[butangmucat]

So this post is a continuation of https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/76-non-pentax-cameras-canon-nikon-etc/325...acy-glass.html

What happened recently is that I have ordered a Chinon K-mount SLR body along with a Auto Sears 50mm f1.7 MC (K-mount) Lens Reviews - Miscellaneous Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database (see https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/8-pentax-film-slr-discussion/328005-k-mou...ml#post3744259 ) and I have decided to put my few Minolta SR mount glass (except a Rokkor 50/1.7, other Minolta glass was not very satisfying, which includes a Vivitar/Kiron 28/2.5 and an RMC Tokina 28/2.8 [which I will just get the better, non-RMC version]) aside and standardize my old glass armory on M42 and K mounts. This in turn makes the K-01 an good option (it's around 150 bucks cheaper on Amazon but without an EVF, which is no longer a deal breaker for me) for now. However it seems that for 'M' lenses, I have to do the green button trick and Av mode is not available. My shooting style is to prefocus (presumably hyperfocal) and use the Av mode to deal with light change, which seems to be hard to achieve on the K-01 unless I restrict that body to M42 lenses.

Any suggestions on what to choose?

Sincerely

[BigMackCam]

If you're shooting RAW, the K-01 is far superior to the a6000 in terms of shadow detail, particularly when recovering shadows in post-processing. The a6000 uses Sony's lossy 11+7 bit raw compression. Much of the time, this isn't an issue, especially at smaller viewing sizes and prints. But, if you have areas of high contrast - a dark or silhouetted object against a bright sky, for instance - when you bring up the shadows in post-processing you'll see compression artefacts along the edges of the dark object. Others have noticed it impacting star-trail photos too. This one factor alone would make me avoid the a6000...

[stein]

A compact preview of all technical data, features and direct comparison, side-by-side: Pentax K-01 vs Sony a6000 Detailed Comparison

I chose K-S1 over both of these some eight-nine months ago even though I was seriously considering Sony A6000 (ended up getting more at 1/2 of the price)

[BigMackCam]

I chose K-S1 over both of these some eight-nine months ago even though I was seriously considering Sony A6000 (ended up getting more at 1/2 of the price)

Actually, the K-S1 makes a lot of sense here. WIth the exception of the prism housing and the viewfinder cup, the dimensions and weight are almost identical to the K-01... plus you get a viewfinder and PDAF thrown in

[Na Horuk]

The K-01 is like any Pentax DSLR in that lenses without an A mode on the aperture ring (this means all lenses before the Pentax A series and a lot of third party lenses) default to M or Av mode. M mode stops down the aperture to whatever you chose on the aperture ring and takes the photo, but it does not allow continuous automatic metering - you have to press green button for stop down metering, then the camera adjusts the shutter speed to fit the aperture and ISO. All other modes and even if you select auto-ISO will default to Av mode, which has continuous automatic metering, but it never stops down the lens. It only shoots wide open aperture, which limits the usability.

The K-01 does not have Catch in Focus (a useful feature that Pentax DSLRs have, almost like AF), but it has Focus Peaking (useful, especially with fast primes, but it has its limitations).
The A6000 has a much newer sensor and Sony has some compatibility with more types of lenses (from various manufacturers, due to the short register distance), but you will have to spend on adapters. To me, both of these cameras are a little pricy considering their age (some stores just have unreasonable expectations, you can still find a good deal), but I really love my K-01. It is a very special camera, has its pros and cons, its definitely not for everybody, it is not a fast camera (slow AF, slow burst mode), but it has good ISO performance.

All of that said, I would recommend something like K-S1, because it is really compact, has pretty much everything the K-01 does, and it is a true DSLR, for an affordable price, with slightly newer technology. Regarding K-01, I always say to people they have to try it, because it is the kind of camera you will love or hate, with not very much in between. Can you find a place where you can hold one in hand, take some photos?

[butangmucat]

Actually, the K-S1 makes a lot of sense here. WIth the exception of the prism housing and the viewfinder cup, the dimensions and weight are almost identical to the K-01... plus you get a viewfinder and PDAF thrown in

But the K-01 has a slightly better continuous shooting performance (6fps vs 5.6fps) which I like.

slow burst mode

If it can reach 6fps in RAW mode with a good UHS-I SD card, I don't consider this slow.

true DSLR

I am specifically avoiding a true DSLR, just a matter of personal taste and it may change.

