Operation and controls
The Pentax MX-1 has fewer controls than we think the category warrants, as we've said. However, it has enough good controls to do what most enthusiasts would like, so long as they're not manual exposure devotees. Four buttons on the back offer quick access to ISO, drive modes, flash, and AF options, so all is not lost with the lack of a front ring or second control dial. It also offers a comprehensive function menu that will be immediately familiar to owners of recent Pentax DSLRs, so it's pretty easy to get to most of the camera's key settings.
The camera we used for this preview was running non-final firmware, so some details of the camera's operation may change before release from what's described below.
Top of camera controls
The Pentax MX-1's top plate is used to set capture mode, power on the camera, control the zoom, adjust the exposure compensation, and either fire the shutter or start a movie. The record button is flush with the top deck, so it requires effort to press it, making accidental activation less likely.
This control cluster really represents most of what an enthusiast would like to see on the top deck: a mode dial, an EV compensation dial, a zoom toggle and dedicated video button. Sure an ISO dial would also be nice, as would a hot shoe for some, but at least they didn't omit the mode dial.
Rear of camera controls
Most of the MX-1's rear controls are pretty common, including a four-way navigator, and playback, info, and menu buttons. The four-way controller accesses flash, drive mode, AF mode, and ISO settings, while the center button confirms selections. Above those are a green button, an AV/AE-Lock button, a control dial and the rear infrared remote port. The control dial is mostly used for adjusting exposure parameters and for zooming in and out in playback mode; it does not in our early sample control much else. In menus, it selects among tabs allowing you to switch between them without having to scroll to the top of the menu (as you have to do when using only the buttons to navigate).
The AV/AE-Lock button sets autofocus in movie mode, and locks exposure in still mode. The green button doesn't quite function like it does on SLRs, however, instead simply putting the MX-1 into easy mode regardless of the mode dial setting. If the mode dial is set to the green mode, pressing the green button switches to macro mode, marked with a flower icon. We suspect this is a bug stemming from its early firmware.
First Impressions
Taken on its own, the Pentax MX-1 is easy to appreciate. Its large, good quality, fast lens and rugged, retro styling make it a handsome companion for those who miss old camera designs. The MX-1 also has nice heft for those who appreciate what a little well-balanced weight can add to camera stability. That the extra weight comes from brass plates may matter to some, but be careful about treating the MX-1 roughly to give it that 'brassing' appearance prematurely; let those battle scars come naturally.
Though the camera wasn't fully ready for testing or evaluation, shooting with the Pentax MX-1 was still fun. The lens seemed to be of high quality and autofocus and exposure were good. We can't comment on speed, menus, or other features like HDR and onscreen levels, as they simply weren't ready. We look forward to testing the more SLR-like functions of the MX-1 when we get a more fully functional sample.
The lack of more customization options, particularly around exposure control or noise reduction, is unfortunate, because many watching this segment for their next camera will worry that another option, like the XZ-2, S110, or RX100 will offer the control they just might miss with the MX-1. That will really depend on the user. As much as we've used custom controls, most of our street and family shooting requires more compositional speed than thought about exposure adjustments; and when we want to shoot more carefully we have our SLR along, so all those special customizable dials on premium pocket cameras don't get used quite as much as we thought. Also missing was any sign that Ricoh has anything to do with Pentax camera design. We think their brilliant customizable GRD/GXR interface would have added that extra something to make the MX-1 more compelling; but that too would have required an additional control or two.
When it comes down to it, though, what you need for good pictures in more lighting situations is a good, fast lens, a good quality sensor, and a shutter button, and the Pentax MX-1 wraps those basics into a neat little body with good heft and a sense of presence. We'll reserve judgment until after we've tested a final camera and seen its relative image quality, but for now we like what we see.
Real-world Samples
There are 26 images in the Pentax MX-1 preview samples gallery. Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), we do so in good faith, please don't abuse it.
Unless otherwise noted images taken with no particular settings at full resolution. Because our review images are now hosted on the 'galleries' section of dpreview.com, you can enjoy all of the new galleries functionality when browsing these samples.
 |
| Pentax MX-1 Samples Gallery - Posted 3rd May 2013 |
|---|
Comments