Originally posted by D1N0 The lower score is probably due to it having a 12 bit image processor (prime MII) instead of a 14 bit (less colour depth and DR). The 20mp chips is mainly used for budget offerings by Sony and is still better than canon's chip.
The K30 and K3 are slightly better at high iso, dynamic range and color deph than K-S1 and it use 12bit on DxO mark. K5 & K5-IIs get the best scores with more dynamic range.
Originally posted by D1N0 From the the few reviews/impressions I've seen so far the KS-1 supposedly has the best sensor that Pentax offers for a DSLR but I've never actually tried it out so I can't say from personal experience.
I don't really trust at all that this K-S1 sensor is supposed to be better than the other 2 of that its sensor is the best of whatever:
- it doesn't provide the ultimate resolution
- it doesn't provide the ultimate high iso perf
- it doesn't provide the best dynamic range or color deph.
Even the K3 that is supposedly worse than the K5/K5-IIs sensor at high iso it not easy to say it is really worse overall. K3 provide the sharpest images up to 1600 isos and after that, it continue to maintain more detail (more resolution) but start to have more noise than K30/K5... Properly processed even at 6400 isos, the result are really good.
I'd say guys tend to be happy with their new gear, and that's really nice. I'd say guys also tend to look at 100% crop to check the quality of their picture, and for sure the higher the resolution the more you'll see noise at high isos, softness of your lenses and so... Doesn't mean the picture as a whole is any worse.
All of this anyway is around the same performance. Just to say that I would not replace K5/K30/K01 for K-S1 in the pursue of better low light/dynamic range or whatever related to the sensor except maybe the resolution.
K-S1 is for the new ergonomics and the light/small package and compared to a K30, I'am not sure the light aspect apply that much.