Product Review – K-01 From Pentax

The K-01 is the latest mirrorless camera offering from Pentax. The sensor is larger than the Pentax Q, and, because this camera is based on the sensor that came with the Pentax K-5, it really means that the Pentax K-01 should not be overlooked as a serious camera when comparing to the world of the DLSRs. The K-01 has a very stylish design that comes in three colors as well as having HD video capability.

The Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera (MILC) is the fastest growing sector in camera technology and design. While mirriorless cameras have been around since 2009, they really began take off in 2011. The MILC is somewhat of a hybrid between the compact digital cameras which have no interchangeable lenses, and the Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera which does have the ability to change lenses, but uses a set of mirrors which, by default, make for a larger camera body.

What mirrorless technology brings is the ability to have interchangeable lenses, but with a much more compact body design. The sensor size on a MILC is generally smaller than that of full size sensor on a DSLR, but also larger than a Point and Shoot (P&S) camera thus providing more of the quality of a DSLR, but more of the size of the P&S.

The other thing to consider when looking at mirrorless cameras is that you no longer have a viewfinder to look through. Instead you now look on the LCD on the back of the camera to frame your shot. This can take some getting used to for those who have use a viewfinder for any stretch of time. Some cameras provide a look through viewfinder, but the K-01 does not.

The Pentax K-01, along with having a sensor based on the Pentax K-5, is capable of capturing 16.28-megapixel images and as well as 1080p video. It has an APS-C sensor and unique in its design is that it is able to use the standard Pentax K-mount lenses. This makes the body thicker than many of its rivals, but unlike its rivals who have chosen to create a whole new system of lenses, the K-01 gives you the ability to reuse your existing lenses.

Article Author: T. Michael Testi

T. Michael Testi is a writer and a photographer out of Edmond Oklahoma. You can see his photographic and art work at T Michael Imaging.

Visit T. Michael Testi's author page — T. Michael Testi's Blog