Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 
Log in or register to remove ads.

Pentax Camera Reviews » Pentax Digital Cameras » Pentax Compact Digital Cameras
Pentax MX-1 Review RSS Feed

Pentax MX-1

Reviews Views Date of last review
16 49,936 Tue August 8, 2023
spacer
Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers $292.38 8.25
Pentax MX-1

Pentax MX-1
supersize
Pentax MX-1
supersize
Pentax MX-1
supersize
Pentax MX-1
supersize
Pentax MX-1
supersize
Pentax MX-1
supersize

Description:
Announced in January, 2013, the Pentax MX-1 is Pentax's first camera featuring true retro styling. It is also Pentax's first entry into the enthusiast compact camera market.

Read our in-depth review to learn more about this camera.

It will hit the shelves in late February, 2013 at a launch price of US $499.95.

SENSOR


  • Type: 1/1.7” Backlit CMOS (5.6 x 7.4 mm)

  • Effective pixels: 12.0 MP

  • Total pixels: 12.76 MP

  • Recorded resolutions

  • Still: JPEG:[4:3]12M,7M,5M,3M [16:9]9M,5M,3M,2M [3:2]10M,6M,4M,2M [1:1]9M,5M,3M,2M RAW

  • Movie: HD (1920x1080 approx. 30fps), (1280x720 approx. 60/30fps), Audio Recording with Movie: Yes, Stereo

  • Quality levels: Still (Fine, Normal) Movie: Fixed Pixel Mapping: Yes

LENS


  • Type/construction: smc PENTAX zoom lens, 11 elements in 8 groups (4 aspherical elements)

  • Focal length (equiv.): 6.0-24mm (28-112mm)

  • Optical zoom: 4X, Digital zoom: 1.95X, Combined zoom: 7.8X

  • Intelligent zoom: Approx 5.2X at 7M, approx. 7.8X at 3M (including optical zoom)

  • Aperture: F1.8 (wide) - F2.5 (tele) Smallest Aperture: F8

LCD/VIEWFINDER


  • LCD: 3.0” Tiltable color TFT with AR Coating (Tilt down to 45°, up to 90° (approx.))

  • LCD resolution: (approx. 920,000 dots)

  • Wide angle viewable: 170°

FOCUS SYSTEM


  • Type: TTL contrast detection autofocus

  • Focus modes: Auto, Spot, Tracking , AF Select (25 Points), Infinity Landscape, Manual Focus, Pan Focus, AF Point Switching

  • Manual focus: Yes, range (.4” to infinity, depending on zoom setting)

  • Focus lock: Yes (by pressing the shutter release button half way)

  • Focus range: Normal: 1.3’ to infinity (wide), 5.2’ to infinity (tele)

  • Macro: 2” to 19.7” (wide) 8” to 19.7” (tele)

  • Super Macro: 0.4” to 7.9” (1cm) (wide)

  • Focus Assist Lamp: Yes

  • Face Detection: Yes (up to 32 faces), Smile Capture, Blink Detection

  • Pet Detection: Yes (up to 1 pet’s face), auto or select from 3 pre-registered faces)

FLASH


  • Type: Built-in auto flash

  • Flash modes: Auto, Flash Off, Flash On, Red-eye, Slow-speed synchro, Slow-speed+Red-eye, Trailing Curtain Sync

  • Effective range: 1.31 - 40’ (wide, auto ISO), 1.31 - 29’ (tele, auto ISO)

STORAGE MEDIA


  • Internal memory: 75.3 MB (approx.)

  • Removable memory: SD, SDHC, SDXC

  • Eye-Fi Compatible

  • File/Folder customization: n/a

INTERFACES


  • Ports: USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, PC/ AV out, HDMI (Type D) out

  • Video out: NTSC, PAL

  • Printer interfaces: n/a

POWER SUPPLY


  • Power source: Rechargeable Li-Ion battery D-Li106

  • Recordable images: Approx 290 (D-Li106)

  • Playback time: Approx 280 min (D-Li106)

  • Movie recording time: Approx 90 min

  • AC adapter available: K-AC130 (tbd)

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS


  • Dimensions (W x H x D): 4.8 x 2.4 x 2.0” (excluding protrusions)

  • Weight: Without battery or removable memory: 12.8 oz (approx.)

  • Loaded and ready: 13.8 oz (approx.)

  • Construction material(s): Brass covers

  • Operating temperature: 32-104°F

TIMING


  • Startup: approx. 1.6 sec., Release Time Lag: approx.. 0.019 sec.

