Pentax K-01 Preview

Josh’s take

I got to play with the K-01 for a bit at CES in January. At first glance, the camera does have a unique “look” about it. In all honesty, I think that was the whole idea of having someone like Marc Newson do the designing. Now, I’m not going to lie, I had to google Marc Newson as I didn’t know who he was. But I will say that some of my design nerd friends knew exactly who he was when I asked them if they had heard of his name, and he’s no joke. This isn’t like Ashton Kutcher designing a camera or something. As for the design itself, on first glance, the K-01 seems a bit blocky. But in use, it doesn’t feel that way. I think that the shape and design emphasize the blockiness far more than actually exists. Pentax said very specifically that they weren’t trying to be the smallest or thinnest mirrorless system out there. That is something that I think was a very good move on their part. For one thing, they already have a tiny and light mirrorless camera in the Q. How are you going to go any further in that direction than you already have? In addition, like the megapixel race of a few years back, mirrorless body designs chasing “smaller” isn’t the best thing for us as photographers. As we all know, as size/thickness/weight go down, often so do ergonomics. Remember, we’ve got to use these cameras, not just pack them as luggage. Now, does the whole Marc Newson thing do anything for me? Absolutely not. Like I said, I didn’t know who the guy was. The fact that he was involved means little to me. That having been said, I quite like the camera’s looks. I’m not sure if “cute” is the right word, as it probably better described the aforementioned Q camera. But I think I would call the K-01 “friendly”, and that is different enough in today’s world to be something neat as far as I am concerned.

In the hands, the K-01 feels very solid. Don’t let photos showing the bright yellow body fool you, this is no toy. In fact, I would venture to say that due to it’s design and construction, the K-01 feels more solid and high end than a number of other mirrorless bodies I can think of. No, there is no viewfinder and some will be disappointed with that, particularly given that the shape of the K-01 with it’s pentaprism-inspired top plate. But I have to say that I’m not particularly worried about it myself. Helped along by iphones, p&s cameras, and just about every mirrorless system out there, I think that many of us have come over to the world of LCD’s as viewfinders. The controls were within reach and seemed logically laid out. Though because I did not get to do any serious shooting or real-world usage my opinion may change once I get some real hands-on time. The red button and green buttons are both customizable, though the red defaults to “movie record” from the factory (and most of us will probably leave it that way). Could the LCD have been articulated? Yes, that might have been a good idea. Though to be honest, the jury is still out on how long lived the articulated LCD will be in photography. A good case can be made for it being important and a good case can be made for photographer’s not caring. I’m going to guess that adding one would have messed with Marc’s design a bit. Though I would not guess or imply that aesthetic design was the reason it was left off, I am just speculating. I will say that image quality on the 3in 920k LCD looks very nice.

The best thing that Pentax did in my book was to design a mirrorless system around the K mount. Yes, perhaps Pentax would have had some more freedom as far as body shape and design if they had gone with a new lens system as other companies have with their mirrorless systems. But what, exactly, would that have gotten them? Just another clone of the products that were already out there. The fact that the K-01 uses the K mount gives current Pentax owners a reason to buy the camera. It also leverages the millions of existing K mount lenses in the world and gives new photographers a reason to dig out dad’s old camera bag from the closet. Now, this is nothing new, the Pentax SLR line has had those advantages for years now. But I really do believe that sticking to that plan for their mirrorless body was a good idea. And I fully admit that my opinion is swayed a bit by the fact photographers will be able to use the glorious line of Limited prime lenses. Already having a set of fast compact prime lenses was reason enough for Pentax to consider using the K-mount. Add the other reasons in as well and you’ve got a winner.

