PENTAX K-S1 / SHOOTING REPORT

The K-S1 is an APS-C format DSLR camera with a daring body design including the LED "body light" which illuminates the power lever and the mode dial. This model must be a solid candidate for users of stylish cameras who are thinking about upgrading their cameras. The new CMOS sensor has an effective 20.12 megapixels and it doesn't have the lowpass filter to maximally exploit the resolving power. Plus, the bright viewfinder with 100% field of view has the same coating as the one for the advanced models. So, even though it's small and shiny, the basic performance isn't sacrificed.

( Photography : T.Nakanishi / Text : KIMURAX )

You can compose with the 3-inch rear LCD monitor (920000 dots) and the optical viewfinder. The rear LCD monitor is great for keeping the horizontal/vertical line or exploring interesting angles, but the optical viewfinder lets us focus on shooting and hold the camera more securely. By stopping down, I shoot this high frequency subject in order to test the resolution of the sensor without the lowpass filter. It separated each branch and leaf very clearly and I can almost feel the tension of the cold air.

It reproduced the subtle gradations of green, yellow, and red faithfully. If the edge lines of each leaf were loose, it would become more like pictures by impressionists.

Another very sharp shot. The crystals are depicted extremely minutely. Again, if they were loose, this mood couldn't be reproduced. This camera can correct diffraction (loss of image quality at small apertures), so you can stop down without hesitation.

Shot wide open. It traced the silhouetted branches and leaves perfectly. And, it reproduced the dramatic tonal gradation of the morning sunlight nicely.

---

The AF kept following the toddling girl wearing kimono. And, thanks to the in-camera shake reduction mechanism, it's easy to shoot moving subjects. It's been said that sensors without the lowpass filter are prone to moire in the shots of clothes or fine lattice patterns, but this shot has no moire. The K-S1 has the "lowpass selector" which realizes the same moire reduction effect as the optical lowpass filter does. So, when moire is expected, I recommend you to turn the selector on. And, the selector lets you change the strength of the effect. How kind!

It captured the detail of the rope minutely. The wood texture depiction is perfect.

Whether the subjects are natural or artificial, this camera generates great 3D quality. And, the high potential invites to shoot contrasty scenes as well. Particularly in the backlit situation, the image quality also depends on the lens performance. And, an excellent camera makes us want better lenses.

The camera supports up to ISO51200. This one was shot at ISO6400 which let me shoot at the shutter speed of 1/15 seconds with a faint moonlight. I do notice some noise, but I think it's quiet considering the high sensitivity. This means, you can even use ISO3200 depending on situations.

---

This funky illuminated body smashes the preconception of a SLR camera.

The novel body sharp has a mixture of straight and gentle curved lines. Even though the pentaprism has the PENTAX logo, I feel it's more like a mirrorless camera rather than a SLR camera. Yet, the image quality is excellent. The combination of the lowpass selector and the viewfinder with 100% field of view makes it highly usable. In this sense, this camera should also appeal to advanced users who are looking for their subcamera. For this report, I used the double zoom kit lenses (the DA L 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL and the DA L 55-300mm F4-5.6 ED), but I'd be delighted to use single focal lenses because I'm sure I'll be amazed by the image quality. Anyway, touch and try this camera. It may change your preconception of a SLR camera.

( 18.11.2014 )