Opinions of the K-01 from outside the bubble

Laurentiu Cristofor · 03-01-2012, 04:55 PM

There are many angles from which the K-01 is discussed:

1) Do you like it? Here people can argue all day about what they like in a camera and whether they find that in the K-01 or not. Viewfinder, color, style, rubber - all such arguments about specific aspects fall in here.

2) Will non Pentax users like it? This seemed to me to be partly the point of this thread. I'm not sure if the opinions of people outside the photography bubble are relevant for anything, but the opinions of those outside the Pentax bubble definitely are. What Pentax users care about is irrelevant to this aspect - they are inside the bubble.

3) What the heck is Pentax doing? This is a concern about the long term strategy of Ricoh/Pentax or the apparent lack of it. Is the K-01 representative of a new trend or a one-off thing? What kind of cameras can we expect in the future? This is an area of wild speculation. It is encouraged by the lack of clear product roadmaps to which Pentax is committed. Expect such talk to continue.

4) What should be Pentax doing? Here people offer their perspective on what Pentax should be doing. This commentary is different from (1) if it is done from the POV of "Look at what the competition is doing" rather than "Look at what I want to buy".

No discussion of the K01 will be able to be made from a single angle and it will inevitably mix all these. Unfortunate? Not really. It is what it is.

Laurentiu Cristofor · 03-01-2012, 07:33 PM

Pentax K-01 Compact System Camera - Hands-On Preview

Some opinions from outside the bubble towards the end:

"I've asked several people what they thought of the Pentax K-01's design. Most of the guys at Imaging Resource didn't like it. My wife liked it. She thought it looked like fun. My 14-year-old daughter thought it was just okay, and very simple, but she also thought the controls looked too childish. She even pointed out that there were two buttons with a Flash icon associated with them, which seemed confusing."

There are more comments in that final section.

eddie1960 · 03-01-2012, 08:01 PM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

3) . It is encouraged by the lack of clear product roadmaps to which Pentax is committed.

Can you point me to the Sony/Canon/Nikon/Olympus/Panasonic roadmaps that outline their plans for future cameras? I've only ever seen lens roadmaps from companies (and evven then not all companies release that info) Pentax of course just updated their lens roadmaps (Q/K/645) last month

riff · 03-01-2012, 09:04 PM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

Most of the guys at Imaging Resource didn't like it. My wife liked it. She thought it looked like fun. My 14-year-old daughter thought it was just okay

Splendid, all the depth of the runway interviews at the grammy awards with none of the cleavage. Thanks for sharing.

ibkc · 03-01-2012, 09:14 PM

Object of Desire: Pentax K-01 Camera

PDN: Object of Desire: Pentax K-01 Camera

Class A · 03-02-2012, 03:48 AM

Originally posted by ibkc

Object of Desire: Pentax K-01 Camera

Quote:

Buttons, dials and switches on the K-01 are slightly oversize, making the camera feel like a toy for adults, which it ultimately is.

So much for the attempt to instil a sense of "quality" and "value". The "toy" comment crops up a lot more than Marc Newson could be happy about.

**Rondec** · 03-02-2012, 05:35 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by eddie1960

Can you point me to the Sony/Canon/Nikon/Olympus/Panasonic roadmaps that outline their plans for future cameras? I've only ever seen lens roadmaps from companies (and evven then not all companies release that info) Pentax of course just updated their lens roadmaps (Q/K/645) last month

Olympus in particular has no particularly clear course. They seem to have dropped completely out of the SLR business to make mirrorless cameras, but according to business news, they seem to be losing bundles of money there...

Pentax probably doesn't know what they are going to do for certain under Ricoh. I imagine they have plans for higher end flagship APS-C, for mirrorless APS-C with EVF, full frame SLR all bouncing around waiting to be green lighted, along with a number of ideas that probably will never see the light of day. Even if Pentax decided to release full frame in the future, they certainly wouldn't give anyone a heads up until right before it was released. It just gives the competition too much time to react.

Laurentiu Cristofor · 03-02-2012, 09:58 AM

Originally posted by eddie1960

Can you point me to the Sony/Canon/Nikon/Olympus/Panasonic roadmaps that outline their plans for future cameras? I've only ever seen lens roadmaps from companies (and evven then not all companies release that info) Pentax of course just updated their lens roadmaps (Q/K/645) last month

Sony has released a roadmap for their E mount:
Sony promises more NEX lenses in updated E-mount lens roadmap: Digital Photography Review

Their A mount looks better than the K mount - they already have cheap lenses (35/1.8, 50/1.8) as well as luxury items like 135/1.8. So they don't really need a roadmap (at least, not to convince me).