Photo.net Editorial

16MP is fine, APS-C sized sensor is great. Though it is somewhat ironic that Pentax would have both one of the smallest and the largest sensor sizes in its two mirrorless system cameras. Even if you don’t use it often, who doesn’t love a 6 frames per second shooting rate? However, I do wonder what the buffer size is. I will say that the shutter is VERY quiet. As long as you don’t pick the yellow body, the K-01 makes a very ignorable shooting tool from the subject’s point of view. I love the upward creep of ISO performance. So seeing ISO 25600 on the K-01 makes me happy. The scene modes and effects are nice and fun to play with, but I think most of us do our serious digital effects in the digital-darkroom if we feel they are necessary. The K-01 is another step closer to matching or beating the competition as far as video is concerned. The addition of a number of FPS choices at both 720p and 1080p along with a stereo microphone that allows audio gain control and has wind noise suppression are both good changes. That is good in my mind. While Pentax was out in front early with video in it’s DSLR’s it fell behind somewhat quickly on some fronts (though not image quality). ~~It remains to be seen if the K-01 allows any focusing while recording video. I wasn’t told, didn’t remember to ask, and none of the literature I have indicates if it can.~~ I will try and find that out and update this article when I do. EDIT: Pentax has confirmed to me that the K-01 will offer autofocus during video recording. However, speaking of focusing, one thing that I am happy to report is that the K-01 uses the same focus-peaking manual focus assist as is found on the Ricoh GXR Leica M module. That system is one of the best I have seen for using manually lenses on digital bodies. I think we’ve all wondered when we might start to see some of the benefits of the Ricoh-Pentax merger, and I would say that this is one of them.

The new 40mm f/2.8 is small. Holy smokes is it small. It is the most pancake-y pancake lens I’ve ever seen. While I’m no leica expert, this might be right up there with some of the thinnest pancake lenses in history. Am I exaggerating? I have no idea, I’m sure someone will correct me if I am. But the point is that it’s a really small thin lens. Pentax is claiming that it is the world’s thinnest interchangeable lens for lens-interchangeable digital SLR cameras. It makes the Limited 40mm lens look like a hippo by comparison. However, I’m a little bummed at the effective 61mm focal length. I just don’t see that as being the best choice that could have been made. If they wanted to be offbeat, I would have preferred to see a 40mm effective focal length. That is a more useful focal length in my book and would have been fairly unique in the digital world today (RF lenses on a Leica M9 notwithstanding). That having been said, it looks like a neat lens but it’s hard to tell more than that until I can do more than shoot some photos of the inside of a CES meeting room.

Photo.net Editorial

Bottom line?

Overall, I think the K-01 concept was a good move. One of the things I have loved about Pentax in recent years is that they don’t waste time trying to be what other companies already are. They aren’t going to out-Canon Canon itself, and they know that. So rather than trying to play catchup, they have tried to move in some different directions. It would have been understandable if Pentax had simply come out with the big-brother of the Q for their flagship mirrorless body, a new camera with a new line of lenses. But the fact that they choose not to, that they decided to make something again slightly different, speaks highly of those who are running the show at Pentax. Of course, the proof is in the pudding and “preview” articles can only tell us so much. So while we can debate these points all we like, the real debate will have to come once the camera is in our hands.

Official Press Release

PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION INTRODUCES
PENTAX K-01 DESIGNED BY MARC NEWSON

DENVER, CO February 2, 2012 – When is a camera more than a photographer’s tool? The answer is when it’s an object designed by Marc Newson, one of the most acclaimed and influential contemporary designers.

PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION introduces the Marc Newson designed PENTAX K-01 interchangeable lens camera (ILC). The new PENTAX K-01 is another bold effort from the manufacturer that is known for pushing camera size, color, durability, and now, design, to the limit. Widely known for designing a wide range of objects from furniture and household products to bicycles, cars, aircraft and yachts, Marc Newson has had collected works displayed in The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and many other major museums.

