The PENTAX K-1 Mark II (which I will hereafter refer to as the “Mark II”) looks just like the original PENTAX K-1, and it’s no exaggeration to say it feels exactly the same to use. If the dials were even a little different it would be confusing when shooting with a setup featuring both cameras. Such minor differences are what bother you most when shooting star scenery pictures or other similar conditions that require you to operate a camera in the dark. There are no such differences between the original K-1 and the Mark II, so you can use both without any stress.

The convenient thing about the Mark II (and the original K-1 as well) is that it has five USER modes.
U1 (Star): ISO 1600, F2.8, 8 seconds, WB 3500 K, Interval Composite (Minimum time, 2000 times, Self-timer (2 seconds))
U2 (15min): ISO 100, F16, 15 minutes, WB 3500 K, Single Frame Shooting
U3 (ASTROTRACER): ISO 200, F2.8, 4 minutes, WB 3500 K
U4 (Star Stream): ISO 6400, F2.8, 8 minutes, WB 3500 K, Star Stream
U5 (Hand-held): Aperture Priority, AF by pressing the shutter release button halfway, Shake Reduction On
I saved these settings as the USER modes. Configuring these settings in the field is a little annoying, and forgetting to reset them when you get back to normal shooting will get you in trouble. For normally shooting I set the exposure mode to Aperture Priority or Manual Exposure, but when shooting stars, using the USER modes delivers reliable and easy operation. Let me give a brief explanation of the settings.

U1: This is the basic mode for use when shooting so-called star trail pictures. This is a good setting for shooting in the mountains with a new moon where there is no light pollution, just by adjusting the focus and composition and pressing the shutter release button. For a half-moon all you need to do is change the sensitivity to ISO 800, or to ISO 400 for a full moon.
U2: As long exposures of up to 20 minutes are possible with the camera, I made settings so that the exposure is same as with U1. Thanks to fewer shutter releases, this mode is effective when the contrast from the stars is too strong in the comparative brightness mode. Personally however, I almost never use it.
U3: This is a mode for using ASTROTRACER, with the exposure set to capture the Milky Way during a new moon or when there is no light pollution.
U4: This is a mode for recording Star Stream movies. I use bright exposure settings because stars aren’t detectable on movies if not captured at high levels of brightness.
U5: This mode is used for quick hand-held shooting of subjects such as ptarmigan, serows, helicopters, and mountain climbers.
Settings like this are useful because the camera remembers the settings for the subjects you want to shoot every now and again, and even the settings you tend to forget. You can customize settings like white balance, etc., to suit your own preference, and make the Mark II truly your own.

Functionally there is little difference between the original K-1 and the Mark II. So how about image quality? I’m told that that the Mark II is more sensitive, but personally I think that the depiction of slightly underexposed images has improved. I really like it because it gives a depiction of images that is reminiscent of slightly underexposed reversal films in analog photography. Shooting of underexposed images with conventional digital cameras usually produces a lack of gradation and results in solid blacking-out, but the Mark II will go a lot further. When shooting in locations such as valleys it gives such great images that you have to look back at the monitor to believe it.

I think this is due to the accelerator unit because I found that when using the KP it gave much deeper colors than the original K-1 I was using at the same time—that was when I knew that the KP had eclipsed the original K-1. Of course, the Mark II comes equipped with an accelerator unit from the outset, and it has the benefit of being full-sized, and what’s more, it has the depth I encountered with the KP. With the original K-1 you can get equivalent depth by upgrading.

Currently I often shoot in a two-camera configuration together with the upgraded original K-1, although this combination is a little heavy. I am somewhat regretful that I upgraded the original K-1 so soon, because I now I don’t really notice how much better the Mark II is, even when I’m shooting with both.

PROFILE
Ichiro Murata
Mountain photographer. Born on March 28, 1964. After graduating from the School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, Murata worked for a certain electrical appliance manufacturer before going freelance. With the arrival of the digital era, he began to actively take photos, releasing “Caterpillar Track” mountain star scenery pictures in the April 2010 issue of Digital Photo, and thereafter began creating works in the star scenery genre. He concentrates his efforts on works that can only be represented digitally, utilizing the hardware and software he developed on his own. He has been using PENTAX cameras since the K-5, and currently utilizes the K-1 Mark II for his creative efforts.