Pentax K-mount mirrorless to be announced on February 2nd (with invitation!)
Now it’s not a “rumor” only anymore. THis is the official invitation for the PEntax even on February 2nd. The rumored specs of the camera should be:
Name: K-01
Sensor: Same as the K-5 (16 Megapixel).
Mount: K
Kit lens: New DA 40mm f2.8 (less than 1cm thick!)
Mirror: No mirror!
Video: Full HD video with external mic input support
LCD: 3-inch LCD 921k
AF: Contrast (no phase detection AF)
Flash: Built-in
Dimensions: 121mm x 79mm x 59mm
Weight: 560g (1.2lb) with battery
Colors: Three different versions
Source: StuffReview (via PR)
I am rally looking forward to ee this camera! It should have a completely different design than other mirrorless cameras! There is a sketch going around but I don’t know how 100% correct this is:
Share
Recent comments
Comment from Tassilyn: Thniknig like that shows an expert's tou...
Comment from Random Poster: For the same camera class, CDAF cannot b...
Comment from Nappe1: ...Except the green box is not in the mi...
Comment from Ace: Good point! But I was hoping I could use...
cameralover
4 months ago |from the sketch (if it’s the correct one) we can see clearly how they manage the mount to be K compatible
I’m curiously looking forward to see the official appearance.
Traderkev
4 months ago |This is one ugly camera. I think Ricoh has had the last laugh: looks like a Ricoh Mirai!!!
metalaryeh
4 months ago |I wonder what the green box is supposed to be…
Two names on the camera, Ricoh and Pentax, is a bit much.
M42
4 months ago |From the K-5:
http://content.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/10649/PENTAX-K5-FI_LCD2_Image.jpg
Matt
4 months ago |Hmmm I thought that, but isn’t that the box with the rounded corners that is on the shutter release side?
Sergey
4 months ago |Is there a built-in EVF?
admin
4 months ago |I think the answer is NO
Argun
4 months ago |I don’t understand how these manufacturers expect these cameras to be taken seriously without a VF of some sort. Which serious photographer will buy a camera without a VF, and which photographer who shoots at arms length will pay the moneys they will be asking for it.
Yes, there is always the add-on EVFs. I use one, and it is a pain in the shutter finger to deal with.
pete
4 months ago |I agree. Hopefully there will be a surprise built-in EVF. BTW, 40mm is way too long, unless it is 35mm equivalent.
Ace
4 months ago |It looks just like my Ricoh GXR with the M mount module. Why can’t they just create a k-mount module for the GXR? Oh well!:(
Dummy00001
4 months ago |Here is the hint, right in the rumored specs:
> AF: Contrast (no phase detection AF)
> Kit lens: New DA 40mm f2.8 (less than 1cm thick!)
The old K-mount lenses are very likely nearly useless with the CDAF. (As we already have experienced during the 43 to m43 migration.)
If new CDAF capable lenses would be released, and lots of them, only then such a module for GXR would make sense.
Ace
4 months ago |Good point! But I was hoping I could use old pentax manual lenses on my GXR.:|
Tj
4 months ago |Waiting for the real thing to come out, but the design in that sketch looks realy bad…
Daniel Brandt
4 months ago |If the rumor is right – that could bring Pentax back to good business.
This could be a gib thing for them like the K10 years ago. But after the K10 there came nothing really good from them. But if this is a K-5 without mirror. Fine. If they tuned the sensor a bit – perfect!
Oh i hope they give that camera a goooood AF! Thats the only thing that was really bad in alle Pentax cameras except the K-5!
Peter
4 months ago |Why use 45.46 mm SLR Flange local distance for mirrorless camera?
Random Poster
4 months ago |Compatibility with existing k lenses.
Pete2
4 months ago |Mahahahahahahahaaaaaaa
Gman
4 months ago |@Peter – so that they can use their back catalog of lenses and not have to design any new ones. A new mount requires a lens roadmap. This doesn’t. Heck they didn’t even use a new sensor.
Kylberg
4 months ago |I am very interested in this camera – an VF is a prerequisite for me though. Would be surpised if Pentax missed to include a VF. ALL potential customers (hardly p&s upgraders) to a mirrorless K-5 need a VF I believe.
JesperMP
4 months ago |I think that the green rectangle is a top-down VF !
Maybe ……… ?
matgay
4 months ago |famous designer = fugly camera, go figure.
JesperMP
4 months ago |It sorta looks like a GXR with a fixed K-mount.
In fact, if that is the design, why not just launch a K-mount module for GXR ?
A prime lens as the kit lens. Good.