  • Continuous Shooting: approx. 1.57 fps (maximum approx. 37 frames)

  • High-speed Continuous Shooting:

  • [Burst Shooting L] approx. 2.86 frame/sec (for up to 10 frame)

  • [Burst Shooting H] approx. 4.21 frame/sec (for up to 10 frame)

LANGUAGE SUPPORT


  • English, French, Germany, Spanish, Portuguese, Italy, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian,Turkey, Greek, Russian

COMPUTER SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS*


  • *For direct device connectivity. Bundled software requirements may vary.

  • Windows: Windows XP (SP3), Vista, 7, 8, USB port

  • Mac: MacOS 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, USB port

IMAGE STABILIZATION (SHAKE REDUCTION)


  • Still: Sensor-Shift SR, Digital SR (ISO 100-12800), Dual (SR & Pixel Track SR)

  • Movie: Movie Shake Reduction Mode (Movie SR)

  • (Maximum effect of 3 stops using Sensor-Shift SR)

METERING SYSTEM


  • Type: TTL, Multi-segment, Center-weighted or Spot

  • Exposure compensation: +/- 2 EV (1/3 steps)

ISO SENSITIVITY


  • Auto: 100-12800*

  • Auto ISO Range: ISO 100-200, ISO 100-400, ISO 100-800, ISO 100-1600, ISO 100-3200, ISO 100-6400, ISO 100-12800

  • Manual: 100-12800

  • Auto ISO Range for Digital SR: 100 – 12800, Dynamic Range Adjustment: Yes

  • *Fixed at ISO 100-1600 in Handheld Night Snap, Green modes.

WHITE BALANCE


  • Auto preset modes: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent light (D: Daylight Color, N: Daylight White, W: Cool White, L: Warm White),Tungsten, Flash

  • Manual WB: Yes

SHUTTER


  • Type: Programmed AE electronic lens shutter w electronic sensor shutter

  • Shutter speed: 1/2000 sec. - 1/4 sec., max. 30 sec. (1/8000 sec. - 30 sec. with Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority,Manual Exposure, and combination of electronic shutter enabled), Bulb

  • Noise Reduction: Yes, automatically applied if shutter speed is slower than 1 sec

CAPTURE MODES


  • Mode selection: Auto Picture, Program, Natural Skin Tone, Handheld Night Snap (5M), Night Scene Portrait, Night Scene, Digital Panorama (2M per frame), High Speed Movie (VGA, 120 FPS capture, 30 FPS playback),Time Lapse Movie, Landscape, Blue Sky, Sunset, Flower, Digital SR (ISO 3200-6400 5M), Kids, Pet, Portrait, Food, Fireworks, Surf & Snow, Sport, Fisheye, Sketch, Miniature Filter, Text, Frame Composite (3M), Movie, Green

  • Auto Picture modes: Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Standard, Flower, Sport, Candlelight, Blue Sky, Sunset, Text, Group Photo, Pet, Portrait x Blue Sky, Portrait x Sunset, Portrait x Backlight

  • Custom Image Modes: n/a

  • Green simplified mode available: Yes

  • Mode Dial: P/Av/Tv/M/User/HDR/SCN/AUTO PICT/Green/Movie

  • Date Imprint: Yes, date, date-time, time (not available in Green mode)

  • Digital filters (capture): Movie (B&W, Sepia, Fisheye, Miniature, Sketch)

  • Dynamic Range adjustment: Yes (shadow, highlight)

  • Digital level: Yes

DRIVE MODES


  • Mode selection: One shot, Continuous Shooting, Burst Shooting(L/H), Self-timer (2 or 10 sec.), Remote Control (immediately or 3 sec.), Auto Bracketing

  • Continuous FPS: Approx 1 FPS for 6 frames

  • Multi-exposure: n/a, Interval Shooting: n/a

  • HDR: Yes

PLAYBACK MODES


  • Mode selection: One Shot, Index (4, 9 or 25 thumbnails), Magnification (up to 10X, scrollable), Movie Playback, Histogram, Folder Display, Select & Delete, Calendar

  • Mode pallet: Slideshow, Image Rotation, Stretch Filter, Small Face Filter, HDR Filter, Collage, Digital Filter, RAW Development (Aspect Ratio, JPEG Recorded Pixels, JPEG Quality, Custom Image (Bright, Natural, Vibrant, Reversal Film, Monochrome) White Balance,Sensitivity, Shadow Correction, Distortion Correction, Original Frame, Movie Editing, Red-eye Edit, Resize, Cropping, Image Copy, Protect, DPOF, Start-up Screen

  • Digital filters (playback): B&W, Sepia, Toy Camera, Retro, Color, Extract Color, Color Emphasis, High Contrast, Starbust, Soft, Fish-eye, Brightness, Miniature, Slim, Invert Color Filter

  • Movie edit: Save as Still Image, Movie Divide, Add Title Picture

FILE FORMATS


  • Still: RAW (DNG), JPEG(conforms to Exif 2.3), conforms to DCF2.0, DPOF, PRINT Image Matching III

