Pentax K-1 II Field Test: The uniquely upgradable full-frame DSLR flagship gets its first real-world workout
posted Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 4:03 PM EST
If you prefer DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, there's only one company which can offer you a choice of APS-C, full-frame and medium-format DSLRs: Ricoh's Pentax brand uniquely offers products in all three categories. It's to the middle of that trio that we turn our attention today, and specifically, to the 36.4-megapixel Pentax K-1 II, which is itself just as unique as the company by which it was produced.
In my just-published first Field Test for the full-frame K-1 II -- which has now replaced the earlier K-1 as the company's flagship K-mount DSLR -- I take a fresh look at a camera which is in many ways identical to its predecessor, and yet which promises significantly improved image quality and a couple of very cool new features. (And in an industry first, everything new in the K-1 II is available as a paid upgrade for existing K-1 owners, too!)
My first field test takes a good look at daytime image quality, burst and autofocus performance and the overall shooting experience, both through the viewfinder and on the LCD monitor. And since existing Pentaxians shooting the company's APS-C flagships are likely to want to pick up a K-1 II to accompany an existing sub-frame body, I've made sure to compare and contrast the full-frame flagship against its most recent APS-C equivalent, the K-3 II.
Weather permitting, my second field test should be coming very soon with a side-by-side comparison shooting both the original K-1 and the new K-1 II using the same settings, with the aim of helping existing K-1 owners decide whether to upgrade their cameras to the K-1 II specification while they still can. The second test will also look at the newly-upgraded, hand-holdable Pixel Shift Resolution function, while a third and final field test will cover low-light shooting and videos.
So what are you waiting for? Hop on over to my Pentax K-1 II Field Test Part I now, and watch this space for Parts II and III, coming very soon!