The contemporary, timeless K-01 houses a full array of advanced functions and user-friendly features in a camera body with remarkable form and function. The elimination of an optical viewfinder and quick-return mirror gave Newson more freedom in designing the camera body, and the K-01 showcases Newson originality in every detail. Available in black, white and Newson’s signature yellow colors, the K-01 features the designer’s autograph logo stamp on the bottom of each camera.
The famed designer’s touch also is evident in a new smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS interchangeable lens. As the world’s thinnest interchangeable lens,* the new 40mm combines with the PENTAX K-01 camera body to deliver a unique ILC system that is perfect for photographers who are as keen on design as they are on performance. Together, the K-01 and 40mm lens system mark the intersection where high technology and high design meet.
Key features of the PENTAX K-01 include:
* Durable machined aluminum frame under a stylish black, white, or yellow exterior.
* PENTAX mirrorless body design is compatible with 25+ million PENTAX K-mount lenses spanning decades.
* Large 16 megapixel APS-C sized CMOS image sensor with low noise image capture and multiple aspect ratios.
* Bright, high resolution 3 inch LCD with 920,000 dots.
* Full HD 1080p video capture at 30 FPS with h.264 compression (60 FPS at 720p) features outstanding video capture flexibility.
* Sensor-shift PENTAX Shake and Dust Reduction system is compatible with every mounted PENTAX lens.
* Fast 6 FPS burst mode is ideal for fast-action photography.
* Flexible ISO range of 100-25600 ensures gorgeous noise-free imaging in any lighting condition.
* Focus peaking mode provides fast and accurate manual focusing for critical focus applications.
* The world’s thinnest interchangeable lens for lens-interchangeable digital SLR cameras, as of February 1, 2012 (based on PENTAX’s research).
The K-01 will be available in yellow, black and white in March 2012 for $749.95USD (body only) and $899.95USD (lens kit including new DA 40mm XS) in Marc Newson designed packaging and with the Marc Newson designed strap. The smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS unifocal interchangeable standard lens will ship at the same time for $249.95 USD.
Additional information is available here: www.pentaximaging.com/news and a video interview with Mark Newson regarding the K-01design may be viewed here: www.youtube.com/pentaxian1 Images of other Marc Newson creations are available here.
PENTAX is a leader in the production of a variety of adventure ready digital cameras including weather-resistant digital SLRs and stylish, compact, waterproof cameras, as well as lenses, flash units, binoculars, scopes, and eyepieces. For more than 90 years, PENTAX has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of adventurous consumers and businesses. With new headquarters in Denver, Colorado, PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION is a subsidiary of PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. effective October 1, 2011. Additional details may be found here: www.pentaximaging.com/news

Full Specs

MODEL: K-01
TYPE: Digital Hybrid ILC

SENSOR
Type: CMOS w primary color filter and integrated Shake/Dust Reduction sensor-shift system
Size: APS-C (23.7 × 15.7mm)
Color depth: 8 bits/channel JPG, 12 bits/channel RAW
Effective pixels: 16.28
Total pixels: 16.49
Recorded resolutions
Still 3:2: 16M (4928×3264), 12M (4224×2816), 8M (3456×2304), 5M (2688×1792)
Still 4:3: 14M (4352×3264), 11M (3840×2880), 7M (3072×2304), 4M (2304×1728)
Still 16:9: 13M (4928×2776), 10M (4224×2376), 6M (3456×1944), 4M (2688×1512)
Still 1:1: 10M (3264×3264), 8M (2880×2880), 5M (2304×2304), 3M (1728×1728)
Movie (resolution/FPS): 1920×1080p30/25/24, 1280×720p60/50/30/25/24, 640×480p30/25/24
Quality levels: Best, Better, Good
Dust Removal: SP coating w ultrasonic vibration to low pass filter
LENS MOUNT
Type/construction: PENTAX KAF2 bayonet stainless steel mount
Usable lenses: PENTAX KAF3, KAF2, KAF, and KA (K-mount, 35mm screwmount, 645/67 med format lenses useable w adapter and/or restrictions)
SDM function: Yes
Power zoom function: n/a
FOCUS SYSTEM
Type: TTL Contrast Detection AF
Sensitivity range: EV 1-18 (ISO 100)
Focus modes: AF Single (w focus lock, focus/release priority selectable), Face Detection AF, Tracking AF, Manual
Focus point adjustment: Auto 81 Point, User-Selectable, Center
AF assist: LED dedicated AF assist lamp, AF Autozoom (2X, 4X, 6X), Focus Peaking
VIEWFINDER
Type: n/a
LCD MONITOR
Type: 3.0" TFT color LCD w brightness/color adjustment
Resolution: 921,000 dots
Wide angle viewable: Yes (approx 170Â° horizontal/vertical)
LIVE VIEW
Type: TTL by CMOS image sensor
Field Of View: 100%
Display Modes: Grid (4×4, Golden Ratio, Scale), Bright/Dark Indication, Histogram
BUILT-IN FLASH
Type: Retractable P-TTL auto popup flash
Guide number: 12m (ISO 100)
Coverage: 28mm equivalent
Flash modes: Auto, Auto + Redeye, On, On + Redeye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync + Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Off
Flash exposure compensation: -2 to 1 EV
EXTERNAL FLASH
Type: Hotshoe P-TTL, high speed sync w PENTAX dedicated flash
Synchronization speed: 1/180 sec
STORAGE MEDIA
Internal memory: n/a
Removable memory: SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS Speed Class 1 supported)
INTERFACES
Ports: USB 2.0 hi-speed, AV out, HDMI out (Type C, Mini), 3.5mm stereo mic in
Video out: HD (via HDMI) NTSC, PAL
Printer interfaces: n/a
POWER SUPPLY
Power source: Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery D-LI90
Recordable images: Approx 540 (approx 500 w 50% flash, CIPA)
Playback time: Approx 320 min
Movie recording time: 25 min (max record time for a single file)
AC adapter available: Yes (optional)
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Body dimensions (W x H x D): 4.8 × 3.1 × 2.3â
Body weight
Without battery or removable memory: 16.9 oz
Loaded and ready: 19.8 oz
Construction material(s): Machined aluminum frame with rubber accents
Weather resistant: n/a
Operating temperature: 32-104Â°F

