Things that happened with my new K-01

stepmac · 02-13-2013, 10:41 AM

Received the camera yesterday afternoon. Got the black one. Am glad I did, it fits in with my other cameras. Put in the pancake lense and got a flashing red "F" and couldn't take a pic. No info in manual. Then discovered that I had not screwed in the lens far enough....it's a bit sticky.

Still can't understand all of the focus options, need practice. The rest of the camera works about like others w/t buttons/knobs. Auto focus seemed okay and fast enough. Manual is fine too, but to my tired old eyes a little hard to see.

Ooops; gotta go; I'll come back later and complete this post.....

Swift1 · 02-13-2013, 10:57 AM

Congrats on getting a K-01, it's a superb camera.
Make sure you update the firmware, it improves AF immensely.

Na Horuk · 02-13-2013, 11:16 AM

Hey there, congratulations indeed!
Yes, my 40mm XS was a little stiff at first as well, and its kind of hard to mount because its so thin. But you get used to it and it actually becomes less stiff with some use.
About focusing, you probably want to use select AF (and then you press OK to move around the focus box, I also suggest you scroll to make it as small as possible), and maybe enable focus peaking (if you are using a fast lens). Also, the firmware update really does make the focusing faster.
And check out the link in this thread:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-01/179225-k-01-recommended-settings.html

Macario · 02-13-2013, 12:12 PM

Just turn on the focus peaking, and it is sooooooooo much easier to focus manually

stepmac · 02-13-2013, 12:25 PM

Originally posted by Macario

Just turn on the focus peaking, and it is sooooooooo much easier to focus manually

Thanks guys and I'll follow your suggestions. I had never even heard of firmware before I joined this site.

stepmac · 02-13-2013, 12:57 PM - **1 Like**

More Early Findings on my K-01:

First I want to mention the feel of this camera. It is larger and heavier than I expected, but it makes me smile because it feels kinda like the K1000 which is the love child of all Pentaxians. Also a bit like my ME Super which I liked evern better than my K1000.

People have complained about the rubber door that you open to load the memory chip. It's no biggee. I wouldn't give it to a five year old, but it's fine, really; and I kinda like the rubber feel of your right handed grip. Also you can make your left hand (assumning you are a right hand shooter) into the shape of a pistol and run your finger along the bottom of the camera and the thumb up the side. Makes for a very solid two hand hold. As for the futuristic styling? It's okay by me. Like an ugly dog that you learn to love.

I don't like the lack of a view finder, but since I've been using P&S cameras set up the same, it is again, no biggee. The LCD is large and it doesn't seem to smeer. Clarity is good, and it's easy to see. If you've got to get rid of the view finder then the K-01 does it well.

I twisted in the K-adapter, and set out my four ancient Pentax/Takumar prime lenses. They screwed in easily. I set the camera on Av and in low light (sitting in my easy chair at night) it took perfect pictures. Then I turned it to Tv. It took perfect pictures. I ran the aparture ring one way and the other, it took perfect pictures. I switched it to "P" and it took perfect pictures. I flipped up the flash and it took perfect pictures. What's going on? Does the image sensor, which you see when you remove the lense, figure aparture/speed at all times automatically? The camera behaved as if I'd put it on automatic with the standard bayonet mounted lens.

BTW: the old 1957ish 2.8 x 35mm prime lens takes very, very sharp pictures, sharper (at least last night) than the AF 2.8x40mm pancake lens that comes with the camera. I like the 40mm lens tho. It's a happy medium between a 35 and a 50, so I'll use it. I take a lot of pictures in museums (yes, I ask permission.) and I'm sure my new K-01 will work fine. My other prime lenses are an old Honeywell Pentax 1.4 x 50 and a .28 (can't recall it's speed). GREAT old lenses. I've also got an old 135mm that is very difficult to focus inside of infinity, so I'll shoot it at infinity. Clear tho. My Tamaron 28-200 lenses seems to work in all modes even AF, but it's heavy as lead and I think it overworks the AF motor. I'll shoot it man. focus.

In summery, I like this camera. I'll probably carry it like I carried my K1000, with the K mount 50 or 28 lenses screwed in. The 28 is a bit of a fish eye, so you've got to be careful to shoot horizontal, unless you like the distortion, which is sometimes good.

I've been shooting a Canon T1i and I like it fine and I have a slew of lenses for it, but my first love was the Pentax and I just love looking at the name. I bought this camera so that I could shoot old lenses and it does that extremely well. I paid $356 which is fine with me.

