Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.
Pentax K-1 was announced in 2016 and is a Full Frame (35.9 x 24 mm) DSLR camera with 36.4 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 100 to 204,800. The camera has a Fully Articulated 3.2" screen with 1,037k dot resolution and built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in body image stabilization.
Pentax K-1 can capture video up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.
In this section we present pros and cons of Pentax K-1.
And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:
In 2018 Pentax K-1 was replaced by Pentax K-1 Mark II. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Pentax K-1 and its successor.
| UPGRADES | Pentax K-1 Mark II | vs | Pentax K-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Native ISO | 819,200 | vs | 204,800 |
| DOWNGRADES | Pentax K-1 Mark II | vs | Pentax K-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| More Expensive | $1999/£1799 (body only), $2399 (w/FA 28-105mm lens) | vs | $1799/£1599 (body only) |
| Shorter Battery Life | 670 shots | vs | 760 shots |
For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Pentax K-1 vs K-1 Mark II.
Pentax K-1 has a 3.2" Fully Articulated screen with 1,037k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes this camera selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.
Pentax K-1 with Fully Articulated screen
Camera has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.70x magnification.
Pentax K-1 features a 36.4 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.9 x 24 mm and a total area of 861.6 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 204,800.
Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Pentax K-1's Full Frame sensor compares with other types of sensors:
| Sensor | Dimensions | Area | Aspect Ratio | Crop Factor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Medium Format | 44 x 33 mm | 1452 mm2 | 4:3 | 0.79x |
 | Full Frame | 35.9 x 24 mm | 861.6 mm2 | 3:2 | 1x |
 | APS-H | 27 x 18 mm | 486 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.3x |
 | APS-C | 23.6 x 15.6 mm | 368.2 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.5x |
 0.webp) | APS-C (Canon) | 22.3 x 14.9 mm | 332.3 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.6x |
 | Micro Four Thirds | 17.4 x 13 mm | 226.2 mm2 | 4:3 | 2x |
 | 1-inch | 13.2 x 8.8 mm | 116.2 mm2 | 3:2 | 2.7x |
 | 1/1.7-inch | 7.44 x 5.58 mm | 41.5 mm2 | 4:3 | 4.7x |
 | 1/2.3-inch | 6.17 x 4.55 mm | 28.1 mm2 | 4:3 | 5.6x |
Camera can take pictures up to 7360 x 4912 resolution.
Pentax K-1 has Pentax KAF2 lens mount. Due to Full Frame sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 1x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.
There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.
The camera has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.
Pentax K-1 has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.
Camera has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.
Pentax K-1 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.
Pentax K-1 comes with D-LI90 battery pack with battery life of 760 shots.
The camera has Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slots.
Pentax K-1's shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 4.4 fps.
Pentax K-1 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec.
Pentax K-1 has dimensions of 137 x 110 x 86 mm (5.39 x 4.33 x 3.39"). It weighs 1010 g (2.23 lb / 35.63 oz), so it is a heavy camera.
137 mm (5.39")
110 mm (4.33")
110 mm (4.33")
86 mm (3.39")
Pentax K-1 dimensions
We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Pentax K-1 is suitable for six different types of photography.
Pentax K-1 gets a score of 91 and is EXCELLENT choice for Landscape photography.
Pentax K-1 gets a score of 78 and is GOOD choice for Sports photography.
Pentax K-1 gets a score of 74 and is GOOD choice for Wildlife photography.
Pentax K-1 gets a score of 84 and is GOOD choice for Portrait photography.
Pentax K-1 gets a score of 85 and is EXCELLENT choice for Street photography.
Pentax K-1 gets a score of 80 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.
We evaluate Pentax K-1 and give score of 79 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.
We give Pentax K-1 a score of 78 for Sensor parameters.
We give Pentax K-1 a score of 84 for Photo parameters.
We give Pentax K-1 a score of 45 for Video parameters.
We give Pentax K-1 a score of 80 for Focusing parameters.
We give Pentax K-1 a score of 82 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.
We give Pentax K-1 a score of 92 for Connectivity parameters.
We give Pentax K-1 a score of 72 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.
For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:
