After a proper camera Pentax K-01 or tradtioal DSLR?

[Uv moth notingha]

After many years of using compact cameras , I am on the lookout for a suitable upgrade . Pentax are my addopted brand , and I was considering a k7 or kr , both SLR's with all the infinite possiblitys they bring .
But fresh on the scene is the K-01 , which is a ''mirrorless '' , and looks virtualy like an slr . It has a pop up flash , hot shoe , 16mp (better than most slrs ) and more importanly is compatable with all k mount lenses (including those massive ones for long distance shots ) and pentax flash guns . It also has HD video , shake reduction and the product page has lots about ISO written on it ( forgive my ignorance but this only ever seems to be mentioned with SLR 's )
It seems to be very different from anthing on the market , and has been described by its designer as a semi-pro tool .
My main concern is that it may not be manuel enough ( will you , for instance be able to take those cool light trails on cars or do star trails , both of which I would be eager to try out ? )
Should I stick with the traditional black box dslr , which would be cheaper , less risky and more conventional , or take the leap to this new type of camera .

Any thoughts would be hugely appriciated as I know virtualy nothing about proper photography .
Thanks
UVMOTH

[Jim Ford]

You can get a preview and comments on the camera on this site. They'll do a full review sometime:

Pentax announces K-01 K-mount APS-C mirrorless camera: Digital Photography Review

The only consistent thing that I've seen is that it looks like a toy camera. Not that that should put you off, though!

Jim

[Ukwildlifeo]

My friend has a K-r and is very satisfied with it. I have the k-5 which has all the manual flexibility one would need, cracking high ISO performance (for a cropped sensor) and will probably be about the same price as the K-01 when it comes out. My biggest concern with the K-01 is the lack of a viewfinder, only an LCD screen.

[Uv moth notingha]

Didnt spot the sadly lacking VF , and on another look the price is similar to the k5 , which is quite frankly a more porffesional tool . Not the most pretty to look at either , especialy in the lemon colour .
Then again , you could just add viewfinder to the hot shoe , and as it does the same things as the k5 whilst being smaller it can only be a blessing . still what is the point of a mirrorless that is the same size as an slr ?
I will have to look into it some more .

keep any coments coming , it is all useful .
UVMOTH

[Jim Ford]

The new Olympus OM-D EM5 specification look sensational. Check the specification highlights:

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Preview: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

Jim

[Tringa]

The DPreview preview suggests a price of 899 USD (about £568 today) which is a good bit less than the K5 but more than the Kr

It is lighter than than the K5, though not much smaller and it is not much different in weight to the Kr. Looking at the specs it does not have as many features as either the K5 or Kr.

Very occasionally I use the LCD screen but I don't like it. Unless the screen on the K-01 is very clever there will be times when reflections will make it very difficult to use. Perhaps I'm just a traditionalist but it feels wrong to hold a camera way out in front of your face to take a photo.

As far as I know to add a viewfinder would mean going to a third party. Nothing wrong in that but I'm guessing to get all the information the camera can provide it would have to be attached to the LCD, eg -

Amazon.com: NEEWER HD DSLR LCD Foldable Viewfinder with 3.0x Magnification: Electronics

which would add to the size quite a bit. Even if there was a viewfinder to fit the hot shoe, the result would be a camera close to the size of the K5/Kr

The advantages are that it uses of all the K mount lenses Pentax DSLRs use and any Pentax K mount lens from about 1975 onwards all of which will benefit from the in body IS. However, adding a few lenses to the set up means any weight advantage is reduced.

This sounds fairly anti-Pentax. It is not meant to be, I had Pentax cameras 30 years ago and have a K5 now. I would like to see Pentax come back to the prominent position they had many years ago. Though when everyone discovers what Pentax have in the K5 the balance may be redressed.

However, its your call, but I'd be tempted to wait a while to see how the K-01 pans out after a few months in the hands of photographers, but for me the lack of a viewfinder would be enough to put me off.

Dave

[pressld2]

Not much to add to what others have said. The lack of a viewfinder would be a serious drawback in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Uv moth notingha

still what is the point of a mirrorless that is the same size as an slr ?

One advantage of mirrorless systems is that they can use an electronic shutter instead of a mechanical one, and this means that it can be utterly silent - not the faintest hint of a click. Many SLRs are now offering a "Quiet mode" which is an improvement but, because of the need to lift the mirror and open/close a mechanical shuuter, still not silent. When I was in Phil's hide on Saturday it was very obvious that the birds could hear my shutter and it was making them nervous.

Dave P.

[Uv moth notingha]

You can buy a pentax optical viewfinder to stick on the hot shoe , but it still isnt really compensation .
I dont have enough spare cash for anthing at the mo , so I will wait to see what the verdict on the k01 is when it comes out . If it does turn out to be a gimmick then I will go for the k7 ,or kr .
UVMOTH

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by pressld2

One advantage of mirrorless systems is that they can use an electronic shutter instead of a mechanical one

You can also get a high frame rate because a mirror doesn't have to flap up and down.

Jim

[Tringa]

UV Moth,

The price difference between the K-01 and the K5 is not as great as I first thought. Jessops are doing the K-01 with a 18-55 lens for £679.95. A K5 with same size (but WR) lens and a case is £729 at SRS.

I'd expect second hand K5s, if you can find one, are likely to be under the K-01 price

Dave