OVERVIEW: THE PENTAX ADVANTAGE

IBIS

In a number of ways, the Pentax DSLR system is very different from the systems that Nikon and Canon produce. The most significant of these is In-Body-Image-Stabilization (IBIS). Other cameras include this (like the mirror-less Sony A7 series and some micro four-thirds cameras), but to the best of my knowledge Sony is the only other significant manufacturer who has included IBIS in some of its DSLR bodies.

Pentax's implementation of IBIS has a number of innovative uses that are of particular interest to a landscape photographer. These are features that Canon and Nikon (who use in-lens stabilization) simply can't provide. Even the IBIS of other manufactures can't match what Pentax does with it. Obviously the first and main usage of IBIS is for image stabilization. I actually prefer in-lens stabilization because I can see the effect of it through the viewfinder while shooting, however the in-body version does seem to do a good job. Image stabilization is only just the beginning though. Where IBIS potentially adds value to the camera for landscape photography is mainly in the Pixel-shift, Astro-tracer and Composition adjustment features. Another use of IBIS is an automatic horizon correction function that can straighten horizons that are up to 2 degrees off level by tilting the sensor.

Sony sensors

Pentax, like Nikon, uses Sony sensors. The 36mp sensor in the K1 is basically the same hardware as the sensor in the Nikon D810 but with Pentax's secret sauce data processing recipe. It is not a bad thing for Pentax to be using Sony sensors rather than try and develop their own since Sony are the biggest sensor manufacturer in the world and will continue to roll out new, industry leading sensors for the forseeable future. I think it is a fairly safe assumption that a future iteration of the K-1 (the K-1ii?) would have a variant of the 42mp sensor that the Sony A7Rii currently has, so there is a good upgrade path to come for Pentax users who crave even higher resolution.

All-weather bodies

Pentax is renowned for making incredibly well weather-sealed, tough, camera bodies. A quick search on you-tube will find you videos of people washing mud and dust off various Pentax bodies under a tap or a shower. The K-1 is perfect for an all-weather field camera. Paired with one of their all-weather (AW) lenses like the new 70-200 f2.8 the K-1 would handle just about any weather that you could throw at it. Unfortunately, the Tamron sourced 15-30 and 24-70 lenses don't quite make the AW grade as they are rated at the lower weather-resistant (WR) level but even this seems to be a cut above the average 'weather-sealed' lens rating.

I have already had several occasions when I was caught in the rain while shooting. When I was using my Canon I would be very nervous about water and usually would bag the camera till the rain stopped. I had an issue with a 7D once where a single drop of water that landed around the shutter button caused unstoppable, continuous shutter release. It dried out eventually and there was no permanent damage, but I never trusted my Canon bodies for wet weather use after that. Using the K-1 I have had the camera completely drenched in rain several times but I had no concerns and the camera and lens suffered no ill-effects. I won't be intentionally testing the camera's water-sealing limits with full submersion any time soon but it's nice to know it would probably be safe with a quick dunk should the worst happen!

K-mount

One of the reasons Pentax has some of the most loyal users in the photography world is that it has taken a very commendable approach to their lens mount. Unlike Canon and Nikon, the current Pentax K-mount is backwards compatible with lenses going all the way back to the 1970's. Even full manual lenses can be accommodated by using 'green button metering' and manually setting the lens focal length in the menu. Manual focus lenses with aperture rings that have an 'A' setting for aperture priority work perfectly. Auto focus lenses from the 80's and 90's which don't have their own AF motors are also accommodated for as the current generation DSLR bodies still include the built-in focusing motor. The new generation lenses obviously have in-lens motors and fully electronic aperture control. And of course IBIS works on any lens you can fit.

The K-1 will even accept the full range of Pentax lenses that were designed for APS-C sensor cameras. To use a 'crop' lens the camera can automatically or manually implement a 'crop' mode which results in an approximately 15 mp file. As a bonus, working in crop mode boosts the frame rate to 6.5 fps which is not bad at all if you have some action to shoot and 15 mp files are enough for the job.

Value for Money

Pentax is a relatively small player in the camera market, with a tiny share of the DSLR segment compared to Canon and Nikon. Their marketing seems to be rather low-key but they are part of the huge imaging company of Ricoh. These factors somehow seem to translate into some of the best value for money camera's available. The K-1 is selling in Australia for approximately A$2,800. This seems a lot until you compare it with the 50mp Canon 5DSr for A$5000, the newly announced 30mp 5D Mark iv for A$5,000, the 36mp Nikon D810 for A$3,600 and the 42mp Sony A7Rii for A$4,100. The K-1 together with the 24-70 was less than the 5DSr on its own and yet it is a pro-grade, rugged, metal body built to be used in the field, with industry leading weather resistance and comes with every technology that Pentax has, shoehorned into it. For someone wanting to get started in a high megapixel system it makes an extremely attractive proposition.

Cool Factor

I don't mind admitting that I have a contrarian streak and I like the fact that Pentax is something of an underdog brand. Pentax cameras are seen as an unusual or even weird choice by Canon, Nikon and Sony users! I have gotten a little bored with Canon and buying into a new system has been an extremely enjoyable learning curve.