[VaderSS]

I adore the K01. It renewed my passion for photography. I purchased it with the 2 zoom kit lenses, but have ditched those for a Sigma 8-16 and a Pentax 18-135. I have taken some of the best pictures of my life with it.

Does it have shortcomings? For sure, but what doesn't? My main gripe is lack of an EVF. There are times when I have to take shots blind, and then check to see if I got the shot or not.

[spinach]

this camera's just one feature shy of being a perfect video camera -- even its shape isn't far off from ENG camera bodies. enthusiast press tends to espouse the idea that the point of milc is smaller size, but that's never made much sense -- they'll never get as small as our smartphones, which are getting better cameras with each generation, and lenses will always add bulk. the point, to me, always seemed to be streamlining the dslr -- the next step after introducing live view, to look at what the sensor sees rather than what the lens sees, and so to see the image as it will be recorded. not so much a replacement for the compact cameras that our phones are gobbling up, as the actual obsolescence of dslr, and why not? fewer moving parts, one less surface to get dust on... it's nice to finally have full control in video mode with a pentax, and even without raw hdmi output this is one of the better camcorders on the market.

future k-0x models: full frame? hd-sdi out? dual memory card slots? a body the actual dimensions of a brick?

[zmohie]

K 01 may be not the camera that one likes from the first time. .but once you get it you will enjoy using this solid brick . It is my favorite pentax camera even though the brick look and the lack of view finder. The output of the k 01 is superb.

[LeRolls]

K 01 may be not the camera that one likes from the first time. .but once you get it you will enjoy using this solid brick . It is my favorite pentax camera even though the brick look and the lack of view finder. The output of the k 01 is superb.

Agreed.

[PiDicus Rex]

Seconded.

[Derwin]

Third-ed! :-)

Picked up a K-01 just recently (secondhand, at a price too good to pass up) and have been absolutely bowled over by it. It's been said before but, it looks far better and feels much better in the hand than any images would have you believe. Shot it on holiday, strap-free, with just the 40mm XS (really hope that XS lens series gets a reboot at some point) and it was comfortable for much longer than any camera dubbed "The Brick" should have been. Love how quiet the shutter is compared to my K-30. Comfortable, intuitive, stellar image quality and great fun to shoot with.

[CarlG]

Third-ed! :-)

So right!

[LeRolls]

Third-ed! :-)

Picked up a K-01 just recently (secondhand, at a price too good to pass up) and have been absolutely bowled over by it. It's been said before but, it looks far better and feels much better in the hand than any images would have you believe. Shot it on holiday, strap-free, with just the 40mm XS (really hope that XS lens series gets a reboot at some point) and it was comfortable for much longer than any camera dubbed "The Brick" should have been. Love how quiet the shutter is compared to my K-30. Comfortable, intuitive, stellar image quality and great fun to shoot with.

Glad to hear that someone else is loving their Newson Brick!

[HomeMadeSin]

Well, I struggle with my K-01. It seems like a brilliant teen amped up on chocolate frosted sugar bombs and energy drinks - can't focus to save its life...

I relish the pics when it miraculously finds it's mark, somewhat less often than I win the lottery it seems. I have much more success with my K200 and reach for it way more often even though I want to harness the output/burst/time lapse features of the K-01. Misunderstood it is indeed!

Z

[Na Horuk]

I want to harness the output/burst/time lapse features of the K-01. Misunderstood it is indeed!

Make sure you are using the latest firmware update, it improves AF a lot

[PiDicus Rex]

It seems like a brilliant teen amped up on chocolate frosted sugar bombs and energy drinks - can't focus to save its life...

I wouldn't be too stressed about that,...
Sure, I mostly use MF lenses, but there are times where I run AF - usually crowd photos at events and the like.
When I've handed my K-01 to mates who are full time Photographers, the results I've gotten back are often,.. unusable.
The K-01 produces amazing images, and with tweaking in Lightroom, can blow you away with the output quality, but it does take some adapting to by the user, and the right mindset to use.
Canon shooters have the most 'issues' when it comes to using it - I have only one Canon mate-ette who was able to get good shots out of my K-01 everytime,... but her favorite camera is her old Hassleblad, so she knows how to hold a camera still when your not looking through and OVF.

[Steve.Ledger]

Well, I struggle with my K-01.....can't focus to save its life...

This was my experience before the firmware update. Since then it's even acceptable with the 55-300mm DA-L !
But remember it's CDAF so there's always a quick forward/back hunt before locking on, normal for CDAF focussing.

[PiDicus Rex]

Although I don't use AF all that much, I have noted that at the Wide end, the K-01 finds focus just as fast as any other camera, but at the long end of the zooms, it does hunt around, and seems to lock on quicker (or at all) on bright scenes.
Shooting in darker locations, such as a niteclub, it's pretty much a lost cause.

Spinach: I have to disagree on that ENG comment, the K-01 is noting like an ENG camera, the only camera it's shape is close to is the Blackmagic Design Cine and Production cameras.

It doesn't need HD-SDI, that's what HDMI 2 SDI boxes are for, once the HDMI is available during recording of course. Full Frame isn't needed either, but Dual SD slots would be a great addition, same goes with auto file splitting for continuous video shooting..... Which might be a good idea for Sandoman's K30 hack.

[spinach]

Spinach: I have to disagree on that ENG comment, the K-01 is noting like an ENG camera, the only camera it's shape is close to is the Blackmagic Design Cine and Production cameras.

there've been a few camera heads sold separately, to be attached to recorders etc. used to be the recorder was the part bearing the shape most often associated with pro cameras, but not so much anymore. sony, toshiba, panasonic and hitachi still make them.

[Rondec]

I wouldn't be too stressed about that,...
Sure, I mostly use MF lenses, but there are times where I run AF - usually crowd photos at events and the like.
When I've handed my K-01 to mates who are full time Photographers, the results I've gotten back are often,.. unusable.
The K-01 produces amazing images, and with tweaking in Lightroom, can blow you away with the output quality, but it does take some adapting to by the user, and the right mindset to use.
Canon shooters have the most 'issues' when it comes to using it - I have only one Canon mate-ette who was able to get good shots out of my K-01 everytime,... but her favorite camera is her old Hassleblad, so she knows how to hold a camera still when your not looking through and OVF.

My wife hates the K-01. I will be shooting with it and she'll ask to borrow my camera to take a shot and then will make a face and hand it back. She loves the K5/K3 cameras. It is a very different experience framing with the back LCD versus using a viewfinder and if you are accustomed to an OVF, you'll likely be frustrated with an LCD only camera.

I still don't understand why they don't update it with faster processing, deeper buffer and a built in EVF. Add PD AF on the sensor and you would address 95 percent of the complaints about this camera (that don't have to do with looks).