Pentax K-1 in the Spotlight at the Ricoh Booth
Full-frame attracts plenty of attention
By PF Staff in CP+ 2016 on Feb 26, 2016
The Pentax camera exhibit at this year's CP+ show took an entirely different form than in prior years thanks to the debut of the Pentax K-1 full frame. Ricoh Imaging transformed the booth to focus primarily on this camera, as it turns out that the majority of the company's recent efforts had been dedicated to K-1 development. This is not surprising given the fact that the camera represents the start of a brand new product line.
Show visitors testing the K-1 hands-on
Throughout the Ricoh booth, it was evident that this year's show was all about the Pentaxians who had for years been pleading for a full-frame launch. In fact, the Pentax K-1 completely took the spotlight away from the Pentax APS-C, 645, and Q lineups. The other products didn't have their own dedicated displays; instead, show visitors were able to get a distraction-free hands-on look at the K-1 at the "Touch and Try" lens bar.
Of course, this does not mean that the other product lines are being abandoned. Rather, CP+ 2016 is simply meant to celebrate the K-1.
2016 Pentax Full Frame Lens Roadmaps
Five new D FA lenses planned
By PF Staff in CP+ 2016 on Feb 25, 2016
We're happy to kick off our CP+ 2016 show coverage with a look at the new Pentax K-mount lens roadmap posters on display at the Pentax / Ricoh booth (645 and Q roadmaps will be discussed separately).
Planned D FA full-frame lenses
Although the modern K-mount lens lineup is quite extensive, only a handful of new lenses cover the Pentax K-1's full-frame image circle. For the camera to really gain traction in the larger photographic community, it is important for Ricoh to quickly launch more D FA lenses— especially primes. And it looks that's exactly what the company is planning to do.
The D FA roadmap above hints at five new D FA lenses expected in 2017 or later: wide-aperture ultra-wide, standard, and short telephoto primes, a wide-angle prime, and a fish-eye zoom. The exact specs of these lenses remain unknown, but it would make sense for them to cover popular focal lengths such as 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, etc.
Existing lenses compatible with the K-1
Another chart give us a look at current lenses compatible with the K-1: the entire D FA series (obviously) plus the three DA lenses that we discussed in our K-1 lens guide: the DA* 200mm F2.8, DA* 300mm F4, and DA 560mm F5.6. These lenses are listed here because the K-1 carries new full-frame correction profiles specifically for them, though Ricoh warns that optimal results may not be obtainable outside of crop mode.
These remarks as well as the limited of endorsement of premium DA lenses for full-frame use suggest that Ricoh is being very conservative in its lens recommendations. Other DA lenses known to perform well on full frame were omitted, such as the DA 40mm Limited or DA* 55mm F1.4. Of course, it remains to be seen just how well these lenses will fare on the K-1. We plan to test this in great detail when the production body becomes available, and expect to be positively surprised.
Hands-On with the Pentax K-1
A video overview of the camera and its features
By PF Staff in CP+ 2016 on Feb 18, 2016
We are happy to supplement our K-1 launch coverage with this exclusive hands-on look at the Pentax K-1!
This video was made by Albert Siegel, a Tokyo-based visual journalist who has previously contributed Pentax tradeshow-related content to our homepage. You can read more about Albert's impressions of the camera on his persosnal blog. Note that these findings are based on a pre-production model.
See also the Pentax K-1 announcement for a complete overview of the K-1's highlights and specifications.
The Pentax K-1 is launching at a competitive price of $1799 / £1599. Support PF by pre-ordering at these trusted Pentax retailers:
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