[Jeff]

Pentax gets more than one mention here - and from both Chris and Jordan!

Yes, it's DPReview, but any marketing / promotion is good, is it not?

You Tube

You Tube

[biz-engineer]

Pentax K-1 ranked #5 is probably because it's so good ergonomically that it can't be ignored. Their conclusion is "a complicated camera with a simple interface", I don't see what's more complicated on a K1 than any other digital camera these days, Pentax manual is less than 150 pages long total, Nikon's manual is around 800 pages... the one more complicated is the Nikon. Otherwise, with regards to ease of handling a K1, I'm sure if handled by a group of people who know nothing about camera, the K1 would probably come out in the top 3 along with the EOS R3 or Z9 , DSLR style handling. Anything Pentax K1 fall short off is certainly not ergonomics and user interface, but rather its speed of operation and auto-focus.

[Serkevan]

Pentax K-1 ranked #5 is probably because it's so good ergonomically that it can't be ignored. Their conclusion is "a complicated camera with a simple interface", I don't see what's more complicated on a K1 than any other digital camera these days, Pentax manual is less than 150 pages long total, Nikon's manual is around 800 pages... the one more complicated is the Nikon. Otherwise, with regards to ease of handling a K1, I'm sure if handled by a group of people who know nothing about camera, the K1 would probably come out in the top 3 along with the EOS R3 or Z9 , DSLR style handling. Anything Pentax K1 fall short off is certainly not ergonomics and user interface, but rather its speed of operation and auto-focus.

The manual length means nothing.
I could squish my 120-page thesis down to a couple pages

Jokes aside, the Pentax is not only crammed with features but also with buttons and dials. It does take a bit to set everything to taste, but once done that machine's a wonder of muscle memory. I took their mention of how "complicated" the camera was as praise, actually, in the sense of "all this stuff and they make it look so easy".

[biz-engineer]

Jokes aside, the Pentax is not only crammed with features but also with buttons and dials. It does take a bit to set everything to taste, but once done that machine's a wonder of muscle memory. I took their mention of how "complicated" the camera was as praise, actually, in the sense of "all this stuff and they make it look so easy".

If it was me, the K1 would be #1, but that's because I'm used to it. Now, having used other cameras, I would not rank K1 #5 if I was 100% objective, K1 would come 3rd worst case. Being aware of my preference and bias, the ranking in that video is completely flawed because it's done by a Canon and Nikon user, that's just wrong. The cameras should be given in a blind test fashion to a group of people who aren't used to any kind of camera, and I'm sure the K1 would rank much better, and maybe #1. It was interesting how blind testing of "color science" and DPR testing differed in the past.

[Jonathan Mac]

Given that pretty much everyone knows that handling is a Pentax forté, as is build quality, which impacts handling, and given how anti-Pentax DPR are overall, coming in at #5 probably means that in reality it's head-and-shoulders above all the other cameras mentioned.

It irked me a little that he talks about the K1(II) in the past tense, as if it weren't a current model.

[Serkevan]

If it was me, the K1 would be #1, but that's because I'm used to it. Now, having used other cameras, I would not rank K1 #5 if I was 100% objective, K1 would come 3rd worst case. Being aware of my preference and bias, the ranking in that video is completely flawed because it's done by a Canon and Nikon user, that's just wrong. The cameras should be given in a blind test fashion to a group of people who aren't used to any kind of camera, and I'm sure the K1 would rank much better, and maybe #1. It was interesting how blind testing of "color science" and DPR testing differed in the past.

I'm not sure the K-1 handles better than the K-7 if only because of the crop camera being significantly lighter despite being only a touch smaller.
Either handles much better than the Canon 5D/6D, the Sony NEX-6 and the Nikon D5600 (the other cameras I've handled longer than a quick check at the store).

For me and my big hands, the Pentax grip is unsurpassed.

[biz-engineer]

It irked me a little that he talks about the K1(II) in the past tense, as if it weren't a current model.