  • Movie: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264

Megapixels: 12.0
ISO Range: Yes, Full HD at 30FPS in H.264 (1/1.7 inch sensor)
Weight: 13.8 oz / 391 g (w/ battery and card)
FPS: 4x (28-112mm eqv.)
LCD: 3" VGA (921,000 dots)
In Production: Buy the Pentax MX-1
In-Depth Review: Read our Pentax MX-1 in-depth review!
Price History:



Add Review of Pentax MX-1 Buy the Pentax MX-1
Author:
Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 1-15 of 16
New Member

Registered: November, 2021
Location: Buckinghamshire
Posts: 13

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: August 8, 2023 Recommended | Price: $80.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Tilt screen, looks (yeah, I'm shallow), RAW, decent zoom range, full exposure triangle control
Cons: Slow processing times, not weather proof, some controls not hugely intuitive
New or Used: Used   

I brought this camera "for parts/broken" from a well known auction site. It was cheap (£60-odd) because the lens wasn't retracting when turned off.

I found a replacement lens unit (also from fleabay - and the total price was still less than equivalent, fully-functional units) and carefully (oh... so carefully!) swapped out the broken unit. I now own a very neat little camera, that takes far better photos than its itty-bitty 12MP sensor would suggest. My example still won't be worth as much as pristine examples as the previous owner had apparently tried to undo the screws with a masonry drill or something - however, such minor cosmetic quibbles don't matter to me - the camera works like a charm.

I fixed it in time for a quick family weekend break to Iceland at New Year; I wanted a camera that was easier to wield than my phone, but smaller than my K-3. This fit the bill perfectly. The lack of weatherproofing wasn't a huge obstacle - just be careful about taking it out in blizzards/rainstorms/hot springs and it'll be fine (mine was... in spite of occasional - and very brief - exposure to Icelandic blizzards & hot springs ahem!)

While it's nice that it can do RAW, I must admit I shoot purely JPEG with it, and I use the "Reversal Film" colour profile - which probably makes me a monster, but I like it! (that might be a worry left over from my FujiFilm days, where you were a on shaky ground if you admitted to using anything other than "Classic Chrome", and practically excommunicated if you admitted to using "Astia" )

My niggles, in no particular order, are:
  • the lever zoom - I spend so much time faffing with it trying to get a particular framing that I often just give up and either go full wide, or full tele... not ideal, but also not the end of the universe - probably speaks more to my impatience than to the camera's ability.
  • The not-always-entirely-intuitive access to the other sides of the exposure triangle - again, this is probably down to the fact that I haven't read the manual (it didn't come with one) and so I've not internalised the button sequences to switch to ISO/Shutter Speed altering. Again - probably more a "me" problem than a camera problem as such: it's not a difficult camera, I'm just pigheaded
  • The exposure compensation and mode dial are quite easily bumped (this one's a really minor niggle!)
  • Occasional banding artefacts in skies, can usually be worked around with a change to exposure settings, but it's a niggle.
  • Whack lens flare when shooting into bright light (i.e. the sun) which produces a horrible grid of magenta polka dots in the image (I guess from interference with the sensor pattern, maybe?) The solution is trivial: be careful shooting into bright light!

What I do like about it is the flexible zoom range, the fact that (when I can remember how to do it) I have full control over the exposure triangle, the surprisingly decent macro mode, and the general flexibility of the camera - if you have it with you, you'll likely capture the moment (as long as you haven't just taken another photo, because saving to a card can take geological periods of time!)

To top it off, it really reminds me of my old (long gone) Pentax K-1000, with its bevelled rectangular shape, black rubber grip, and silver caps... it's a good looking little camera. This doesn't matter, aside from the fact that enjoying the look of a thing will make you more likely to use it!

Sample photos from Iceland (all SOOC, just some cropping):


1cm Macro Mode (SOOC, just some cropping):


I quite liked the sort-of-symmetry in this one (SOOC):
   
Review Date: September 14, 2022 Recommended | Price: $300.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Lens, macro mode, tilt screen
Cons: Chroma Noise at times, JPG over-processed
New or Used: Used   

I bought this to complement my Q-7s and Q-S1s. There are times when a flip screen is very handy and the MX-1 does not disappoint. The macro mode is great, this is a very versatile all-around camera as long as you don't need to go too wide or too long. You would think that the IQ would be the same as the Qs but as far as jpgs are concerned it is inferior—too much noise reduction that can't be lowered and a lack of chroma noise reduction, which sometimes leaves patterns in otherwise solid colors—in a blue sky, for example.

It would be a better camera if it had the Q's jpg image processing, everything else about it is very good, build quality is excellent.

