Pentax has formally announced the K-01 K-mount mirrorless interchangable lens camera and a revised 40mm F2.8 pancake lens to match. Built around a 16MP APS-C sensor, the camera can mount most of the lenses the company has ever made. It features sensor-shift image stabilization, a 920k dot rear LCD and can shoot at up to 6 frames per second. The rather interesting design is the work of respected product designer Marc Newson and features a logo of his signature on the base of the camera. The K-01 (which the company says should be pronounced 'kay-zero-one'), will cost around $749 body-only and $899 with the 'XS' version of the 40mm lens.
Our biggest concern, based on its dependance on contrast detection autofocus, is the camera's focus speed. Most lenses designed for DSLR-style phase-detection autofocus don't lend themselves to the rapid contrast detection autofocus required by mirrorless cameras. The contrast detection AF on the K-5 works pretty quickly with some lenses but it's not up to the speed of the camera's phase detection focusing, and certainly not a match for the best mirrorless cameras on the market.
And on handling a pre-production version we noticed that, because it features a full depth K-mount, it is a pretty big camera. Below we demonstrate how its size compares to the company's flagship K-5 DSLR.
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PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION INTRODUCES PENTAX K-01 DESIGNED BY MARC NEWSON
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DENVER, CO February 2, 2012…When is a camera more than a photographer’s tool? The answer is when it’s an object designed by Marc Newson, one of the most acclaimed and influential contemporary designers.
PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION introduces the Marc Newson designed PENTAX K-01* interchangeable lens camera (ILC). The new PENTAX K-01 is another bold effort from the manufacturer that is known for pushing camera size, color, durability, and now, design, to the limit. Widely known for designing a wide range of objects from furniture and household products to bicycles, cars, aircraft and yachts, Marc Newson has had collected works displayed in The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and many other major museums.
*pronounced ‘kay- zero-one’
The contemporary, timeless K-01 houses a full array of advanced functions and user-friendly features in a camera body with remarkable form and function. The elimination of an optical viewfinder and quick-return mirror gave Newson more freedom in designing the camera body, and the K-01 showcases Newson originality in every detail. Available in black, white and Newson’s signature yellow colors, the K-01 features the designer’s autograph logo stamp on the bottom of each camera.
The famed designer’s touch also is evident in a new smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS interchangeable lens. As the world’s thinnest interchangeable lens,* the new 40mm combines with the PENTAX K-01 camera body to deliver a unique ILC system that is perfect for photographers who are as keen on design as they are on performance. Together, the K-01 and 40mm lens system mark the intersection where high technology and high design meet.
Key features of the PENTAX K-01 include:
- Durable machined aluminum frame under a stylish black, white, or yellow exterior.
- PENTAX mirrorless body design is compatible with 25+ million PENTAX K-mount lenses spanning decades.
- Large 16 megapixel APS-C sized CMOS image sensor with low noise image capture and multiple aspect ratios.
- Bright, high resolution 3 inch LCD with 920,000 dots.
- Full HD 1080p video capture at 30 FPS with h.264 compression (60 FPS at 720p) features outstanding video capture flexibility.
- Sensor-shift PENTAX Shake and Dust Reduction system is compatible with every mounted PENTAX lens.
- Fast 6 FPS burst mode is ideal for fast-action photography.
- Flexible ISO range of 100-25600 ensures gorgeous noise-free imaging in any lighting condition.
- Focus peaking mode provides fast and accurate manual focusing for critical focus applications.
* The world’s thinnest interchangeable lens for lens-interchangeable digital SLR cameras, as of February 1, 2012 (based on PENTAX’s research).
The K-01 will be available in yellow, black and white in March 2012 for $749.95USD (body only) and $899.95USD (lens kit including new DA 40mm XS) in Marc Newson designed packaging and with the Marc Newson designed strap. The smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS unifocal interchangeable standard lens will ship at the same time for $249.95 USD.
Additional information is available here: www.pentaximaging.com/news and a video interview with Mark Newson regarding the K-01design may be viewed here: www.youtube.com/pentaxian1 Images of other Marc Newson creations are available here.
Pentax K-01 specifications
| Price | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | US: $749, UK: £629, EU: €823 |
| Body type | |
| Body type | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Body material | Aluminium |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 4928 x 3264 |
| Other resolutions | 4352 x 3264, 4224 x 2816, 4928 x 2776, 4224 x 2376, 3840 x 2880, 3456 x 2304, 3456x1944, 3264 x 3264, 3072 x 2304, 2880 x 2880, 2688 x 1792, 2688 x 1512, 2304 x 2304, 2304 x 1728, 1728 x 1728 |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 16 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 16 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100 to 12800 in 1, 1/2, or 1/3 EV steps (100 to 25600 extended) |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 25600 |
| White balance presets | 9 |
| Custom white balance | Yes (1) |
| Image stabilization | Sensor-shift |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Good, Better, Best |
| File format |
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| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus |
|
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Digital zoom | No |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 81 |
| Lens mount | Pentax KAF2 |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.5× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 921,000 |
| Touch screen | No |
| Screen type | TFT LCD monitor |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | None |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Exposure modes |
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| Scene modes |
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| Built-in flash | Yes (Pop-up) |
| Flash range | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| External flash | Yes (Hot-shoe, P-TTL, high speed sync w Pentax dedicated flash) |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow-speed Sync, Trailing Curtain Sync |
| Continuous drive | 6.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
| Metering modes |
|
| Exposure compensation | ±3 (at 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | (3 frames at 1/2 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | No |
| Videography features | |
| Resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps),1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25, 24 fps) |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage included | No |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (Mini HDMI Type C) |
| Remote control | Yes (Optional IR) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | No |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | Lithium-Ion D-LI90 rechargeable battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 540 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 561 g (1.24 lb / 19.79 oz) |
| Dimensions | 122 x 79 x 58 mm (4.8 x 3.11 x 2.28″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes (1s to 24h, up to 999 shots, delayed start available) |
| GPS | None |
Additional images
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