Denver – Pentax Ricoh Imaging America this week introduced a new
style of mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (ILC), focused on
fashion-centric photographers.
The Pentax K-01 features a body design by renowned contemporary designer
Marc Newson, and starts a whole new class of compact system cameras for Pentax
that are alongside its diminutive Q camera, which continues in the line.
In this case, Pentax went with distinctive style as the driving factor
in developing the new ILC.
Newson, a famous Australian designer, has been celebrated with
works placed in the Museum of Modern Art and is noted for bringing his design
sensibilities to furniture, watches and home accessories, among other things.
His approach to the camera offers a boxier, somewhat thicker look
than typical compact system cameras, which usually go for maximum compactness,
like the aforementioned Q camera. It also uses Pentax’s traditional K-mount for
lenses, instead of the special ultra-compact Q mount, giving the Newson camera
access to a wide range of Pentax SLR lenses.
The K-01 also uses bold body colors, including black, white and
Newson’s signature yellow, to set it apart from the field. Each sports Newson’s
autograph logo stamp on the bottom.
Pronounced, “K zero one,” the new camera will ship to dealers in
March at $750 suggested retail for the body only, and $900 for the camera with
lens kit. The camera will ship in packaging that was specially designed by
Newson and will include a Newson-designed strap, as well.
The camera incorporates a host of user-friendly features, eliminates
the optical viewfinder, and uses a quick-return mirror to give maximum freedom
to Newson in designing the camera body.
Newson also had a hand in designing the matching SMC Pentax-DA
40mm F2.8 XS lens ($250), which Pentax billed as “the world’s thinnest
interchangeable lens.”
Key features of the PENTAX K-01 include:
• a machined aluminum frame
under a stylish black, white or yellow exterior;
• a mirrorless body design
compatible Pentax K-mount lenses;
• large 16-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS image sensor with low-noise
image capture and multiple aspect ratios;
• high-resolution 3-inch 920,000-dot
LCD;
• FullHD 1080p video
capture at 30 fps with h.264 compression (60 fps at 720p);
• sensor-shift Pentax shake-
and dust-reduction system;
• 6 fps burst shooting mode;
• a 100 to 25,600 ISO
range with low noise; and
• Focus Peaking mode for
fast manual focusing.
