Pentax toughens up its latest DSLR for real-world shoots
Logically, most people would see the Pentax K-S2 and assume it was a revamped K-S1, a camera that appeared relatively recently. Curiously, it isn’t.
The Pentax K Series is still a DSLR, though it’s sufficiently compact to be mistaken for a bridge camera, while offering full K-Mount interchangeable lenses. Where it differs from the K-S1 is that it now has a much more grown-up feature set, one that might attract those who take photography seriously, in addition to the typical happy snappers.
The most obvious enhancement is the weather resistant body, meaning it's designed to avoid liquid or dust getting where it shouldn’t. That’s not to say its waterproof, but a mild rain shower shouldn’t inhibit shooting.
Weather proofing is the headline feature, but I found more enticing features for anyone who takes plenty of photos. For example, the rear LCD display can fully articulate, making it a useful alternative to the viewfinder. There's also built-in wi-fi and NFC, so you can blitz images to social media smartly, and even control the camera from your phone.
Along with the internal enhancements, Pentax also included a new standard lens on this model, a general purpose 18-50mm with an f4-5.6 aperture. This unusual lens design collapses down to just 40mm in length for transport.
One caveat to this design choice is that once collapsed, the camera isn’t ready for immediate use, and expansion is a manual operation.
Another design diversion is that Pentax opted to use a sensor-based SR (shake reduction) system rather than the usual lens-based compensation.
The 20mp sensor also enables the K-S2 to crank out 5.5 frames per second on continuous mode, and it has a maximum shutter speed of 1/6000 sec and a lowlight loving ISO sensitivity of 51200.
One other departure from tradition is the anti-aliasing method, where Pentax uses a sensor vibration technique that effectively simulates antialiasing without messing with the data.
Less technically ambitious is the autofocus system that uses a basic 11-point matrix called SAFOX X. With the included lens, it’s remarkably fast and handles low-light focusing well, though much of that ability comes from its built-in motor. Older and cheaper K-Series lenses don’t have a motor and are much slower as a result.
The real strength of the K-S2, in this reviewer’s opinion, is the exceptionally compact and slick control layout. With your right hand gripping the K-S2, all the critical controls are positioned for direct access, freeing your left hand to either operate the few features on the left or provide extra shooting stability.
How quickly I adapted to this layout is testament to how well Pentax designed it. Primarily built around the control dial, it offers all the expected priority modes, along with access to video (1080p 30fps) and manual still options.
There's also A-HDR (advanced HDR) mode that gives this camera the ability to shoot handheld HDR without any great preparation. The only problem I had with using this is that it doesn’t save the three frames it shoots, and to get the frames off quickly it tends to use a high ISO, introducing grain.
The A-HDR mode also only allows whole stop offsets, though thankfully there is an alternative bracketing method with greater offset control for use with a tripod.
The scope of shooting modes is generally great, and there are things in there for people who are interested in time-lapse, star stream and multi-exposure projects.
All still shooting can be in JPEG or RAW, and the RAW can either be in PEF or more generally acceptable DNG format. Staying at ISO 6400 or below, you can get some stunning shots especially in RAW mode, where the camera won’t excessively process the image as it does with JPEG.
Once you get a hang of all the modes and how best to exploit the sensor, this is a remarkably good camera that would be suitable for many who haven’t already aligned with Nikon, Canon or Sony.
The price is probably about right for what technology Pentax shoehorned into it. However, I’ve checked around, and you can find the single lens kit for less than £500. At that price, this is an absolute bargain.
The body can be bought alone (£549.99 RRP), and there's a dual lens kit, which also comes with a 50-200mm F4-5.6 lens (£649.99 RRP) and a premium lens kit featuring a 18-135mm F3.5-5 glass (£879.99 RRP). And, it comes in four colours, if you prefer something distinctive looking.
Overall, the K-S2 is a terrific camera and something I’d be more interested in taking on a jungle or desert shoot than my huge Nikon DSLR. Mark Pickavance
A powerful and goanywhere compact DSLR camera.
Features
• Weather resistant body with 100 protection joins.
• 28MP stabilised CMOS sensor with AA filterless.
• Sensitivity up to 51 200 ISO.
• Full HD recording with 30fps H.264 codec.
• Built-in wi-fi and NFC modules with dedicated button for instantaneous communication with smartphones or tablet.