Pentax K-1 Mark II Review; Brand New Full Frame DSLR with Better Image Quality

Opening Instagram this morning was a little bit surprising. Through its official account on Instagram, Pentax just announced its new Full-frame DSLR camera called Pentax K-1 Mark II. As its name, this camera is a successor of the 2016’s K-1 with several improvements on house. Promising better image quality and enhanced shooting performance, this imaging device is definitely going to rock. And to check whether this claim is reasonable or not, here is Pentax K-1 Mark II Review.

Pentax K-1 Mark II Review ; New Superior DSLR with Robust Body

In its core, K-1 Mark II shares many resemblances to the original Pentax K1. However, several improvements can be found on some parts of the camera. Based on this Pentax K-1 Mark II review, the major difference is that this camera already equipped with new ‘accelerator unit’ processor, which will boost the image quality. Another interesting improvement is the presence of new Pixel Shift Resolution System II which allows you to use Pixel Shift High-Res Mode without putting on the camera on tripod. In addition, it’s been said that the focusing system on the camera has been improved as well.

Pentax K-1 Mark II Design

Talking about design, Pentax K-1 Mark II design is similar to the previous K-1. The body felt good, and it’s felt comfortable to handle too. The size stretches about 137 x 110 x 86 mm (5.39 x 4.33 x 3.39″), with quite heavy weight in 1010 g. More interestingly, this body is made from solid materials, and has a good sealing for dust and water resistance. By this, we can say that besides for studio shooting, Pentax K-1 Mark II is also directly aimed for outdoor photography.

On the rear side of the camera, we can see a viewfinder with near-100% field viewing capacity. Underneath, there is 3.2-inch LCD screen with 1.037-million-dots of pixels and 3:2 aspect ratio. Just like recent camera product, this screen can be tilted up 35 degrees horizontally, 44 degrees vertically, and diagonally. To support its outdoor photography functionality, this LCD adopts air-gapless design to decrease reflection as well as improving visibility when you’re shooting outdoor.

Further, Pentax K-1 Mark II Review also suggests that doing night photography is easy on this camera due to the Operation Assist Lights features it has. By this, it means that the camera has several white LEDs installed in some important parts of the camera such as around the lens, on memory card slot, on the back of the LCD, on the ports, and on some buttons.

These LEDs will be on when the camera operates in Low Light environment. So, doing some tasks such as changing the lens, operating the camera, connecting cables to the camera, or entering memory card can be done easily at night even in minimum lighting.

Specifications of Pentax K-1 Mark II

As indicated in Pentax K-1 Mark II review, the core features in this camera are similar to what we find in K-1. It still uses the same sensor, which is 36MP full-frame CMOS sensor with PRIME IV processor. Besides, 5-axis in-body stabilization and 33-point AF system from K-1 are also used.

However, this similarity doesn’t mean that there is no significant difference on the performance of this camera. As said before, Pentax has added an “accelerator unit” between the sensor and the processor. This unit is basically a pre-processor that will increase signal-to-noise ratio to effectively reduce the noise. Therefore, image captured will be clearer with better color composition even in low light situation.

Features

ISO performance has been increased too. While the original K-1 reaches maximum 204,800 ISO, the successor jumps significantly to reach 819,200 ISO. As for recording video, the maximum ISO that can be used is 25,600. With this high ISO setting, shooting in Low Light would not be a problem anymore.

Not stopping on that, the camera also features 5-axis image stabilization system with image sensor can be tilted up to all direction. With this scheme, some additional features such as image-composition fine-adjustment and auto level compensation are possible. And for shooting the night sky, Astro Tracer feature on this camera makes the result nothing but sharp and detailed images.

Moreover, Pentax K-1 Mark II review also explains that other important features borrowed from the original K-1, such as SAFOX 12 AF system which has 33 AF sensors all over the frame, metering sensor in 86,000-pixel RGB, 4.4fps continuous shooting, and APS-C Crop mode.

While on the video recording, Pentax K-1 Mark II can record in 1080p video resolution with stereo mic and headphone jacks as companion. In addition, built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, and dual SD card slots are also available. All these features are covered up with 670 shots battery life, which is a step back from 760 shots of capacity on the previous K-1.

Pixel Shift Resolution System II

One major update from the Pentax K-1 Mark II is Pixel Shift Resolution System II. As stated on Pentax K-1 Mark II review, this technology employs camera’s in-body image stabilization system in creating high resolution photos. The method is by taking 4 images and combining these pictures into 1 high resolution images. Technically, it’s done by canceling bayer color array used to eliminate color aliasing as well as to remove the need to demosaic. Therefore, resolution could be improved and the detail created is finer with more realistic colors.

Originally, Pixel Shift is best when it’s used when the camera is mounter on tripod. But, Pentax tries to break this manner, which is a little bit crazy actually, so that you can use this feature even when you’re shooting handheld. When you’re shooting handheld without tripod, the camera employs natural shake of your hand to take 4 images. And then, it combines those images into one high resolution image. This process involves anti-shake system on the camera to detect slight fluctuations caused by natural shaking of subject’s hands during shooting process.

Pentax K-1 Mark II Price and Release Date

Finally, we’ve arrive at the end of this Pentax K-1 Mark II review. And now it’s the time to inform you about Pentax K-1 Mark II price. Targetting high end camera market, the new K-1 Mark II is offered in relatively expensive price. It is priced around $2,000 for body only, and $2,400 for bundling package with HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR zoom lens. And for you who can’t wait to purchase this brand new Pentax Full-Frame DSLR, you need to wait at least until April when this camera starts shipping.