Great video. I've been shooting with Pentax since I received a new Spotmatic as a gift in 1970, at age 13. For the past few years I've been shooting with the K-50 and K-70 DSLRs, and with many 35mm film Pentax SLRs. I'm now starting to shoot with the K-1 M2. Thanks for making this video, and I think you "get" the spirit of Pentax photography. Pentax has always "marched to a different drummer," trying to hit that sweet spot of performance, features, and price, and above commitment to their customers and a passion for photography.
Thanks for the kind words. Ya, I absolutely love this lens, I almost exclusively use old manual lenses and I love the long list of lenses available for this camera.
As a long-term (40+ years) Pentaxian, I agree with everything you say. That 77 mm f1.8 is a wonderful portrait lens, even if it's not the sharpest lens I've ever had: the rendering has a magical quality that I just don't see in any other system's lenses that I've used (and I've used a lot - you are so right when you talk of some lenses being "too perfect"). The same can be said of the 31 mm f1.8 and the 43 mm f1.9 Limiteds. One area where Pentax is lacking is the absence of a full frame wide angle prime, so I'm impatient for the promised 21 mm DFA lens. It's so nice to see someone who "gets" Pentax. As you say, the system is not for everyone, but for those with whom it resonates, it's a rewarding experience. Subscribed!
I had been rocking 5 year old flagship model APS-C Pentax bodies and vintage glass for a looooong time. Moved out to Seattle and was making decent money when the K-1 game out in 2016. That was my first new camera purchase. Used K10, used K20, and a used K5 preceded it. I've been using it for automotive photography mainly. I have also picked up a LOT more vintage lenses. The Takumar line of M-42 screw mount lenses has some real gems. The K-1 really seems to capture the moment in an authentic manor. I find this to be especially true through these old Takumars.
@@LENSDADDY Nice, what Takumars do you have? I feel like I learn about a new one every few months. I've got the 50mm f1.4 in both 7 and 8 element versions. The Auto Takumar 55mm f1.8 zebra, the Auto Takumar 35mm f2.3, and the 200mm f3.5. There's a few more I have kicking around, but I actually use these.
Welcome to the quirky world of Pentax! You sure jumped in with both feet with the K-1 mkII. I've been using Pentax since my K10D. The best thing about the system is the K-mount. I'm not a professional so I can't buy these new high dollar limited and star lenses. But I can afford these old Super-Takumar, SMC, M, and A series manual focus lenses and few lower priced auto focus consumer lenses.
I feel the same, the K-Mount is probably the main reason I enjoy using my Pentax so much. As hobby photographer investing too much money in glass was hard to justify and to be honest using lenses from different times is really awesome. Looking forward to see more of your lighthouses project, the photo you shared is beautiful!
I use my K1 for street in the US and Europe with Art lenses and it's great for me. The fact that it doesn't do everything perfectly for you is something I enjoy, because then I feel like I'm actually crafting the capture I want. The cold surgical precision of the competition doesn't align with photography being a hobby for me.
I shoot nature and I use Pentax because it best reproduces real life. I have also shot Canon and Sony, as well as Olympus, but all those cameras over process the image. Pentax gives you exactly what your eye sees, or in other words, exactly what is real. I want that and so I choose Pentax.
I have one also and love it. But having been a professional photographer since 1980, I have to laugh when anyone complains about weight and that you can’t shoot sports. Sports photography existed way before autofocus and super high speed frames per second (required the photographer to have skill and thought).
I have the K-5 & K-30 with a few lenses, mostly zooms, but also the 31mm you talked about. And the 10-17 semi-fish-eye is also fun and sharp. It's my go to system in bad weather and freezing cold, although the Pentax batteries have to be kept warm to give the full charge back. So I swap every so often with one or two in my pockets. I am am undecided about getting the K1 or the K1 mkII now due to the reports about the high ISO noise reduction. Thx for your talk.
Good video! I've owned and gladly used a K3 and a K3 II, now I weild a K1 and I use it for my Portraits, even if, now with the pandemic times I have to stop for some month, waiting for the vaccine.
