Pentax K-S1 Discontinued

Compact, colorful Pentax DSLR

By PF Staff in Product Updates on Jun 25, 2016

After we said good bye to the Pentax K-50 last week, the time has come to bid farewell to another camera: the Pentax K-S1.  This compact beginner DSLR, originally launched in late 2014, was easily recognizable for its unique design.  According to Ricoh, the K-S1 was primarily intended to appeal to new customers, but the company admitted that this model was ultimately unsuccessful in that respect.  K-S1 availability is starting to dwindle at Pentax retailers worldwide; some major stores are already sold out, while others have limited stock.

Learn all about the Pentax K-S1 in our in-depth review

Standard colors for the K-S1 include black, white/grey, and blue/black (shown above).  Many other hand-picked color options were available for special order, including a "sweets" collection (shown below) and combinations intended to match different types of clothing.

Pentax K-S1 "Sweets" Collection

The K-S1 18-55mm kit was originally launched for $799 in the US.  Today, remaining stock is sold at half that price, thus making the K-S1 a good value.

Pentax eBooks

Although not too popular itself, the K-S1 was an important stepping stone for future Pentax DSLR development.  It was the first to debut Pentax's face-lifted menu system that has been featured in every new model since the K-S1, including the K-S2, K-1 full-frame, and K-70.  The K-S1 was also the first beginner model to offer a filterless sensor and the Pentax-unique AA filter simulator.  Future models followed suit.

Without the Pentax K-S1, every remaining model in the current Pentax DSLR lineup is now weather-sealed. Current sub-flagship alternatives include the K-S2 and K-70; despite being priced affordably, at $499 and $649, respectively, both go far beyond the K-S1 and offer very advanced features for their class.  Pentax officially refers to these as "outdoor DSLRs", though with the recent changes to the Pentax lineup, we see them as the current entry-level and mid-range offerings, respectively.  Both are a great place for photographers to start their DSLR journey.  For more details, refer the the specification comparison below:

Pentax K-S1 vs K-S2 vs K-70 Specifications | Discuss the K-S1 on the forum

Comments

 

 


facebook.com/PentaxForums PentaxForums @PentaxForums News | Reviews | Forum

Support Pentax Forums Donate to Pentax Forums Support Pentax Forums