[ScreamingIdiot]

WIth K-01 around, Fujifilm is simply a premium... at a premium. K-01's approach makes far more sense for a camera that ditches the viewfinder.

[monochrome]

and now Pentax
Sure the body's bigger than other mirrorless alternatives, but still much smaller than what they've got now. Lens selection is really nice, especially those primes. Heard good thing about them, and the K-5 sensor. Overall, much cheaper than Fuji. $1700 gets you a body and a 3 prime kit (21, 40XS, 70). That's a price they can understand because their 7D/D300 cost that much. So that seems like a good deal.

Hope this works out for Pentax...

For dark ages, manual K-glass guys like me (partial Equipment List), I can get a K-5 sensor, quieter shutter, intruiging body that I actually like in yellow, three really nice lenses (I'd pay up for the DA40 Ltd.), HDMI 1080p video and use old stuff and my existing FA/DA lenses also. I can use my dSLR and film cameras when I'm really serious about stills. I can manual focus all that nice old glass I have for my LX and use those DA's on my dSLR.

What's wrong wtih that? Especially since in just a few weeks we're going to see the announcement of the actual K-x [EDIT: K-r] replacement, then in another few months the K-5 replacement, then Photokina . . .

My wife LOVES this idea.

[vladimiroltean]

For dark ages, manual K-glass guys like me (partial Equipment List)
What's wrong wtih that? Especially since in just a few weeks we're going to see the announcement of the actual K-x replacement, then in another few months the K-5 replacement, then Photokina . . .

I'm holding the K-x replacement in my hands right now.

[7samurai]

why not just get a K5 question.

I'm thinking, for my wife, it might be the right upgrade. She's a dedicated P&S shooter currently. My dslr just confuses her because she doesn't have any baseline knowledge of how to use the viewfinder or the settings. Even in live view, it's too big, heavy and she has no interest in learning it. She justs wants to take a picture. Her baseline are P&S cameras and the K-01 looks like an extention of what she's use to.

My baseline is film so my preference is a DSLR. My preference would be the next generation K-5...

[Winder]

That's why I said "at least to me"

I would never say that everyone will choose as I do. It will be interesting to see how things go. I guess we'll find out in a few months when the sales rankings come out. Right now, even though I personally think it's way overpriced, the Fuji X-Pro1 is the #1 selling mirrorless camera at Amazon. I guess we'll know in a a few days if the K-01 can come close to matching that.

I think the sales numbers for the Fuji will show just how much demand their is for serious equipment. There are a lot of things about the Fuji that make it unique. For me the Fuji can not replace all of my equipment, so it would have to complement what I have. A 135mm f/2 would pretty much block the VF so you would have to use the EVF. There are drawbacks to the design, but their are some very nice advantages to what Fuji is doing.

If I go Fuji then I can just get a K-mount adapter and use all the wonderful LTD glass, or Leica, or Zeiss, or Voigtlander...... or.... damn near anything. If I go with the K-01 I'm pretty much stuck with the K-mount.

Being tied to all of the legacy K-mount glass is only an advantage to a small percentage of people.

[boriscleto]

=If I go Fuji then I can just get a K-mount adapter and use all the wonderful LTD glass, or Leica, or Zeiss, or Voigtlander...... or.... damn near anything.

And lose AF and aperture control...

[Fontan]

Eh, so if I am understanding correctly, there in no VF of any kind at the moment, correct? Then I imagine you have to use the LCD panel which does not articulate, much like LV mode on K-5. So, you will have to hold the camera far enough from your face so that you can see what the LCD panel is showing you - rather an uncomfortable way of shooting, to say the least. How the hell are you supposed to see anything in bright day light? Are we sure this thing is going to work out? Is this LCD touch panel? At the very least you need a hot shoe mountable OVF.

The more I think about this, the more I wish they didn't come out with this. It is certainly not ahead of its time. If anything . . . Never mind.

[junyo]

I think the sales numbers for the Fuji will show just how much demand their is for serious equipment. There are a lot of things about the Fuji that make it unique. For me the Fuji can not replace all of my equipment, so it would have to complement what I have. A 135mm f/2 would pretty much block the VF so you would have to use the EVF. There are drawbacks to the design, but their are some very nice advantages to what Fuji is doing.

If I go Fuji then I can just get a K-mount adapter and use all the wonderful LTD glass, or Leica, or Zeiss, or Voigtlander...... or.... damn near anything. If I go with the K-01 I'm pretty much stuck with the K-mount.

Being tied to all of the legacy K-mount glass is only an advantage to a small percentage of people.

The one thing that Fuji has gotten wrong is manual focus; they really need some form of peaking. Advantage Pentax (and likely the first sign of Ricoh influence, since they have peaking on the GXR) except the lack of mount flexbility. But i'm thinking my old M 135mm 2.8 would make an awesome (big) pocketable concert lens on the Fuji, and would be darn near unusable at arm's length.

Since Pentax prides itself on being a photographer's camera company, I'd really like to see them taking these kind of risks rather than designer camera-lets.

[pinholecam]

Well, on my 7D I push a button and it stays in liveview until I push the button again. I presume the K-5 for instance works the same.

