After many rumored specs and leaked images, Ricoh has officially announced the Pentax K–1, a full-frame flagship DSLR that packs in a unique set of features for Pentax users.
At the heart of the camera is a 36.4-megapixel CMOS sensor, which lacks the traditional anti-aliasing filter to improve sharpness. To counteract the moiré that sometimes occurs when there is no filter, Ricoh has included a AA Filter Simulator.
Powering the sensor is a PRIME IV image processing engine, which helps power the K–1 to an impressive 204800 ISO and capture 14-bit RAW photos at up to 4.5 frames per second.
For times when high ISO isn’t enough or you don’t care for the extra noise, Ricoh has included a 5-axis Shake Reduction system, which they claim can offer up to five stops of exposure compensation. This tech also enables Ricoh’s Pixel Shift Resolution System, which moves the sensor ever so slightly between four different shot and supersamples the resulting images to create a single, high-resolution photo.
The autofocus system inside the K–1 is a SAFOX 12 AF sensor that offers up 33 points, 25 of them being cross-point.
On the video front, the K–1 is capable of capturing 1080p video at 30p or 60i using H.264 compression. Built-in headphone and microphone jacks allow for external audio accessories.
All of this tech is housed inside a weather-sealed, dust-proof and cold-proof body built on a stainless steel frame and covered with a magnesium allow shell that includes 87 seals to keep moisture and dirt out.
One of the more impressive features of the new K–1 is the fully-articulating 3.2″ Cross-Tilt LCD on the back of the camera. Its unique design keeps the screen aligned with the optical center of the camera regardless of how it’s tilted.
Operation Assist Lights are another unique feature, which help illuminate various buttons and markings on the camera using built-in LEDs.
The K–1 includes built-in WiFI, GPS and AstroTracer, the latter of which is an astrophotography feature that uses the GPS and Coordinated Universal Time to calculate the movement of the stars in the sky, allowing for better capture of long exposure star trail shots.
Other features include an APS-C crop mode, a Dust Removal feature, dual SDHC card slots and a built-in HDR mode.
The Pentax K–1 is set to ship in April 2016 for $1,800.
