Official Mike's Stupendous Pentax K-1 and K-3 III thread

"Upon launch, PENTAX is offering 12 full-frame compatible lenses, including two new models being announced concurrent with the K-1 camera: the HD PENTAX-D FA 15-30mm f.2.8 ultra-wide angle zoom lens and the HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 compact, lightweight zoom lens. (Note: separate news releases have been issued today to provide details on each lens)"

Impressive.

I'm not in the market myself but I'm sure there'll be people who've waited a loooooong time for this, and good luck to them.
 
Pentax is probably the only camera system I haven't tried before, and I was saying to myself that once they release a FF I will buy one so the day has come, I will just wait for them to surface on ebay otherwise it will be a bit too expensive toy to get
 
That sounds really good to me, although I'm not a Pentax user any more.

I didn't see anything about mounts, but I hope the kept the KA mount.
 
Last edited:
ancient_mariner said:
That sounds really good to me, although I'm not a Pentax user any more.

I didn't see anything about mounts, but I hope the kept the KA mount.
Click to expand...
12 lenses sounds a bit much for a new system so I assume they've refreshed some existing lenses??? Just a thought... but maybe they're using things they already had in the cupboard.
 
woof woof said:
12 lenses sounds a bit much for a new system so I assume they've refreshed some existing lenses??? Just a thought... but maybe they're using things they already had in the cupboard.
Click to expand...

Could well be. There's a huge legacy of lenses out there for Pentax, and it would be daft for a minority manufacturer to abandon that.
 
woof woof said:
12 lenses sounds a bit much for a new system so I assume they've refreshed some existing lenses??? Just a thought... but maybe they're using things they already had in the cupboard.
Click to expand...

its crazy enough to work. Assuming the 12 are decent.
Imagine if Sony had decent lens options when they released the a7/a7r.


$1799/£1599 (body only)
 
Last edited:
Looks like a chunky thing.

I'm not a fan of that HDR/ISO/Grid dial though.
 
There have been plenty of full frame digital lenses made, oly right and proper that they are given a digital body to make full use of them! At that price it's a steal, I'm really tempted!
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
There have been plenty of full frame digital lenses made, oly right and proper that they are given a digital body to make full use of them! At that price it's a steal, I'm really tempted!
Click to expand...

They always had a reputation for being well made and well handling so if this new camera is true to form they may have a little success on their hands. Spec certainly looks good and assuming the lenses are there I'd probably pick this over a Canon any day... if I wanted a DSLR. :D
 
I bought my FA*28-70 f2.8 in anticipation of this launch....

won't stop me from getting the D-FA*24-70...
 
woof woof said:
I'm not in the market myself but I'm sure there'll be people who've waited a loooooong time for this, and good luck to them.
Click to expand...

I remember coming to this very forum many years ago after purchasing my first DSLR (a Pentax K-10D) and was told that Pentax would be dead within a couple of years. Things have come on a lot since then (thanks mainly to Ricoh) and I now have a K-5IIs and a decent selection of lenses that are full frame compatible.

I'm not in the market for a FF body but well done Ricoh for finally producing an upgrade path from the crop sensor cameras.
 
Mike.P said:
I remember coming to this very forum many years ago after purchasing my first DSLR (a Pentax K-10D) and was told that Pentax would be dead within a couple of years. Things have come on a lot since then (thanks mainly to Ricoh) and I now have a K-5IIs and a decent selection of lenses that are full frame compatible.

I'm not in the market for a FF body but well done Ricoh for finally producing an upgrade path from the crop sensor cameras.
Click to expand...

Reports of Pentax's demise has been greatly exaggerated for over 30 years. Still have my Z-1 and Z-1p bodies.
 
Pleased to see it's arrived at long, long last..really enjoyed using the K20D & K5 I used to own but the wait for full frame just became too drawn out so picked up a D800 around 3 years ago. Hope it lives up to the expectations of everyone who's waited it out!

Simon
 
Not gonna rush in. But hopefully there'll be one in my camera bag within the next year or so. Same sensor as the Nikon d810 I believe. And Pentax have historically tweaked more from the Sony sensors than Nikon, or even Sony themselves. Great opening price too.
 
I'm no longer a fan of SLR cameras, but I have no doubt this will be the cheapest and better option in the segment. Some people are too concerned about the lack of lenses, but there are tons from the K, M, A, F and FA series. The first two need stop down metering, but the others meter perfectly fine and the last two come with AF.
 
Sounds like a camera you could grow old with. Lovely unique features.
 
Looks as though Pentax have ticked all the boxes exept one, they have left out the metering coupling from the original 'K' mount, would have let you use the older lenses with proper metering, still want one, but will have to wait for a price drop.
 
I've been hesitating about buying a D810 for too long. And now Pentax come along and drop this. Argh!
 
Started with a K5 in 2011 and followed that with a K3 in 2013. Thought I would try a full-frame for all its associated advantages so bought a D750 in October and whilst it is a nice camera, for me it is nowhere near as intuitive to use as the Pentax series so I will be seriously looking at the K1....and definitely buying one if the first reviews are positive and images are high quality!! Can't wait to go back to what I know whilst at the same time keeping the full-frame advantages!! As for the ridiculously low price.....I was expecting at least £2000 or more so even better!!! :)
 
i think ive read that some of the crop lenses actually cover full frame too :)
 
pingu666 said:
i think ive read that some of the crop lenses actually cover full frame too :)
Click to expand...