LANGUAGE SUPPORT
English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, Russian, Korean, Traditional/Simplified Chinese, Japanese

COMPUTER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS*
*For direct device connectivity. Bundled software requirements may vary.
Windows: Windows XP (SP3), Vista, 7, USB port
Mac: 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, USB port

IMAGE STABILIZATION
Type: Sensor-shift Shake Reduction (4 stops max)
METERING SYSTEM
Type: TTL image sensor metering
Sensitivity range: EV negative 1 to 21 (ISO 100, 50mm F1.4)
Multi-segment: Yes (1024 segments)
Center weighted: Yes
Spot: Yes
Exposure compensation: +/- 3 EV (1/3 and 1/2 steps)
Exposure lock: Yes (via AF/AE-L button)
Exposure bracketing: Yes (3 frames, up to +/- 3 EV in 1/2 steps)
ISO SENSITIVITY
Auto: ISO 100-12800 (1, 1/2, 1/3 steps), expandable to ISO 100-25600, auto ISO range selectable
Manual: ISO 100-12800 (1, 1/2, 1/3 steps), expandable to ISO 100-25600
WHITE BALANCE
Auto preset modes: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent (D, N, W, L), Tungsten, Flash, CTE
Manual mode(s): Yes
WB fine adjustment available in all modes
SHUTTER
Type: Electronically controlled focal plane shutter
Shutter speed: 1/4000 to 30 sec (1/3 or 1/2 steps), Bulb
CAPTURE MODES
Mode selection: Auto Picture, Scene (SCN), HDR (JPG only), Flash Off, Bulb (B), Metered Manual (M), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (TV), Program (P), Movie
Auto Picture modes: Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Object, Night Scene Portrait, Night Scene, Blue Sky, Forest
Scene modes: Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Object, Night Scene Portrait, Sunset, Blue Sky, Forest, Night Scene, Night Scene HDR (JPG only), Night Snap, Food, Pet, Kids, Surf & Snow, Backlight Silhouette, Candlelight, Stage Lighting, Museum
Custom Image modes (including fine adjustment): Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome (including film filters, infrared, sepia toning), Cross Processing (creative random effect generation)
Green simplified mode available: n/a
Face detection available: Yes (up to 16 faces)
P/A/S/M/B: P, A, S, M, B
Date stamp: n/a
Digital filters (capture): Extract Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Color
Dynamic Range adjustment: Yes (highlight and shadow correction)
Digital level: n/a
File/Folder customization: Folder name (standard, date), embed copyright
DRIVE MODES
Mode selection: Single, Continuous (Hi, Lo), Self Timer (12s, 2s), Infrared Remote (0s, 3s), Auto Bracketing (3 frames, up to +/- 3 EV in 1/2 steps)
Continuous FPS: Approx 6 FPS (JPG, Continuous Hi), Approx 3 FPS (JPG, Continuous Lo)
Multi-exposure: Yes (2-9 shots, auto exposure adjustment selectable)
Interval: Yes (1s to 24h, up to 999 shots, delayed start available)
HDR: Auto, HDR1, HDR2, HDR3, (exposure adjustable +/- 1, 2, or 3 EV steps, JPG only)
PLAYBACK MODES
Mode selection: One Shot (no data, standard data, detailed data, histogram, color channel histogram), Multi Image Display (4, 9, 16, 36, 81 thumbnails), Magnification (up to 16X, scrollable, quick zoom), Movie Playback (no data, standard data, detailed data), Image Rotation, Bright/Dark Indication, Copyright Info, Calendar Filmstrip, Folder, Save RAW Data From JPG (if available in buffer memory), Select & Delete, Slideshow
Mode pallet: Image Rotation, Digital Filter, Resize, Cropping, Index, Protect, Slideshow, Cross Processing, RAW Development, Movie Edit, DPOF
Digital filters (playback): Monochrome, Extract Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Color, Tone Expansion, Sketch Filter, Watercolor, Pastel, Posterization, Miniature, Soft, Starburst, Fisheye, Slim, Base Parameter Adj
Movie edit: Movie Divide, Delete Frames, Save JPG
FILE FORMATS
Still: RAW (DNG), JPG (EXIF 2.3), DCF 2.0 compliant, DPOF, PIM III
Movie (compression): MP4 (AVC h.264), AVI/MJPG for Interval Movie
CUSTOM FUNCTIONS
Functions available: 16

