How many APSC shooters will truly upgrade to K1

kjphilippona · 05-14-2016, 01:35 PM

I am just curious, for those that owned the K3 or K3II and have purchased the K1. I can purchase a used K3 for around $500 and new for $699, is the K1 3 times more camera than the K3. For me i started with the K50 and K30, then some off the best glass, but still no WOW. Everyone said it was the photographer and not the gear, they can take great pictures with the same setup. I then purchased the K5II and with the DA* and FA primes i own, WOW! I don't have to try very hard to get good pictures, with the other two i had to be on my game to get decent pictures. My daughter has confiscated the K5II and all my FA limited primes and DA* lenses so i want another just for me. I have thought about getting another K5II / K5IIs or K3, even pondered getting the K1 since i have some very nice lenses that will work on the FF camera, just not sure if it would be worth spending that much money.

**clackers** · 05-14-2016, 01:56 PM

Originally posted by kjphilippona

. For me i started with the K50 and K30, then some off the best glass, but still no WOW. Everyone said it was the photographer and not the gear, they can take great pictures with the same setup. I then purchased the K5II and with the DA* and FA primes i own, WOW! I don't have to try very hard to get good pictures, with the other two i had to be on my game to get decent pictures. .

Always interesting to see the subjectivity of our judgments ... for you, KJP, 'WOW!' appears to be the difference between having an AA filter or not. ☺

Those three cameras are otherwise similar.

**Wingincamera** · 05-14-2016, 03:15 PM - **1 Like**

I like the increase iso with less noise, and the fold out lcd screen of the K-1. I probably will move from my K-S2 to a K-1 when I can afford it. First is a laptop that can handle the increase file size. My current Asus laptop only has 6GB ram and the jump from the K-5 II to the K-S2 is slowing it down in LR and PS. The K-1 would overwhelm my current system, especially doing layers & photo merges in PS. So first step is the computer. I just ordered a Asus ROG G752 which at my age might do me till the Lord takes me home. It will take me about a year to save up for the K-1 now.

**monochrome** · 05-14-2016, 07:34 PM - **1 Like**

Yes. Yes.

surfar · 05-14-2016, 09:22 PM - **1 Like**

I got my K1 as few days ago after only going to the shop to look and feel it

The shop owner is a highly qualified lens technician, long time Pentax shooter.He showed me what the camera was capable of and its highly impressive.I had been considering a Sony but more than happy now.The SO, is a canon agent and mostly sells that and he has Nikon & Sony.
He told me he sold a A$9000(k1 is 2800)Canon to a customer last week but considers the K1 a much better camera.In fact, he said, the K1 will redefine the FF dslr segment.
He is highly regarded by the Japanese, being asked to do a series of shots for when the K3 was launched in Australia.

nomadkng · 05-14-2016, 10:05 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by kjphilippona

I am just curious, for those that owned the K3 or K3II and have purchased the K1. I can purchase a used K3 for around $500 and new for $699, is the K1 3 times more camera than the K3. For me i started with the K50 and K30, then some off the best glass, but still no WOW. Everyone said it was the photographer and not the gear, they can take great pictures with the same setup. I then purchased the K5II and with the DA* and FA primes i own, WOW! I don't have to try very hard to get good pictures, with the other two i had to be on my game to get decent pictures. My daughter has confiscated the K5II and all my FA limited primes and DA* lenses so i want another just for me. I have thought about getting another K5II / K5IIs or K3, even pondered getting the K1 since i have some very nice lenses that will work on the FF camera, just not sure if it would be worth spending that much money.

I've said it a hundred times in the last couple weeks as thread after thread has popped up with people begging to be convinced that they should buy a K1. if YOU don't know why you want or need one, you don't need one. Some people have purchased it because of this feature or that feature. Some people have purchased it because it's the latest and greatest and they hope it will make them a better photographer.

I purchased my K1 because it can do things with an image, my K3 could not. I nearly bailed for Nikon because I fell in love with what the D810 could do. As a primarily landscape shooter, it enhanced my photographic style. I hesitated when the K1 was announced until it was confirmed that it basically had the same sensor as the D8xx series. That was all I needed to hear. I pre-ordered within an hour.

