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This is an incredible camera, and when paired with the right accessories it can become a great every day performer. It has features like focus peaking, which make using old fully manual lenses a lot easier. The one drawback of this camera is the lack of an optical viewfinder. But the screen is crisp and bright, and with the addition of a 10 dollar pop up screen hood I haven't had any problems getting razor sharp images on full manual lenses with the sun directly over my shoulder. Cool camera at a great price!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is a "specialty" camera that sometimes gets an undeserved poor review because the reviewer does not "get" it. It's a mirrorless digital camera that is compatible with the huge number of Pentax and other manufacturers' very popular and successful "K-mount" SLR lenses, dating back almost 40 years! With an M42 adapter, thousands more models of thread-mount SLR lenses going back to 1957 can be used, including legendary lenses by Carl Zeiss and the highly rated line of Pentax SMC Takumur professional lenses! I wanted a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, and of the current offerings, this model stands out because it enables me to use a huge number of existing, professional-quality lenses. All other mirrorless cameras on the market today are much smaller and require their own proprietary lenses, newly designed for their tiny sensors. Currently that selection of lenses for the competing mirrorless cameras is limited to "plain vanilla" small-aperture zooms, with no specialty leneses such as portrait, macro, ultrawide or long telephoto. Kind of reminds me of the old (and long-forgotten) APS film and disc cameras of a bygone era. Having said that, the reason I bought this camera was to use my large collection of Pentax and compatible lenses wth a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC). I have not been disappointed. Using a worl-reknowned Carl Zeiss Sonnar manual focus portrait lens with this camera's modern conveniences such as live view, auto exposure and image stabilization (thanks to the moving sensor) is seamless, and the results are spectacular. Being able to make full HD video with professional lenses is an experience that brings joy to my eyes. Switching to my Pentax SMC Takumur 50mm 1:4 macro lens I can image surface mount electronic components with ease unequalled by any other camera I have used, since I don't have to put my face into the electronic equipment I'm photographing. From there, it's a painless switch to take a hike with my Zeiss 20mm Flektagon for some perfect wide-angle landscape and architectural photography. If that is not your kind of photography, you won't get this camera either, and will likely be disappointed. If your goal is to get better snapshots of the dogs and kids, have a look at the much less expensive "bridge" cameras marketed to "prosumers" with integrated (non-interchangeable) optics. You will not be unhappy with the high-quality results and easier portability you get from those high-feature cameras. If I have any complaints, they would be that Ricoh marketing didn't seem to know who would be interested in this camera, and hedged their bets by trying to target beginning and family snapshooters while leaving more advanced users as an afterthought. Ricoh marketing's inappropriate placement of this camera in their line led to its unnecessary demise. If you want one camera to do it all, this isn't it! However, if you are a serious photographer, and knowledgeable in your craft, this will be a very welcome addition to your Pentax professional system, and your arsenal of compatible lenses. Buy one while they are still available and treasure it for what it is. You will get much productive use from it.Read full review
Needed this like another hole in my head, but liked the looks, style, color. Takes excellent pics, and has enough settings to make anyone but a hard core pro happy. There is no viewfinder on this, and it is a bit bulky, but I knew that when I ordered it. Makes a rather loud thud when it powers up, and when you take a shot. Maybe I will find a setting to quiet it, maybe not. I have other cameras if I need to worry about it. Some of the buttons are not really clear so you need to experiment or heaven forbid, read the manual, but once you figure them out all is well. Though shaped like a brick the rubbery surface grips well. The only thing is the door to the cord hookups to use a USB, or HDMI is weak and doesn't give you a secure feeling, though so far it stays put. You can go auto, program, AV, TV Custom, Scenes, and movie. Might be missing one as the camera is not with me right now, it took a ride to the store. There are several built in filters for special effects, and the scene program lets you pick from many settings. Plus you can tailor most of the filters for varying degrees of effect. Flash has several settings including remote and rear curtain, and there is the hot shoe for an aux flash. In short this will do a great job and is fun. It's looks are what they are, you like it or you don't. I do miss the viewfinder, but can't fault the camera as it is obvious there is none. I got this because of the looks, and quirkiness. I have used Pentax slice the old Spotmatics which I still have and use now and then. Digitals? I have the K5, K3, MX1, Q, Q7, and this. Don't need them all of course, but what the heck, need doesn't often make my decisions. Want and compulsion run my life. I like all of them. I also have a Canon stuck in there someplace SX40HS. Why?? See: compulsionRead full review
Camera looks great and performs well. I prefer the straight forward controls and feel of this camera. It fits well in my hands and suits people with larger hands. I purchased a 18-55mm lens separately to go with this camera. I have a number of old k-mount lens which work very well with the manual settings/preview and focus peaking. Macro shots with extension tubes or with a lens reversal are easy to achieve with focus peaking. Sometimes, I miss the viewfinder when the sun is behind me and is reflecting of the screen.
I'm not a professional reviewer so here goes.... The K-01 is a camera style you will either love or hate. Either an oversized P&S or a DSLR with something missing. I happen to like it. I purchased mine after it was officially discontinued by Pentax from a seller on e-bay for 2 reasons. I was thinking about using it for a microscope camera (no mirror so no vibration) and the seller modified it for full spectrum (took out the UV and IR blocking filter). I always wanted a camera I could use for UV and IR work (just a hobby) but couldn't get one for Pentax mount, so I was excited to discover this one on ebay. The mod works as I would expect based on reading reviews of other cameras that had their UV / IR filters removed; with the same advantages and disadvantages (it is a mod!) IR works as is typical for this type of mod. UV is limited by the chip and the lenses you have or can get which is always a problem with UV work. My test shots are what I expected. For UV I use a minus IR (B+W 489) and a UV pass ((B+W 403)filter together along with a UV light source; for IR, I use a filter (B+W 092); got my filters from B&Hphotovideo a while ago. My rating is for the camera along with the mod - I'm very positive about the product because I was surprised to see anything done for a Pentax product. The seller I got my camera from was "eeassa"; happy with his work.Read full review
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