Article created February 2012

Readers' Comments

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Matthew McManamey , February 02, 2012; 10:39 A.M.

I don't know or care who Marc Newson is either, but if he's responsible for removing the pop-up snoot that previous Pentax DSLRs have, then those of us who have fought with the snoot when trying to mount/use unusual lenses and accessories (focal reducers, bellows, shift lenses, etc.) have a new hero.

John Shriver , February 02, 2012; 11:00 A.M.

Too bad the lens mount is still crippled, can't read the aperture follower on lenses that predate Pentax-A lenses. But that's not that surprising on a small camera, it might have made it larger or more expensive. Still hope to see de-crippling on whatever comes after K-5.

Bruce Rubenstein , February 02, 2012; 11:13 A.M.

Honestly, this is a camera for people who already have bought into the Pentax system and now want to add an ugly, castrated DSLR to what they own. Designing the camera to use existing K mount lenses requires a large flange to sensor distance, that in turn makes for a larger body that can't use other maker's lenses with a simple adaptor.

Josh Root , February 02, 2012; 11:17 A.M.

Pentax has confirmed to me that the K-01 will autofocus during video recording.

Tim Lookingbill , February 02, 2012; 12:18 P.M.

Good job on the review, Josh. Very concise and thorough.
Nice to see all the improvements and bells and whistles added to cameras over the 5 years since I bought one.
It'ld be interesting see the results of all the Playback Modes and other incamera post processing like HDR to compare against what can be done on the computer. The long list is mind boggling to see it can all be done on a tiny incamera processor while we toil to get the same on our larger and more expensive computers.
The video features are unbelievable including the stereo mic and audio gain adjusts. HDMI connect is a nice plus as well.
A gorgeous camera indeed. Thanks for the review, Josh.

Leslie Cheung , February 02, 2012; 12:19 P.M.

Maybe I just missed it in the article but the price is $900 w/ 40mm pancake lens according to Amazon. I figure that's pretty important piece of infomation.

Josh Root , February 02, 2012; 12:24 P.M.

Available in March 2012 for $749.95USD (body only) and $899.95USD (lens kit including new DA 40mm XS) DA 40mm XS is $249.95 alone

Last item on the list of "bullet points" at the top, Leslie. You probably just skipped over it to get to my thrilling insightful commentary.

Steve Solomon , February 02, 2012; 12:40 P.M.

Greetings. Well, as a Pentaxian, I am supportive of Pentax (er, Ricoh-Pentax) and wish them every success with this new camera. However, as a K-5 user, since the K-01 uses the same sensor (albeit with a new processing engine), I would be surprised to see any significant improvement in image quality, which is really what I am after. Along those lines, I am very interested in seeing test comparison images between the K-5, K-01, and especially the new Fuji X-Pro1! That said, I hope Pentax is more successful with the K-01 than they appear to be with the too small (in every way) "Q".

