Ricoh Imaging has introduced an upgrade for its flagship Pentax DSLR range in the shape of the K-1 Mark II. A glance at the specs sheet suggests that the new camera is more of an incremental upgrade than a full-blown makeover, but there are a couple of interesting specifications none-the-less.
Most intriguing is Pixel Shift Resolution System II, an upgrade from the original system which now has a new mode which can be used when shooting handheld. Ricoh claims the new Dynamic Pixel Shift Resolution mode can be used in conjunction with the camera’s shake-reduction mechanism to create high-resolution shots without evidence of camera shake. It will be interesting to see just how successful this feature turns out to be when full samples of the camera become available for testing.
Low light shooting
Another new feature is a newly incorporated accelerator unit, which has been designed to help when shooting in low-light to produce images with low levels of noise and high detail. ISO sensitivity has also now been increased to ISO 819,200, with the promise of improved noise reduction even at such high levels.
Other features, which have been brought over from the original K-1 include a 36 megapixel full-frame sensor, a 5-axis, 5-step SR (shake reduction) II system, a flexible tilt-type LCD monitor, a SAFOX 12 autofocusing system with 33 sensor points (including 25 cross-type), an optical viewfinder offering 100% field of view, a weatherproof and dustproof body, dual SD card slots, Full HD video recording and a built-in GPS module.
The Pentax K-1 Mark II price will be around £1,799 when it is launched across Europe at the end of March.
