[VaSA]

As a recent returnee to Pentax (i.e. two weeks ago), I really hope they redo the Pontiac Aztek of Cameras. There is so much right with it but so much wrong.

I love *most* of it but have some real issues with things:

- AF speed (obviously a big challenge here)
- SD card rubber flap fix
- Touch screen on the back to choose focus point
- Video AF

What else am I missing? I've been using it for about 10 days and still discovering odd things now and then.

- The camera is a blast with manual glass and all those AF problems go away. For someone who wears glasses, the LCD is actually better than OVF.
- Haven't had a single problem with the rubber flap, you might not be inserting it properly.

I've been so impressed with K-01 High ISO performance (compared to my K200D) I've replaced my fast glass with slower but more compact counterparts and am very happy.

[hongzhibin1987]

Hey dude I'm Chinese.
ZOL....it is not a pro website. Of course you can see the listed data, however it has problems in source.
Just disregard that

[RobG]

What will all the FF fanatics talk about after the Pentax FF comes out. What will all the FF speculators talk about? Will Pentax FF users finally be able to post in post your photos... or will they continue to post solely in threads devoted to FF enthusiasts, or will they start posting in threads where their work is evaluated not on whether or not it's FF , but on IQ?

So many questions, so few answers.

They will probably complain that there's too many APS-C lenses and not enough FF lenses. :P

[Smeggypants]

What will all the FF fanatics talk about after the Pentax FF comes out..

Their excuses for not buying one.

[NickLarsson]

What will all the FF fanatics talk about after the Pentax FF comes out. What will all the FF speculators talk about?

They'll probably talk about whisky, cigars and fishing.

[normhead]

They'll probably talk about whisky, cigars and fishing.

Which is probably what they should have been talking about all the time anyway.

Their excuses for not buying one.

I'm actually waiting to see what happens here. For APS-c I'm happy without a 31 Ltd... with an FF to put it on, that's a totally different kettle of fish, a cigar from a communist country instead of a capitalist one, Macallan 1946 instead of Chivas Roayl Salute (50 years old).

http://www.therichest.org/entertainment/the-top-10-most-expensive-whiskies-in-the-world/

[monochrome]

They'll probably talk about whisky, cigars and fishing.

wild, wild women.

[wll]

They'll probably talk about whisky, cigars and fishing.

I talk about that all the time anyway .... with a few extras thrown in ;- )

wll

[Wired]

I'm geekily proud that the Scotch conversation I helped initiate has started trickling into other threads.... just saying.

[zapp]

The K-01 is so gone, Pentax just wants to forget about it.
The camera was surely underrated but did not fill any gap. It's gone, it's obsolete, I hope Pentax puts R&D efforts in a different direction.

[Billium28]

I bet they scrap the K-01 nametype and if they release a next gen itll be named different so not to bring up K-01 memories.

[Zygonyx]

The K-01 is so gone, Pentax just wants to forget about it.
The camera was surely underrated but did not fill any gap. It's gone, it's obsolete, I hope Pentax puts R&D efforts in a different direction.

Well, i dunno to what extent the K-01 was a commercial failure or success* ; but the owners of this surprising and unboring camera where quite happy to get through it the brilliant 16Mpix Sony sensor for less than USD 300, and they are getting much fun using it...

* keeping in mind that its flaws are more due to its apperance/ergonomy than to its concept

[Tesfaye]

Well, i dunno to what extent the K-01 was a commercial failure or success* ; but the owners of this surprising and unboring camera where quite happy to get through it the brilliant 16Mpix Sony sensor for less than USD 300, and they are getting much fun using it...

* keeping in mind that its flaws are more due to its apperance/ergonomy than to its concept

The K-01 actually an amazing camera, for what it is. I recently bought one as a supplement to my K20 (lighter and much better high-ISO, plus video), and I more and more understand why those who own this camera tend to love it. Certainly, it cannot be recommended for everybody, but those who buy this camera for its strong sides are likely to be very satisfied. The in-depth review on the forum is very good, and I tend to agree more every time I read it. I still do not agree with the overall rating (8), however. For me it is a 10, simply because I choose to ignore/work around/pick another body for its weak sides.
I suppose Pentax may have burnt their fingers, but I would very much love a K-02, or whatever they might name a more advanced model.
My dream camera for this class: State-of-the art image quality, keep the brick design (it is so handy and often saves me carrying a tripod), EVF viewfinder (built in), WR and frost-tolerant (both very important), a small WR-lens (I would have loved the 40mm to be WR, a front e-dial, and an external ISO button/customizable button. Hopefully also improved remote control, and perhaps even a control-ring around the mount, for power-zoom but customizable. This would be one of the larger mirror-less (in the range of the GH3?), not for those who want it pocketable, but very suitable for a hike or for international travel. I often have to choose between my K20 and 2-3 lenses or my Canon G10, and all two often end up with the latter.
The in-depth review contained lots of well considered suggestions for improvements, and the tone of that review is very much foreward-looking. I really hope the K-01 was not the end of the road for this concept. Try with fewer compromises and make a higher-level camera appealing to enthusiasts. This would also increase the demand for the DA primes, since they are perfect companions of this camera.

[Viennese]

the most annoying thing is the slow RAW performance. It is definetly not a reportage camera.

As i shoot portraits commercially, i am thinking about using the K-01 more than I initially thought.

I am testing this setup:

1. I put it on a tripod
2. I use it on M with a handheld lightmeter
3. adjust the focus field to match the sitters eye
4. put it on remote
5. communicate with my sitter, building rapport
6. press the shutter/remote control from time to time

A pocket sized largeformat setup. It makes perfect sense to me.

[mecrox]

I use my K-01 a lot. It's easier to handle than a DSLR in many situations, such as inside buildings when paired with the DA 15mm. I don't see any rational reason why Pentax should want to forget about the K-01. On the contrary some aspects of it point the way to the cameras of the future - live view, focus peaking, mirrorless, good video, etc. What they might want to forget about are the design, which the market voted down whatever individuals might think of it, and the omission of features which make it less than optimal - such as an EVF, WR and a fast processing engine for good RAW performance, etc. The initial high pricing and lack of any real marketing were not really under Pentax control - that was more down to Ricoh running out the remaining Hoya projects without much enthusiasm, imho. In other words, there is no rational reason for thinking that because the K-01 didn't work, the future is DSLR only on APS-C because we know from other manufacturers that this simply is not the case. Far from it, in fact. I think the Newson design would have sunk this camera anyway, but had it been issued with a less contentious design, one or two missing features added and marketed well, then it might have done not too badly.