The biggest competition for this kind of camera are modern smart phones, which make nice images if you don't look too closely. The MX-1 is better than most phones, but not as good as a Q-7.

I've left shooting in RAW out of the review, I use this kind of camera for informal use, RAW processing is for more serious work and my time is too limited to spend any significant amount of time on post-processing, I want good
files sooc and the MX-1 delivers.

YMMV.
   
New Member

Registered: March, 2014
Location: New York
Posts: 13

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: October 28, 2019 Recommended | Price: $183.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Tilt screen, styling, zoom range, wide max aperture, build quality
Cons: AWB indoors looks bad, slow write speed, not weather-resistant, have to buy separate lens cap, exposure compensation dial is too easy to bump/change settings accidentally
New or Used: Used   

I already had a Q7 with the four better lenses - 01, 02, 06, and 08. The Q7 and the MX-1 have basically the same size sensor and in other ways are somewhat interchangeable (size, features, fun factor). So I DID NOT NEED this MX-1. At all.

Yet I bought it. Why? Well, partly because the Swedish YouTube guy told me to. Mattias Burling does fun gear reviews, if you don't already know about him, and he did one about this camera. Also, you can set the camera to have a start-up photo (say, of a cat, if you happen to have one, as I do!) and to make meowing noises. Okay, that's not a very good reason to buy a camera, but it's funny.

All joking aside, I really like it. It's been living in my car as something I can grab instead of having to use my phone, which is fine but doesn't shoot raw or allow me to control aperture, etc. The MX-1 has as much functionality as I want from a non-DSLR and then some. Among my favorite features:
  • The 28-112 zoom range is handy, although I wouldn't mind if it went a bit wider. That said, it's good enough for most things, and I don't have to change lenses as I do with my Q7.
  • Love having the tilt screen, which the Q7 does not have.
  • My biggest complaint about my Q7 is the short battery life. I think maybe it is at least partly my particular copy of the Q7, but I always have to carry extra batteries or risk it dying on me, whereas I don't have to do that when carrying my MX-1 around for the day.
  • The macro and 1cm macro modes are quite good. They will not replace dedicated macro lenses for serious macro photographers, obviously, but they're good enough for me.
  • Love having max aperture of 1.8 at the wide end of the zoom.
  • It looks cool/retro and feels nice and solid.

Things I don't love about it are mostly fixable/not a huge problem really:
  • Not weather-resistant. Oh well.
  • The auto white balance when shooting indoors is really dreadful IMO. That's easily solved by shooting raw and fixing in post, but I wish it didn't have to be.
  • The lens is exposed. I bought a cheap lens cap of the type that fits over the lens housing and opens on three hinges (when you turn the camera on, the lens extends and pushes the three hinged blades out, like a flower opening up). It's not perfect - still lets in a bit of dust - and I think it detracts a bit from the visual appeal of the camera.
  • The exposure compensation dial is IMO too big and not well placed. I rarely use it on purpose, but I've been known to bump it to over/underexpose and not notice until I'd taken some shots. I would much rather that exposure compensation be just a menu item and that dial be usable for something else.
  • The write speed is mind-numbingly slow. Not much to be done about that except adjust one's shooting style accordingly.

All that said, I enjoy having it and for the price I gave it a 9; if I had paid more, I might have given it an 8. But I will get more than my money's worth out of it. And no, I haven't sold my Q7. I still like it too.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: March, 2012
Location: Joensuu (Finland)
Posts: 1,761

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: October 15, 2017 Recommended | Price: $120.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Robust and good controls ingluding EV dial
Cons: no hotshoe, missing a wider end of the zoom lens, only one dial
New or Used: Used   

I enjoyed this camera very much. Perfect for trekking. If you come from a Pentax DSLR the menus and buttons feel very intuitive.
Although there is only one dial using manual mode is not a bi problem for the few times its necessary, as there is the EV dial. I mostly used the camera on Av.
Only thing I've missed is a wider angle of view (24mm would be great) although the long end has been quite nice to have. The recording time for raw files was not an issue for me.

   
Veteran Member

Registered: July, 2007
Location: North West UK
Posts: 390

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: September 9, 2016 Recommended | Price: $250.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Excellent image quality, great colours, fantastic 1cm Macro
Cons: Slow write time, no hot-shoe, battery life
New or Used: New   

Just a brief review of this little gem of a camera, which I have had for a couple of years now.
When it came out it was just too expensive (at £500), but I managed to get mine new at the end of its production life at a mere £200. I am glad I did.

The image quality is fantastic, lovely sharp lens, and produces great colour.
The LCD is amongst the best I have come across in detail and sharpness, along with a bright display.

The 1cm macro mode is something to behold, with superb detailed close-ups, you can even zoom the lens a little in this mode.