I think quite a few have been tested with old 35mm cameras or A7's and seem as they should perform well on the new full frame but only one is a zoom, the DA* 60-250mm (amazing lens, by the way). Some of the rest are:
DA 35mm F2.4,
DA 35mm F2.8 Ltd,
DA 40mm F2.8,
DA 50mm F1.8,
DA* 55mm F1.4,
DA 70mm F2.4,
DA* 200mm F2.8,
DA* 300mm F4,
DA 560mm F5.6.
These are on top of the 12 (old and new) confirmed compatible lenses:
HD D FA 15-30mm F2.8 (new)
HD D FA 24-70mm F2.8 (new)
HD D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 (new)
FA 31mm F1.8
FA 35mm F2
FA 43mm F1.9
FA 50mm F1.4
D FA 50mm F2.8 macro
HD D FA* 70-200mm F2.8 (new)
FA 77mm F1.8
D FA 100mm F2.8 macro
HD D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 (new)

Plenty of ammunition to choose from, with more on the way.....not to mention every other lens that Pentax has made in the K mount!! :)
 
I'm not in the market for a DSLR but I love what Pentax have done here, FF with IBIS and a whole ton of features Canikon users can only dream of at a comparitivly bargain price. Nice.

Image quality if bound to be fantastic too, if I ever were to go back to DSLRs (not that I ever imagine that happening) then I would seriously consider this.
 
Nawty said:
I'm not in the market for a DSLR but I love what Pentax have done here, FF with IBIS and a whole ton of features Canikon users can only dream of at a comparitivly bargain price. Nice.
Click to expand...

Looking at the latest Canon release (80D?) I wondered what they'd changed... but in compact system camera land we see much more innovation and difference one generation to the next so it's nice to see something new in DSLR land rather than the updates you have to hunt through the small print for you get from some of the other marques.
 
Nawty said:
I'm not in the market for a DSLR but I love what Pentax have done here, FF with IBIS and a whole ton of features Canikon users can only dream of at a comparitivly bargain price. Nice.

Image quality if bound to be fantastic too, if I ever were to go back to DSLRs (not that I ever imagine that happening) then I would seriously consider this.
Click to expand...

Must be why pentax has been doing so well and have such a large market share.
 
woof woof said:
Looking at the latest Canon release (80D?) I wondered what they'd changed... but in compact system camera land we see much more innovation and difference one generation to the next so it's nice to see something new in DSLR land rather than the updates you have to hunt through the small print for you get from some of the other marques.
Click to expand...

Look again, you can't compare this to other cameras at each gen like the a7 to a7ii, for that you need to look at pentax's other range where they do the same thing as everyone else. This is a completely new type of digital camera for them it's not following on from a previous full frame digital.
 
Last edited:
twist said:
Must be why pentax has been doing so well and have such a large market share.
Click to expand...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_bias

Humans are behaviourally stupid by their very nature, as social animals we are programmed to go with the crowd irrespective of whether or not it is the 'best' option.

There are a whole load of heuristics that play to this and rightly or wrongly it means that very often the 'best' is ignored in favour of the accepted norm, Apple software being a prime example :D the number of times you see here newbies being told "only buy Canon or Nikon" which is frankly rubbish considering most people's requirements.
 
twist said:
Look again, you can't compare this to other cameras at each gen like the a7 to a7ii, for that you need to look at pentax's other range where they do the same thing as everyone else. This is a completely new type of digital camera for them it's not following on from a previous full frame digital.
Click to expand...
Except that they don't do the same as everyone else in the apsc market: pixel shift technology, weather-sealing, magnesium alloy body, 8+ fps, 4.5 stop in-body stabilisation, astrotracer, GPS, 100% viewfinder are all in the K3ii for slightly less than the price of a Nikon D5500!! Don't see any other manufacturers putting all that in a single camera for that price! :)
 
fuzzyfelt30 said:
Except that they don't do the same as everyone else in the apsc market: pixel shift technology, weather-sealing, magnesium alloy body, 8+ fps, 4.5 stop in-body stabilisation, astrotracer, GPS, 100% viewfinder are all in the K3ii for slightly less than the price of a Nikon D5500!! Don't see any other manufacturers putting all that in a single camera for that price! :)
Click to expand...

But what I was talking about was generation differences not what the k3ii offers. You also dont see as many buying as are buying Canikon.

Dont pentax lack in the digital side of lenses and af? Also the d7200 sensor looks to perform better it has nfc wifi and a weather sealed mag alloy body with vr lenses and 100% ovf. Both are priced the same. A d5500 is 500 quid and a k3ii is 770 quid BTW, not sure where you're getting your pricing from ;)
 
Last edited:
Prices on Amazon.com are a bit different than UK prices!! K3ii $716, D5500 $747, D7200 $1097...a significant difference! :)

More medium format users buy Pentax than Canikon!! :) I read somewhere that Pentax doubled their expected sales of the 645Z and are selling more than what the entire medium format market was before they released it! Not sure how true that is, mind you... Anyway, the 645Z is a huge success for them (ridiculously low price for very high quality) so who is to say that they won't have a similar success with the K1 (if it proves to be a top quality machine) and start breaking into the Canikon duopoly?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top