He used the past tense not all the time, but likely referring to when he reviewed the K1 and 645z

[biz-engineer]

I'm not sure which one out of the Pentax K1, 645z and K3 III grips is best designed. I never tried a K3 III, but I believe it is even better designed than the K1's grip. The 645z however is the "Rolls Royce" of cameras, from perspective of its buttons and right hand handle.

[zapp]

The K1 software interface is not perfect, but I often spend more time getting to know other cameras. Positioning of buttons, type of controls are very nice though. I assume K3iii will improve on that, but the next FF will improve on K3iii. Life is good.

[JensE]

If it was me, the K1 would be #1, but that's because I'm used to it. Now, having used other cameras, I would not rank K1 #5 if I was 100% objective, K1 would come 3rd worst case. Being aware of my preference and bias, the ranking in that video is completely flawed because it's done by a Canon and Nikon user, that's just wrong. The cameras should be given in a blind test fashion to a group of people who aren't used to any kind of camera, and I'm sure the K1 would rank much better, and maybe #1. It was interesting how blind testing of "color science" and DPR testing differed in the past.

It was meant to be subjective, so there's nothing wrong talking about 'my top-5'. Weight was obviously a criterion where the K-1, similar to the Nikon D 850, lost in his preference. After an hour of shooting macros with e.g. the Irix 150mm handheld, I can relate to it. Weight aside, there is definitely room for improvement on the K-1, such as e.g. display brightness, sluggish live-view, focus peaking color, and he hasn't handled a K-3 III yet for any significant time, I suppose :-) But all the pros of course make the K-1 a joy to use for me. The feature set definitely plays a big role, I remember not liking the K-3 handling too much coming from the K-5, because more things to manage meant less direct button and switch control.

[MadBill]

Funny how it's one camera per manufacturer. Trying to avoid offending companies and users? But the K-1/K-1ii are nice cameras to use. Kirk Tuck at the Visual Science Lab tried the K-1 for a while and liked using it (except for AF issues.) Of course he is a long time pro not bothered by size and weight. He suggested it would be a good idea for Sony to hire Pentax to design a menu system for them.

[RobA_Oz]

Pentax K-1 ranked #5 is probably because it's so good ergonomically that it can't be ignored. Their conclusion is "a complicated camera with a simple interface", I don't see what's more complicated on a K1 than any other digital camera these days, Pentax manual is less than 150 pages long total, Nikon's manual is around 800 pages... the one more complicated is the Nikon. Otherwise, with regards to ease of handling a K1, I'm sure if handled by a group of people who know nothing about camera, the K1 would probably come out in the top 3 along with the EOS R3 or Z9 , DSLR style handling. Anything Pentax K1 fall short off is certainly not ergonomics and user interface, but rather its speed of operation and auto-focus.

Given the current bias toward EV cameras, I’d venture to say that they call it “complicated” because it’s a DSLR. Of course, the greater complication on an electronic viewfinder is hidden in the little bits of silicon, so that’s overlooked by comparison with the obvious mechanical extras on the DSLR.

[JensE]

Given the current bias toward EV cameras, I’d venture to say that they call it “complicated” because it’s a DSLR.

The way it was put, it referred to 'feature rich' or 'expert camera' with lots of direct controls, nothing about the viewfinder. Two of the cameras in his top-5 are DSLRs, one is a rangefinder hybrid - both optical and electronic. It's a tie. He actually avoided am electronic vs. optical finder discussion altogether.

[RobA_Oz]

The way it was put, it referred to 'feature rich' or 'expert camera' with lots of direct controls, nothing about the viewfinder. Two of the cameras in his top-5 are DSLRs, one is a rangefinder hybrid - both optical and electronic. It's a tie. He actually avoided am electronic vs. optical finder discussion altogether.

That would be a step in the right direction. Perhaps declining camera sales has pushed them more toward seeking more diverse sources of income. A lot of comment on PF about DPR suggests the bias is conscious, and perhaps it is for some, but environment also plays a part in shaping opinion. The zeitgeist has been all about the viewfinder for a long time. I hope it’s becoming passé.

[niels hansen]

The best handling camera is almost always the one you use the most