Looks and build quality are probably the best that you come across in a compact camera.

Downsides.

write speed is awful, even worse if you are shooting RAW.

There is no hot-shoe, even a compact camera of this quality needs a hot-shoe.

Finally the battery life is not the best. couple of hundred shots at most before the battery is depleted.

If those three things were fixed in (a no longer forthcoming MX-2 sadly) then it would be a solid 10 out of 10. As it is, it is a well respected 8/10 as on the whole is a cracking little camera.

Edit April 2020
I have upped it's rating to 9 from an 8. Yes it still has no hotshoe and write times are slow, but one thing has made me re-evaluate the camera, and it is during the lockdown.
It does not matter the slow write time, it does not matter about a hotshoe when you are using external constant lights, this gem comes into its own when it comes to tabletop photography. colours, detail, and Macro are second to none.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: June, 2009
Location: Chicago Suburbs.
Posts: 501

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: November 1, 2015 Recommended | Price: $229.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: excellent image quality for small sensor, has RAW and JPEG, good features, recognized by DxO Optics Pro
Cons: sluggish RAW performance, hard to hold one-handed
New or Used: New   

Good overall performance, defintely slow in RAW but JPEG is moderately fast. Fits in most coat pockets. Zoom range is useful. Fast lens with excellent quality.

I added a Hoya 62mm polarizer (see link: AdapterRingsAdded).

Had a K-3 with me but forgot my wide angle zoom, good thing I had this with me! Here are some slightly oversharpened, slightly cropped pics after processing with DxO Optics Pro (the small sensor cannot handle as much sharpening and contrast adjustment as a regular DSLR, so go a little easy on it):

Times Square Ad #1
Times Square Ad #2
Manhattan Court (through tinted bus window)
World Trade Center Memorial (flower means it was that person's birthday)
World Trade Center Tower
St.Patrick's
Central Park
John Lennon Memorial
   
Veteran Member

Registered: April, 2009
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 2,375

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: June 14, 2014 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: sharp, fast lens, plenty of manual settings, nice colours
Cons: slow RAW processing, hefty shutter lag
New or Used: New   

I've had great success with this little camera, mainly because it is so easy to have with me, so I've taken many shots that I would otherwise not have taken. It's not a camera for fast action, children running around, low light or snap shooting on the street, however. There is a really noticeable amount of shutter lag, RAW processing shot to shot is very slow (too slow, imho), and the sensor is very small with all that entails in terms of noise. But these issues are pretty typical of compact cameras generally (very few have RAW anyway) and judging the MX-1 in this regard is probably pushing it into areas for which it was never intended. For more static shots - landscapes, architecture, still life, nature, flowers, portraits, groups, records of special events and the like, perhaps using jpeg only, it is a really nice little camera. The lens is very sharp and the colours produced are very pleasing. There are plenty of manual settings, so you are not limited to auto with anything. There are also two excellent macro modes; the "close in" macro mode allied to the sharp lens and the DOF inherent with a small sensor means that it's possible to obtain some great images.

As a sophisticated point-and-shoot, but with plenty of manual settings and RAW on board, this camera fulfills its purpose, imho. Just be aware that it's all within the limits of what compact cameras can typically do. That said, I suspect the days of cameras like these have quickly passed in favour of mobile phones or cameras with larger sensors. Perhaps not worth buying now unless a bargain or inexpensive second-hander can be found.
   
Loyal Site Supporter

Registered: February, 2011
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 128

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: May 26, 2014 Recommended | Price: $249.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: macros!, sharp, fast lens
Cons: shutter lag, balance, write delays, EVF, no evidence of firmware update

As noted below, images are nice and sharp. The 1cm Macro mode is wonderful! Really neat, sharp shots.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/obnoid/14258978274/

I took the camera out to check it in a street photography setting and it was challenging in a number of ways. As noted in other reviews, the camera around the neck is off-balance, write time for RAW images is very long, and worst of all, there's serious shutter lag. As the Pentax Forum's official review says,
There is also a slight delay right after taking a photo and right after focusing during which all buttons on the camera are dead. This combined with the delay described above results in a very annoying effect; you push buttons and nothing happens, then you push the button again, only to see a "data being recorded message". Similarly, if you focus and then let go to the shutter release button, live view freezes for a fraction of a second, though this is a very minor issue in comparison.
Indeed, the delays add up to a nearly impossible situation - when shooting street you want to capture the image you're seeing instantly, period. Any delay - much less one of a half second or more - is intolerable. I was unable to catch shots I wanted to about 50% of the time.

I think this is a great alternative to a big, heavy DSLR (I also have a K-r) for travel photography and macros but it doesn't work for street or anything else you need to have a quick response time (concert photography, sports photography, etc.). If any of the issues are resolvable by a firmware upgrade it would be very nice of Pentax/Ricoh to make one available...to date they have not and now that the camera has been discontinued I'm not sure how likely it is that they will produce one.
   