Canon and Nikon don't need a roadmap either. Are you kidding?

Olympus/Panasonic - with all the lenses announced for the MFT, they don't need a roadmap either:

Tokina 300mm f/6.3 mirror lens for Micro Four Thirds | Photo Rumors
Olympus adds 75mm F1.8, 60mm F2.8 Macro and flash to Micro Four Thirds lineup: Digital Photography Review
Sigma announces 19mm F2.8 and 30mm F2.8 Digital Neo lenses for mirrorless systems: Digital Photography Review
Cosina announces Nokton 17.5mm F0.95 lens for Micro Four Thirds: Digital Photography Review

A roadmap is needed when you want to show you're serious and you'll fill the gaps in your lineup soon - "so buy with confidence because we'll get there". Sony needed one for E mount and provided it. Fuji provided one as they announced their new system, to show they are serious. The Pentax one is not set in stone and not terribly exciting either.

eddie1960 · 03-02-2012, 10:21 AM - **1 Like**

No roadmap is set in stone, and those are lens roadmaps not body plans. Pentax after years of not releasing updated theirs andhad new items on it 3 months after being taken over by ricoh. At best these are projects that had been shelved. I'm pretty certain the roadmap is subject to revision comment is about more can/will be addeed than it is these are all vapourware we're just putting it out to toy with you.
Let's see what happens to the roadmap at photokina which is where the ricoh impact should begin to be felt. As it sits Ricoh has to go find engineers to replace all the ones canned by Hoya and they have announced that is what they are doing
If I was Pentax and planning a FF and complimentary lenses the last thing i'd do8 months to a year before i'll have product ready is go out and tell the world I have these several lenses for FF on my roadmap. that would just be stupid

**monochrome** · 03-02-2012, 10:39 AM

Originally posted by isaacc7

The other possibility is that you are really over thinking this. When you ascribe totemic meaning to the objects in your life, you're in trouble. I am going to modestly suggest that if you are worried about proper tribe assignment based on the camera you buy then we are well outside the bounds of photography. As such, I'd be surprised if Pentax spent much time worrying about your idea, they were too busy designing photo equipment.

Please explain, then, why Canon hires Ashton Kutcher to pitch their totems?

**monochrome** · 03-02-2012, 10:50 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by ibkc

The folks who have said they're getting the camera, here on this forum, have laid out their reasons quite well, from what I've seen. I haven't seen a single person say something along the lines of, "OMG! This camera is so KEWT and it is YELLOW and OMG!!1! I just luv those cute buttons on top!"

I am getting it because I am partially disabled. Three severe attacks of optic neuritis (look it up) damaged my peripheral vision. Along with the inevitable cognitive slowdown that comes along with the onset of multiple sclerosis, the way that dSLRs work, with the tiny, quickly flashing numbers in the viewfinder and on various screens on camera bodies, make those cameras very difficult for me to use. Is this an emotional reason or is it a factual reason, sir?

I am frankly starting to get extremely insulted at the continuing charges that I'm getting this camera because I'm just emotional, and/or not serious about photography, or because I like the nice shiny colors, or whatever. You people might think about walking ten steps in my shoes. I'm not sure you'd make it. I'm positive you wouldn't make a mile.

ibkc: +the feelings for me - last week. Here are my points now.

Aggressive but controlled glaucoma >> 35% of visual field is lost in right eye, 20% in left.
The LCD will be a better solution than a dSLR VF for K-mount lenses for me
1. My only alternative is to sell everything and watch televison
You can hold the K-01 correctly and shoot with long lenses (an old SLR user manual shows how)
Film cameras with large viewfinders DO work
Certain members have made their point - over and over and over - like them anyway but ignore their opinion this time.
All will be well when Pentax release their next high-featured dSLR late summer.
Be of good cheer, Pentaxians. Ricoh has a plan and you will be happy.

Lastly: Shooting well is the best rebuttal

Post your images and let them do all your rebutting.
1. Mine will state prominetly, "Captured with a Pentax K-01 Mirrorless"

**monochrome** · 03-02-2012, 11:02 AM

Originally posted by riff

Splendid, all the depth of the runway interviews at the grammy awards with none of the cleavage. Thanks for sharing.