Moved from K-3 over to K-1 Mk II at the end of last year, with eye on travel and landscape photography, that was until current events derrailed those plans. Great camera nonetheless and definitely don't regret buying even if I've barely used it since and could have now bought something more modern and gone mirrorless. Just like you said, Pentax is a quirky, fun camera to use and those limited lenses really create a look like no other, any chance at review and comparison of those limited lenses you have, how they stack up, in particular the 43mm with that so called "normal" focal lenght?
I have been looking at this camera for some time. Rented the KP and was pleasantly surprised by the image quality. May rent it for a project. Solid vid fam.
Good video. I have been shooting for a long time and have moved around from Canon to Nikon to Fuji - in the Pentax K1 I think I may have found the perfect camera. For the work I do its simply great.
One of the best kept secrets in older Pentax lenses is the humble F35-80mm zoom kit lens. Sharp as all hell and will close focus. The best part is the price. I got mine in excellent shape for $16.00 My favorite new (old) lens this month is the 100mm f4 M series macro.. OMG it is so sharp that you can cut yourself. You can set up the camera to use M series lenses quite easily. The M series 200mm f4 and M series f3,5 135 mm are just awesome.
That Pentax K1 MKii looks like a tank. I like your photos and photography style definitely will be following you. I’ve been shooting Fuji since 2013 and I also bought a Sony last year and did not like the color and perfect look as you mentioned. Super boring cameras and sold the Sony after hardly using it for a year.
Alex I bought my 35- 105 new in the 1980's a lens full of primes believe it not I bought it a Disneyland Pentax had a outlet store on main street I have been a Pentax shooter since the 1970's I bought my first Pentax DSLR new in 2005 a *istDL which I leave in my car and if and photograph anything of interest as i drive around. The camera sells for $20.00 on Ebay. I also have a K70 and a K3Mk 11
The high ISO noise reduction is not really an issue. All you need is to not set ISO above 6400. Anything that you can do with higher ISO you can do just as well by setting ISO to 6400 and boosting the sensitivity in post processing. That is what the K1-ii actually does - it shoots at 6400 and then boosts it in post processing to whatever crazy high number you set it, does the noise reduction and writes the result to the raw file. The crazy high ISOs are really useful only if you want to use jpegs straight out of camera without post processing. For RAW just limit the ISO to 6400 and boost in post.
Sharpness isn’t an issue, with vintage lenses its more about the coatings where you’ll see a difference. They’re more prone to CA and lens flaring. Which I personally don’t care about, sharpness is also not a selling point for me on a lens. I buy lenses for character not because of how “sharp” they are. I think the issue with photography today is people all wanting these optically perfect lenses that yes, do take great photos but they end up lacking in character.
Great video. I've been shooting with Pentax since I received a new Spotmatic as a gift in 1970, at age 13. For the past few years I've been shooting with the K-50 and K-70 DSLRs, and with many 35mm film Pentax SLRs. I'm now starting to shoot with the K-1 M2. Thanks for making this video, and I think you "get" the spirit of Pentax photography. Pentax has always "marched to a different drummer," trying to hit that sweet spot of performance, features, and price, and above commitment to their customers and a passion for photography.
Thanks for the kind words. Ya, I absolutely love this lens, I almost exclusively use old manual lenses and I love the long list of lenses available for this camera.
I just got mine. I can’t wait to use it for Astrophotography and landscape. I have the K-70 and know the K-1 will be fun to use.
That thing sounds like my Minolta Maxxum, I dig it!
Get that video from yesterday cranked out!
Soon! Gotta get all these clips for DISL first before I can edit my recap.
As a long-term (40+ years) Pentaxian, I agree with everything you say. That 77 mm f1.8 is a wonderful portrait lens, even if it's not the sharpest lens I've ever had: the rendering has a magical quality that I just don't see in any other system's lenses that I've used (and I've used a lot - you are so right when you talk of some lenses being "too perfect"). The same can be said of the 31 mm f1.8 and the 43 mm f1.9 Limiteds. One area where Pentax is lacking is the absence of a full frame wide angle prime, so I'm impatient for the promised 21 mm DFA lens.