So why did I get a K1? Because my expectations, my shooting style, pretty much demanded I go FF. Is the difference 3x times my old K3? It doesn't have to be. It just has to BE different in the way I need it to be different. Once you figure out what you demand from your photography, once you crash headlong into the limits of the K3 and you realize it can't ever do what you need it to do to reflect your vision, THEN you'll understand it's not necessarily quantitative math.

**Rondec** · 05-15-2016, 03:06 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by kjphilippona

I am just curious, for those that owned the K3 or K3II and have purchased the K1. I can purchase a used K3 for around $500 and new for $699, is the K1 3 times more camera than the K3. For me i started with the K50 and K30, then some off the best glass, but still no WOW. Everyone said it was the photographer and not the gear, they can take great pictures with the same setup. I then purchased the K5II and with the DA* and FA primes i own, WOW! I don't have to try very hard to get good pictures, with the other two i had to be on my game to get decent pictures. My daughter has confiscated the K5II and all my FA limited primes and DA* lenses so i want another just for me. I have thought about getting another K5II / K5IIs or K3, even pondered getting the K1 since i have some very nice lenses that will work on the FF camera, just not sure if it would be worth spending that much money.

I would say that the things that I notice as improvement are (in no particular order) better tracking auto focus, better high iso, better dynamic range, better resolution, and shallower depth of field (at wide angles). Full frame lenses have wider angle of view on a K-1 than on an APS-C, which is neither here nor there, but it does make a difference if, for instance, you are used to being able to do portraits with a 50mm lens.

It is really hard to know what you need and whether the K-1 would push your images to another level, but it certainly is a step above the K5 II.

I think most people who shoot with a K-1 will have really similar results to what they got on APS-C, albeit with more resolution.

Last edited by Rondec; 05-15-2016 at 05:27 AM.

surfar · 05-15-2016, 04:05 AM - **1 Like**

The photos on the K1 photo thread are a touch better than APS_C, they are considerably fantastic and that's with all the new owners playing around with mostly lenses they already owned.When theres a good range of suitable primes and firmware upgrades happen, I think the images will generally be superb( some are already).

ITS WORTH SPENDING THE $$$$$$$$!

**Wheatridger** · 05-15-2016, 10:29 PM

Why aren't I hearing more talk about the viewfinder? That's the most apparent difference with FF cameras I've used. It's like stepping up from the small iMac to the 27-incher. That was my experience with a succession of Sony alpha DSLRs, FF and not.

surfar · 05-15-2016, 10:31 PM

Well I don't use the viewfinder,even though I have looked thru it....yeah its good.It must be,its part of the K1.

**jatrax** · 05-15-2016, 10:38 PM

Originally posted by Wheatridger

Why aren't I hearing more talk about the viewfinder?

The viewfinder is well hard to explain. It is so good you almost don't know it is there if that makes sense. It really is miles ahead of the k-3, but you just don't even notice. Funny, until you posted I had not thought about the viewfinder. It just 'works'.

Biro · 05-18-2016, 07:14 PM

The K1 is a fabulous camera and a smoking-hot value. But I'll stick with APS-C.

reh321 · 05-18-2016, 09:12 PM

Originally posted by surfar

Well I don't use the viewfinder,even though I have looked thru it....yeah its good.It must be,its part of the K1.

I'm surprised you'd buy a K-1 and not use the viewfinder, since a quality OVF is one of the main things that has distinguished Pentax over the years. Do you shoot mostly using a tripod? I'd expect that hand-holding for LiveView would be awkward and not very stable.

I guess I'm trying to not say "what were you thinking?", but I really do wonder what would attract you to a K-1.

redcat · 05-18-2016, 10:15 PM

it is only a matter of time,all apsc shooters with get the k1

surfar · 05-19-2016, 01:17 AM

Originally posted by reh321

what would attract you to a K-1.

Same thing that attracts me to other cameras, they take good photos and/or videos.