So you can leave a DSLR in liveview mode and you have the same as this K-01 thing. Just saying that since the size is not really any advantage on this camera, I fail to see ANYTHING it would offer over a real DSLR version of the same thing.

Oh! Now you tell me you actually have a 7D instead....

Anyway I checked. Its the shutter that goes down, then up again.
Maybe its a Pentax shutter design then.

[pinholecam]

That's why I said "at least to me"

I would never say that everyone will choose as I do. It will be interesting to see how things go. I guess we'll find out in a few months when the sales rankings come out. Right now, even though I personally think it's way overpriced, the Fuji X-Pro1 is the #1 selling mirrorless camera at Amazon. I guess we'll know in a a few days if the K-01 can come close to matching that.

Doubt anything beats the Xpro this year, though the Nikon fanboys and layman are buying into V1/J1 too just due to the brand name. (its not a bad camera either; but all cameras are decent nowadays)
It will sell well by looks alone.
The K-01 looks is divisive to say the least.

I think the sales numbers for the Fuji will show just how much demand their is for serious equipment. There are a lot of things about the Fuji that make it unique. For me the Fuji can not replace all of my equipment, so it would have to complement what I have. A 135mm f/2 would pretty much block the VF so you would have to use the EVF. There are drawbacks to the design, but their are some very nice advantages to what Fuji is doing.

If I go Fuji then I can just get a K-mount adapter and use all the wonderful LTD glass, or Leica, or Zeiss, or Voigtlander...... or.... damn near anything. If I go with the K-01 I'm pretty much stuck with the K-mount.

Being tied to all of the legacy K-mount glass is only an advantage to a small percentage of people.

K-01 with focus peaking and full 'A' controls are big plus points.
Imagine using it in a less well lit area, the gain of the LCD/EVF for such cameras go up.
Its worse on a stopped down lens (ie. via adapter), but on a K-01, the lens remains wide open, so the LCD gain goes up less.
If it had a EVF, it would have been a perfect APS-C MILC for me though

[Chex]

Being tied to all of the legacy K-mount glass is only an advantage to a small percentage of people.

As Pentax users upgrading, there will be many, even if it's people basic kit lenses.. as far as old legacy glass, for those who don't have any it's not hard to come by except for some of the pricey lenses.

I think the biggest let downs of the K-01 are it's lack of weather sealing, and it's lack of bracketing shots.. other than it's HDR auto mode. The Pano mode is a nice feature (becoming a standard P&S feature). Not sure I understand the need for VGA quality time laps video.. really?? WTF? The only other gripe I'd have is the loss of TAv mode.. but regardless, this is a viable option.. I wonder if the IQ using the PRIME M processor will be decent gain over the K-5.

[cadmus]

Look at the price difference between the K-01 and the K5.

K5 Body Only MSRP $1,599.95
K-01 Body Only MSRP $749.95

You get a large portion of the K5's functionality for less than half the cost. When the K-01 drops to $499 I will probably get one as a travel camera.

I agree with your point But no one is selling the k5 for that now a days.
it is normally about $1000 if you look hard.
like here:
Pentax K-5 Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) (Black)
$999 and it comes with lots of goodies and free shipping no tax. (if only it ran on AAs)
MSRP on the 01 will likely stay at 749 or go up

[JinDesu]

I guess my point is that the price of the K-01 will probably end up dropping by a third like the K5.

My understanding from the k-5 is that it dropped to $1,200 pretty quickly after release and stayed at that price for a very long time. Only Pentax was saying it was $1,600, while everywhere else was selling it for $1,200. So would be nice to see if the K-01 follows suit.

[stanleyk]

It seems like, at least to me anyway, that if I were looking for a camera to compliment my large DSLR it would be the smallest option I could get that still produces respectable IQ. Right now, for me, that choice would be most likely the GX1 (just like your friend chose). There is a pretty substantial size difference between the GX1 and the K-01 (when viewed from the top to see the difference in thickness). Further, as far as lens selection goes, m4/3's really has just about the entire spectrum of what most people need covered. So I don't see that as an issue anymore (especially as soon as Panasonic releases their f/2.8 zooms in a few months). The K-01 will certainly have an IQ advantage over the GX1, but as this Canon 1D Mk II vs GX1 comparison shows, it's amazing how far 4/3's sensors have come. I personally can't imagine needing anything better than the GX1 sensor....but, of course, better is always welcome.

Oddly, I've started to view the K-01 as a video camera than can also take nice still photos...in that role it makes a great deal of sense to me.

Olympus is also supposed to announce a 75mm F1.9 and a 60mm macro which I think is F2.0 this summer for MFT. MFT has some really good lenses. When I first looked at the K01 I really didn't like it. I looked at it again a few hours later and I actually like the design. I think it will be a tough sell at that price point without some type of viewfinder. I hope it does well though. I'm going with Fuji but I think this is a really interesting camera. I agree with the person who said it's like a video camera that does stills. I'm just old fashioned so it's not for me.

[30v iPentax]

Good-bye RICHO, Good-bye the Pentax K-01.
Pentax mirror back, or make manufacturing in safe hands.