[thibs]

Got to handle K-1 and DFAs yesterday.
Guys from Ricoh had at least 3 K-1 bodies, firmware in beta stage of course.
Will post a couple photos later regarding size comparison with my K5.
Of course, feel free to ask any question, it is difficult to check so many things when you finaly get the camera.

So, my impressions and couple things I could check:
* AF is NOT D5 style, do not even hope or you'll moan for weeks and there are enough moaners right now BUT... AF still felt a lot better, although I'm used to my K-5, of course. Ability to select group of af points and move it it any direction (3x3 it was I think) is very useful.

* Size/weight: K-1 really isn't that much bigger or heavier. 1 cm higher and that's about it. I did NOT felt that weight was such an issue, playing with K1 and 70-200. But the 70-200 was a bit hard to use because it was so big, it is a bit akward for me to turn the rings

* Screen is way more sturdy that it looks and there's NO hole behind it. At all. Double checked. But what looks like holes are there because there're screws behind the screens.

* VF is quite nice, not that much bigger (my MX still trumps it) but quite bright, as expected. markings are very well done, a pity about microprism possibility but it really adds to the whole thing. When a point has detected focus is OK it will light up briefly in red then stay black. All of'em if needed.
Crop is indicated very visibly in the VF as a very bold border indicates the crop area but only in crop mode of course. The horizontal / vertical alignment of the body is also displayed in the VF (not under it) and is IMO much more useful that way.
A K-5 VF with APS will still be bigger than K-1 with cropped activated. O-ME53 will physically fit (eyepieces are compatible) but I dunno more they didn't have any and neither did I.

* Crop: can be changed from the top knob or the menu. Only the menu (go figure why) allowed for 1:1 square aspect (correctly shown on the screen in the VF). APS, FF and Auto also present of course. A couple settings from the knob will only be notified on the rear screen and not on the tiny top screen.

* FPS speed seemed to me more than enough so I don't give a damn about 'less fps than K3' thing.

* In short: too expensive to me but I love it

* All present DFAs (didn't see the 150-450) were all final, so including the 70-200. And all are really very well finished. Very nice toys.

* 50-135 of course did vignette but looking at the crop area, thre's quite a number of rescuable pixels. Of course quality risks to suffer.
* DA35 macro was, virtually, showing NO vigneting. There may be of course but slight then (or quality down but impossible to check on VF).

That's it, maybe I forgot some details but feel free to ask

EDIT: shutter noise quite quiet. More into the highs then my K5. Something like 'clouitsch' instead of 'clutch' but I excpected a noisier shutter noise.

---

Last edited by thibs; 03-06-2016 at 09:16 AM.

[wed7]

Thank you for sharing

[Ishpuini]

Great report Thibs!!

So square crop via menu but not via smart selector? With assorted indication in the VF? Intriguing... Firmware bug, or surprise feature?

Tx, Wim

[Shanti]

Thanks Thibs...how was AF on 70-200 ,as same motor as 150-450, was it like D7200 ish ?? ,of course not D5

[Winder]

AF is NOT D5 style, do not even hope

Was it even as good as a D810 or D610?

There must be a second higher spec body that Ricoh is going to release this Fall. Kenspro keeps saying Rich is targeting the professional market, but without competitive AF they will never compete. Unless there are a large number of professionals working a large collection of K-mount glass from the 1970's that I don't know about.

[jbinpg]

Thanks, Thibs! Looks like the 1:1 crop will be going into my User Modes ! Did you notice if there is a square crop available?

[JBox]

Hi thibs, thanks for the report!

How would you say the viewfinder compares to other Pentax viewfinders? I am used to the LX FA-1, which I think is slightly smaller than the MX (I have not used the MX). I have also been playing with a Super A. It's viewfinder is noticeably smaller than the LX, but still very usable in my opinion. Any thoughts on those?

[wissink]

Very neat, thanks for sharing. I'm very keen on the DA 35 working at least reasonably well on the K1. Love that lens.

[ppohja]

Looks like the 1:1 crop will be going into my User Modes ! Did you notice if there is a square crop available?