Originally posted by reh321

not use the viewfinder

Generally I use the screen, I like it.However if the suns not giving me a clear view i'll use the viewfinder OR on my cams that don't have one i'll use a loupe(which gives me a better view than any viewfinder ive looked through.(only my opinion)

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05-14-2016, 01:35 PM	#151
kjphilippona Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Enterprise, Alabama Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,298	I am just curious, for those that owned the K3 or K3II and have purchased the K1. I can purchase a used K3 for around $500 and new for $699, is the K1 3 times more camera than the K3. For me i started with the K50 and K30, then some off the best glass, but still no WOW. Everyone said it was the photographer and not the gear, they can take great pictures with the same setup. I then purchased the K5II and with the DA* and FA primes i own, WOW! I don't have to try very hard to get good pictures, with the other two i had to be on my game to get decent pictures. My daughter has confiscated the K5II and all my FA limited primes and DA* lenses so i want another just for me. I have thought about getting another K5II / K5IIs or K3, even pondered getting the K1 since i have some very nice lenses that will work on the FF camera, just not sure if it would be worth spending that much money.

05-14-2016, 01:56 PM	#152
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	Originally posted by kjphilippona . For me i started with the K50 and K30, then some off the best glass, but still no WOW. Everyone said it was the photographer and not the gear, they can take great pictures with the same setup. I then purchased the K5II and with the DA* and FA primes i own, WOW! I don't have to try very hard to get good pictures, with the other two i had to be on my game to get decent pictures. . Always interesting to see the subjectivity of our judgments ... for you, KJP, 'WOW!' appears to be the difference between having an AA filter or not. ☺ Those three cameras are otherwise similar.

05-14-2016, 03:15 PM - 1 Like	#153
Wingincamera Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pine Haven, Wyoming Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,182	I like the increase iso with less noise, and the fold out lcd screen of the K-1. I probably will move from my K-S2 to a K-1 when I can afford it. First is a laptop that can handle the increase file size. My current Asus laptop only has 6GB ram and the jump from the K-5 II to the K-S2 is slowing it down in LR and PS. The K-1 would overwhelm my current system, especially doing layers & photo merges in PS. So first step is the computer. I just ordered a Asus ROG G752 which at my age might do me till the Lord takes me home. It will take me about a year to save up for the K-1 now.

05-14-2016, 07:34 PM - 1 Like	#154
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Yes. Yes.

05-14-2016, 09:22 PM - 1 Like	#155
surfar Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mid nth coast,nsw Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,138	I got my K1 as few days ago after only going to the shop to look and feel it The shop owner is a highly qualified lens technician, long time Pentax shooter.He showed me what the camera was capable of and its highly impressive.I had been considering a Sony but more than happy now.The SO, is a canon agent and mostly sells that and he has Nikon & Sony. He told me he sold a A$9000(k1 is 2800)Canon to a customer last week but considers the K1 a much better camera.In fact, he said, the K1 will redefine the FF dslr segment. He is highly regarded by the Japanese, being asked to do a series of shots for when the K3 was launched in Australia.

05-14-2016, 10:05 PM - 2 Likes	#156
nomadkng Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,448	Originally posted by kjphilippona I am just curious, for those that owned the K3 or K3II and have purchased the K1. I can purchase a used K3 for around $500 and new for $699, is the K1 3 times more camera than the K3. For me i started with the K50 and K30, then some off the best glass, but still no WOW. Everyone said it was the photographer and not the gear, they can take great pictures with the same setup. I then purchased the K5II and with the DA* and FA primes i own, WOW! I don't have to try very hard to get good pictures, with the other two i had to be on my game to get decent pictures. My daughter has confiscated the K5II and all my FA limited primes and DA* lenses so i want another just for me. I have thought about getting another K5II / K5IIs or K3, even pondered getting the K1 since i have some very nice lenses that will work on the FF camera, just not sure if it would be worth spending that much money. I've said it a hundred times in the last couple weeks as thread after thread has popped up with people begging to be convinced that they should buy a K1. if YOU don't know why you want or need one, you don't need one. Some people have purchased it because of this feature or that feature. Some people have purchased it because it's the latest and greatest and they hope it will make them a better photographer. I purchased my K1 because it can do things with an image, my K3 could not. I nearly bailed for Nikon because I fell in love with what the D810 could do. As a primarily landscape shooter, it enhanced my photographic style. I hesitated when the K1 was announced until it was confirmed that it basically had the same sensor as the D8xx series. That was all I needed to hear. I pre-ordered within an hour. So why did I get a K1? Because my expectations, my shooting style, pretty much demanded I go FF. Is the difference 3x times my old K3? It doesn't have to be. It just has to BE different in the way I need it to be different. Once you figure out what you demand from your photography, once you crash headlong into the limits of the K3 and you realize it can't ever do what you need it to do to reflect your vision, THEN you'll understand it's not necessarily quantitative math.