Mark O'Brien , February 02, 2012; 12:46 P.M.

I'm intrigued by this one. Not the yellow body, but a black one. I don't need another DSLR, but being able to use my old manual Pentax K-mount lenses with an APS-C size sensor would be really nice. It has a very uncluttered design which I find pleasing.

harvey steeves , February 02, 2012; 06:56 P.M.

I am disappointed by the lack of a viewfinder. Big screens don't work so well in bright light I have found nor are the cameras as stable when it comes to hand-holding. I own Panasonics and the V1 so am sort of familiar with mirror less usage. I would even put up with an accessory viewfinder. Having said all this though, my name is on a yellow one. Who would steal a toy camera like that?

Tim Lookingbill , February 02, 2012; 10:34 P.M.

Good point about the viewfinder which I didn't have a problem with until it dawned on me what a live LCD view would do to battery life along with all the other electronic bells and whistles that go on with such an advanced camera.
Is this an issue with these types of cameras?

James Robins , February 03, 2012; 12:22 A.M.

Battery life is fairly good, but not as good as the K-5 (which uses the same battery and charger).
Thank you, Josh, for a fine, balanced review that brought in perspectives not offered elsewhere (such as an understanding of advances in video AF and quality focus peaking). And thank you to previous posters for adding your thoughtful views rather than rants seen on other forums. While this camera doesn't quite fit my needs, I am thankful that K-mount legacy has been strengthened.
Keep in mind, too, that maintaining a long flange distance with a 1.5x sensor results in better quality imaging because incident light angles are not widened. Expect better IQ than the mirrorless competition has yielded.

David Mantilla , February 03, 2012; 12:29 A.M.

To me it's a good move by Pentax. I like the idea of using my pentax glass on an APS-C sensor.(the micro 4/3 MILC never made much sense to me, and the Pentax Q seemed like another miss)
I think the new camera may bring new customers to Pentax too, if the camera salespeople promote it right... (i.e., hopefully it gets good showroom location) As far as batteries, I don't think that's an issue. P&S all use liveview, battery charge is reasonable. The k-01 has larger form factor than these pocket-size cameras, more room for bigger battery. (but left to be seen of course).
That pancake is amazingly small. Wow.

Justin Serpico , February 03, 2012; 02:32 A.M.

As we all know, as size/thickness/weight go down, often so do ergonomics. Remember, we’ve got to use these cameras, not just pack them as luggage.

This is a good point, I believe Pentax took the K-5, K-7 down to the minimum size that could be achieved while still be a camera that photographers would/could actually use. People complained it was too small, but I have fairly large medium size hands, and I found it to be nearly perfect. My guess is those complaining just liked F4/F5 sized cameras.

The best thing that Pentax did in my book was to design a mirrorless system around the K mount. Yes, perhaps Pentax would have had some more freedom as far as body shape and design if they had gone with a new lens system as other companies have with their mirrorless systems.But what, exactly, would that have gotten them?

Again, I agree with the thinking. Creating a system of obscure and proprietary lenses makes sense if you are only going after camera phone upgraders. However, an educated consumer will look at this and say, "so I can get a mirrorless ILC and use the same lenses with an SLR or even film camera? Sold!" As far as people commenting it's a bad move, remember, Pentax pancakes and even the FA Limiteds are already quite compact. So unlike say Nikon or Canon or Olympus, Pentax has the least to gain by creating new mounts. I understand the whole register distance issues, BUT the biggest advantage of designing a ground up system with a short register is adapters, right? Like this Pentax is eschewing the adapter and giving you the meat and potatoes. (for the record, I do understand there are advantages to a shorter register, especially in macro shooting, but does it trump having existing glass ready to go and at reasonable prices and production cost?)

Lets face it, most of you/us would be buying a k-mount adapter that you would probably be unhappy with in some regard. Gone is the requisite adapter.

