The Pentax K-01 is the latest mirrorless interchangeable lens camera to break cover – and if offerings from Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Samsung et al leave you cold, its achingly retro-modern looks may stir a fire in your belly. The K-01, you see, comes fresh from the drawing board of famed designer Marc Newson, who has stuff on display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and everything.
The Pentax K-01 has an aluminium frame beneath a white, black or yellow exterior, and while its K system lens mount is compatible with a huge variety of lenses already on sale, Pentax is releasing it alongside a brand new 40mm F2.8 pancake lens – apparently the world’s thinnest interchangeable lens.
There’s a 16.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, full HD 1080p video at 30fps (or 720p at 60fps if you prefer), a 6fps burst mode, 100-25600 ISO range sensor-shift anti-shake technology and 3-inch, 921,000-dot LCD screen. There’s a pop-up flash, as well as a hot shoe for external flashes.
The Pentax K-01 will go on sale at the end of March. You can expect to pay around £630 for the body only, £680 for the camera with either an 18-55mm or the 40mm lens, or £800 in a twin zoom package with the 18-55mm and a 50-200mm telephoto lens.