New Member

Registered: April, 2014
Location: Saskatchewan & Mexico
Posts: 15

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: May 2, 2014 Recommended | Price: $300.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Good colors, Pentax interface, image stabilization, build quality, good macro, good lcd
Cons: Rather chunky for "compact" camera
New or Used: New   

A lot of fun to use. The tilt screen works very well and allows for using the screen when taking photos in bright light. Built like a tank, but also quite large. A bit too big to slip into a shirt pocket - more of a jacket pocket-size. A nondescript look to the camera, along with the tilt screen, makes it good for street photography. At the current sale prices, this camera is a real deal!
   
Veteran Member

Registered: February, 2012
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 464

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: February 26, 2014 Recommended | Price: $199.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Image quality; excellent UI; nice button layout, nice screen
Cons: no grip; lens cap; size
New or Used: New   

This is a nice camera.
Pro:
1. Retro design: MX's sibling, also with nice covering skin and copper top and bot. This is very obvious...
2. the micro and 1-cm micro. I have never owned a micro lens before but MX-1 provides me very good experience with the micro function.
3. the screen. Not a big fan of the flip-flop screen but this one is good. Very good view angle and very easy to see even under stron g sunshine.
4. the UI. if you also use pentax DSLR everything here will remind you the best UI.

Con:
1. Bulky. The flip-flop is not actually necessary.....
2. no grip
3. Lens cover is a little bit dumb.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: January, 2013
Location: Kansas City, KS
Posts: 1,612

6 users found this helpful
Review Date: February 1, 2014 Recommended | Price: $249.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Design, handling, customization, image quality, versatility
Cons: Not pocketable
New or Used: New   

I bought the MX-1 to replace my film cams, to avoid trashy cell phone pics (they're all trashy, IMO), and to not have to carry 6 pounds of DSLR and old metal-barreled lenses.

I read a million reviews, good and bad, plus every post on this forum that resulted from a search for "MX-1". I looked at the MX-1, Q7, Ricoh GR, and the Fuji x20. I didn't want the fuss of collecting lenses with the Q7. The Ricoh was glamorous, but too expensive. X20 was handsome, but I have never been in love with the colors that Fujis produced, compared to what Pentax makes.

It is bigger and heavier than any point-and-shoot I've ever held. I thought it would be able to fit in an inside pocket in my small purse, but it just has to ride in the main compartment with my wallet, as it is too bulky. (It's pretty much exactly the same size as my ME Super, more or less, with a 50mm lens.

But it is what it is and there is no reason to expect it to be something it isn't. I will gladly accept the attractive style in exchange for being able to put it the back pocket of my blue jeans. More importantly, it fits in my coat pocket, purse, and in my hand, which is where I really care about most.

The camera feels great in-hand, screen is fantastic, I couldn't care less about a hotshoe, and I don't miss the viewfinder at all. The articulated screen is more useful than I imagined. All of the settings are excellent (except auto while balance, but WB can be set manually with minimal effort). ISO performance is important to me because I shoot a lot indoors and the MX-1 is "great" up to 800 and "good" up to 3200. I personally wouldn't venture beyond that unless absolutely necessary.

I don't know what kind of people are bogged down by the write-speed, but apparently I'm not one of them. A few seconds for the camera to save a RAW file is not a deal-breaker for me and I've yet to be inconvenienced by it.

I was skeptical about the image quality at first, coming from the APS-C-sized sensor in the K-30. The images looked kind of unimpressive on the camera's screen, BUT on the computer/in Photoshop they are absolutely wonderful. I am using the RAW setting and the images are perfectly workable. Obviously not on-par with the "dynamic range" the K-30's sensor can capture, but I am very happy I have picked this up as an alternative to carry with me at all times!

For me, I absolutely made the right choice to balance features, quality and value.

If you're on the fence about it, I can solidly advise you to stop wafflin' and spend the money!

Click here to see my Flickr album with MX-1 images!

Update: MX-1 Revisted 8/31/15:

I used the MX-1 for my Single in August challenge, which ended up being a private struggle about half way through the month. I used the MX-1 in April 2014, but I've grown a lot since then, in technique and processing, so I thought it would be worth giving the camera a run for its money once again.

Handling is probably the most important issue for any camera (or camera/lens combo), because ease of handling relates directly to ease of use, and if it's easy to use, you use it often and naturally. If it's awkward or uncomfortable to use, the likelihood of you getting it out to shoot with diminishes. The MX-1 is kind of heavy, and it ought to have a grip. Using it one-handed is uncomfortable. A wrist strap is preferable to the neck strap, and I have used both for extended periods. Start-up is very fast, and that's convenient when I want to snag a camera from my bag and get a shot. Between all my photographic devices, the MX-1 is hands-down my "quick draw". Although the body of the camera is on the awkward side, operation of the functions is pretty darn intuitive, and the camera is extremely capable as far as functionality.