Fashion and cleavage are mutually exclusive. Sort of like serious photographers and yellow cameras. /sarc

eddie1960 · 03-02-2012, 11:11 AM

Originally posted by monochrome

Fashion and cleavage are mutually exclusive. Sort of like serious photographers and yellow cameras.

If I could have got this here easily a while back I would have. I have to shoot interviews with bands I have little in common with on a semi regular basis and I thought it would have been a killer icebreaker (and certainly capable of the task). Next to this a yellow K-01 is an understated fashion accessory

**Rondec** · 03-02-2012, 11:45 AM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

Sony has released a roadmap for their E mount:

Their A mount looks better than the K mount - they already have cheap lenses (35/1.8, 50/1.8) as well as luxury items like 135/1.8. So they don't really need a roadmap (at least, not to convince me).

I don't think Sony is clear at all where they are going. It is just as possible that they would phase out the alpha mount over time, trying to shift users to the E Mount and a different set of lenses as anything else. It isn't clear at all and Sony certainly won't tell anybody anything before they have decided for certain. All anybody knows is that the E mount is "full frame compatible" and that Sony seems focused on mirrorless and SLT technologies.

Not too good if you like traditional SLRs, but hey, it was all on Sony's roadmap, right?

**monochrome** · 03-02-2012, 12:07 PM

Originally posted by eddie1960

If I could have got this here easily a while back I would have. I have to shoot interviews with bands I have little in common with on a semi regular basis and I thought it would have been a killer icebreaker (and certainly capable of the task). Next to this a yellow K-01 is an understated fashion accessory

My wife just blogged parenthetically about her all-girls prep school experience. I am reminded of my youth. They laughed at everything. They were too cool for serious and too serious for cool. They were queens of carbon steel banter and withering glances. I have gained soft in my maturity to let a Forum poster prick me.

Too bad Hoya didn't have the sense of humor to . . . that would have been a stitch for you!

When you have gained something in common with your subjects you will have achieved notoriety. You won't need ice. Whether you want notoriety remains a question for contemplation, to be performed in the company of three fingers of single malt. I recommend contemplation. You won't need ice for that, either.

03-02-2012, 03:48 AM	#216
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by ibkc Object of Desire: Pentax K-01 Camera Quote: Buttons, dials and switches on the K-01 are slightly oversize, making the camera feel like a toy for adults, which it ultimately is. So much for the attempt to instil a sense of "quality" and "value". The "toy" comment crops up a lot more than Marc Newson could be happy about.

03-02-2012, 10:50 AM - 1 Like	#221
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by ibkc The folks who have said they're getting the camera, here on this forum, have laid out their reasons quite well, from what I've seen. I haven't seen a single person say something along the lines of, "OMG! This camera is so KEWT and it is YELLOW and OMG!!1! I just luv those cute buttons on top!" I am getting it because I am partially disabled. Three severe attacks of optic neuritis (look it up) damaged my peripheral vision. Along with the inevitable cognitive slowdown that comes along with the onset of multiple sclerosis, the way that dSLRs work, with the tiny, quickly flashing numbers in the viewfinder and on various screens on camera bodies, make those cameras very difficult for me to use. Is this an emotional reason or is it a factual reason, sir? I am frankly starting to get extremely insulted at the continuing charges that I'm getting this camera because I'm just emotional, and/or not serious about photography, or because I like the nice shiny colors, or whatever. You people might think about walking ten steps in my shoes. I'm not sure you'd make it. I'm positive you wouldn't make a mile. ibkc: +the feelings for me - last week. Here are my points now. Aggressive but controlled glaucoma >> 35% of visual field is lost in right eye, 20% in left. The LCD will be a better solution than a dSLR VF for K-mount lenses for me My only alternative is to sell everything and watch televison You can hold the K-01 correctly and shoot with long lenses (an old SLR user manual shows how) Film cameras with large viewfinders DO work Certain members have made their point - over and over and over - like them anyway but ignore their opinion this time. All will be well when Pentax release their next high-featured dSLR late summer. Be of good cheer, Pentaxians. Ricoh has a plan and you will be happy. Lastly: Shooting well is the best rebuttal Post your images and let them do all your rebutting. Mine will state prominetly, "Captured with a Pentax K-01 Mirrorless" Last edited by monochrome; 03-02-2012 at 11:11 AM.

