Pentax Ricoh Double Whammy: Pentax K-01 APS-C Mirrorless Announced and New GXR Module Released

*update: pre-order the Pentax K-01 here.*

With the micro-sized Q, Pentax’s first foray into the mirrorless interchangeable lens market, it seemed to be feeling out an underserved niche in the burgeoning field, betting that small form factor would overcome the disadvantages inherent in a small sensor size, and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses and external control would tempt enthusiast P&S buyers looking to trade up.

With the just announced K-01, its first major new camera since being acquired by Ricoh, Pentax has made another bold bet, launching another idiosyncratic arrow into the crowded field, now at the mid-to-high end of the range. This time, it has matched Sony and Samsung’s sensor size dominance while retaining its legacy K-Mount, evading the pressure faced by other new systems to ramp up production of a coherent lens family.

The inheritance of the K-Mount brings with it some technical hiccups, forcing Pentax to