Feb 4, 2012, 04:01
I seem to have the knack of jumping on rumours the day before the actual announcement comes out... lol. Anyway, Pentax have announced the K-01 compact camera system, based on an APS-C sensor and their K mount which means it can use virtually every Pentax lens ever made.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/02/02/...nouncement
If you compare the size vs their flagship K-5 DSLR, the difference isn't all that great actually. The most obvious difference is that the viewfinder / prism / mirror assembly is missing, leading to a slightly slimmer profile. But not that slim. I think the strength or the compactness of the system (hey they're calling it a CSC after all) will come when Pentax introduces new purpose made XS lenses - the ultra slim 40mm pancake being announced at launch.
To see their lens roadmap for 2012/2013, click here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/02/02/...ensroadmap
I think this is a pretty interesting move by Pentax. Instead of designing a completely new mount and range of lenses (a la Nikon 1, Sony NEX) or a completely new format altogether (a la M43), they have built a compact camera around their existing K mount. This means that existing Pentax users can immediately start using their collection of lenses - making the "second body" or "backup body" argument very easily justifiable. The counterargument is that the size difference becomes almost negligible, making the loss of functionality - AF speed, viewfinder, etc. a heavy price to pay.
What are your thoughts on this new system?
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/02/02/...nouncement
If you compare the size vs their flagship K-5 DSLR, the difference isn't all that great actually. The most obvious difference is that the viewfinder / prism / mirror assembly is missing, leading to a slightly slimmer profile. But not that slim. I think the strength or the compactness of the system (hey they're calling it a CSC after all) will come when Pentax introduces new purpose made XS lenses - the ultra slim 40mm pancake being announced at launch.
To see their lens roadmap for 2012/2013, click here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/02/02/...ensroadmap
I think this is a pretty interesting move by Pentax. Instead of designing a completely new mount and range of lenses (a la Nikon 1, Sony NEX) or a completely new format altogether (a la M43), they have built a compact camera around their existing K mount. This means that existing Pentax users can immediately start using their collection of lenses - making the "second body" or "backup body" argument very easily justifiable. The counterargument is that the size difference becomes almost negligible, making the loss of functionality - AF speed, viewfinder, etc. a heavy price to pay.
What are your thoughts on this new system?