03-02-2012, 11:02 AM	#222
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by riff Splendid, all the depth of the runway interviews at the grammy awards with none of the cleavage. Thanks for sharing. Fashion and cleavage are mutually exclusive. Sort of like serious photographers and yellow cameras. /sarc Last edited by monochrome; 03-02-2012 at 06:02 PM.

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03-01-2012, 04:55 PM	#211
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	There are many angles from which the K-01 is discussed: 1) Do you like it? Here people can argue all day about what they like in a camera and whether they find that in the K-01 or not. Viewfinder, color, style, rubber - all such arguments about specific aspects fall in here. 2) Will non Pentax users like it? This seemed to me to be partly the point of this thread. I'm not sure if the opinions of people outside the photography bubble are relevant for anything, but the opinions of those outside the Pentax bubble definitely are. What Pentax users care about is irrelevant to this aspect - they are inside the bubble. 3) What the heck is Pentax doing? This is a concern about the long term strategy of Ricoh/Pentax or the apparent lack of it. Is the K-01 representative of a new trend or a one-off thing? What kind of cameras can we expect in the future? This is an area of wild speculation. It is encouraged by the lack of clear product roadmaps to which Pentax is committed. Expect such talk to continue. 4) What should be Pentax doing? Here people offer their perspective on what Pentax should be doing. This commentary is different from (1) if it is done from the POV of "Look at what the competition is doing" rather than "Look at what I want to buy". No discussion of the K01 will be able to be made from a single angle and it will inevitably mix all these. Unfortunate? Not really. It is what it is.

03-01-2012, 07:33 PM	#212
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Pentax K-01 Compact System Camera - Hands-On Preview Some opinions from outside the bubble towards the end: "I've asked several people what they thought of the Pentax K-01's design. Most of the guys at Imaging Resource didn't like it. My wife liked it. She thought it looked like fun. My 14-year-old daughter thought it was just okay, and very simple, but she also thought the controls looked too childish. She even pointed out that there were two buttons with a Flash icon associated with them, which seemed confusing." There are more comments in that final section.

03-01-2012, 08:01 PM	#213
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor 3) . It is encouraged by the lack of clear product roadmaps to which Pentax is committed. Can you point me to the Sony/Canon/Nikon/Olympus/Panasonic roadmaps that outline their plans for future cameras? I've only ever seen lens roadmaps from companies (and evven then not all companies release that info) Pentax of course just updated their lens roadmaps (Q/K/645) last month

03-01-2012, 09:04 PM	#214
riff Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,408	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor Most of the guys at Imaging Resource didn't like it. My wife liked it. She thought it looked like fun. My 14-year-old daughter thought it was just okay Splendid, all the depth of the runway interviews at the grammy awards with none of the cleavage. Thanks for sharing.

03-01-2012, 09:14 PM	#215
ibkc Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: southeastern US Photos: Gallery Posts: 203	Object of Desire: Pentax K-01 Camera PDN: Object of Desire: Pentax K-01 Camera

03-02-2012, 05:35 AM - 1 Like	#217
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,652	Originally posted by eddie1960 Can you point me to the Sony/Canon/Nikon/Olympus/Panasonic roadmaps that outline their plans for future cameras? I've only ever seen lens roadmaps from companies (and evven then not all companies release that info) Pentax of course just updated their lens roadmaps (Q/K/645) last month Olympus in particular has no particularly clear course. They seem to have dropped completely out of the SLR business to make mirrorless cameras, but according to business news, they seem to be losing bundles of money there... Pentax probably doesn't know what they are going to do for certain under Ricoh. I imagine they have plans for higher end flagship APS-C, for mirrorless APS-C with EVF, full frame SLR all bouncing around waiting to be green lighted, along with a number of ideas that probably will never see the light of day. Even if Pentax decided to release full frame in the future, they certainly wouldn't give anyone a heads up until right before it was released. It just gives the competition too much time to react.