As far as the 40mm, it's actually a better focal length then you might think. Consider how often you were probably at the 70mm end of your 28-70mm? It's basically that plus a little crop room. However, like you (and 85% of hard core K-mount shooters) I would have preferred it to have been a 28mm or 30mm. For some reason Pentax refuses to produce that coveted true "normal" lens on a DSLR.

Final question, Is this sealed? I hope so. At $700, using what I assume is the K-5's Sony sensor, this looks like it could be a winner.

Justin Serpico , February 03, 2012; 02:37 A.M.

then those of us who have fought with the snoot when trying to mount/use unusual lenses and accessories (focal reducers, bellows, shift lenses, etc.) have a new hero.

I was thinking the same thing. And the mirror box had little to do with the snoot. It was just something Pentax seemed to think was a necessary design for it's DSLRs. Thankfully it is gone, and hopefully it is gone on any future mirrored cameras as well.

R.T. Dowling , February 03, 2012; 02:22 P.M.

When I bought my first DSLR several years ago, I switched to Pentax after being a devoted Nikon film shooter for many years. The Pentax K100D offered me everything I wanted in a DSLR, and more, at a lower price than what Nikon was offering at the time.

Due to a number of problems and disappointments during the Pentax Hoya years (particularly in regards to quality control), I was all but certain that my next interchangeable lens camera would be a Nikon.

Now, I'm not so sure.

If Ricoh can improve quality control and customer service, while keeping prices competitive, I might stay with Pentax. The K-01 is VERY compelling to me, in terms of size and features. I certainly won't be pre-ordering one... but once they've been out for a while and I've had a chance to gauge whether or not the quality/service situation has improved, I would definitely consider buying a K-01 instead of the D7000 I've had my eyes on. Unless of course Nikon comes out with a small mirrorless F-mount APS-C cam, in which case I'd be undecided once again. ;-)

Thanks for the excellent preview and commentary, Mr. Root!

Patrick Withem , February 03, 2012; 07:59 P.M.

The bit about using the K-mount initially struck me as a good move as well, but I had second thoughts. As has been said, if the size is only marginally smaller than a K5 (not sure how compares to a K-r or K-x), then why bother with mirrorless at all, especially if it costs more than a K-r? To it's advantage, the K01 is somewhere near 40% less weight than a K5.
When pondering that, I had to re-ask myself: why are there MILCs at all? My best answer is that they could be more compact than DSLR, still have APS-C, and be lighter, while retaining much of the creative control of a DSLR. Arguably, this could be all achieved with a non-interchangeable lense "high end" point and shoot. But let's say that a non-interchangeable would lack depth of field options or couldn't match the compactness of a pancake style MILC product.
Then, I'd say the MILC needs a new mount design to reduce thickness of the part. Additionally, you want to keep lenses thin on a MILC if its only advantages over DSLR are size and weight. To me, this means you limit focal range offerings to pancake sized form factors similar to what's been done before: da15, 21, 40, 70, etc. Maybe just make three or so lenses and call it done - and that would define the product.
If people really wanted to bridge to the K-mount, then offer an adapter, which results in size envelope equivalent to what the K01 is now. Maybe even bundle the adapter with the body.
Having said all that, if Pentax could price the K01 to the $400 or less range in its current form, then it would make an excellent gateway option into the DSLR/k-mount world.

Louis Meluso , February 04, 2012; 02:21 A.M.

Excellent review, Josh. Looks like a very capable camera at a good price point. However, I would have difficulty holding an object that looks like that in close proximity to my face. I'm ugly enough.

Robert Goldstein , February 04, 2012; 07:08 P.M.

I think that the K-01 is unique enough, both in styling and features, that it will catch the eyes of many people, but especially those who are looking to move up from P&S cameras. The chunky body style, especially in a bright color, literally screams "I'm different," something that has a powerful appeal to the consumer in all of us. If Pentax markets the K-01 cleverly and aggressively, I think that they will have trouble keeping up with the demand.
Rob

Robert Goldstein , February 04, 2012; 07:09 P.M.

