Whether professional or amateur, the most important factors every scenic photographer demands from a camera, regardless of shooting conditions, are image quality, maneuverability and durability. The ideal camera is an imaging tool that alone can satisfy all the needs of every photographer.

I received the beta model of the PENTAX K-1 at the beginning of this year, just as the severely cold winter reached my area, a little later than usual. As you may know, my main camera body is the PENTAX 645Z medium-format digital SLR camera, which I trust absolutely. But despite this trust in my PENTAX 645Z, I found the PENTAX K-1 very attractive to use. When photographing any type of scenery, it provided the advantage of the exceptional imaging power delivered by its high-pixel image sensor. It directly resulted in delicate description of the textures of subjects such as trees. After checking out 35mm full-frame cameras of other brands, I became familiar with the image quality of the approximate 36 megapixels. I noticed, however, that the images captured by the PENTAX K-1 appeared to be much higher in quality than those produced by other models equipped with a similar high-pixel sensor. When capturing images of subjects such as intricate frost patterns on a tree or a field of crystal-clear ice in a mountain stream, it expressed the beauty of nature far more faithfully than smaller image sensors.

I believe that its images were almost equal in quality to those captured by the PENTAX 645Z’s large image sensor. This must be the power of its outstanding imaging system, combining a camera body created using PENTAX’s state-of-the-art technologies with the latest lenses. While the PENTAX K-1 provides advanced tools for quality-priority applications, it also features a host of the latest creative functions. I felt that its exceptional specifications could easily accommodate not only scenic photography, but also many other types of subjects.

In terms of operability, I noticed a considerable restructuring of the camera control system for this newly designed camera. Even though the PENTAX K-1’s body size was created to be the minimum for a 35mm full-frame camera, I could effortlessly and comfortably operate it even with a gloved hand, thanks to the ideal positioning of its control buttons in the very limited space. Its cold-proof performance was also excellent, as it performed superbly without any trouble even in the winter’s severest cold wave at -20°C. Its enhanced durability was another reassuring factor. I’m confident that, with its assortment of creative features and user-friendly functions, the PENTAX K-1 will deliver satisfying performance and the joy of picture-taking to every photographer and on every occasion.