[Andrea K]

I think that the test must be redone with a more accurate focus and with High ISO NR at off. I don't expect that the II will be a lot better but at least not worse

[robbiec]

So posting direct to forum - 100% crops of the noise might be best?

Or throw them up on Smugmug. They allow original sizing to be shown.

[Greenneck]

I think that the test must be redone with a more accurate focus and with High ISO NR at off. I don't expect that the II will be a lot better but at least not worse

Isn't the NR what is being tested here? Or should the new chip have less noise before NR is applied by the setting?

[Królik]

The final noise level depends heavily on other post-processing like curves, saturation, contrast, sharpening, NR etc. So comparing jpegs is a bad idea, because these cameras apply some heavy processing automatically, which can be different in either camera. I can imagine JPEG NR on K1 II may be a tad weaker to compensate better sensor noise output, but leaving more detail and better colours.

Yesterday someone posted colour charts pictured in DNG/PEF and it is obvious K1 II has a better color saturation and higher DR while retaining the same or very similar noise levels. Comparing noise levels is meaningful only if you have all the other things equal.

However, I must admit the difference is not ground-breaking to me and I wouldn't upgrade if it was the only feature. K1 was already excellent and hard to beat.

[Andrea K]

Isn't the NR what is being tested here? Or should the new chip have less noise before NR is applied by the setting?

Seems that the Accelerator Unit acts before the JPEG engine.

[Andrea K]

The final noise level depends heavily on other post-processing like curves, saturation, contrast, sharpening, NR etc. So comparing jpegs is a bad idea, because these cameras apply some heavy processing automatically, which can be different in either camera. I can imagine JPEG NR on K1 II may be a tad weaker to compensate better sensor noise output, but leaving more detail and better colours.

Yesterday someone posted colour charts pictured in DNG/PEF and it is obvious K1 II has a better color saturation and higher DR while retaining the same or very similar noise levels. Comparing noise levels is meaningful only if you have all the other things equal.

However, I must admit the difference is not ground-breaking to me and I wouldn't upgrade if it was the only feature. K1 was already excellent and hard to beat.

You mean the colour charts where the II has a green/yellow cast?
Pentax K-1 versus K-1 Mark II: altas sensibilidades - Blog de Tienda Pentaxeros

[Gimbal]

Seems to me there is less noise and less details in the II version, could be nothing but heavier noise reduction in work.
Well I guess we have to wait for the raw files to be able to tell anything.

[texandrews]

You mean the colour charts where the II has a green/yellow cast?
Pentax K-1 versus K-1 Mark II: altas sensibilidades - Blog de Tienda Pentaxeros

Yellow green cast? I'm not seeing that.

[Andrea K]

Yellow green cast? I'm not seeing that.

If I check the RGB values in the white square es:
K-1 Mark I : 209,204,200
K-1 Mark II: 207,194,178

These tests are really unreliable and what is worse is that we will have to wait for digital amazon reviews to get better ones.

[andy271]

hi guys I got a k-1 recently and havemt used it yet as I can still get a refund within 28days my time is running out could anyone compare the pixel shift files of the new k-1 mk 2 as I could order that if its better I got my k-1 £1500 so another £300 for version 2 I don't really know if its worth it but pixel shift hand held does sound good but is it all hype

[texandrews]

If I check the RGB values in the white square es:
K-1 Mark I : 209,204,200
K-1 Mark II: 207,194,178

These tests are really unreliable and what is worse is that we will have to wait for digital amazon reviews to get better ones.

OK, so that was not the iso I was looking at! I have little interest in this iso. But now that I go back, I see what you mean in the grey, although several of the colors look better.

[Tan68]

hi guys I got a k-1 recently and havemt used it yet ...

Don't know. Hope you get your answer soon.

Meanwhile, I applaud you for not yet using the camera you may return.

[andy271]

im coming from the sigma merrills which use the foveon sensor and have seen samples of the pixel shift and have been impressed so hoping the k-1 m2 is as good and if the pixel shift works hand held that could make me return the k-1 although having said that I mainly use tripod but im sure hand held would come in handy

[Rico]

Fellas,

I made a few test images available on flickr, made with the Pentax K-1 II. These are in-camera JPEGs with the final, production firmware. All settings were Auto, except for WB which was set prior shooting. The used lens was a Pentax-FA 43/1,9 Ltd at F/8. Camera was set to normal picture mode (default is bright), center-weighted. AF was set to spot (center AF point).

Pentax K-1 II ISO (In-camera JPEGs) | Flickr

I repeated the same sequence with the original K-1 with the same settings, available here:

Pentax K-1 I ISO 100 | In-camera JPEG Unprocessed All settin? | Flickr

In the next days, I will update the stream with handheld pixelshift images processed with DIgital Camera Utility.

Have fun!

Thanks for taking the time to provide these images.

From what I am seeing I will be upgrading my K-1. I am not seeing less detail. I am seeing better 3D quality starting from ISO 100. The color is much cleaner in the MkII images even from ISO 100 without making the images look plastic. I am not seeing a smoothing or "smudging" of the color which can soften the detail.

In the upper right corner where the book cast a shadow on the table top the MkII images at all ISO holds a more uniform shadow transition. The red glass appears to be in a more believable 3D space in the MkII images from the cleaner color. This all becomes more apparent at higher ISO's. At ISO 25,800 the MkII does an excellent job at maintaining that shadow cast by the book while keeping the 3D space between the red glass and the book..

Without asking to much the same type of motif using Pixel Shift at say ISO 100 and ISO 8000 would be great. I think choosing just three ISO's the base 100, 3200 and 8000 shot in RAW would give a sufficient range to judge the improvements.

[biz-engineer]

These tests are really unreliable and what is worse is that we will have to wait for digital amazon reviews to get better ones.

If it is hard to see a difference by pixel peeping, it's going to be hard for me to see why I'd buy a K1 II.