Pentaxians also tend to drive antique cars, never stop at fast food restaurants, shoot muzzle loaders, stay married to the same women, own a wind up Victrola, and went digital kicking and screaming. The K-01 fits the mold.

**THoog** · 02-13-2013, 04:31 PM

I like to say "Canon and Nikon are like Ford and Chevy, and Pentax is Studebaker". Hopefully, it won't go the same way.

Welcome to the K-01 cult!

Re: M42s: Do you have Auto-ISO turned on? With it on and a M42 lens, I think the K-01 is ignoring the mode dial and just shooting everything in "TAv" mode, where it adjusts the ISO AND the shutter speed (with a fondness for 1/125, it seems). It's not really documented (and has been frustrating for folks who are used to how older Pentax dSLRs work with M42s). After getting used to it, I found it so useful that I put some celo tape on the mounts of a couple M lenses to make the camera think they were M42s. Just point, focus (or not, if hyperfocal), and click. Lazy, I know...

stepmac · 02-13-2013, 04:51 PM

Originally posted by THoog

I like to say "Canon and Nikon are like Ford and Chevy, and Pentax is Studebaker". Hopefully, it won't go the same way.

Welcome to the K-01 cult!

Thank you. I'm a dedicated Pentax user.

Cars as an analogy....which camera is the Cadillac?

I have to concentrate on taking pictures and stop collecting cameras. My camera drawer, which is a full drawer in a chest of drawers is packed with old Pentax cameras and a Minolta, a Canon or two, but Pentax's galore. Film cameras, big and little. I no longer have my Spotmatic or my original ES, but I've got the ES II and a bunch more. I've cannibalized the lenses off of them to hang on my K-01.

I just wish Pentax had designed the K-01 to fit those old form fitting camera cases, the ones that when unsnapped you could flop the front down and take pictures. I've got two of'em, but my K-Boy won't fit.

**THoog** · 02-13-2013, 05:06 PM

Originally posted by stepmac

Cars as an analogy....which camera is the Cadillac?

I have to concentrate on taking pictures and stop collecting cameras. My camera drawer, which is a full drawer in a chest of drawers is packed with old Pentax cameras and a Minolta, a Canon or two, but Pentax's galore. Film cameras, big and little. I no longer have my Spotmatic or my original ES, but I've got the ES II and a bunch more. I've cannibalized the lenses off of them to hang on my K-01.

I just wish Pentax had designed the K-01 to fit those old form fitting camera cases, the ones that when unsnapped you could flop the front down and take pictures. I've got two of'em, but my K-Boy won't fit.

I guess Caddy would have to be one of the Medium Format lines. Maybe Pentax should be Packard, as they had a reputation for quality and reliability ("Ask the man who owns one"), but 'Studebaker' is just more fun to say.

I also have a crate full of Pentax film bodies, plus a growing collection (or hoard) of dSLRs. It just kind of worked out that way.

stepmac · 02-14-2013, 03:24 PM

I have already lost my lens cap!!! It's the one that comes on the camera, the pancake. It didn't stick on very well anyway. I hung the camera on my shoulder, drove down town to take some snaps and the first time the I picked up the camera to take a shot the lens cap was missing! Looked all over for it of course. It's just a tiny thing and it doesn't stick very tight. I hope Pentax has a lot in stock, cause I'm not going to be the only one to lose it. It's up there in lens cap heaven along with the other thousands I've lost in the past.

Put the K-mount adapter on this morning and took the following pics. Not very exciting, but I did my best.

stepmac · 02-14-2013, 03:28 PM

Not exactly prize winners, but how are you going to make your morning cup of coffee interesting anyway? None of photos are in sharp focus and I did turn focus peaking on, which was a help, but still. I did take some down town pics after I finished searching for my lens cap (to no avail) and focus was okay. This camera, like all of my others, is going to take some practice to see where it's sweet spot is, where it's the happiest.

How am I going to get a new lens cap?

**THoog** · 02-14-2013, 03:43 PM

Looks like a good start to me...

Originally posted by stepmac

How am I going to get a new lens cap?

The Pentax Webstore has the cap O-LC27 for $9.95. Personally, I put mine away for 'dress occasions' and got some cheap 27mm generic plastic snap-on caps from China / eBay for about sixty cents apiece (I bought a three-pack, assuming I would lose at least one).

stepmac · 02-14-2013, 07:27 PM

Originally posted by THoog

Looks like a good start to me...