Some of the modes/features I appreciated were: Zoom (obvs), 1cm macro mode, M mode, infinity focus (for the night sky shots), pan focus (sort of a hyperfocal mode), manual focus mode, manual WB settings (like, with a gray card), articulating screen, and the easily accessible exposure compensation dial (+/-2EV in 1/3 stops).

I can't tell you how precious that articulated screen is. Maybe I'm just super accustomed to it after spending so much NON STOP time with the K-S2, but I was bustin' out that articulated screen for all kinds of situations. Absolute necessity, from my perspective. (Ha!) It's a solid mechanism, and the screen is great.

I've always told myself the slow write time of the MX-1 doesn't matter to me, and it really doesn't, but I did take a few shots in "continuous" drive mode, and it was pretty sad. Of course, I was shooting in RAW, so there's probably a lot of aspects of continuous shots that I didn't totally explore. For normal "snaps", the slow write time wasn't something I noticed.

The glass is sharp, pretty resistance to flare (but not great), and I did actually get a few starbursts! CA/PF was noticeable in high-contrast/back lighting, and worse near the edges of the frame. Using longer focal length via the zoom helped to reduce this, and the rest was easily corrected in Lightroom.

Distortion is significant at the wide angle (a correction of +15 in Lightroom was my standard for 6mm shots), but it disappeared with a modest touch of the zoom rocker.

The performance of the sensor (matched with the very good glass) is impressive! I got very respectable bokeh, and macro/detail shots were pretty delightful. Wider shots, where I was looking for great detail in distant horizons and/or landscapes, were more disappointing. I'm not too scientific about it, but there was just something "mushy" about the images that I couldn't resolve in post. Maybe I should have experimented more with different focal lengths and manual focus settings to crisp things up, but there it is. Maybe I'll start taking some landscape shots in JPEG mode and see if I'm happier with the final results... I should have used the JPEG mode more, just on principle.

The files were workable, although obviously not as resilient to aggressive processing as the K-30's or K-S2's. Blacks frequently went blue or magenta, and grain was sometimes obnoxious in areas with heavy work in the shadows. The IQ and workability of the files, of course, far surpasses my little Sony pocket-sized P&S and/or my smartphone, no question.

In summary, I love the MX-1. It's a nice size and an attractive package, if a little blocky in the hand. The capabilities for the convenient size is not something I've seen matched in my price range. :-) I could see myself getting rid of it for a more versatile zoom range, and added features like WiFi (which is why I bought the little Sony P&S), but I would not want to give up the manual controls, sharp lens, or RAW files for editing.
   
Site Supporter

Registered: August, 2011
Location: New Joisey
Posts: 1,370

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: December 3, 2013 Recommended | Price: $369.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Fast lens, excellent sensor response for size, IQ, build quality, tilting LCD,
Cons: Slow write times for RAW, no hot shoe
New or Used: New   

This is a convenient and high quality camera that is well built and capable of taking excellent pictures through ISO 400, and even pretty decent through ISO 800 where the noise starts to become visible but can be post processed pretty effectively. The lens is fast and sharp, and capable of detailed images and really helps in keeping the ISO in the lower ranges. As a result, I find that I am more inclined than I thought I would be to leave my DSLR at home.

On the downside, the RAW write speeds are pretty slow (wish they would fix that), and there is no hotshoe. Of couse, an EVF would be nice, but not crucial.

With the sales going on now, it is hard to beat this for the price.

" target="_blank">
   
Veteran Member

Registered: November, 2011
Location: ON, RH
Posts: 2,181

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: December 3, 2013 Recommended | Price: $300.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Very god IQ, great lens, well built, good balance, very good setting options for this level, gorgeous looking camera
Cons: I guess if I have to complain of something will be the speed writing while using RAW+
New or Used: New   

Fun little camera that deserves at least a second look.

While hot shoe is not an option, you can use the small flash to trigger external flashes - flash sync at 125.

The writing speeds while using RAW+ are not as bad as some people are mentioning... I didn't find the extra second I had to wait disturbing.
I was getting the "data writing..." message only when trying to fiddle with the settings right after I take the picture. Once is set and I do not touch the settings, it works without pauses between shoots.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the IQ of the camera... and my advice, is not to dismiss this camera until you actually played with it properly... while not perfect, it CAN perform.

Looks apart (I love them, but that's subjective), is a neat little tool to accompany your DSLR and I do recommend it without any reservation.
   
