PENTAX K-1 MARK II

More of a subtle tweak than a revamp, the Mark II of this premium DSLR builds on its predecessor’s attractions

going for glory, the K-1 Mark ii packs the biggest 36.4MP count of any camera in this test group, as well as the highest isO 819,200 maximum sensitivity setting. it also beats the Canon and Nikon

DsLRs for maximum shutter speed, although the 4.4fps maximum drive rate is relatively pedestrian.

Typical of Pentax, the camera has a very robust construction, with excellent weather-sealed build quality throughout. Updates from the original camera are quite minimal, but a new ‘dynamic’ mode enables the Pixel shift Resolution system to be used in handheld as well as tripodmounted shooting. For this, the image sensor is shifted slightly throughout a series of shots, using the stabilisation system, to create a composite image with extra-fine detail.

The Mark ii also aims for improved continuous autofocus performance. in our tests, tracking moving objects was still a bit hit and miss, and the 33 AF points only cover a fairly small area of the image frame. sensor-based autofocus for Live view and movie capture is very poor, especially compared with the

Canon and sony cameras. The LCD can tilt horizontally as well as vertically but still can’t be viewed from in front of the camera, and it’s not a touchscreen.

image quality is very good at low to medium isO settings, particularly in terms of the resolution and dynamic range, although colour rendition can be a little overly vivid. image noise is clearly visible at isO 3200 and above, which is a typical drawback of a relatively large megapixel count.

Right Plentiful controls are under the thumb Handling feels very natural. There are plentiful buttons and dials for quick access to important shooting settings, but the layout isn’t overly cluttered

Below bottom ISO 6400 High-isO images look rather noisier than from the Canon and Nikon cameras, but there’s still less chroma noise than from the sony

Below top ISO 200 with its 36.4MP image sensor, the Pentax wins out for resolving fine detail. Dynamic range is also very good but colours can sometimes look over-saturated