---------- Post added 08-21-16 at 05:47 AM ----------

Can you find a place where you can hold one in hand, take some photos?

Pretty hard. But my current machine is a Sony a5000 and am fairly happy with it (main downside: no hotshoe, IBIS, and [sometimes] no EVF).

---------- Post added 08-21-16 at 05:50 AM ----------

Regarding K-01, I always say to people they have to try it, because it is the kind of camera you will love or hate, with not very much in between. Can you find a place where you can hold one in hand, take some photos?

BTW is the K-01 still supported? There is a new listing on Amazon for 399 and a few used for around 200.

[stein]

I was personally tempted to go mirrorless as these remind me of those "good ol' days" of film cameras and you get new technology with a hint of vintage feeling. However, once I went deeper into specs, reviews and practical aspects of use, advantages vs downsides (if any) ended up with a DSLR (again)... What I dislike with mirrorless cameras is not the lack of proper massive grip (K-S1 also doesn't have much of that) but the lack of a proper viewfinder. I could easily live without a display and live view and video capabilities and lack of a microphone as I'm primarily (100%) into still photography. I don't even need these "selfie" aids (articulated screen) but I dismiss everything that doesn't have a proper viewfinder. But I never tell other people not to buy something I wouldn't. Personal choices, apples and oranges. Pentax K-01 vs Pentax K-S1 Detailed Comparison

[butangmucat]

but the lack of a proper viewfinder

I entered photography fairly recently and my first up-to-date serious camera was a gifted Canon G15 so I actually prefer the LCD for most of the times. However I do want a proper EVF/OVF when
- I don't have enough batteries
- Using a 100+ telephoto w/o tripod/monopod (EVF/OVF helps to stabilize the camera in this case)

[BigMackCam]

But the K-01 has a slightly better continuous shooting performance (6fps vs 5.6fps) which I like.

If you captured 30 shots in a burst it would take 5 seconds at 6fps, or 5.36 seconds at 5.6fps.

Looking at it a slightly different way, a 5 second burst at 6fps would capture 30 shots. At 5.6fps, you'd get 28 shots.

Is that really a material difference? I'd say not. If we were comparing 10fps vs 5fps, I'd see an obvious advantage - but 6fps vs 5.6fps is barely noticeable. Do you have a specific application that would benefit from such a marginal difference in burst rate?

[butangmucat]

Do you have a specific application that would benefit from such a marginal difference in burst rate?

Trainshooting, which I do a lot. Quite often the one extra shot is what you need (railways in China are mostly electrified, so it is very common for you to get an image where "the train hits a pole" - a hard lesson when I am home for the summer)

P.S. because I do tainshooting a lot I almost always focus stopped down (which is actually to do a DOF preview), prefocus with the hyperfocal trick, and use Av mode with my legacy glass. That's why I don't like the green button approach very much.

[BigMackCam]

Trainshooting, which I do a lot. Quite often the one extra shot is what you need

Then your choice is an easy one - go for the a6000. It shoots at 11fps - the K-01 and K-S1 don't even come close.

You have to weigh up the pros and cons as they relate to your own shooting. If 0.4fps difference would sway you towards one camera (the K-01) over another (the K-S1), then the a6000 - with it's additional 5fps advantage over the K-01 - is going to be vastly superior for your train shooting.

[Na Horuk]

If it can reach 6fps in RAW mode with a good UHS-I SD card, I don't consider this slow.

I have a hard time believing that. The K-01 is fairly slow when it comes to burst, especially with raw. In fact, you can do exposure bracketing faster than burst mode hi. Looks like there is some odd limit on the burst mode. I would consider burst mode on the K-01 to be a weakness and I doubt I can reach 6fps in raw. My K-r seems much faster when it comes to quick taking photos. But I don't have a K-S1 to compare it to.

I am specifically avoiding a true DSLR, just a matter of personal taste and it may change.

Ah, okay. So yes, in this case, K-01 might fit the bill. But Sony mirrorless cameras generally have faster burst mode.

BTW is the K-01 still supported? There is a new listing on Amazon for 399 and a few used for around 200.