But f2.8 !? Disappointing.
Bort
4 months ago |Man… Dont like the Design-Sketch. Looks realy bulky. I always wanted a digital Pentax ME
Harold GLIT
4 months ago |a 40mm in FOV equivalent is the pERFECT focal lens AFAIC
let s hope it is not a 3;2 ratio only
Harold
JesperMP
4 months ago |If it is consistent with how Pentax name their other lenses, it is “40 mm”, not “40 mm equivalent”.
So it is more likely to give you the equivalent FOV of a 60 mm lens on a 35 mm FF camera.
Then again, Ricoh calls their lenses by the “equivalent” value, and Ricoh owns Pentax. So maybe it IS 40 mm equivalent.
For example Ricoh has the GXR lens module called “GR LENS A12 28 mm F2.5″. But it is really f=18.3mm and this is printed on the front of the lens.
Matt
4 months ago |Generally speaking all manufacturers use 35mm Equiv when a lens is fixed (but often state actual along side). They use actual FL when it is not fixed.
Bob B.
4 months ago |I think that this camera misses the mark if there is no VF or provision for one. I would love to see Pentax produce a mirrorless version of the K5!
ljmac
4 months ago |What on earth is the point of this? The whole idea of mirrorless is to make things smaller, but if the mount is the same, then the only space they’ll save is removing the OVF prism hump. Also, the mount is the same to maintain compatibility with Pentax SLR lenses, but removing the mirror means they won’t AF! There’s no reason not to buy a DSLR instead, especially as Pentax makes such good compact ones already. This is just dumb, dumb, dumb, like their Q system. I predict that both will be be a total flop.
neeming
4 months ago |Unless they have groundbreaking CDAF working in tandem with a global shutter, I would have to agree with ljmac this is a dumb design that makes no sense (particularly concerning the size, lack of viewfinder, lack of fast PDAF, etc.)
It is not that such a camera is bad per se, it’s just that it would offer nothing over their dSLR cameras. A faster fps perhaps, but who cares. It would be mirrorless for the sake of being mirrorless.
Of course, we haven’t seen the specs of the camera yet. So it would be too early to jump into conclusion. It might have a few surprises.
Bob B.
4 months ago |VERY good points…perhaps if the camera could be made smaller it would make sense. For me the size thing is getting to the point of no return…I have a Pany GX1 and it is almost too small.
Anonymous
4 months ago |What are you on about? The whole idea of mirrorless is to have no mirror. This has no mirror. Eventually all DSLRs will be like this when CDAF technology becomes faster than PDAF.
Random Poster
4 months ago |For the same camera class, CDAF cannot be faster than PDAF. As fast as PDAF is more suitable term.
Uh...
4 months ago |Q did not flop in Japan, however. It even hit the top selling chart.
Please keep on dreaming and expect the universe to revolve around you.
Oh, and by the way, I am a troll.
BornBad
4 months ago |same flange focal distance, wtf?
can i store accessories in the empty space?
the more systems appear, the more i love the mft approach. they did a lot of things right from the start.
Ben
4 months ago |Wow, ugly as hell -and- very bulky. Might as well stick with the better K5.
Matt
4 months ago |The more I look at that drawing, the more I think that that mount is removable, the whole mount section – Sort of like a GXR but with the sensor staying in place. Or maybe is is just like the GXR and the sensor goes with the mount? Either way it looks like an integrated (included and more fitted) solution to enable K-Mount users to migrate, but still have mirrorless advantages with the new lenses.
Also I keep looking at that green box and wonder if it is an EVF or even OVF that you can attach different loupe options to, or just use as a top down display? I find this whole Pentax thing very intriguing (long time ago Pentax fan).
Definitely still think this is a K-r replacement rather than a m43 competitor. Pentax entry DSLRs have aimed to be a bit ‘quirky’ for a while and have been decently popular for it and other have copied some of their ‘flair’.
Argun
4 months ago |And maybe that would explain the Pentax-Ricoh labelling.
Pentax makes the body core (instead of the GXR), and the Ricoh module mounts into that?
Matt
4 months ago |Good point. While I don’t think it will fit existing modules, I can see there being Pentax K-01 versions of GXR modules (essentially the same modules with different plastic moulding (if the drawing is correct).
Tassilyn
4 months ago |Thniknig like that shows an expert’s touch
Matt
4 months ago |I also keep thinking that there is in fact a mirror in that module and that green box has something to do with that, like a detachable OVF or something?
Nappe1
4 months ago |…Except the green box is not in the middle of the “mount tube” and so it is not at least window to see thru the lens via mirror.