Pentax K-01

It isn't pretty, but I do like the idea of using K-mount lenses without adaptors as it makes carrying a back-up much simpler.

Pentax K-01 launch and review.

Also, without wishing to offend anyone, surely they could have thought of a better company name than Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company

Edited by nigelbrooks - 02 February 2012 at 23:07

Sony has patents for on-sensor PDAF, I assume it's one of those things that just take awhile to get integrated through the product line. If that bizarre alpha/E mount hybrid camera turns out to be real, I'm sure it will use on-sensor PDAF.

So glad I just switched from Pentax to Alpha gear.

I have a special place in my heart for Pentax, being the proud owner of five Pentax film cameras that range from the miniature 110 all the way to the giant 67. I also confess that the Pentax Forum is my second favorite forum after this one. So it makes me happy when they do well!

Having said all that, unfortunately I must concur that the K-01 is one of the uglier cameras I've seen in a while. It sort of reminds me of those rugged industrial cameras that construction crews carry around to take pictures of their work. Did you notice that they don't have any side angle shots. I realized why when I saw the one and only shot showing the back side. That supposedly tiny body is really thick! I guess that's what happens when you stay with a standard SLR mount.

So okay, the camera is ugly. But in a complete reversal, that 40/2.8 pancake is incredibly awesome! Please Sony, pleeeeeaaasse! Give us some pancakes for the NEX, starting with a standard focal length! If priced in the "easy choice" range they will sell like "hotcakes"!! (sorry) And as long as they are in the kitchen I wouldn't mind an alpha mount pancake or two either!

All power to Pentax, but they have come up with a camera to rival the 800si for looks...

They also seem to be trying to create a new niche - Compact system cameras that are not very compact - plus they are not able to take a vast number of manual focus lenses due to retaining the large 'flange-to-focus-plane' distance.

The pancake looks good though... do we know if it will work on cameras with a mirror?

I am going to stick my neck out, defy convention, and say that I quite like the industrial design of this - they seem to have achieved what they wanted and made something "different". Whether it will appeal to the younger creative type of buyers they are after I'm not sure.

My only comment is that although the flange depth has to be fixed to K mount, it's a pity they didn't try harder to reduce the size of the rest of the camera (e.g. make the body thinner front to back, and jsut have the lens mount sticking out more etc).

Oh, and no viewfinder... but maybe only us old camera bores care about that, I guess the artistic fashion set won't care about that kind of thing! ;-)

ricardovaste wrote: As it stands this is just another mirrorless fail as far as I'm concered. Unless I'm missing something obvious, or fundamental... it's just a small k-mount body without a mirror or viewfinder. If so, this just doesn't do anything for me. And there are a LOT of choices in the mirrorless market today, so you have to do something that stands out, any simply removing the mirror on an old film mount isn't anything special, it's just strange. Boom.

But you can mount any K mount lens on it and it will autofocus and perform correctly without the use of an adaptor as is needed to use a-mount lenses on the nex