The Pentax Webstore has the cap O-LC27 for $9.95. Personally, I put mine away for 'dress occasions' and got some cheap 27mm generic plastic snap-on caps from China / eBay for about sixty cents apiece (I bought a three-pack, assuming I would lose at least one).

Great! Thanks THoog. While losing one's lens cap is not the end of the World it still bugs me. I take very good care of my equip which is why so many of my very old lenses are in such good shape.

I've got some very old cameras and if I can get film it'd be fun to take some pics with them. Does anyone know if you can get film for a 1918 Kodac Box camera? I've got two. I've seen some pics that my grandmother took with them and they are very good. She had a wonderful photographer's eye.

For those who don't know, when the Kodac box camera came out they cost $9 (Not sure about that.) which was expensive. When you bought the camera it was loaded....ten exposures. After you exposed the film you returned the camera to the company via the mail. They developed the film, reloaded your camera and returned it to you along with your photographs. Asa was about 25. The first pictures were circular. The earliest Kodac cameras were pin hole cameras. No lens at all, but strangly they producted excellent photos. I think photographers took special care to take only well composed pics since it was such a PITA to get them developed.

post_eos · 02-16-2013, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by stepmac

Pentaxians also tend to drive antique cars, never stop at fast food restaurants, shoot muzzle loaders, stay married to the same women, own a wind up Victrola, and went digital kicking and screaming. The K-01 fits the mold.

My wife is younger than my Victrola, so I've got that going at least

stepmac · 02-19-2013, 05:43 PM

Originally posted by THoog

Looks like a good start to me...

The Pentax Webstore has the cap O-LC27 for $9.95. Personally, I put mine away for 'dress occasions' and got some cheap 27mm generic plastic snap-on caps from China / eBay for about sixty cents apiece (I bought a three-pack, assuming I would lose at least one).

I FOUND IT! It was on the floor of my car wedged in between the seat rails and the side of the seat. Car seats are the same color as the lens cap. I'm happy now.

02-13-2013, 10:41 AM	#1
stepmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 263	Things that happened with my new K-01 Received the camera yesterday afternoon. Got the black one. Am glad I did, it fits in with my other cameras. Put in the pancake lense and got a flashing red "F" and couldn't take a pic. No info in manual. Then discovered that I had not screwed in the lens far enough....it's a bit sticky. Still can't understand all of the focus options, need practice. The rest of the camera works about like others w/t buttons/knobs. Auto focus seemed okay and fast enough. Manual is fine too, but to my tired old eyes a little hard to see. Ooops; gotta go; I'll come back later and complete this post.....

02-13-2013, 12:57 PM - 1 Like	#6
stepmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 263 Original Poster	More Early Findings on my K-01: First I want to mention the feel of this camera. It is larger and heavier than I expected, but it makes me smile because it feels kinda like the K1000 which is the love child of all Pentaxians. Also a bit like my ME Super which I liked evern better than my K1000. People have complained about the rubber door that you open to load the memory chip. It's no biggee. I wouldn't give it to a five year old, but it's fine, really; and I kinda like the rubber feel of your right handed grip. Also you can make your left hand (assumning you are a right hand shooter) into the shape of a pistol and run your finger along the bottom of the camera and the thumb up the side. Makes for a very solid two hand hold. As for the futuristic styling? It's okay by me. Like an ugly dog that you learn to love. I don't like the lack of a view finder, but since I've been using P&S cameras set up the same, it is again, no biggee. The LCD is large and it doesn't seem to smeer. Clarity is good, and it's easy to see. If you've got to get rid of the view finder then the K-01 does it well. I twisted in the K-adapter, and set out my four ancient Pentax/Takumar prime lenses. They screwed in easily. I set the camera on Av and in low light (sitting in my easy chair at night) it took perfect pictures. Then I turned it to Tv. It took perfect pictures. I ran the aparture ring one way and the other, it took perfect pictures. I switched it to "P" and it took perfect pictures. I flipped up the flash and it took perfect pictures. What's going on? Does the image sensor, which you see when you remove the lense, figure aparture/speed at all times automatically? The camera behaved as if I'd put it on automatic with the standard bayonet mounted lens. BTW: the old 1957ish 2.8 x 35mm prime lens takes very, very sharp pictures, sharper (at least last night) than the AF 2.8x40mm pancake lens that comes with the camera. I like the 40mm lens tho. It's a happy medium between a 35 and a 50, so I'll use it. I take a lot of pictures in museums (yes, I ask permission.) and I'm sure my new K-01 will work fine. My other prime lenses are an old Honeywell Pentax 1.4 x 50 and a .28 (can't recall it's speed). GREAT old lenses. I've also got an old 135mm that is very difficult to focus inside of infinity, so I'll shoot it at infinity. Clear tho. My Tamaron 28-200 lenses seems to work in all modes even AF, but it's heavy as lead and I think it overworks the AF motor. I'll shoot it man. focus. In summery, I like this camera. I'll probably carry it like I carried my K1000, with the K mount 50 or 28 lenses screwed in. The 28 is a bit of a fish eye, so you've got to be careful to shoot horizontal, unless you like the distortion, which is sometimes good. I've been shooting a Canon T1i and I like it fine and I have a slew of lenses for it, but my first love was the Pentax and I just love looking at the name. I bought this camera so that I could shoot old lenses and it does that extremely well. I paid $356 which is fine with me. Pentaxians also tend to drive antique cars, never stop at fast food restaurants, shoot muzzle loaders, stay married to the same women, own a wind up Victrola, and went digital kicking and screaming. The K-01 fits the mold. Last edited by stepmac; 02-13-2013 at 01:11 PM.

