The Pentax K1 is the first 35mm full-frame digital camera by Pentax / Ricoh. For many years Pentax focused on producing great  APS sensor cameras such as the K-5 and K-3, or the medium format flagships the 645D and 645Z.

The main features of the K-1 are a 36.4 MP sensor and  5-Axis in-camera shake reduction. These provide high resolution images and minimize motion blur. As with other Pentax cameras you get great build quality and weather sealing. Dual SD card slots  and the same lithium battery I use with the  K-3 and 645Z means it should be a dependable workhorse.

Pentax Japan kindly sent me a K-1 and the new FF 28-105 lens to shoot some images for a Tokyo exhibition later in the year.  First, however, I thought I’d just put in a couple of memory cards and a battery and take it with me during Sunday’s workshop in Yomitan.

A few things I immediately noticed. The articulated monitor is clear, and has adjustable brightness. On sunny days such as yesterday you can set the screen to “Outdoor View Setting” +2 and you can still easily review your images. There’s a Smart Function dial which allows you to set the role of another control dial. At the moment I’ll probably have this set at ISO or exposure compensation. This means you can have a dedicated physical dial for ISO rather than via a button or menu.

There are many new features that I have yet to try out including the Astrotracer mode, Wi-Fi, or the “Pixel Shift Resolution System.”

The 28-105 lens is compact, sharp and weather resistant. With a maximum aperture range of 3.5-5.6 it’s darker and slower than the lenses I’m used to using  for portraits, but a solid bit of kit.

Will put up more information, and hopefully a video as I continue using the camera over the coming weeks and months.