I'm Really Feeling the Itch...
... for a Pentax K-1. Am I crazy? I mean, I really, really prefer small cameras. And I know the K-1 is huge. But at the same time, a large camera with a terrific grip, and a small prime on it doesn't feel like a large camera. And I'd love to have the capability to natively mount any and every K-mount lens and use it at its native field of view, as opposed to the crop factor I had with the KP. Plus, that sensor puts out massive IQ from the sample RAWs I've downloaded.
I'm really flip-flopping on this one, but at the same time I'm clearing out some old gear to make room in the budget for... something.
All I can say is that I was, like you, completely devoted to small cameras — and for good reason, I have issues with my joints being weak and my old D70 and D300 gave me serious neck, back, and even hand pain back in the day — but once I got my hands on the K10D, my opinion changed.
Now suddenly somehow I own 3 vintage DSLRs, ha. (No Nikons, though.) I really enjoy the format now! And that's saying something because I never enjoyed it in the first place, it was just the obvious choice back then.
One of my "new" cameras is the Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n which weighs as much as the K-1 (2.2lbs) plus a 1lb battery pack screwed onto it, for a whopping 3.2 lbs before lens. But it doesn't feel like it weighs that much. It's balanced. If you'd asked me 6 months ago if I'd ever even pick up 4 lbs of camera (with lens), I would've laughed you off the internet.
But my joints are a bit better these days and a well-designed DSLR fits the hand and balances well so the size and weight doesn't matter so much in use. The K10D feels so much better in hand than my old Nikons ever did. It feels like it ought to weigh less, but it doesn't.
I'm sure the newer models are just as good if not better in terms of design.
Now what I would advise against is wearing it around your neck, or over your shoulder, either on the strap or with a shoulder bag. There are now much more ergonomic ways to distribute the weight that don't hurt even if your joints are crap like mine.
Carry style is a good subject with a heavier camera like the K-1. One thing I can tell you is that I hate to accessorize with bags or special types of straps. I have never met a camera bag that I could get into my daily routine when photographing. So that might be another warning sign that the K-1 might not be comfortable and practical for me to haul around. I might still try it over the shoulder with a long strap for short stints, if I do get it. Just to see whether my own joints and neck/shoulders can handle it.
I do not like lugging my K-1 over my neck. It is genuinely uncomfortable. However, you sling that strap over your shoulder and it's a totally different ballgame, and that's how I lug it most of the time. One thing I'd recommend is that you get a nicer, more padded strap, it goes a long way.
Quote from agentlossing on May 17, 2022, 3:40 pmCarry style is a good subject with a heavier camera like the K-1. One thing I can tell you is that I hate to accessorize with bags or special types of straps. I have never met a camera bag that I could get into my daily routine when photographing. So that might be another warning sign that the K-1 might not be comfortable and practical for me to haul around. I might still try it over the shoulder with a long strap for short stints, if I do get it. Just to see whether my own joints and neck/shoulders can handle it.
They make nifty attachments for heavy-duty leather belts and also ones that attach to backpack straps (Peak Design Capture Clip), and even chest harnesses with a quick release mount if you don't wanna carry anything at all. That's what I'll probably get if I go traveling with a bigger camera.
I have and would recommend Peak Design's widest strap for a heavy kit. I use it over the shoulder across my chest, not on the neck...nothing makes that comfortable unless the kit is light. Without it I wouldn't consider lugging my K-3 + flash + Sigma 17-50 (heavy lens!). The strap has a few nice features that help with shoulder carry in particular: the padding in the middle, the smooth material that easily slides against any clothing, the quick length adjustment, and the rubber anti-slip on the top side that you can quickly fold over for when you need the camera to stay put.
Quote from agentlossing on May 17, 2022, 3:11 am... for a Pentax K-1. Am I crazy? I mean, I really, really prefer small cameras. And I know the K-1 is huge. But at the same time, a large camera with a terrific grip, and a small prime on it doesn't feel like a large camera. And I'd love to have the capability to natively mount any and every K-mount lens and use it at its native field of view, as opposed to the crop factor I had with the KP. Plus, that sensor puts out massive IQ from the sample RAWs I've downloaded.
I'm really flip-flopping on this one, but at the same time I'm clearing out some old gear to make room in the budget for... something.
The strap suggestions above are really good. I usually swing my K-1 over the shoulder, or just keep it gripped in my hand with a hand strap for extra support. That only works well with a small prime.
I can't really say whether or not you would like it compared to the compacts you're used to. It could end up being one of things where you enjoy the quality, but ends up being to impractical to want to use often. But the use case of using Pentax glass at native full-frame is a good one. It is really stunning with the vintage glass, and there's lots of good compact vintage lenses out there.
I haven't watched the price of K-1's in a while, but last I saw it was still wasn't too hard to find one under $1,000 in good condition.
Quote from ahoyhere on May 17, 2022, 4:25 amOne of my "new" cameras is the Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n which weighs as much as the K-1 (2.2lbs) plus a 1lb battery pack screwed onto it, for a whopping 3.2 lbs before lens. But it doesn't feel like it weighs that much. It's balanced. If you'd asked me 6 months ago if I'd ever even pick up 4 lbs of camera (with lens), I would've laughed you off the internet.
@ahoyhere And not to hijack this thread, but that is a freakin' awesome camera you've picked up 🙂 can't wait to see some pics from it and hear your thoughts.
Quote from James Warner on May 18, 2022, 9:00 pmQuote from ahoyhere on May 17, 2022, 4:25 amOne of my "new" cameras is the Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n which weighs as much as the K-1 (2.2lbs) plus a 1lb battery pack screwed onto it, for a whopping 3.2 lbs before lens. But it doesn't feel like it weighs that much. It's balanced. If you'd asked me 6 months ago if I'd ever even pick up 4 lbs of camera (with lens), I would've laughed you off the internet.
@ahoyhere And not to hijack this thread, but that is a freakin' awesome camera you've picked up 🙂 can't wait to see some pics from it and hear your thoughts.
James, I can't wait to share it with you because it is SO GOOD. It's an incredible pain to power, though, I had to do a ton of investigating to figure out how to do it. It also has a lot of quirks.
Uh oh...