Loyal Site Supporter

Registered: May, 2009
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Posts: 827

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: September 14, 2013 Recommended | Price: $400.00 | Rating: 6 

 
Pros: build quality, image quality, RAW, classic appearance
Cons: write speed, balance on strap lugs
New or Used: New   

Intro:

I travel a lot for business, and usually bring a DSLR with 1-2 lenses. When the price hit $400 in August, I purchased the MX-1 for use as a travel camera to keep with me for the times when I just can’t bring the DLSR. I knew I had to have a compact that could save RAW, and I love the retro style.

I recently had the opportunity to take the MX-1 on a quick trip to Paris for a good test. Overall I agree closely with the PentaxForums review, but I can add some samples and the key observations I had.

Pros:

I am very pleased by the image quality of the MX-1. Even though I took several backlit shots of architecture, I did not see chromatic aberration. The JPGs are very good, but since I use RAW, I was able to coax a lot of detail out of the shadows. The dynamic range is clearly not equivalent to the K-5, but it’s pretty good.


The shake reduction systems works well, and I could take some great shots handheld in low light.


The zoom range is very good for my purpose as a compact travel companion. The MX-1 is adept at both wide angle scenery as well as close-up and macro.


I find the moveable LCD screen to be a nice feature. I was able to get some shots with the camera above my head or down at street level that I never would have tried with my K-5. But as you would expect, in direct sunlight, it becomes almost impossible to see.

The build quality is great. It feels solid, and the weight and feel of the camera is just about perfect for me. I like that the button layout and menu system is familiar. The one-button movie feature is very handy and makes it easy to grab a quick video.


Cons:

As usual with first models, there are some problems, but a couple of these are due to clear lack of testing. First and most significant, the time it takes to write a file to the card is ridiculously long. The camera never should have been released with this flaw (I keep hoping for a firmware update to fix this). Also, I really wish the info button would pull up the photo info like my DSLRs.

The strap lugs are located in the front that causes the camera to balance improperly (at a 45 degree angle with the lens facing up) when hanging. I would guess this was done to mimic the classic MX appearance, but that camera had a heavy lens on the front to balance it. Because of this, the MX-1 turned out to be very awkward to carry around my neck, and I ended up just carrying the camera in my hand most of the time. Also, the neck strap is a few inches too short for an older guy to hold the camera outstretched and be able to focus my eyes on the screen. Didn’t anybody give this a real world test before the design was finalized?


Summary:

First of all, I really want to love this camera, but the disappointments make it hard to fully recommend to someone else. I hope there will be a firmware update to address the write time which is almost a deal breaker, as well as activate the info button. The poor balance of the camera, however, is hard to fix without adding an external case. This really feels like a wonderful design that was rushed to the market.

If, by some chance, Pentax (or Ricoh) were to launch an MX-2, I would also plead for a TAv mode, optical viewfinder (this could even more closely mimic the classic MX prism tower), and a manual zoom like the Fuji X20.

Bottom line – I love a lot of things about this camera, but there's some real disappointments as well. I give it a 6 and I can recommend at this price point because of the great picture quality, but it easily could have been an 8 if it had been tested before launch.
   
Junior Member

Registered: December, 2009
Location: London
Posts: 45

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: June 14, 2013 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Build quality, superb lens, good image quality, easy to use in more advanced settings, decent battery life, great rear screen
Cons: Raw buffer, no ability to control noise reduction in camera, no hotshoe or EVF option
New or Used: New   

Despite the short list of con's, this is the best compact camera I've used in a long time. Build quality is excellent. it's easy to control if you want to head away from the auto modes, the menu system when needed is logical and straightforward (especially if you use a Pentax dSLR), JPEGs often require very little post-processing and the camera is quiet, discrete and quick to use.

The image quality is competitive with other cameras in its class, not least because the lens is so sharp. And because it's fast, you can keep the ISOs low, which helps a lot. There is more ability to control depth of field and blur than I'd anticipated too.

For some, the camera will be a little too bulky and yet without a grip not easy to use one-handed. As I always shoot two-handed in any case, it's not an issue for me and I find the size just about spot-on - easy enough to carry all day and yet large enough to not be fiddly. It's a shame there isn't an optional EVF but the excellent tilting LCD does a pretty decent job.

Overall, I'm very happy with the MX-1 and can see that it's the kind of camera I'll keep for a long time - it simply feels right when I pick it up, and the images are more than good enough for most normal purposes up to around ISO800 - and I wouldn't expect more than that from a compact. The camera is a doddle to use if you like to take a bit more control. If you need more than this, then you're probably fishing in the wrong pool and would be better off looking at MILCs or dSLRs instead.
Add Review of Pentax MX-1 Buy the Pentax MX-1



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:07 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top