MX-1 Field Test Video

photocat · 02-12-2013, 06:04 PM

That was a great video! Thank you - so great in fact I now have a MX-1 on the way (Amazon (U.S) has it for $461 -- I'm sure it is a brief price drop as one of the third party vendors has it for that price, so I figured I grab it before it bounces back up)

TCSJordan · 02-12-2013, 11:55 PM

Originally posted by vapentaxuser

I got this camera yesterday and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. The build quality is not that great despite the brass on the top and bottom. It feels sort of hollow and cheap compared to others in this price class (the Canon G15, for example). I thought the camera was also awkward to hold and to shoot with...I didn't like the thumb rest on the back and it just doesn't feel very stable to hold. I also noticed a lot of detail smearing even at ISO400....moreso than others in this class of camera.

However, the exposure is pretty good. I thought the menu was laid out nicely and the autofocus performance is very good, even in low light. The color reproduction is accurate, if a little muted. It's not a terrible camera, but I wanted to try this before committing completely to the Canon G15 and I think I'll stick with the Canon as my compact of choice. It has an overexposing problem, but it has better controls, ergonomics, color reproduction, built quality, noise performance, battery life...the list goes on.

My .02 is that folks should wait to see if Pentax cuts the price before committing to this camera.

While most of your complaints with the MX-1 are subjective and I wouldn't dispute them (Though I personally don't think the camera feels cheap at all), we tested the High ISO resolution of both the G15 and MX-1 and found exactly the opposite result. The MX-1 had much more detail and more noise, while the G15 had substantially less resolution, but also less chromatic noise. Same results in RAW.

brelip · 02-13-2013, 06:36 AM

wow, the price drop has begun. I wonder why vendors don't offer 2% rewards on this item.

bigdog104 · 03-07-2013, 08:23 AM

Originally posted by TCSJordan

I shoot the TCSTV videos, and Chris and I are both big Pentax fans. As our rebuttal to the terrible CNET review, we present our own MX-1 video:

Thanks for posting this, I posted the awful CNET review to the forum and was going to post your review but did a search and found out that you had beat me to it.

Thanks for covering Pentax, this review, the one for the K-30 and K-01 were all very informative. Really enjoy TCSTV videos, even for the cameras I will never be able to own (Leica Monochrom)

Apple · 04-07-2013, 07:51 AM

super cool, i loved the video

**LaurenOE** · 04-07-2013, 08:13 AM

You guys are some of my favorite Internet camera personalities. You're always pretty good to Pentax and it shows! Thanks for the videos! Keep them coming!

**paulh** · 04-07-2013, 11:06 AM

Well done review - enjoyed it!

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02-12-2013, 06:04 PM	#16
photocat Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Virginia (USA) Posts: 48	That was a great video! Thank you - so great in fact I now have a MX-1 on the way (Amazon (U.S) has it for $461 -- I'm sure it is a brief price drop as one of the third party vendors has it for that price, so I figured I grab it before it bounces back up)

02-12-2013, 11:55 PM	#17
TCSJordan Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 98 Original Poster	Originally posted by vapentaxuser I got this camera yesterday and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. The build quality is not that great despite the brass on the top and bottom. It feels sort of hollow and cheap compared to others in this price class (the Canon G15, for example). I thought the camera was also awkward to hold and to shoot with...I didn't like the thumb rest on the back and it just doesn't feel very stable to hold. I also noticed a lot of detail smearing even at ISO400....moreso than others in this class of camera. However, the exposure is pretty good. I thought the menu was laid out nicely and the autofocus performance is very good, even in low light. The color reproduction is accurate, if a little muted. It's not a terrible camera, but I wanted to try this before committing completely to the Canon G15 and I think I'll stick with the Canon as my compact of choice. It has an overexposing problem, but it has better controls, ergonomics, color reproduction, built quality, noise performance, battery life...the list goes on. My .02 is that folks should wait to see if Pentax cuts the price before committing to this camera. While most of your complaints with the MX-1 are subjective and I wouldn't dispute them (Though I personally don't think the camera feels cheap at all), we tested the High ISO resolution of both the G15 and MX-1 and found exactly the opposite result. The MX-1 had much more detail and more noise, while the G15 had substantially less resolution, but also less chromatic noise. Same results in RAW.

02-13-2013, 06:36 AM	#18
brelip Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Dallas, TX Photos: Albums Posts: 71	wow, the price drop has begun. I wonder why vendors don't offer 2% rewards on this item.

03-07-2013, 08:23 AM	#19
bigdog104 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: South Carolina Photos: Gallery Posts: 289	Originally posted by TCSJordan I shoot the TCSTV videos, and Chris and I are both big Pentax fans. As our rebuttal to the terrible CNET review, we present our own MX-1 video: Thanks for posting this, I posted the awful CNET review to the forum and was going to post your review but did a search and found out that you had beat me to it. Thanks for covering Pentax, this review, the one for the K-30 and K-01 were all very informative. Really enjoy TCSTV videos, even for the cameras I will never be able to own (Leica Monochrom)

04-07-2013, 07:51 AM	#20
Apple Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 28	super cool, i loved the video

04-07-2013, 08:13 AM	#21
LaurenOE Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Back in Florida, but worldwide gigs! Photos: Albums Posts: 3,690	You guys are some of my favorite Internet camera personalities. You're always pretty good to Pentax and it shows! Thanks for the videos! Keep them coming!

04-07-2013, 11:06 AM	#22
paulh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: DFW Texas/Ventura County, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 33,262	Well done review - enjoyed it!