Pentax K-01 vs Sigma SD1

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1
      64
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      56
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Pentax K-01 and the Sigma SD1, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Pentax K-01 was introduced in May 2012 and Sigma SD1 was introduced in September 2010. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Pentax K-01 Highlights

      • 16 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 81 Focus Points (81 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fixed Screen
      • 6.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 25 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash

      Sigma SD1 Highlights

      • 15 MP APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor
      • No Optical Low-pass Filter
      • 11 Focus Points (11 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 460k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Pentax K-01
      4. Advantage of Sigma SD1
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Pentax K-01 and Sigma SD1.

      PROS

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Environmental Sealing

      CONS

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      •   Low Bit Depth
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   2 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      •   Weight - 561 g (1.24 lb / 19.79 oz)
      •   Sensor Resolution - 15 Megapixel
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Weight - 790 g (1.74 lb / 27.87 oz)

      Advantage of Pentax K-01

      Pentax K-01
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax K-01 over Sigma SD1.

      Pentax K-01 vs Sigma SD1
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Sensor Resolution 16 Megapixel vs 15 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 4928 x 3264 vs 4800 x 3200
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 81 vs 11
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Image Stabilization Sensor Shift vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 921k dot vs 460k dot
      Live View vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 15 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/2000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
      Spot Metering vs
      HDMI Output Mini Type C vs
      Built-in Microphone Stereo vs
      Microphone Input vs
      Lighter 561 g (1.24 lb / 19.79 oz) vs 790 g (1.74 lb / 27.87 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Pentax K-01.

      Pentax MX-1
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      1/1.7-inch

      12 MP

      Pentax K-m
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      APS-C

      10.0 MP

      Pentax K100D
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      6.1 MP

      Pentax K-r
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12 MP

      Pentax Q
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      12.4 MP

      Pentax KF
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.24 MP

      Sony a7C
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.2 MP

      Nikon P500
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      1/2.3-inch

      12.1 MP

      Pentax K-x
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      APS-C

      12.6 MP

      Pentax ist DL2
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      APS-C

      6 MP

      Pentax 645Z
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      Medium format

      51.4 MP

      Panasonic S5 II X
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      Full Frame

      24.2 MP

      Advantage of Sigma SD1

      Sigma SD1
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sigma SD1 over Pentax K-01.

      Pentax K-01 vs Sigma SD1
      More Cross-type Focus Points 0 vs 2
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Viewfinder vs Optical (pentaprism)
      Average Metering vs
      Environmental Sealing vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sigma SD1.

      Sigma SD10
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      APS-C

      3 MP

      Sigma SD1 Merrill
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      APS-C

      15 MP

      Sigma SD14
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      APS-C

      5 MP

      Sigma SD9
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      APS-C

      3 MP

      Sigma SD15
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      APS-C

      5 MP

      Canon Rebel T5
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Olympus PEN E-P1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Fujifilm X-S20
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      APS-C

      26.1 MP

      Sony ZV-E1
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      Full Frame

      12.1 MP

      Samsung NX5
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      APS-C

      15 MP

      Samsung GX-1L
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      APS-C

      6 MP

      Olympus OM-D E-M5 III
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20.4 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Pentax K-01 Sigma SD1
        Built-in Flash
      WEAKNESSES Pentax K-01 Sigma SD1
        Few Cross-type Focus Points02
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Pentax K-01 and Sigma SD1 have 3.0" Fixed screens with 921k dot and 460k dot resolutions respectively.


      Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder on Sigma SD1

      Sigma SD1 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 96% coverage and 0.95x (0.63x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Pentax K-01.

      Sensor

      Pentax K-01 features a 16 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 372.1 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Sigma SD1 features a 15 megapixel APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor with dimensions of 24 x 16 mm and a total area of 256 mm2. Its native ISO range is [].


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Pentax K-01 can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4352 x 3264, 4224 x 2816, 4928 x 2776, 4224 x 2376, 3840 x 2880, 3456 x 2304, 3456x1944, 3264 x 3264, 3072 x 2304, 2880 x 2880, 2688 x 1792, 2688 x 1512, 2304 x 2304, 2304 x 1728, 1728 x 1728 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Sigma SD1 is equipped with Dual TRUE II processor and can take pictures up to 4800 x 3200 resolution.


      Lens Mount

      Pentax K-01 has Pentax KAF2 lens mount and Sigma SD1 has Sigma SA lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.5x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.


      No Low-Pass Filter on Sigma SD1

      There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Sigma SD1. 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.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Pentax K-01

      Pentax K-01 has a built-in 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.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Pentax K-01 comes with D-LI90 battery pack with battery life of 540 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Pentax K-01 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Sigma SD1 has a single Compact Flash (Type I, UDMA compatible) card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Pentax K-01, and up to 1/2000 sec on Sigma SD1. Pentax K-01 can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps. Sigma SD1 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Pentax K-01. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Pentax K-01.

      Physical Parameters

      Pentax K-01 body has dimensions of 122 x 79 x 58 mm (4.8 x 3.11 x 2.28") and Sigma SD1 body has dimensions of 146 x 113 x 80 mm (5.75 x 4.45 x 3.15"). Pentax K-01 weighs 561 g (1.24 lb / 19.79 oz) and Sigma SD1 weighs 790 g (1.74 lb / 27.87 oz).

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      122 mm

      79 mm

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      146 mm

      113 mm

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      79 mm

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      113 mm

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      Size comparisons of Pentax K-01 and Sigma SD1

      Pentax K-01 and Sigma SD1 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      GOOD
      70
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      74
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      POOR
      52
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   2 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps

      Wildlife Photography

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      AVERAGE
      62
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      57
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   2 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Portrait Photography

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      GOOD
      81
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   2 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Live View

      Street Photography

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      GOOD
      81
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 561 g (1.24 lb / 19.79 oz)
      GOOD
      75
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   2 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 790 g (1.74 lb / 27.87 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      GOOD
      79
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 561 g (1.24 lb / 19.79 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots
      GOOD
      80
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 790 g (1.74 lb / 27.87 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Pentax K-01 and Sigma SD1 and give them scores of 64 and 56 out of 100 recpectively. 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.


      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      OVERALL
      64
      OVERALL
      56

      Sensor

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Sensor Resolution - 15 Megapixel

      Photo

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      GOOD
      75
      •   Low Bit Depth
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      POOR
      54
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps

      Video

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      AVERAGE
      62
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   2 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      AVERAGE
      57
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      GOOD
      71
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot

      Connectivity

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      GOOD
      78
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Pentax K-01

      Sigma SD1

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 561 g (1.24 lb / 19.79 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 540 shots
      GOOD
      77
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 790 g (1.74 lb / 27.87 oz)


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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