02-14-2013, 03:24 PM	#10
stepmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 263 Original Poster	I have already lost my lens cap!!! It's the one that comes on the camera, the pancake. It didn't stick on very well anyway. I hung the camera on my shoulder, drove down town to take some snaps and the first time the I picked up the camera to take a shot the lens cap was missing! Looked all over for it of course. It's just a tiny thing and it doesn't stick very tight. I hope Pentax has a lot in stock, cause I'm not going to be the only one to lose it. It's up there in lens cap heaven along with the other thousands I've lost in the past. Put the K-mount adapter on this morning and took the following pics. Not very exciting, but I did my best. Last edited by stepmac; 02-14-2013 at 07:15 PM.

02-14-2013, 07:27 PM	#13
stepmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 263 Original Poster	Originally posted by THoog Looks like a good start to me... The Pentax Webstore has the cap O-LC27 for $9.95. Personally, I put mine away for 'dress occasions' and got some cheap 27mm generic plastic snap-on caps from China / eBay for about sixty cents apiece (I bought a three-pack, assuming I would lose at least one). Great! Thanks THoog. While losing one's lens cap is not the end of the World it still bugs me. I take very good care of my equip which is why so many of my very old lenses are in such good shape. I've got some very old cameras and if I can get film it'd be fun to take some pics with them. Does anyone know if you can get film for a 1918 Kodac Box camera? I've got two. I've seen some pics that my grandmother took with them and they are very good. She had a wonderful photographer's eye. For those who don't know, when the Kodac box camera came out they cost $9 (Not sure about that.) which was expensive. When you bought the camera it was loaded....ten exposures. After you exposed the film you returned the camera to the company via the mail. They developed the film, reloaded your camera and returned it to you along with your photographs. Asa was about 25. The first pictures were circular. The earliest Kodac cameras were pin hole cameras. No lens at all, but strangly they producted excellent photos. I think photographers took special care to take only well composed pics since it was such a PITA to get them developed. Last edited by stepmac; 02-14-2013 at 07:36 PM.

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02-13-2013, 10:57 AM	#2
Swift1 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oregon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,079	Congrats on getting a K-01, it's a superb camera. Make sure you update the firmware, it improves AF immensely.

02-13-2013, 11:16 AM	#3
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Hey there, congratulations indeed! Yes, my 40mm XS was a little stiff at first as well, and its kind of hard to mount because its so thin. But you get used to it and it actually becomes less stiff with some use. About focusing, you probably want to use select AF (and then you press OK to move around the focus box, I also suggest you scroll to make it as small as possible), and maybe enable focus peaking (if you are using a fast lens). Also, the firmware update really does make the focusing faster. And check out the link in this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-01/179225-k-01-recommended-settings.html

02-13-2013, 12:12 PM	#4
Macario Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Hoek van Holland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,393	Just turn on the focus peaking, and it is sooooooooo much easier to focus manually

02-13-2013, 12:25 PM	#5
stepmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 263 Original Poster	Originally posted by Macario Just turn on the focus peaking, and it is sooooooooo much easier to focus manually Thanks guys and I'll follow your suggestions. I had never even heard of firmware before I joined this site.

