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Pentax K-1 II

 
Pentax K-1 Mark II front
 
  • 36MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 819200
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF4 Mount
  • 1010g - 137 x 110 x 86mm
  • Announced February 2018
  • Earlier Model is Pentax K-1
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
55
Imaging
78
Features
82
Overall
79

Pentax K-1 II overview

Pentax K-1 II is Pentax's Advanced DSLR digital camera initially introduced on February of 2018. It houses a 36 MegaPixel, CMOS Full frame size sensor with a peak resolution of 7360 x 4912.

Pentax brought out this model in order to upgrade the earlier Pentax K-1 (Read Full Comparison)

The K-1 II is scored #6 out of 92 in Advanced DSLR cameras and all-around #56 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can try our Advanced camera search to see camera results based on your personalized factors.

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The following is a chart of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Pentax K-1 II history

The Pentax K-1 II is part of a family of digital cameras. You can see the detailed list below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Pentax-K-1-Mark-II front thumbnailPentax K-1 II36MPFull frame4.4 fps2018
Pentax-K-1 front thumbnailPentax K-1
K-1 II vs K-1
36MPFull frame4.4 fps2016
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Pentax K-1 II Pros and Cons

Here is a selection of positives and negatives of the Pentax K-1 II based on things that are often seen as crucial in a digital camera.

does not have low pass filter
environment proof
exports RAW formats
fantastic sensor resolution (36MP)
has double storage slots
has Top screen
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes external microphone port
includes HDMI port
includes headphone port
manual focus
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000s)
nice clear screen (1,037 k dot)
provides face detection focusing
provides tracking autofocus
screen articulates fully
screen size is good (3.2")
sensor has phase detect AF
sensor size is big (Full frame)
swap lenses (Pentax KAF4 mount)
very good ISO range (819,200)
very good min ISO (100)
bad battery power (670 shots)
more heavy than others in class (1,010 grams)
screen is not selfie friendly
very slow continuous shooting (4.4 fps)
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Pentax K-1 II Sensor specs

The Pentax K-1 II houses the PRIME IV chip. The spec of the sensor in the Pentax K-1 II is 35.9mm x 24mm (Full frame). The 862 mm² sensor is able to resolve 7360 x 4912 pixels using aspect ratios of 3:2. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis). Sensor stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization as the latter may cause cropping.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 36MP and delivers a standard ISO range of 100 - 819200. RAW photos are supported therefore the user has more room to maneuver in post.

Pentax chose to omit the low pass filter for the Pentax K-1 II. This will result in more clear images but could cause moire under some circumstances.

The graphic below illustrates the K-1 II's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The K-1 II sensor comes with a crop factor of 1 and is pointed out in green.

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To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Pentax K-1 II dimensions

Pentax K-1 II has a weight of 2.23 pounds (1,010g or 35.63 ounces) and the physical size of the camera is 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4"). The weight of general Advanced DSLR camera is 776g so the Pentax K-1 II is heavier as compared with other competitors.

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The following is a pic of the Pentax K-1 II besides a soda so you can have a sense of its size.

Pentax K-1 Mark II dimensions scale

The top view here will provide the button layout on the K-1 II.

Pentax K-1 Mark II topview buttons dials

Pentax K-1 II Lens details

The K-1 II works with the Pentax KAF4 mount and has 3 lenses to choose from. Here is some of the lenses we have in our collection that will work with the K-1 II.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Pentax-FA-70-210mm-F4-ED-SDM-WR lensPentax FA 70-210mm F4 ED SDM WR70-210mmf/4819g
HD-Pentax-D-FA-85mm-F1.4-ED-SDM-AW lensHD Pentax-D FA 85mm F1.4 ED SDM AW85mmf/1.41255g
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Pentax-DA-16-50mm-F2.8-ED-PLM-AW lensPentax DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW16-50mmf/2.8 712g
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Pentax K-1 II Connectivity

The K-1 II has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes
  • GPS Yes

Cameras that consist of NFC and / or Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to send files and at times change camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.

Certain apps also provide a Liveview and press the shutter whenever you aren't near the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external screen. Many cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB port.

Photography Glossary

Pentax K-1 II Video details

The highest video resolution in the Pentax K-1 II is 1920 x 1080 and it can record in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 1080p resolution gives you an excellent balance between video quality vs file size but FULL HD isn't going to give you much room to downsample. The body does come with both headphone and microphone port making it especially valuable whilst recording sound.

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Pentax K-1 II Weather Sealing

Pentax K-1 II has environment sealing which makes it a great candidate to use during tough climates. This is particularly handy whenever you are uncertain about the elements you may encounter during outdoor photography.

Pentax K-1 II Screen and Viewfinder

The Pentax K-1 II is equipped with a 3.2" fully articulated display having a resolution of 1,037k dots.

Sadly the display isn't a touch screen. The K-1 II also has a Top screen in order to quickly look at the camera's settings.