05-15-2016, 03:06 AM - 1 Like	#157
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,652	Originally posted by kjphilippona I am just curious, for those that owned the K3 or K3II and have purchased the K1. I can purchase a used K3 for around $500 and new for $699, is the K1 3 times more camera than the K3. For me i started with the K50 and K30, then some off the best glass, but still no WOW. Everyone said it was the photographer and not the gear, they can take great pictures with the same setup. I then purchased the K5II and with the DA* and FA primes i own, WOW! I don't have to try very hard to get good pictures, with the other two i had to be on my game to get decent pictures. My daughter has confiscated the K5II and all my FA limited primes and DA* lenses so i want another just for me. I have thought about getting another K5II / K5IIs or K3, even pondered getting the K1 since i have some very nice lenses that will work on the FF camera, just not sure if it would be worth spending that much money. I would say that the things that I notice as improvement are (in no particular order) better tracking auto focus, better high iso, better dynamic range, better resolution, and shallower depth of field (at wide angles). Full frame lenses have wider angle of view on a K-1 than on an APS-C, which is neither here nor there, but it does make a difference if, for instance, you are used to being able to do portraits with a 50mm lens. It is really hard to know what you need and whether the K-1 would push your images to another level, but it certainly is a step above the K5 II. I think most people who shoot with a K-1 will have really similar results to what they got on APS-C, albeit with more resolution. Last edited by Rondec; 05-15-2016 at 05:27 AM.

05-15-2016, 04:05 AM - 1 Like	#158
surfar Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mid nth coast,nsw Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,138	The photos on the K1 photo thread are a touch better than APS_C, they are considerably fantastic and that's with all the new owners playing around with mostly lenses they already owned.When theres a good range of suitable primes and firmware upgrades happen, I think the images will generally be superb( some are already). ITS WORTH SPENDING THE $$$$$$$$!

05-15-2016, 10:29 PM	#159
Wheatridger Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Colorado Front Range Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 644	Why aren't I hearing more talk about the viewfinder? That's the most apparent difference with FF cameras I've used. It's like stepping up from the small iMac to the 27-incher. That was my experience with a succession of Sony alpha DSLRs, FF and not.

05-15-2016, 10:31 PM	#160
surfar Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mid nth coast,nsw Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,138	Well I don't use the viewfinder,even though I have looked thru it....yeah its good.It must be,its part of the K1.

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05-15-2016, 10:38 PM	#161
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Originally posted by Wheatridger Why aren't I hearing more talk about the viewfinder? The viewfinder is well hard to explain. It is so good you almost don't know it is there if that makes sense. It really is miles ahead of the k-3, but you just don't even notice. Funny, until you posted I had not thought about the viewfinder. It just 'works'.

05-18-2016, 07:14 PM	#162
Biro Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,200	The K1 is a fabulous camera and a smoking-hot value. But I'll stick with APS-C.

05-18-2016, 09:12 PM	#163
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,177	Originally posted by surfar Well I don't use the viewfinder,even though I have looked thru it....yeah its good.It must be,its part of the K1. I'm surprised you'd buy a K-1 and not use the viewfinder, since a quality OVF is one of the main things that has distinguished Pentax over the years. Do you shoot mostly using a tripod? I'd expect that hand-holding for LiveView would be awkward and not very stable. I guess I'm trying to not say "what were you thinking?", but I really do wonder what would attract you to a K-1.

05-18-2016, 10:15 PM	#164
redcat Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Paris Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,939	it is only a matter of time,all apsc shooters with get the k1

05-19-2016, 01:17 AM	#165
surfar Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mid nth coast,nsw Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,138	Originally posted by reh321 what would attract you to a K-1. Same thing that attracts me to other cameras, they take good photos and/or videos. Originally posted by reh321 not use the viewfinder Generally I use the screen, I like it.However if the suns not giving me a clear view i'll use the viewfinder OR on my cams that don't have one i'll use a loupe(which gives me a better view than any viewfinder ive looked through.(only my opinion)