02-13-2013, 04:31 PM	#7
THoog Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,685	I like to say "Canon and Nikon are like Ford and Chevy, and Pentax is Studebaker". Hopefully, it won't go the same way. Welcome to the K-01 cult! Re: M42s: Do you have Auto-ISO turned on? With it on and a M42 lens, I think the K-01 is ignoring the mode dial and just shooting everything in "TAv" mode, where it adjusts the ISO AND the shutter speed (with a fondness for 1/125, it seems). It's not really documented (and has been frustrating for folks who are used to how older Pentax dSLRs work with M42s). After getting used to it, I found it so useful that I put some celo tape on the mounts of a couple M lenses to make the camera think they were M42s. Just point, focus (or not, if hyperfocal), and click. Lazy, I know...

02-13-2013, 04:51 PM	#8
stepmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 263 Original Poster	Originally posted by THoog I like to say "Canon and Nikon are like Ford and Chevy, and Pentax is Studebaker". Hopefully, it won't go the same way. Welcome to the K-01 cult! Thank you. I'm a dedicated Pentax user. Cars as an analogy....which camera is the Cadillac? I have to concentrate on taking pictures and stop collecting cameras. My camera drawer, which is a full drawer in a chest of drawers is packed with old Pentax cameras and a Minolta, a Canon or two, but Pentax's galore. Film cameras, big and little. I no longer have my Spotmatic or my original ES, but I've got the ES II and a bunch more. I've cannibalized the lenses off of them to hang on my K-01. I just wish Pentax had designed the K-01 to fit those old form fitting camera cases, the ones that when unsnapped you could flop the front down and take pictures. I've got two of'em, but my K-Boy won't fit.

02-13-2013, 05:06 PM	#9
THoog Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,685	Originally posted by stepmac Cars as an analogy....which camera is the Cadillac? I have to concentrate on taking pictures and stop collecting cameras. My camera drawer, which is a full drawer in a chest of drawers is packed with old Pentax cameras and a Minolta, a Canon or two, but Pentax's galore. Film cameras, big and little. I no longer have my Spotmatic or my original ES, but I've got the ES II and a bunch more. I've cannibalized the lenses off of them to hang on my K-01. I just wish Pentax had designed the K-01 to fit those old form fitting camera cases, the ones that when unsnapped you could flop the front down and take pictures. I've got two of'em, but my K-Boy won't fit. I guess Caddy would have to be one of the Medium Format lines. Maybe Pentax should be Packard, as they had a reputation for quality and reliability ("Ask the man who owns one"), but 'Studebaker' is just more fun to say. I also have a crate full of Pentax film bodies, plus a growing collection (or hoard) of dSLRs. It just kind of worked out that way.

02-14-2013, 03:28 PM	#11
stepmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 263 Original Poster	Not exactly prize winners, but how are you going to make your morning cup of coffee interesting anyway? None of photos are in sharp focus and I did turn focus peaking on, which was a help, but still. I did take some down town pics after I finished searching for my lens cap (to no avail) and focus was okay. This camera, like all of my others, is going to take some practice to see where it's sweet spot is, where it's the happiest. How am I going to get a new lens cap?

02-14-2013, 03:43 PM	#12
THoog Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,685	Looks like a good start to me... Originally posted by stepmac How am I going to get a new lens cap? The Pentax Webstore has the cap O-LC27 for $9.95. Personally, I put mine away for 'dress occasions' and got some cheap 27mm generic plastic snap-on caps from China / eBay for about sixty cents apiece (I bought a three-pack, assuming I would lose at least one).

02-16-2013, 08:56 PM	#14
post_eos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Riverside CA Photos: Albums Posts: 269	Originally posted by stepmac Pentaxians also tend to drive antique cars, never stop at fast food restaurants, shoot muzzle loaders, stay married to the same women, own a wind up Victrola, and went digital kicking and screaming. The K-01 fits the mold. My wife is younger than my Victrola, so I've got that going at least

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02-19-2013, 05:43 PM	#15
stepmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 263 Original Poster	Originally posted by THoog Looks like a good start to me... The Pentax Webstore has the cap O-LC27 for $9.95. Personally, I put mine away for 'dress occasions' and got some cheap 27mm generic plastic snap-on caps from China / eBay for about sixty cents apiece (I bought a three-pack, assuming I would lose at least one). I FOUND IT! It was on the floor of my car wedged in between the seat rails and the side of the seat. Car seats are the same color as the lens cap. I'm happy now.