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The View Finder specifications regarding Pentax K-1 II are the following:

  • ViewFinder Optical (pentaprism)
  • Coverage 100 percent
  • Magnification 0.7x

In those bright outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and difficult to view, viewfinders can be very useful.

Pentax K-1 II Shutter details

Pentax K-1 II is able to shoot continuously at 4.4 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/8000 seconds.

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Pentax K-1 II Flash and Hot shoe details

Pentax K-1 II boasts external flash ability but is without built in flash. The highest flash sync speed is 1/200 seconds.

Pentax K-1 II Autofocusing details

Pentax K-1 II boasts both Phase Detect Auto Focus and Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster and accurate as compared with Contrast Based focusing. The camera supports Face detection which is handy for portrait photography.

It supports 33 focus points to choose from. It also has Tracking Auto Focus for things that move. Pentax K-1 II has manual focusing in case it is needed during low light or you want to have more precise control on focusing.

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Pentax K-1 II Battery life

The battery power (D-LI90) in the Pentax K-1 II is made to last for 670 clicks as per the CIPA standards making it lower when compared with its rivals. The typical Advanced DSLR camera battery life is 909. Nikon D780 has the highest (2260) battery life within this type of cameras.

Underneath is a list of Advanced DSLR cameras which have the best battery life:

Pentax K-1 II for various kinds of photography

The following chart indicates a analysis of the Pentax K-1 II for various kinds of photography. To view more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

Pentax K-1 II Portrait photography advice

The Pentax K-1 II receives a score of 86 which is tremendous, meaning that it is a excellent fit to use for portraits. Photographing portraits leans heavily to sensor resolution, support for RAW photos and option to use external lighting.

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you can focus manually
fantastic resolution (36MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
has face detect focusing
exports RAW files

Pentax K-1 II Street photography features

Getting a very good score of 70, the Pentax K-1 II is a good fit to buy for street photography. A good street photography camera comes with a good balance of image quality and portability.

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fully articulated screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
great sensor size (Full frame)
exports RAW files
weather sealing
great ISO range (819,200)
heavier than competition in class (1,010 grams)

Sports photography with Pentax K-1 II

A fantastic sports photography score of 77 means the Pentax K-1 II is a excellent fit for shooting sports. A camera really should have very good autofocus plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is amazing (36 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
offers tracking focus
weather proofing
has phase detect auto focus
max fps very slow (4.4 fps)
terrible battery (670 CIPA)

Pentax K-1 II as a Travel photography camera

Portability is extremely crucial when picking a camera for travel. Overall, the Pentax K-1 II gets a average 53 as a travelling camera which is fairly appropriate to purchase for your vacations.

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weather proofing
great MP (36 megapixels)
low battery life (670 per charge)
more heavy than others in class (1,010g)
does not have selfie friendly display

Pentax K-1 II Landscape photography details

For anyone looking to buy a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most essential factor is going to be image quality. The Pentax K-1 II at it's brilliant score of 82 for a landscape camera is a outstanding choice compared to its competition.

Photography Glossary
has manual focus
swap lenses (Pentax KAF4 mount)
nice screen size (3.2 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
fantastic sensor resolution (36 megapixels)
big sensor size (Full frame)
does not have anti-alias filter
good ISO range (819,200)
delivers RAW files
weather proof
has dual storage slots
low battery life (670 CIPA)

Pentax K-1 II Vlogging factors

A vlogging camera ought to have a articulating display, microphone port and ideally image stabilization. Taking everything into account, the Pentax K-1 II is not suitable for vlogging as it receives a low score of 32.

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image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
comes with face detect focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does have mic port
display isn't selfie friendly
heavier than others (1,010 grams)

Pentax K-1 II Alternatives

If you need alternatives to the K-1 II, here is a range of the top rated cameras which fall into the class of Advanced DSLR.

The chart just below offers you an overview of the K-1 II vs it's top scoring competitors mentioned previously.

There are more cameras you might have a look at as alternative options. To go through a detailed comparison, simply click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Pentax
Model type
Pentax K-1 Mark II
Type
Advanced DSLR
Announced
2018-02-22
Body design
Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Chip
PRIME IV
Sensor size
Full frame
Sensor measurements
35.9 x 24mm
Sensor area
861.6mm²
Sensor resolution
36 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2
Full resolution
7360 x 4912
RAW images
Max native ISO
819200
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points
33
Cross type focus points
25
Lens
Lens mount type
Pentax KAF4
Amount of lenses
151
Focal length multiplier
1
Screen
Range of screen
Fully Articulated
Screen diagonal
3.2"
Screen resolution
1,037k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage
100 percent
Viewfinder magnification
0.7x
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
30 secs
Highest shutter speed
1/8000 secs
Continuous shooting speed
4.4fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
no built-in flash
Flash modes
Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync
1/200 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
Built-in
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
1010g (2.23 pounds)
Dimensions
137 x 110 x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4")
Other
Battery life
670 images
Style of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
D-LI90
Self timer
Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I)
Storage slots
2
Launch pricing
$1,737