Thread: Mirrorless Pentax K-01

Pentax K-01 + FA77 Ltd

That's a nice set, John, especially when combined with the K01 sensor.

Found some old stuff beneath the upturned roots of an evergreen felled by Sandy.

More rust, because it never sleeps

Pentax K-01 FA77 Ltd

Originally Posted by christilou

Pentax K-01 FA77 Ltd

Very nice processing, well done.

G

[QUOTE=john m flores;102211]Found some old stuff beneath the upturned roots of an evergreen felled by Sandy.

Maybe left by Native Americans ...

But on a bit more serious note, as you shoot for publication (ala you're a professional) ... why do you not use the usual professional tools of the trade (Nikon/Canon)?

Gary

[QUOTE=Gary;103321]

Originally Posted by john m flores

Found some old stuff beneath the upturned roots of an evergreen felled by Sandy.

Maybe left by Native Americans ...

But on a bit more serious note, as you shoot for publication (ala you're a professional) ... why do you not use the usual professional tools of the trade (Nikon/Canon)?

Gary

Yes, I do shoot for publication, but it is a side job for me, and thus I have to provide my own gear. My first dSLR was a Nikon D70, but when it came time to upgrade, I discovered that the Nikon upgrade path - to a D300 or D700 with the 12-24 and 24-70 zooms - was more expensive, bigger, and heavier than I wanted, especially since there are times when I have to carry my gear on a backpack while riding a motorcycle for days at a time.

That's when I discovered Pentax. They were smaller and less expensive than Nikon or Canon and with more than enough image quality for magazine work. I've traveled with as little as two bodies and three pancake primes (21mm, 40mm, 70mm) on some trips, and even if I've got a bike with good luggage, I often forego the zooms and use the extra space on POV video cameras and articulating arms and other tools of the trade. I know that I'm missing out on lightning fast AF, but I get by with Pentax, and bought a used Nikon V1 kit from a member here and that may do the trick in a pinch.

I tried downsizing even further to Micro Four-Thirds (Panasonic GH1 and GH2) but they didn't meet my standards of IQ. They take nice photos but their files are brittle in post, something I need since I'm often massaging available light. I still shoot video with them though. And while the OM-D looks interesting, I'm pretty well invested in Pentax at this point and don't feel compelled to switch.

Truth told if I was a full-time pro I'd be lugging around a Nikon, but I'm happy with the balance that I've struck for now. And now that the K-01 is under $400, it's one of the cheapest ways to get the very nice 16Mp Sony APS-C sensor.

Thanks for inquiring.

p.s. If you want to see how light I travel, check out my "It's in the Bag" set on Flickr
It's in the bag - a set on Flickr

Most of the newer photos have the cameras sitting on an iPad for scale.

Here's what I took on a trip last summer


It's in the Bag, Northeast Kingdom Edition. by john m flores, on Flickr

John... I have a K-5 and a Q... but have been going back and forth on whether to pick up a K-01. Intellectual and practical arguments aside, the shot above with all the gear laying atop an iPad may have just clinched it for me.

EDIT: One question... how is working with the rear LCD in bright daylight? That's the sIngle concern that has kept me from pulling the trigger.

Originally Posted by Biro

John... I have a K-5 and a Q... but have been going back and forth on whether to pick up a K-01. Intellectual and practical arguments aside, the shot above with all the gear laying atop an iPad may have just clinched it for me.

EDIT: One question... how is working with the rear LCD in bright daylight? That's the sIngle concern that has kept me from pulling the trigger.

Yes, I saw your post on PentaxForums. I just lurk there now because participating takes too much time LOL.

Looking at my Lightroom catalog, I've taken over twice as many photos with the K-01 versus the K-5 this year. It just really works well with primes, and I actually prefer using the rear LCD versus a viewfinder much of the time because I feel more engaged and aware of the environment around me, it draws less attention than lifting a camera up to your eye, and you can shoot and chimp in the same position (vs. an optical vf).

Regarding shooting in bright light...someone suggested turning the brightness of the LCD to the max and that has helped a lot. It's way better than a smart phone, for example, and one of the benefits of the bulkiness is the full-size battery that can handle that kind of power draw without breaking a sweat.

And at the end of the day it's the quality of the files that continue to woo me. They are just so malleable, something I wasn't able to get with Micro Four Thirds (GH1/GH2).


untitled, for now by john m flores, on Flickr