I think that the K-01 is unique enough, both in styling and features, that it will catch the eyes of many people, but especially people who are looking to move up from P&S cameras. The absence of an EVF is of little concern to them. The chunky body style, especially in a bright color, literally screams "I'm different," something that has a powerful appeal to the consumer in all of us. If Pentax markets the K-01 cleverly and aggressively, I think that they will have trouble keeping up with the demand.
Rob

Frederic Veilleux , February 07, 2012; 01:57 P.M.

Seems to me like a good backup body on extended/risky trips, in which case it is very nice to be able to use the same lenses on both cameras... Also just to avoid changing lenses when there's bad weather.

Robin Parmar , February 12, 2012; 07:58 P.M.

This article is certainly written by a Pentax apologist. A whole paragraph is spent saying the design looks like a brick but the camera isn't really. Another says the K-01 looks like a toy but isn't really. So apparently the design sends completely the wrong signals about the product. Isn't that how marketing departments define a failure?
The K-01 adds nothing to the mirrorless options that have already been on the market for three or more years, except for the fact that K-mount lenses will now auto-focus. That could have been achieved by Pentax offering a K-mount adapter for a smaller mount (as they are apparently doing are for the Q). And in the meantime we must deal with an over-sized (for mirrorless), under-featured (no EVF, crippled mount - still!), and ugly camera.
The K-5 kicks this into last Tuesday. As does the Olympus E-M5.

Ken Yee , February 15, 2012; 02:25 P.M.

"Gorgeous contemporary styling"
LOL. And then "it really doesn't feel like a brick or bright yellow toy" which is what it looks like?
Just say it's fugly...but doesn't feel that way :-)

William Koehler , February 18, 2012; 08:04 P.M.

With regards to the appearance of the Pentax K-01...
90% of the depth of the camera is defined by the K-mount flange distance and the battery in the grip. So it looks 'blocky' or 'chunky', not svelte like a Sony NEX-5. I personally do not want a camera significantly smaller than, say, a K-x, which is what I happen to own. By the time you have put any kind of fast glass on the camera, you will be glad for the larger grip that is in your hand for dealing with the weight hanging off the front. Indeed, I think that super-thin flat pancake lens accentuates the flat slab-sidedness of the camera. I think almost anything else would make it look more 'normal'.
Indeed, for exactly this reason, of the Sony NEX offerings, the only ones that appeal to me are the NEX-7 or NEX-VG20. The others (NEX-3/5N) are simply to thin and small for me to seriously consider. No matter what else happens, my hands are not shrinking.

fast primes , February 22, 2012; 04:22 P.M.

Some technical questions please:

Is the new 40f2.8 pancake, the same optical formulation as the current one?
How much of a stop difference does mirror elimination add to the existing anti-shake capability?
With the elimination of the mirror, will the new camera be able to accept potentially sharper wide angle prime designs that take advantage of the reduced flange distance (internally anyway--I know the external flange distance remains the same)? Of course any such new designs, could not be used on pre-existing Pentax slrs/dslrs!

Dénis den Daas , April 19, 2012; 01:58 P.M.

"I would have preferred to see a 40mm effective focal length. That is a more useful focal length in my book and would have been fairly unique in the digital world today (RF lenses on a Leica M9 notwithstanding)." Panasonic has a 20mm f/1.7. It's a 40mm f/1.7 equivalent.

Mark Lindamood , April 26, 2012; 10:17 A.M.

I think Marc Newsom probably did a very good job with a good Pentax conception: "Hmmm. If we (Pentax) are going to build a mirrorless camera, but we want to retain K-mount -- as our users expect, and which makes our camera line unique -- the size of the 'mirror box' will need to be dealt with. The central feature of K-mount therefore requires a completely new form factor to avoid similarity in looks and handling to a DSLR. It's got to look and feel completely new." Voila -- K-01. It doesn't have many features of the K-5, but neither did it hit the street at $1600. It does have the same excellent sensor. As for why Pentax went mirrorless at all, I would say it has something to do with the modern photographic experience of holding something in front of you, driven by compact and smartphone cameras. It's an unarguable trend. Now I'm starting to see people holding iPads up as cameras. Weird looking, but that too might soon become a very common sight.

Anirban Banerjee , May 12, 2012; 01:55 P.M.

Gorgeous contemporary styling by world renowned designer Marc Newson.

Whatever might be the camera's photographic merits, it is ugly.

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