.
Want a MF mirrorless? You can have that too.
Sure the cameras are only marginally smaller, and marginally lighter than their non-mirrorless counterparts, but if you have it too small.. well you know the story, companies will send you unsolicited emails explaining how to make it larger.
Pentax is cunning, who could have thought of such a smart move?
When you really want to have great IQ in a relatively small camera-lens combination, then Sony IS FIRST CHOICE! NEX-7, NEX-5n!!!
Spence the new fuji looks like a 30+ year old camera and will sell in bucketloads to people with taste.
Right, I’m sure you have great taste and Marc Newson doesnt. Perhaps you should design cameras? It’s really easy, just take a 30 yr old design and call it new. The masses don’t know any better.
Marc Newson has also never designed a camera before, and admittedly isn’t a fashion designer either. It looks futuristic, alright… if your idea of the future comes from bad 70’s sci-fi movies. Awful.
It is ugly, but in a strange way also has a certain appeal. It doesn’t look serious or expensive/fancy. More like a Toy camera and will appeal to younger crowd that are into odd/strange things, unburdened by the notions of how a camera should and looked like yesterday or 30 years ago.
The world: “Think outside the box”
Pentax: “Think about a box”
This box thingy is serious. A serious research topic as well:
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/to-think-outside-the-box-think-outside-the-box.html
🙂
Looks like something designed in France. They always do things differently. Given the lowish retail price, which I assume will go down later in the year, I am growing more fond of it, especially the yellow. You can be the life of the party 😉
I don’t think that the designer had much room to work with. Think of it. You have to accommodate the chassis of a K5 and build around it. Adding an evf would have made it just as big as a Kr.
Adding an evf would have made it usable.
“Looks like something designed in France”
What a shame! No french designer, either the historic ones, as Le Corbusier, Roger Tallon, Jean Prouvé, Pierre Paulin, or the contemporary ones, as Philippe Stark, the Bouroullec brothers, or Martin Szekely, would never do something so hideous!
I forgive you, because you certainly don’t know very well the french design…
😉
I am still scratching my head about this one. I have M43 cameras, but I confess to a soft spot for Pentax (I even still have my first SLR, a Pentax MX ), so I would definitely have looked at this one when it came out.
However, it looks like a brick, and it has both a fixed LCD and NO option for an EVF! Nothing like limiting the usefulness of a camera with that combo….I didn’t care about an EVF when I spend $300 on a GF3, but if I was going for a GH2 replacement (which is the segment of the market that this is aimed at, at least price-wise), I would definitely need some EVF options.
I would have most definitely looked seriously at this camera if it had had some sort of EVF available for it. As it is, everytime something new gets announced of late, I keep thinking that I will just stick with what I have, and maybe just wait to see if the GH3 will be the most sensible choice for my next upgrade, when it comes out….I HOPE at least Panasonic doesn’t do something stupid with THAT camera now….
Its so ugly, its cute. I like it, if I had Pentax lens it would be a must purchase. The specs look good.
The point of mirrorless is to have small lenses that are enabled by the small flangeback distance. What’s the point of a mirrorless camera that has to use normal sized lenses? I actually don’t mind the look, kind of cool in a jeep sort of way. But I’ll take a near SLR sized body with good ergonomics and viewfinder if I can use small high quality lenses. I’m sure someone will buy it, just not me.
Have you ever seen the Nikon J1 in pink in real? Then you will know the ugliest camera in the world and outerspace.
The idea of mirrorless is to become SMALL…
I probably won’t buy it. But I actually quite like its quirky looks. Reminds me of the lomo-camera’s.
Lable it Fisher Price, bring down the price to about $150 and their you have your target audience.
Kidding aside Pentax should have let Luigi Colani design the K-01
The T90 he did for Canon set the bar for all autofocus SLR and DSLR afterwards.
Pentax also could’ve went to Porsche Design. Contax had beautifull cameras designed by Porsche.
Pentax also could’ve gone with a telescoping mount. Twist and turn to extend for allowing “legacy” k-mount lenses. Retract for dedicated mirrorless Xs-lenses and compact size of body.
> Kidding aside Pentax should have let Luigi Colani design the K-01
> The T90 he did for Canon set the bar for all autofocus SLR and DSLR afterwards.
Now that’s one beautifully functional camera.
Current mirrorless cameras seem to be designed by some darn pop star fashion designers who can’t even figure out the word functionality because it’s too long for their minds.
Except for focus tracking of fast moving targets mirrorless offer fully same performance as DSLR so it’s time to start offering models with same level controls and ergonomy. This idiocracy of designing mirrorless only as fashion toy P&Ss and film era retards (aka retro) has gone for long enough.
If this type of “designers” design airplanes, they wouldn´t even take off…
It´s an ugly cheap looking toy, designed by faggot. No beauty, no ergonomy, no balls.
> If this type of “designers” design airplanes, they wouldn´t even take off…
Which would be good thing because instead of normal tried and working airplane controls cockpit would have only one victorian era mechanical knob and buttons for playing with “Flying for Dummies” on screen menus!
Interesting thing is, that even though I don´t like it, I remember it without looking at it. How many other cameras can you picture so clearly in your head.
Do you remember iMacs when they were red and green and blue etc, and the Apple laptops had handles like something a child would have, also in ´pretty´ colors. You don´t need to hear the rest of that story to know what happened.
Shame he didn’t do the design for the 645D mk2 or a digital medium format camera.
looks like one of those cheap cardboard disposable cameras from the early 1990s.
honestly i felt the interview went very badly. he didn’t sound convincing at all when answering any question.