Field test and review of the K-1

[wayne_campbell]

<p>An interesting field test of the K-1 from Chris Niccolls and Nick Devlin. Not for those who are easily offended (LOL) according to the opening disclaimer. Set aside 18 minutes to watch it. Enjoy.</p>

<p>http://300tube.com/watch?v=87yGmD71nyA</p>

[Javier Gutierre]

<p>Thanks Wayne,<br>

I will check out the video later this evening. I will say this. ''ALL Fanatics get offended'' We all want to feel like we chose wisely in our choice of weapon. (lol)</p>

<p>I must admit, I really do want one of these and I am sure I will eventually get one when the price comes down a bit. </p>

[bebu_lamar]

<p>Can Pentax K lenses be used on this camera?</p>

[AJG]

<p>I think that all K mount lenses can be used, with the usual caveat about metering with K and M series lenses that require stop down metering rather than full aperture like A series and later. I'm certainly hoping that's the case, since I have a 50 f/1.4 M and an 85 f/1.8 K that I hope to use when I get one of these!</p>

[urs_willi]

K and M lenses work fine. But lenses without the A position are a bit clumsy to use. You have to turn the aperture ring to

the aperture you want to shoot with, then press the green button on the camera. This tells the camera to close the

aperture to the selected value, then measure - considering the selected ISO speed - and hold the measured exposition

time in its memory. When you press the trigger the camera shoots with the calculated time. Expositions are reliably

correct, but all is a bit slow, somewhat between working with a hendheld meter and the classic "automatic" way from the

seventies or so. With A lenses it's much quicker. But even without A a really good system, provided you are not in a hurry.

[wayne_campbell]

<p>Doesn't anyone have any comments about the actual review rather than rehashing old lens capability issues?<br>

I thought it was a fair and honest assessment. What does anyone else think?</p>

[AJG]

<p>The review seemed to be a fair appraisal of the camera and its capabilities, and I thought the intro was funny--there are rabid fans for most camera brands, and they are not always the most objective people on the planet. I wish the pixel shift feature worked with studio strobe, but everything I have read indicates that it won't. That was one reason why I opted for K3 cameras when I upgraded from K5's last year, since I didn't need GPS and wouldn't benefit from pixel shift, and the K3 was $100 cheaper at that point. I'm sure that I will buy a K1 after the inevitable teething problems of any new product are sorted out and that price comes down a bit.</p>

[urs_willi]

Doesn't anyone have any comments about the actual review rather than rehashing old lens capability issues?

 

I didn´t mean to rehash anything. Just to answer BuBu Lamar's question - in the light of my own hands on experience. Is

this against any of this forum's intentions?

[bebu_lamar]

<p>Thanks URS! And since I don't know about the K1 well and a wonderful review would not make me buy one unless I can use my old lenses.</p>

[charles_wood]

<p>I am for the most part, a landscape shooter. I don't shoot sports or weddings. My professional career has centered around fine art/wall art nature and travel photography. In film days I shot 4x5 and Pentax medium format. When I transitioned to digital I started with Canon because there was little available from Pentax at the time.</p>

<p>I have high praises for Canon printers (I've used their IPF series printers for over ten years) and their technical support. The beginning of my disenchantment with their camera systems began when I started shooting night sky/nightscapes. The Canon sensors simply didn't compare with SONY senors in Nikons and Pentax.<br>

As I had all my Pentax 645 lenses from film days, along with a 645n film body, I decided to switch in 2011 from the Canon 5D2 to a Pentax 645D and more recently the 645Z. The Z was a revelation in terms of image quality, noise and high ISO performance. Still, for night sky work it was limited by the lack of an ultra-wide lens.</p>

<p>The K1 was a logical choice for this type of work as well as traditional landscape/nature shooting. Pixel shift is a game changer. When shooting in the conventional mode, the K1 image quality is very similar to the Nikon D810. When shooting in pixel shift, it's a quantum leap beyond any other FF camera or the 50 meg sensored 645Z or Hasselblad equivalents and compares head on in perceived image quality with the 80 meg Phase medium format system. In the pixel shift mode, with every pixel delivering true RGB information, rather than being derived by a Bayer Matrix, the color gamut matches or exceeds any consumer camera system available, regardless of cost. Pixel shift also extends the outstanding dynamic range and S/N performance.</p>

<p>At $1800.00, it's a no brainer for landscape and night sky work, especially with builtin GPS and Astro Tracer.</p>

[bob_h]

<p>I thought that the review was interesting and gave an honest portrayal of the K-1. It is also a camera that I am interested in, and hope to see in a Chicago area brick and mortar photo store, as I like to try before I buy.</p>