Value & Verdict

Pentax K-01 review – Value

Available for £679 with a lens, the K-01 carries a similar asking price as the Olympus E-P3. The Olympus is as expensive as non-viewfinder Compact System Cameras come, so Pentax’s mirrorless model is also a pricey purchase.

However, those with existing Pentax lenses needn’t invest in a new lens system. All Pentax K lenses will work in conjunction with this camera, without the need for an adaptor. That’s a potential cost saver right there. However, from our experience, we say they won’t work as quietly, nor as proficiently as well as they will on a Pentax DSLR system.

Expensive it is, but it’s the overall disappointing design and performance that don’t give the K-01 that much to shout about. We’d much rather plump up an extra £150 to bag a better performing and better looking Pentax K-5.

Pentax K-01 review – Verdict

The Pentax K-01 isn’t like anything else on the market. Its unusual exterior may appeal to design aficionados associated with the world of Marc Newson and other designers, but for most average camera users it’s too bulky and, on account of its small grip alone, won’t appeal to hardened photographers.

The use of the K-mount may appeal, particularly to existing Pentax users, yet it’s hard to see what the K-01 offers that the far superior K-5 doesn’t.

Image quality and the quirky Focus Peaking feature are the model’s high point, though the lacklustre performance, again, is problematic.

Overall the K-01 feels like a bloated Compact System Camera without the associated size benefits of its competitors, or otherwise a lobotomised DSLR. It straddles the two categories but, and ultimately, fails to deliver anything new or innovative enough to inspire.