Pentax K-01: A Marc Newson Sequel?

Pentax K-01: A Marc Newson Sequel?

October 2021, Carl Garrard

 

Of all the digital cameras that have come out in the last two decades or so, Pentax's K-01 is amongst a small and distinguished fraternity of cameras that received the most criticism upon announcement. Yup, it's right up there with the Hassleblad Lunar and HV, which take the top spots as the most repulsive camera offerings of all. But does the K-01 deserve as much criticism as it received? The short answer is equally yes and no. For every faceplant reaction and "wtf?"criticism armchair quarterbacks gave this camera, there are equally as many staunch and loyal supporters of its somewhat radical design. What I'm attempting to do with this article is to find common ground between the two extremes, because often enough the truth can usually be found somewhere in the middle. I will also go out on a limb and propose that Ricoh make a sequel to the K-01 because it had so much potential!