New K-Mount camera

[dxqcanada]

For those of you K-mount shooters ... a nice pocket camera: Pentax K-01 Compact System Camera - Hands-On Preview

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[pez]

I never saw myself owning one of these quirky-looking-little-designer-bricks-with-no-viewfinder, but they just dropped the price of the kit with the DA40XS super pancake lens to a ridiculous $450, and I simply couldn't NOT order one!! As it turns out, I am having so much fun with the K-01 and 40mm that I've done little else than tweak it and shoot since the Dark Brown Truck delivered it Friday afternoon. What fun! It is deceptively sophisticated, and the video function is much nicer than my K-5 offers- external stereo mics just went on my wish list. I've already procured a new down-size Lowepro case to carry the K-01, 3-4 prime lenses, batteries, and cables, for a super compact and light travel kit.

[dxqcanada]

Have you posted any pics yet ?

[pez]

Here's one photo with the K-01 using the onboard flash and the tiny DA40XS lens. I actually just ordered another K-01 body- in spiffy yellow this time lol- just because it's such a deal right now. I really love this little soap bar camera, and it really does look good in person, believe it or not, people comment about it a lot.

[dxqcanada]

So you like it because you can get chicks ... so you got another one ?

Hmm, that pancake looks a little soft.

[Derrel]

For those of you K-mount shooters ... a nice pocket camera: Pentax K-01 Compact System Camera - Hands-On Preview

"CONS:Barely any smaller than a standard SLR, but lacks viewfinder and phase-detect autofocus. Contrast-detect AF is slow and unreliable. Body design is clumsy and uncomfortable. Very slow raw burst shooting.
Price and availability: The Pentax K-01 shipped in the US market from March 2012. Pricing is set at around US$750 body-only, or US$900 in a kit with the new smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS lens."

Hmmmm....I read that at the very start of the Imaging Resource review and it kinda...put me off...

[pez]

So you like it because you can get chicks ... so you got another one ?

Hmm, that pancake looks a little soft.

Hahaha... maybe... really, a bad example (not me, the photo)

For those of you K-mount shooters ... a nice pocket camera: Pentax K-01 Compact System Camera - Hands-On Preview

"CONS:Barely any smaller than a standard SLR, but lacks viewfinder and phase-detect autofocus. Contrast-detect AF is slow and unreliable. Body design is clumsy and uncomfortable. Very slow raw burst shooting.
Price and availability: The Pentax K-01 shipped in the US market from March 2012. Pricing is set at around US$750 body-only, or US$900 in a kit with the new smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 XS lens."

Hmmmm....I read that at the very start of the Imaging Resource review and it kinda...put me off...

they're ~$300 now, $399 with the 40mm, so pretty cheap. I was never remotely interested 'till the price drop (guess nobody bought one). It is far less clumsy than it appears (once set up well), and the focus peaking mode rocks for manual. Also, it is somehow a lot less ugly- even cool looking- in person than in an image. For me, a great camera for street or other candids because it doesn't look like you're pointing a "serious camera" at them. For Macro it works great, hands down. Anything tele- like all similar cameras- forget it without a tripod. It's limited, but within the limitations, I sure have a lot of fun with it. Go figure. The second one may go to a relative, but for now I have two to play with.

[pez]

Not wanting either the DA40XS or the K-01 to get too bad of a rap, I shot a few frames with it this morning in my yard. The 40XS is really pretty sharp wide open IMO. The first one is f3.2, 2nd is f3.5, ISO 400 and 1600 (cropped a little, resized, and then lightly sharpened in CS5, from RAW). The 3rd is with a DA15Ltd, F4.5@ISO400, shot with my other K-01, lol.

[pez]

Here's a quick shot of tonight's Moon and Jupiter (cold out there), with a K-01 and DA55-300 zoom.

[pez]

lol one K-01 shot with another K-01. Sorry, I just love these things. Maybe I should go ahead and get a white one, too...

[pez]

Back in the day when Pentax was making M-Series lenses, they had no clue they were really making them for the K-01. The focus peaking along with the superb sensor and DR makes manual fun again!