It's so nice to see someone who "gets" Pentax. As you say, the system is not for everyone, but for those with whom it resonates, it's a rewarding experience. Subscribed!
Probably one of the best looking cameras ever
I had been rocking 5 year old flagship model APS-C Pentax bodies and vintage glass for a looooong time. Moved out to Seattle and was making decent money when the K-1 game out in 2016. That was my first new camera purchase. Used K10, used K20, and a used K5 preceded it. I've been using it for automotive photography mainly. I have also picked up a LOT more vintage lenses. The Takumar line of M-42 screw mount lenses has some real gems. The K-1 really seems to capture the moment in an authentic manor. I find this to be especially true through these old Takumars.
I believe it is as well. One of my upcoming videos will be with the takumars!
@@LENSDADDY Nice, what Takumars do you have? I feel like I learn about a new one every few months. I've got the 50mm f1.4 in both 7 and 8 element versions. The Auto Takumar 55mm f1.8 zebra, the Auto Takumar 35mm f2.3, and the 200mm f3.5. There's a few more I have kicking around, but I actually use these.
Great see some fresh thoughts about the system from someone relatively new to photography. Thanks and well done
Welcome to the quirky world of Pentax! You sure jumped in with both feet with the K-1 mkII. I've been using Pentax since my K10D. The best thing about the system is the K-mount. I'm not a professional so I can't buy these new high dollar limited and star lenses. But I can afford these old Super-Takumar, SMC, M, and A series manual focus lenses and few lower priced auto focus consumer lenses.
I feel the same, the K-Mount is probably the main reason I enjoy using my Pentax so much. As hobby photographer investing too much money in glass was hard to justify and to be honest using lenses from different times is really awesome.
Looking forward to see more of your lighthouses project, the photo you shared is beautiful!
Nice insight into your choice in going Pentax.
Got my new Pentax K1 Mark 2 recently , 100 macro, 28-70 lenses, waiting for 150-450 lenses. Still learning but wow it's a great camera. 😄🤠🇦🇺
Im gonna have to rent that 150-450
I love it; a fellow Michigander and Pentaxian!
I use my K1 for street in the US and Europe with Art lenses and it's great for me. The fact that it doesn't do everything perfectly for you is something I enjoy, because then I feel like I'm actually crafting the capture I want. The cold surgical precision of the competition doesn't align with photography being a hobby for me.
appreciate your review. Im thinking to buy this camera after seeing some amazing photos on Flickr that were taken with it.
Great channel love the vibe and your aesthetics
Thank you thank you! I hope you like the next one im working on!
I shoot nature and I use Pentax because it best reproduces real life.
I have also shot Canon and Sony, as well as Olympus, but all those cameras over process the image.
Pentax gives you exactly what your eye sees, or in other words, exactly what is real.
I want that and so I choose Pentax.
Greaf input. Glad you love your pentax!
I have one also and love it. But having been a professional photographer since 1980, I have to laugh when anyone complains about weight and that you can’t shoot sports. Sports photography existed way before autofocus and super high speed frames per second (required the photographer to have skill and thought).
Ya i have no problems shooting sports with this thing. Being a mainly film shooter its never bugged me
i LAUGH TOO because those people are LYING.What were people doing when they shot film?There was NO camera shooting 15FPS,etc,etc..
Nice video welcome to the Pentax club
I have the K-5 & K-30 with a few lenses, mostly zooms, but also the 31mm you talked about. And the 10-17 semi-fish-eye is also fun and sharp. It's my go to system in bad weather and freezing cold, although the Pentax batteries have to be kept warm to give the full charge back. So I swap every so often with one or two in my pockets. I am am undecided about getting the K1 or the K1 mkII now due to the reports about the high ISO noise reduction. Thx for your talk.
I wouldnt be too concerned.
Good video! I've owned and gladly used a K3 and a K3 II, now I weild a K1 and I use it for my Portraits, even if, now with the pandemic times I have to stop for some month, waiting for the vaccine.
