Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

There has been some interest on this forum after Pentax announced the release date for the K1, although a fairly small amount. Wanting to move to a full frame DSLR for landscape photography I was wondering if anyone has first hand experience with the camera they could share. Thanks.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I have received 6 of them to date. 5 sold to customers and one in my rental inventory. I have shot it around the store a bit to become familiar with it, and just took it to Yellowstone to give it a good testing on Sunday. It is an impressive camera to put it mildly, and when it's $1800 selling price is factored it becomes no less that amazing. It does have quirks for those coming from other brands, but it's controls can be learned easily. The one great feature I am dying to test is it's Astro Tracer, the premise seriously intrigues me but I have not yet had the opportunity to actually use it yet.
It's only true downside it lens selection at the moment, but that issue is being addressed rapidly.
If I were looking to get into a digital full frame system today, and had no lens loyalty to consider, this would easily be a solid contender for first choice!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I was thinking about asking as well. But from what I can tell the cameras are on order and few buyers actually have one in their hands. Specs. seem fantastic. Being a regular Pentax user since 1978 with dozens of vintage lenses, I won't have a problem enjoying a K-1. I plan to wait a bit to be sure all the bugs are out of it. The hardest thing for me will be having to also spend a lot of money on a whole new set of Pentax FA-D lenses in focal lengths I already have duplicates in so I can have both AE and AF when I need it. At a minimum a newer style 50mm, 35mm, 28mm, 20mm, and 100mm Macro primes, plus a couple telephoto zoom lenses. Wife may balk at that. Though she was OK with my recent Film View Camera lens purchase. I may be able to get by with some FA-series lenses. And I wonder what Ricoh-Pentax has planned for their model numbers. Pentax names have never made much sense. After K-1, what? K-1II, K-2. I already own a K2 DMD. K-3, K-7, K-10, K-100 are already taken.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

MT Shooter, have you personally compared the new Pentax K-1 to the Nikon D810 or D750? Should all yield similar images.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Since the Pentax K-1 and the Nikon D810 contain the exact same sensor, images will be very comparable. Head to head comparison will be nearly impossible because they have no direct lens interchangability as of yet. The Pentax 15-30mm F2.8, 24-70mm F2.8, and 70-200mm F2.8 lenses are all made directly for Pentax by Tamron, so comparisons with them would be the closest while using the Tamron versions on the Nikon. At the moment all I have is new in those Pentax models so I don't have the ability to make those comparisons right yet. As lenses become more available I will consider putting some of them in my rental inventory and could do those direct comparisons at that time. I have received and delivered 6 of these bodies to date (one going into my rental inventory). One customer loved his so much that he came back and bought a second K-1 body as soon as I got another one in. I still have 4 more in order status.
My personal body is the Nikon D800E that I have shot with for over 5 years now and I have to say, the K-1 images are quite comparable to it! The D750 is only 24MP and does not offer the resolution of any of the 36MP cameras.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The Pentax numbering is extremely similar to the Nikon and Canon numbering schemes, smaller numbers always equate to higher quality bodies. K-1II would be the next, followed by K-1III, K-1IV, K-1V, etc.
Nikon went D1, D2, D3, D4 and now D5 (some models had incremental changes denoted by "S", "H", or "X" after the name.
Canon went from 1D to 1D2, 1D3, 1D4, 1Ds......, 1DX and now 1DXII.

BebuLamar

Did Canon have a 1D4? I thought Canon was afraid of the number 4 that's why they changed to 1DX.

BebuLamar

Answer my own question, Yes Canon did have the EOS-1D Mark IV.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Yes, it was the last of their cameras to use the mid-sized APS-H size sensor. A sensor size that never did catch on and was never used by anyone but Canon who has now dropped it completely.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Thanks for replying. I almost thought of getting a Nikon D800E as a second system, until the Pentax K-5IIs came out and the K-1 was announced as a future FF model finally. At this point I may buy both a Pentax K-3 and K-1.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

Thanks Mt Shooter for the info. I hope to be in touch with you sometime this summer for a purchase if I can work out the finances. Are the K1 and D810 sensors "exactly" the same? My impression from reading Pentax stats on the K1 is that there are some differences, the sensor in the K1 being the same base sensor as the D810s but with a few changes. Do I have the wrong impression on this?

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

For Pentax that is only true starting with the K-5 to K-5II K-5IIs, K-3, K-3II, and now K-1 if they continue that way. I go back to the first Pentax Bayonet Mount (K-Mount) cameras. Those being KM, KX, K2, with the K2 being the flagship until the K2 DMD. Later the budget and long sold K1000 came out. Then we had ME, MX, ME Super, MV, MG, Super A, Program A, Program Plus, ME F, etc. I stopped keeping track after the LX. Does anyone see a naming pattern or logic here? In more recent year with Pentax their DSLRs flag ship models were, plus many consumer or entry level models aside from these:

*istD
K-100D
K-110D
K-200D (in some markets only)
K-10D
K-20D
K-7
K-5
K-5II / K-5IIs
K-3
K-3II (current Crop Factor)
K-1 (first Full Frame)

Up, down, down, up what is the pattern? Especially when you ask for what buyer's market.

Then there are the Pentax DSLR consumer series

K-X
K-m / K-2000
K-R
K-30

Thing is Pentax really never has two semi-pro models at the same time. So what's the naming pattern? I just see randomness.

Nikon has a series of patterns with single, double, triple, and quadruple digit numbers or letter names that in most cases mean something.

Note for film - Pro models: F, F2, F3, F4, F5 Serious Hobbyist Consumer models: FTN, FM, FM2, FM3, FE, etc.

I'm criticizing the Pentax naming scheme not the product. I've been using Pentax cameras since 1978. And also have select other brand equipment of other types. Note, Minolta Spotmeter, Gossen Luna Pro and Luna Six light meters, Nikon and Schneider view camera and enlarging lenses.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The sensor itself is exactly the same, the differences come in the OLPF pack, which is different in the two cameras and each is designed to work best with the particular processor used by the different cameras.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

It appears those three lenses made by Tamron are not currently sold directly by Tamron in Pentax K mounts. I wonder if they (Tamron) might do that in the future, which would probably result in some cost savings. Any insight on that?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

It's possible, but I am sure there are agreements in place to prevent that for awhile so Pentax can maintain their current pricing. I think other lenses, like the 150-600 as well as some of their new stabilized fast primes would probably get the Pentax mount first. It will all depend upon the overall success of the K-1 as time goes on.