03-02-2012, 09:58 AM	#218
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Originally posted by eddie1960 Can you point me to the Sony/Canon/Nikon/Olympus/Panasonic roadmaps that outline their plans for future cameras? I've only ever seen lens roadmaps from companies (and evven then not all companies release that info) Pentax of course just updated their lens roadmaps (Q/K/645) last month Sony has released a roadmap for their E mount: Sony promises more NEX lenses in updated E-mount lens roadmap: Digital Photography Review Their A mount looks better than the K mount - they already have cheap lenses (35/1.8, 50/1.8) as well as luxury items like 135/1.8. So they don't really need a roadmap (at least, not to convince me). Canon and Nikon don't need a roadmap either. Are you kidding? Olympus/Panasonic - with all the lenses announced for the MFT, they don't need a roadmap either: Tokina 300mm f/6.3 mirror lens for Micro Four Thirds \| Photo Rumors Olympus adds 75mm F1.8, 60mm F2.8 Macro and flash to Micro Four Thirds lineup: Digital Photography Review Sigma announces 19mm F2.8 and 30mm F2.8 Digital Neo lenses for mirrorless systems: Digital Photography Review Cosina announces Nokton 17.5mm F0.95 lens for Micro Four Thirds: Digital Photography Review A roadmap is needed when you want to show you're serious and you'll fill the gaps in your lineup soon - "so buy with confidence because we'll get there". Sony needed one for E mount and provided it. Fuji provided one as they announced their new system, to show they are serious. The Pentax one is not set in stone and not terribly exciting either.

03-02-2012, 10:21 AM - 1 Like	#219
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	No roadmap is set in stone, and those are lens roadmaps not body plans. Pentax after years of not releasing updated theirs andhad new items on it 3 months after being taken over by ricoh. At best these are projects that had been shelved. I'm pretty certain the roadmap is subject to revision comment is about more can/will be addeed than it is these are all vapourware we're just putting it out to toy with you. Let's see what happens to the roadmap at photokina which is where the ricoh impact should begin to be felt. As it sits Ricoh has to go find engineers to replace all the ones canned by Hoya and they have announced that is what they are doing If I was Pentax and planning a FF and complimentary lenses the last thing i'd do8 months to a year before i'll have product ready is go out and tell the world I have these several lenses for FF on my roadmap. that would just be stupid

03-02-2012, 10:39 AM	#220
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by isaacc7 The other possibility is that you are really over thinking this. When you ascribe totemic meaning to the objects in your life, you're in trouble. I am going to modestly suggest that if you are worried about proper tribe assignment based on the camera you buy then we are well outside the bounds of photography. As such, I'd be surprised if Pentax spent much time worrying about your idea, they were too busy designing photo equipment. Please explain, then, why Canon hires Ashton Kutcher to pitch their totems?

03-02-2012, 11:11 AM	#223
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Originally posted by monochrome Fashion and cleavage are mutually exclusive. Sort of like serious photographers and yellow cameras. If I could have got this here easily a while back I would have. I have to shoot interviews with bands I have little in common with on a semi regular basis and I thought it would have been a killer icebreaker (and certainly capable of the task). Next to this a yellow K-01 is an understated fashion accessory

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03-02-2012, 11:45 AM	#224
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,652	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor Sony has released a roadmap for their E mount: Their A mount looks better than the K mount - they already have cheap lenses (35/1.8, 50/1.8) as well as luxury items like 135/1.8. So they don't really need a roadmap (at least, not to convince me). I don't think Sony is clear at all where they are going. It is just as possible that they would phase out the alpha mount over time, trying to shift users to the E Mount and a different set of lenses as anything else. It isn't clear at all and Sony certainly won't tell anybody anything before they have decided for certain. All anybody knows is that the E mount is "full frame compatible" and that Sony seems focused on mirrorless and SLT technologies. Not too good if you like traditional SLRs, but hey, it was all on Sony's roadmap, right?

03-02-2012, 12:07 PM	#225
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by eddie1960 If I could have got this here easily a while back I would have. I have to shoot interviews with bands I have little in common with on a semi regular basis and I thought it would have been a killer icebreaker (and certainly capable of the task). Next to this a yellow K-01 is an understated fashion accessory My wife just blogged parenthetically about her all-girls prep school experience. I am reminded of my youth. They laughed at everything. They were too cool for serious and too serious for cool. They were queens of carbon steel banter and withering glances. I have gained soft in my maturity to let a Forum poster prick me. Too bad Hoya didn't have the sense of humor to . . . that would have been a stitch for you! When you have gained something in common with your subjects you will have achieved notoriety. You won't need ice. Whether you want notoriety remains a question for contemplation, to be performed in the company of three fingers of single malt. I recommend contemplation. You won't need ice for that, either.