PENTAX K-01 Digital Camera w/Dual Lenses

Being a Pentax ME-Super owner, with over a thousand dollars invested in optics, I bit on the K-01 offer from Amazon, for $429.00. (Now $399)This offer included two zoom lenses, albeit the plastic kit variety, but was, at worst, a great way to get into a higher quality camera, at a fire sale price.First of all, this camera is not at all photogenic. Almost anything with an APS-C sensor has a better appearance on a web page. My bet is this killed the K-01 series, more than anything. Consequently, 30 years ago, the K-01 would have been a hit, as users would have held it in their hand, rather than judge it by a photo. Compared to any of the all plastic, and pricier, APS-C Sensor DSLRs from the competition, the K-01 feels solid and well built, no doubt due to its solid aluminum frame and controls and sturdy rubber covering, as opposed to the cheesy plastic and flimsy controls offered by the three major competitors. The kit lenses may have plastic bodies and mounts, and lack an aperture ring, but handle with a smooth solid feel and have class leading optical performance, again, way outclassing the competition from the big three.While it's true, you can use your old k mount Pentax - Asahi optics, the manual settings are less than intuitive and required some experimentation and practice. That's the bad news. The good news is, other than nostalgia, the old lenses offer little advantage over the kit lenses, unless you're in a low light situation, or you want a narrow depth of field, and then the old 50mm f1.4 comes in handy.There are other advantages to the Pentax K-01 compared to almost anything twice its price in the mirror-less APS-C class.1) If you have large hands, like mine, the K-01 feels much better than the puny plastic grips on the competition. The camera is easily operated with one hand, without blocking the screen or risk dropping it.2) The battery lasts forever. I've had this camera out all day at least twice, using the pop up flash, and never saw the battery go below a full charge. You won't do this with a compact.3) Code upgrades are a breeze. Copy a zip file from the Pentax website to your computer, extract the file, copy the upgrade file to a formatted memory card, select upgrade from the camera's menu, and in five seconds your new code is loaded.4) The internal JPEG processor is excellent. I haven't spent a lot of time with the RAW files, but after an hour or two, I wasn't able to improve on the JPEGs right out of the camera. This isn't to say there's never a need for post processing, but it is great to get quality JPEGs right out of the camera.5) The 16 megapixel sensor creates beautiful images with very low noise.6) The K-01 is a great value for anyone who has not yet stepped up from a point and shoot digital, has issues trying to sort out the best camera to buy (especially when most models are available on-line only, and therefore, eliminating the physical analysis), or doesn't want to spend thousands on a DSLR, only to have newer better model introduced a month later.7) Especially with a bigger zoom lens, the meaty body is way easier to handle than the compact mirror-less cameras.Comments about the K-01 negative reviews:1) My first outing with the camera was outdoors on a very sunny day. Granted, the screen was a little washed out, but definitely usable. Viewfinders are definitely handy in these situations, but I wouldn't spend twice what I did to get one.2) The rubber cover on the memory card and port access isn't perfect; however, anyone who has opened or closed it three times, and can't figure out how it works is the problem, not the camera. The flapper door snaps into the body and then slides tight into the seam. Given the choice between this and a crappy plastic door that snaps shut, and I'll take the rubber flapper. My guess is the rubber door will outlive the plastic by 10 or 20 years.3) Focus in low light can be sluggish. If you need fast focus in all situations, spend the money for a newer Fuji X-Series or Sony A-6000. Other wise, the K-01 usually focuses in a split second in normal light.4) Have not used video, so I can't comment on the rolling shutter effect. For me, personally, a still camera that does video is a bonus, not a requirement.Overall, I am very satisfied with the K-01. Get one while you still can, at $399.00 you're just not going to beat it!