Moved from K-3 over to K-1 Mk II at the end of last year, with eye on travel and landscape photography, that was until current events derrailed those plans. Great camera nonetheless and definitely don't regret buying even if I've barely used it since and could have now bought something more modern and gone mirrorless.
Just like you said, Pentax is a quirky, fun camera to use and those limited lenses really create a look like no other, any chance at review and comparison of those limited lenses you have, how they stack up, in particular the 43mm with that so called "normal" focal lenght?
Even if I wasn't a Pentax fan, I like the Guinness Shirt.
Thank you! I snagged it in Dublin
I have been looking at this camera for some time. Rented the KP and was pleasantly surprised by the image quality. May rent it for a project. Solid vid fam.
Thank you!
Good video. I have been shooting for a long time and have moved around from Canon to Nikon to Fuji - in the Pentax K1 I think I may have found the perfect camera. For the work I do its simply great.
I agree fully ive shot sony, fuji, and a bit of canon. Pentax has my heart 100%
I have a Pentax K-1 camera. And I'm concerned about the frequent white balance errors that lead images to a hard-to-fix magenta color.
One of the best kept secrets in older Pentax lenses is the humble F35-80mm zoom kit lens. Sharp as all hell and will close focus. The best part is the price. I got mine in excellent shape for $16.00 My favorite new (old) lens this month is the 100mm f4 M series macro.. OMG it is so sharp that you can cut yourself. You can set up the camera to use M series lenses quite easily. The M series 200mm f4 and M series f3,5 135 mm are just awesome.
Ive heard good things on that lens. Im trying to find a sigma 100-300 f4 in decent shape for motorsports but havent had much luck
I've been eyeing this camera. The pentax fa lenses are priced decent compared to other brands.
I regret nothing!
That Pentax K1 MKii looks like a tank. I like your photos and photography style definitely will be following you. I’ve been shooting Fuji since 2013 and I also bought a Sony last year and did not like the color and perfect look as you mentioned. Super boring cameras and sold the Sony after hardly using it for a year.
Alex
I bought my 35- 105 new in the 1980's a lens full of primes believe it not I bought it a Disneyland Pentax had a outlet store on main street I have been a Pentax shooter since the 1970's I bought my first Pentax DSLR new in 2005 a *istDL which I leave in my car and if and photograph anything of interest as i drive around. The camera sells for $20.00 on Ebay. I also have a K70 and a K3Mk 11
Fuckin' Oath!
The high ISO noise reduction is not really an issue. All you need is to not set ISO above 6400. Anything that you can do with higher ISO you can do just as well by setting ISO to 6400 and boosting the sensitivity in post processing. That is what the K1-ii actually does - it shoots at 6400 and then boosts it in post processing to whatever crazy high number you set it, does the noise reduction and writes the result to the raw file.
The crazy high ISOs are really useful only if you want to use jpegs straight out of camera without post processing. For RAW just limit the ISO to 6400 and boost in post.
Thats correct, Just wanted to bring it up. I could never see myself going over 6400.
Another Michigan Pentaxian !
Yes yes! What part are you from? If there's more of us we'll have to schedule some photo walks
@@LENSDADDY Lapeer
@@GregDeverell gotcha im about 20min west of Detroit
I love my Pentax K70. Is my arm going to fall off from the weight if I upgrade?
I think you'll survive!
How is manual focusing compared to a good 35mm film SLR?
Very similar and you can purchase different focusing mirrors to suit your needs :)
Hi, how do you find using vintage lenses effect the image quality? As it's a full frame cam?
Sharpness isn’t an issue, with vintage lenses its more about the coatings where you’ll see a difference. They’re more prone to CA and lens flaring. Which I personally don’t care about, sharpness is also not a selling point for me on a lens. I buy lenses for character not because of how “sharp” they are. I think the issue with photography today is people all wanting these optically perfect lenses that yes, do take great photos but they end up lacking in character.
this lens is not weather sealed
Yes none of my lenses are.