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I went with a Pentax K-01 camera

As you might know, I frequently use two cameras at the same time. I usually do this at conventions and situations where I need a decent range of focal lengths with the prime lenses I use. It adds extra cost, but it’s the way I prefer to do things. My K-7 is having some issues with the rear dial and potentially some other issues, so I went about remedying that situation. I ended up selling some equipment I rarely use or were not a good fit for me. With that cash, I just recently put it into a K-01 and a used 24mm lens I feel will better fit my style.

Here is a quick shot of my new K-01. You might notice it has one small visual variation to the three offered color schemes. I’ll get to that reason shortly. 

The K-01 after replacing the grip.

I contacted my local camera shop to see if they had one available. All they had was a demo unit with a yellow grip. While I respect people who like and enjoy that version of the K-01, it just doesn’t fit my style and I feel that I couldn’t use it in professional situations. I sucked up my reservations about the camera as I was able to get a good deal on the camera with the 40mm f2.8 XS. 

As luck would have it, the shop offered up one of their fake demo K-01 cameras along with the yellow K-01 because they knew I was interested in replacing the grip. To make a long story short, I was able to flip the grips between the fake unit and the real unit without much trouble. Many of the components in the fake demo cameras are actually the same as the read deal. The difference of my K-01 is that it has black strap lugs that are only available on the white K-01. 🙂

You can expect a future article on the grip transfer process as well as a full review of the K-01. I’ll say that so far I’m liking the camera. It is certainly a change in how I do things, but with some positive aspects over a standard SLR. Keep in mind this isn’t a replacement for my K-5, but more a supplement because they both have strengths and weaknesses. Together I think I will be able to produce even better images than I have in the past. The K-5 focused on images and the K-01 with more video, but images just as strong as the K-5.

So you might be wondering, why the K-01 instead of a second K-5 or a K-30 that should be coming out in a month?
I’ll say a few things in quick bullet points:

  • K-01 is focused on video and as a mirrorless it is even better for that purpose. The K-30 won’t even have a MIC or HDMI port.
  • The K-01 uses the same batteries as the K-7 and K-5.
  • The K-01 is smaller than the K-5 and K-30. That means less to lug around at conventions.
  • I got a reasonable deal on the K-01 with a lens. I only had so much cash from the sale of other equipment and I didn’t want to take much out of pocket.

That about sums it up. Expect more in future articles!

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