Pentax K-1 Review
We've aggregated 3 high-signal reviews and 1 live retailer price below.
Our editorial take on the Pentax K-1
The Pentax K-1 arrived as the company's first full-frame DSLR, and it brought a rare combination to the market: a 36.4-megapixel sensor paired with in-body stabilization. At the time, it was the only conventional DSLR offering full-frame with IBIS, a significant differentiator for Pentax loyalists. Reviewers praised its versatile image quality, which holds up well across the ISO range except at the extreme high end. The weather-sealed magnesium alloy body with 87 sealing points earned appreciation, as did features like the composition adjustment mode for studio work and fast autofocus performance.
The K-1's feature set is impressive for its price point. Five-axis stabilization rated at five stops, a unique cross-tilt rear LCD, and tools like Pixel Shift Resolution and Astrotracer show Pentax leaning into functionality that appeals to landscape and astrophotography shooters. The 33-point AF system (25 cross-type) and 4.4 fps continuous shooting place it squarely in the enthusiast DSLR category, though video is limited to 1080p with a 25-minute cap.
For those invested in the K-mount or looking for a well-built, stabilized full-frame DSLR with strong stills performance, the K-1 delivers on its promises.
- Rare combination of full-frame sensor and 5-axis in-body stabilization
- Excellent weather sealing with 87 sealing points and magnesium alloy build
- Versatile image quality across most ISO settings
- Fast, accurate autofocus performance
- Unique features like Pixel Shift Resolution and Astrotracer for specialized shooting
- Image quality drops at extreme high ISO settings
- Video limited to 1080p with 25-minute recording cap
Synthesized by Geared editors from aggregated expert reviews.
Best reviews
The highest-signal reviews from creators and editorial blogs.
Editorial reviews
A 36.4MP full-frame DSLR built around the K lens mount. It becomes the only conventional DSLR to offer a full frame sensor with image stabilization.
Good image quality at all but the very highest sensitivities you'll seldom use. But while finding dark enough subjects was tough elsewhere, in ...
Pros · Weather sealing · Great, versatile image quality · Composition adjustment is awesome for studio shooting on a tripod · Fast autofocus in ...
Community ratings
Tap a star. That's it. Save the words for the comments below.
0 ratings
Comments
Ask questions, share your experience, reply to other owners.
No comments yet. Start the conversation.
About this product
First Pentax FF DSLR; 36MP.
Specs
- Battery
- D-LI90, 1860 mAh, 7.2 V
- Weight Grams
- 925 g (body only)
- Dimensions Mm
- 136.5 x 110 x 85.5 mm
- Build Material
- Magnesium alloy, stainless steel chassis
- Weather Sealing
- Yes, 87 sealing points
- Bit Depth
- 14-bit
- Raw Video
- No
- Internal Codecs
- H.264
- Max Frame Rate Hd
- 1080/60p, 1080/60i
- Max Recording Time
- 25 minutes
- Max Video Resolution
- Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080)
- Gps
- GPS, QZSS
- Hot Shoe
- Yes
- Bulb Mode
- Yes, Bulb and Time mode
- Eye Point
- 20.6 mm
- Astrotracer
- Yes
- Pc Sync Port
- Yes
- Remote Input
- 2.5 mm sub-mini
- Diopter Adjustment
- -3.5 to +1.2
- Interval Recording
- Yes
- Aa Filter Simulator
- Yes
- Operating Temperature
- 14 to 104°F (-10 to 40°C)
- Pixel Shift Resolution
- Pixel Shift Resolution II (4-shot composite, 42 MP output)
- Dynamic Pixel Shift Resolution
- Yes (handheld)
- Sensor Size
- Full-frame (35.9 x 24 mm)
- Sensor Type
- CMOS
- Image Processor
- PRIME IV
- Low Pass Filter
- No
- Effective Megapixels
- 36.4 MP
- Dual Native Iso
- No
- Iso Range Stills
- 100 to 819200
- Continuous Shooting
- 4.4 fps
- Shutter Speed Mechanical
- 1/8000 to 30 s
- Viewfinder
- Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.7x magnification
- Rear Screen
- 3.2" Cross-Tilt LCD, 1,037,000 dots
- Lens Mount
- Pentax K
- Crop Factor
- 1.0x
- Usb
- Micro-USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 Gen 1
- Hdmi
- Micro-HDMI
- Audio Io
- 3.5 mm stereo microphone input, 3.5 mm stereo headphone output
- Wireless
- Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
- Card Slots
- 2x SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I)
- Ibis
- 5-axis, 5 stops
- Af Points
- 33 points (25 cross-type)
- Af System
- SAFOX 12
- Af Low Light
- -3 EV
Where to buy
Live prices from retailers. We earn a small commission when you click through - never affects ranking.
- B&H Photonew● In stockBest price$1,797Buy
