Pentax K-01 photo samples

With a relatively low-noise sensor and great JPEG processing, the camera's midrange ISO sensitivity images -- up to ISO 1600 -- excel for a sub-$1,000 model.

Lori Grunin

April 6, 2012 11:31 a.m. PT

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Noise

My normal sample crop didn't work because of some odd depth-of-field issues, but this shows how well the K-01's noise and JPEG processing preserves image detail as high as ISO 1600.

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ISO 100

This is just a sample shot to show the naturalism of the K-01's photos, as long as you change from the default Bright custom image setting to Natural.

(1/160 sec, f5.6, ISO 100, spot metering, AWB, 16-50mm DA* mm lens at 34mm)

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Fringing

Unfortunately, the 40mm kit lens has a serious propensity for fringing.

(1/160 sec, f4, ISO 100, multisegment metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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JPEG, ISO 400

This is very good for distant detail at ISO 400.

(1/60 sec, f2.8, ISO 400, spot metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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JPEG, ISO 800

The camera produces exceptionally clean ISO 800 shots in all illumination.

(1/60 sec, f4, ISO 800, spot metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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Noise, ISO 800

This night sky looks great at ISO 800: No hot pixels, no color noise, and yet no blurring of the foreground image.

(1/100 sec, f2.8, ISO 800, spot metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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ISO 1600 raw vs. JPEG

Image quality at ISO 1600 was excellent. Color differences aside, there's hardly any difference between the JPEG and what I could do with the raw version.

(1/60 sec, f5, ISO 1600, spot metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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Lori Grunin/CNET

ISO 1600, no noise reduction

One reason the K-01 nails the quality at ISO 1600 is because the image comes off the sensor with amazingly little noise, and what there is looks very fine-grained.

(1/60 sec, f10, ISO 1600, spot metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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Lori Grunin/CNET

JPEG, ISO 3200

This is quite good for a camera in its price class at such a high ISO sensitivity, especially for a JPEG.

(1/60 sec, f7.1, ISO 3200, spot metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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Color

On its Natural color setting, the K-01 renders reasonably accurate yet still quite saturated colors.

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Color settings

Pentax has always had poor default color settings; as you can see, it pushes the saturation on blues and purples so much they shift and lose midtone detail, and the pinks look unnatural. The Natural option, though, renders much better, more accurate color.

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Dynamic range

For its class, the K-01's tonal range isn't bad -- a large chunk of highlights are recoverable, but there isn't a lot of data in the really flat, blown-out areas.

(1/160 sec, f4, ISO 100, spot metering, AWB, 16-50mm DA* mm lens at 21mm)

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Lori Grunin/CNET

Dynamic range

The K-01 handles bright, saturated hues well, without completely blowing out detail.

(1/320 sec, f7.1, ISO 100, multisegment metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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Lori Grunin/CNET

Sharpness, 40mm lens

The camera and kit lens produce nicely sharp images that don't look overprocessed.

(1/160 sec, f14, ISO 100, multisegment metering, AWB, 40mm lens)

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Lori Grunin/CNET

Bokeh, 40mm kit lens

The new pancake 40mm prime isn't a great lens. It's sharp, but as we've seen here prone to fringing and its out-of-focus highlights have the look of a cheap consumer lens.

(1/160 sec, f8, ISO 100, multisegment metering, AWB, 40mm lens)