- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Pentax K-01
- 16.1 MP
- 1x f/2.8
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
Released February, 2012
Rated 74% by by c|net (Apr, 2012)For that, the benefits of lovely photo quality definitely outweigh the other drawbacks.
Conclusion Check out the Pentax K-01
First reviewed February, 2012
Features Key features of the Pentax K-01
16.1 MP
APS-C
Rated 70% by by TrustedReviews (Jun, 2012)On the plus side it’s undoubtedly a well featured and easy-to-use camera that’s capable of very good image quality.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 16.1 MP    | 20 MP |
K-01 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 16 megapixel Best JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6.5Mb.
K-01 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)The 16 megapixel JPEG images were a little soft straight out of the camera at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting.
sensor size
K-01 by Kentucky-Colonel (Mar, 2013)I can't think of any dSLR at any price that can be fitted with a 24-840mm lens (equivalent) at any price - and the higher digital noise of a small sensor camera isn't an issue when the image size is only "HD" and moving at 24 or 30 fps.
K-01 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)The K-01 doesn't rely on an adapter to fit the K-mount lenses, unlike Sony's NEX range and the A-mount lenses or the Olympus PEN and the full-size Micro Four Thirds lenses, which in turn means that the body has to be larger and deeper to accommodate the physically bigger mount and maintain the backfocus distance.
body size
122 x 79 x 58 mm
133 x 100 x 80 mm
132 x 103 x 77 mm
K-01 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)If you're looking for a small and lightweight camera, the K-01 isn't it - indeed, this is one of the biggest and heaviest mirrorless camera bodies released to date.
K-01 by marc-campbell (Mar, 2013)It holds its own with the best in the market as far as image quality and functionality are concerned, but is untouchable where price holds significant weight.
focus points
| 0 | 11 | 90 |
K-01 by J.-Conner--qm2-703 (Feb, 2013)Also, more solid-mass subjects seem to work better as focus points.
K-01 by DPReview (May, 2012)Focus peaking sharply outlines the part of the frame that's in focus, which makes manual focusing a whole lot easier.
Performance Real world tests of Pentax K-01
DxOMark image quality
K-01 by Jayesh-Patel--ProfitFromPrices* With included 40mm lens, you can take impressive portraits and low light photos.
DxOMark low light performance
K-01 by Amicus-Curia--pinbalwyz (Aug, 2012)The clarity and brightness in low light were a pleasant surprise.
continuous shooting
K-01 by TrustedReviews (Jun, 2012)At this setting there is no upper limit on the number of consecutive shots you can take.
K-01 by Seva (Dec, 2012)Also, the rate of continuous shooting is low, which limits wild life genre for ex.
battery life
540 photos
850 photos
230 photos
K-01 by DPReview (May, 2012)Sure enough, the Pentax K-01 has the best battery life in the group, beating the second place Sony NEX-5N by about 16.
K-01 by terry--terryThe battery life was dismal, it is more a function of how long the camera is on rather than the specified number of shots you can take.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
HD video -
79.0 -
Generic -
81 -
540 -
25,600 ISO -
Sensor shift -
921 k dots -
23.7 bits -
1,135 ISO -
12.9 ev -
3.5mm -
For that film look -
Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas -
Built in flash
cons
-
2,400 ms -
73.04% -
The screen is fixed in place -
Use buttons to access features and menus -
0 -
561 g -
58 mm -
122 x 79 x 58 mm
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 90 users at amazon.com Rated 80% by by R.-Fortson Rated 100% by by Daniel-W (Nov, 2012) Rated 80% by by J.-Conner--qm2-703 (Feb, 2013) |
Lens
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 70% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)Image stabilisation via the camera body is a great feature that works very well when hand-holding the camera in low-light conditions or when using the telephoto end of the zoom range.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 100% by by Rachel-Looslie40 mm lens it came with happens to be the lens we love most!
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 80% by by E-Deets--Reviews-by-Deets (Mar, 2012)Even with an old non-auto 70-210mm lens I was soon taking great looking shots.
Sensor
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 100% by by joethebassplayer (Apr, 2012)Very good high ISO shooting abilities, It is clean beyond ISO 3200.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 70% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)The D-Range options help make the most out of both the shadows and highlights in a high-contrast scene (and it works for both JPEG and RAW files), while the HDR mode greatly expands the dynamic range of a JPEG by combining three differently exposed images in-camera.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 69% by by DPReview (May, 2012)It has a 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor, K-mount lens support with built-in (sensor-based) image stabilization, lots of manual controls, a boatload of scene modes and special effects, an HDR function, and 1080p video recording.
Focus
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 100% by by Brianna-Sheldon (Apr, 2013)Luckily, manual focusing is a cinch and the 'focus peaking' option makes it easy to tell when you've got it right.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 69% by by DPReview (May, 2012)Photo quality is among the best out there, but other cameras offer better AF performance and more compact/usable designs.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 100% by by Mason.ken52 (Jan, 2013)The AF is fast and picture quality is excellent.
Image quality
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 100% by by bisjackThe photo quality is excellent and the Custom Image menu and the various programmable filters make it fun to shoot and to play around with the photo output.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 100% by by John-Johnson--Jon404 (Mar, 2013)I love this camera... MUCH better image quality than my Olympus XZ-1, which itself is a fine little camera.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 100% by by Steve-Wildermuth (Apr, 2012)I would recommend this camera to anyone who's main goal in photography is to come up with the finest quality photos- in this regard (and many others)the K-01 delivers the goods.
Video
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 80% by by J.-Conner--qm2-703 (Feb, 2013)It is today's best buy for those who value the combination of top quality stills and very high quality video above handling performance.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 70% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2012)The K-01 also offers the best video mode of any Pentax mirrorless or DSLR camera to date, with the inclusion of Full 1080p HD recording at a variety of frame rates, handy one-touch recording button, auto and manual focusing, the ability to change the aperture or shutter speed during recording, a socket for an external mic and an HDMI port for easy connection to your HDTV.
Pentax K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens | Rated 69% by by DPReview (May, 2012)The rolling shutter effect seems to be exacerbated, unfortunately, by the K-01's shake reduction function, which if you remember, works by shifting the sensor in response to camera movement to counteract camera shake.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Canon Rebel T3i 2-way tie: Highest resolution screen Canon Rebel T3i vs Pentax K-01 |
 | 2 | Sony NEX-5N 2-way tie: Fastest rapid fire mode Sony NEX-5N vs Pentax K-01 |
 | 3 | Sony NEX-5R Many more phase-detection focus points Sony NEX-5R vs Pentax K-01 |
 | 4 | Nikon D90 Largest sensor Nikon D90 vs Pentax K-01 |
 | 5 | Samsung NX1000 High resolution Samsung NX1000 vs Pentax K-01 |
 | 6 | Pentax K-5 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark K-5 vs K-01 with 40mm f/2.8 lens |
 | 7 | Canon EOS M Most detailed video recording mode Canon EOS M vs Pentax K-01 |
 | 8 | Nikon Coolpix L820 Most zoom Nikon Coolpix L820 vs Pentax K-01 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Editions Editions of the Pentax K-01
| Price | Edition | Battery life | Thickness | Compare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | 500 | 58 mm | | ||||
 | | 540 | 58 mm | | ||||
Unanswered Questions
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December 30, 2012
Overwhelmed with options - -Looking at Sony Nex 5r or maybe Pentax K01
I am by no means well versed in photography, but I thought one of you might be able to help me. I have a vacation rental business where interior/exterior photos of rentals homes and similar are...
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