I bought the K-01 for 400euro with the DA 40mm XS some years ago. I think 399 usd is a high price for this camera in the year 2016, unless you appreciate its uniqueness, style (the K-01 does have some cult following Sony cameras generally don't)

So, after reading this thread, I would say get a K-01, unless you can find the Sony for a better price. Check local listings, ebay, keh com, and even adorama and BH (I think all of these also have a service selling used cameras and refurbished gear). I guess it comes down to which camera is more easily available to you, in better condition for a better price. I am crossing my fingers that you get a K-01, but more importantly, get a camera that fits your needs

[butangmucat]

Then your choice is an easy one - go for the a6000. It shoots at 11fps - the K-01 and K-S1 don't even come close.

You have to weigh up the pros and cons as they relate to your own shooting. If 0.4fps difference would sway you towards one camera (the K-01) over another (the K-S1), then the a6000 - with it's additional 5fps advantage over the K-01 - is going to be vastly superior for your train shooting.

Then your choice is an easy one - go for the a6000. It shoots at 11fps - the K-01 and K-S1 don't even come close.

When I use my current a5000 for trainshooting, what usually happens is that the darker part (trucks, and some other fine structures) tends to be underexposed or the sky been overexposed, in any case I have to push (a direct push for underexposed fine structure, or a pull than push for overexposed sky) the shadows and the noise level tends to be a bit high. I am not sure if it is related to the lossy RAW Sony uses but it is annoying. I guess it is down to faster burst or a better RAW.

[BigMackCam]

When I use my current a5000 for trainshooting, what usually happens is that the darker part (trucks, and some other fine structures) tends to be underexposed or the sky been overexposed, in any case I have to push (a direct push for underexposed fine structure, or a pull than push for overexposed sky) the shadows and the noise level tends to be a bit high. I am not sure if it is related to the lossy RAW Sony uses but it is annoying. I guess it is down to faster burst or a better RAW.

It most likely is due to the lossy compression. I can only speak for the A99 (I have the Hasselblad HV which is based on the A99), and my perception - not based on controlled tests, mind you - is that I see more noise in recovered shadows than I would from my Pentax cameras. Additionally, as I've already mentioned, high contrast areas will sometimes show obvious edge artefacts when the shadows are pushed. Initially I found that very frustrating, but it's just a case of accepting it and shooting with that limitation in mind.

If you don't already do so, I would advise exposing to the right (ETTR). Preset your exposure for the sky, using the histogram as a reference. The histogram is based off the JPEG capture, and will tend to show clipping when there is still some headroom in the RAW file, so expose for the sky with just a bit of highlight clipping on the histogram; you can be pretty confident that in the RAW file, that won't be the case. Your shots will require post-processing to bring exposure and/or highlights down, and more than likely you'll still have to bring up the shadows, but you'll minimise the need for shadow recovery and the resulting noise.

Even using the above approach, the RAW files from your a5000 (or an a6000) won't contain as much information as those from a K-01 (or any Pentax DSLR). So, yes - it's a choice... faster burst rate (almost double!), or better RAW files. With the a6000 you'd have almost twice as many shots to choose from in the same burst period - but the compromise is shadow noise and possible high-contrast edge artefacts. Only you can decide which is more important to you.

I'm a big Pentax fan, but in your shoes I'd still go for the a6000... it sounds like burst rate matters for what you're doing.

[audiobomber]

I have to push (a direct push for underexposed fine structure, or a pull than push for overexposed sky) the shadows and the noise level tends to be a bit high. I am not sure if it is related to the lossy RAW Sony uses but it is annoying. I guess it is down to faster burst or a better RAW.

What you need is better noise reduction software or better technique with your existing software. Noiseware is powerful yet easy to use.

I owned and sold a K-01. I own an a6000 now. Lossless raw compression does not come close to making up for higher resolution (24 vs. 16mp), faster burst rate, EVF, auto exposure with no green button, PDAF with over twice as many AF points, tilt screen, superior movie mode and Wi-Fi.

The biggest difference for me is the EVF. Peaking on a rear screen is hard to see, which makes it less useful than through an EVF. Sony FP is more sophisticated, allows you to change colour, with three levels of intensity. The a6000 is a far superior body.