Whats the difference between 1:1 crop and square crop?

[biz-engineer]

did you try the LED lighting in complete darkness? I often photograph darkness

[debakarma]

K-1 report from Imaging Days (Brussels, Belgium)

thibs - thank you so much for the great report. Where did you test this? Is this a camera outlet in Brussels/Antwerp/Gent or the Ricoh office. The old Ricoh office used to be in Zaventem, but they have now shifted.

Besides the K-1, my interest is in the DFA 24-70/2.8. Were you able to test this on the K-1 - whats your take. Can you post some pics with the K-1 or K5 + DFA 24-70?

[thibs]

Thanks Thibs...how was AF on 70-200 ,as same motor as 150-450, was it like D7200 ish ?? ,of course not D5

Surely faster than my 50-135 lol. Difficult to say 'cos fast moving objects in an exhibition fair are rare
I have no Nikons to compare to, unfortuntely. Don't expect a bomb. Put it is getting better IMO. A field test is necessary IMO.

---------- Post added 06-03-16 at 18:45 ----------

Hi thibs, thanks for the report!

How would you say the viewfinder compares to other Pentax viewfinders? I am used to the LX FA-1, which I think is slightly smaller than the MX (I have not used the MX). I have also been playing with a Super A. It's viewfinder is noticeably smaller than the LX, but still very usable in my opinion. Any thoughts on those?

Mmm I should check all my cameras and compare but the remaining crop to APS is clearly smaller than a K-5 VF. Usable IMO but smaller.
It might be equal or bigger using the O-ME53 or alike.
I'd say the K-5 (uncropped of course) is somewhere between cropped K-1 and FF K-1. But even cropped, the K-1 seemed brighter to me.

With proper (FF) lens, the K-1 kills a K-5 IMO: bigger (not way huge, NOT like an MX) but brighter too. But its usability (with the LCD surimposition) is IMO so good and practical, I would not be bothered personally. You lose a bit of area but you gain much more usability (IMO of course).

---------- Post added 06-03-16 at 18:48 ----------

Thanks, Thibs! Looks like the 1:1 crop will be going into my User Modes ! Did you notice if there is a square crop available?

1:1 means square to me.

---------- Post added 06-03-16 at 18:48 ----------

Whats the difference between 1:1 crop and square crop?

None

---------- Post added 06-03-16 at 18:49 ----------

did you try the LED lighting in complete darkness? I often photograph darkness

Nope, I don't think the Ricoh guys would have liked if I'd borrowed the toy even for 5 minutes

---------- Post added 06-03-16 at 18:54 ----------

thibs - thank you so much for the great report. Where did you test this? Is this a camera outlet in Brussels/Antwerp/Gent or the Ricoh office. The old Ricoh office used to be in Zaventem, but they have now shifted.

Besides the K-1, my interest is in the DFA 24-70/2.8. Were you able to test this on the K-1 - whats your take. Can you post some pics with the K-1 or K5 + DFA 24-70?

Imaging days, every begining march in Tour et Taxis, Brussels. Not much ads for the event though, mostly desert
Was both 5th and 6th march, 1 euros fee I gladly paid for trying the beast

Memory cards were forbidden so no pictures taken with but I could take many pics. I have one with 70-200 though.
The lens is very nice but.. BIG. I mean fat Lens seemed to AF well enough but coming from a K-5 it'd better...
For all DFAs coating was quite nice, tried a light right (too far to my taste) into the 15-30 and there was barely flare. Right into it and a powerfull spot.

[thibs]

K-1 next to K-5


Idem, 24-70 on the K-1, 50-135 on the K-5.


Sorry, upside down but shows the LV screen and square crop.


Nicely balanced combo I'd say
Yep, final version of the 70-200.

[D1N0]

So it does have different crop modes instead of just aps-c. Maybe there are more surprises hidden in the firmware.

[thibs]

So it does have different crop modes instead of just aps-c. Maybe there are more surprises hidden in the firmware.

But didn't show up when using top knob, only menu. Maybe it will appear there too maybe completely disappear.