Pentax Announces K-01 Mirrorless Camera

Joining in the trend of mirrorless camera system, Pentax officially announces the K-01 K-mount mirrorless interchangeable lens (ILC) camera series. The new camera features a 16MP APS-C sensor, 1 920k dot rear LCD, and a 6fps shooting ability.

The interesting thing about the Pentax K-01 (pronounced ‘K-zero-one’) is its desig—done by the respected product designer Marc Newson, which is shown by his signature logo on the base of the camera. Another thing is that the camera comes with the revised 40mm F2.8 pancake lens, while also being compatible with most of the lenses Pentax has previously produced.

The main concern perhaps lies on the camera’s focus speed—based on its dependence on contrast detection autofocus—which makes it quite hard to match the camera with most DSLR-style phase-detection autofocus lenses. Besides, the Pentax K-01 features a full depth K-mount, which results in a pretty big camera body.

Along with the announcement of the K-01 mirrorless camera, Pentax also provides an update to its lens roadmap which includes releases to make in 2012 and 2013. In the roadmap, Pentax has planned to soon introduce three new lenses—a standard 50mm, a 18-200mm superzoom and a 500-600mm telephoto lens. Click here to read the specification and more information on the Pentax K-01. dpreview.com