[D1N0]

Special K? Pentax K-1 Review: Digital Photography Review

[RonHendriks1966]

Funny there is no mention of Canon at all in it. Nikon can go to sleep and don't worry. A good test I Think.

[Rupert]

They knocked some of the things they also praised about it. I guess with their Nikon, Sony, and Canon revenue at risk, they at least had to attempt to downgrade it?

Did they offer an alternative...at that price? Did they offer SR and Pixel Shift at any price? They didn't totally trash it....but I bet they wanted to.

Regards!

[D1N0]

Good test?

Their cons:


Poor Autofocus performance (nonsense that's just about tracking something moving toward you)
No dedicated AF point selector (though it can be set as four-way default) push one button and it is dedicated.
Limited modern full-frame lens selection (but lot's of legacy glass)
Limited uses for Pixel Shift Resolution shooting modes (static environments) (compared to no pixels shift resolution at all)
Limited Raw support for Pixel Shift Files ('software is supplied)
Low-spec video and limited focus control in video mode (nothing about quality? just spec???????)
Nested menu layout. (The Menu's are fine)
Limited control customization (did they try? they probably couldn't find it in the menu they don't like)
Poor default JPEG settings (they are settings. The fact they don't like them doesn't matter, they can change them through the menu they don't like)

And IBIS is not among pro's

[Marktax]

I don't find the Green Button's basic "hyper-program" functionality explained at all, just mention of it as the stop down metering route, and other unstated customizations. The basic functions (not customizations) of the green button -- i.e., what it was first designed to do when it appeared on the MZ-S -- as a shortcut back to the program exposure solution from any exposure alteration, in any exposure mode, and as shortcut back to baseline from any exposure compensation (both ambient and flash), are well worth describing under the "Controls" heading. Given that their reviews are intended to give prospective buyers info on handling as much as IQ, I think under-explaining Pentax's brilliant implementation of the green button functions is a big oversight.

[biz-engineer]

Missed 85% of bike shots? Wow.

[Fenwoodian]

Overall, I found this to be a good and fair review. I totally agree with their conclusions and "pros" and "cons".

The only thing that I'd change is that they don't have a category to evaluate "super resolution". They only rate the "quality of JPGs" and the "quality of standard RAW" files in their graph that's just above their conclusions.

I expect more and more camera manufacturers will be coming out with their own forms of super resolution in the future. DP Review needs to add another category called "quality of super resolution" files.

To me the K1's pixel-shift super-resolution capability is much more important than it's capability to shoot JPGs or standard RAW image files. Not including a separate rating category for super resolution shows that their rating system is "so yesterday's technology".

[monochrome]

The Amazon standard is Canon, Nikon or Mirrorless and Pentax North America is incapable of educating the camera punditry community.

[jimr-pdx]

Any time video is deemed important Pentax will lose a few points. It shocks me that video in a camera this ambitious (from any brand) is considered a point in either direction - but if it's possible by one brand, even if it does poorly in every stills category, changes the expectations. The gold standard is top-notch ability for every feature that's ever been attempted, so no surprise the K-1 isn't such a camera. Most of us are really glad that's the case!

[redcat]

The AF on the K1 is still something holding this camera back in the review, hope Pentax can improve this aspect. All other aspects are already top-notch, class-leading, best-of-category. Video is not that important for photographer IMHO
Just a little bit more to take back the throne, Ricoh

[Marktax]

Any time video is deemed important Pentax will lose a few points. It shocks me that video in a camera this ambitious (from any brand) is considered a point in either direction - but if it's possible by one brand, even if it does poorly in every stills category, changes the expectations. The gold standard is top-notch ability for every feature that's ever been attempted, so no surprise the K-1 isn't such a camera. Most of us are really glad that's the case!

I'll second that!

[biz-engineer]

Ricoh just have to tune the AF for the bike test (they could even add "DPR Bike AF" to select for the menus, so that the camera get a good review, if the point of a camera is to get good reviews.

[Kunzite]

Perhaps a dialog when first starting the camera: "Are you DPReview? Y/N".

[slip]

autofocus sounds like a step up from my K3 but nothing to run out the door to buy. maybe the next version will have a big difference

Randy

[Apapukas]

It is confusing why PF and DPReview came to such different conclusions regarding AF performance.

PF gave it 9/10 (very good), while DPReview concluded that the AF is poor (4-5?).

Maybe more K1 users can comment about their experience