Pentax K-S2 brings rugged versatility to the DSLR market

 

This new enthusiast-orientated DSLR is the Pentax reference camera first shown at CES 2015 - and it's a far cry from the Pentax k-S1 model it launched last year. The sensor specs are the same, but where the K-S1 comes across as a neon-lit novelty (actually, it's better than that), the K-S2 is a much more sober release with a robust design and, for Pentax, some technological firsts.

One of these is its fully-articulating rear screen, seen plenty of times on other DSLRs but never before on a Pentax. This uses 'airless gap' technology to fill the space between the LCD and its protective cover and improve visibility in bright conditions.

Another first is the K-S2's built-in Wi-Fi and NFC communication. Again, this has been done plenty of times before, but not by Pentax. This works alongside a dedicated smartphone app and allows you to control the K-S2 remotely.

This makes it sound like Pentax is playing catch-up with other DSLR makers, but the appeal of Pentax cameras has often been in the engineering and mechanical specifications. The in-built sensor-based SR Shake Reduction system has proved very effective in the past, the K-S2 can shoot continuously at 5.5 frames per second and the maximum shutter speed is 1/6000sec - a whisker faster than the 1/4000sec maximum of most direct rivals.

It comes with a new kit lens, too - a retracting 18-50mm f/4-5.6 lens we first described back when the K-S2 was simply a Pentax reference camera. This camera/lens combination is still bulky if you compare it to compact system cameras, but it looks usefully smaller than the average DSLR/kit lens combination. Even though it uses a retracting mechanism, this lens is weather-resistant, just like the K-S2 itself.

Sensor facts

Inside, the K-S1 uses the same 20-megapixel APS-C size sensor as the K-S1, with a maximum sensitivity of ISO 51200.

Other makers are experimenting with the removal of the anti-aliasing, or low-pass filters in front of the sensor to increase the very fine detail rendition, but Pentax has found a novel way of offering both options in one camera. The sensor has no low-pass filter, so there is, in theory, the possibility that you may see moiré interference effects with very fine patterns and textures. If so, you can use the camera's anti-aliasing 'simulation' mode. This applies a tiny vibration to the sensor during the exposure to minutely shift the photosites and replicate the effect of a low pass filter.

Exposure metering is taken care of by a 77-zone system which factors in subject position and distance, with centre-weighted and spot metering available too.

The autofocus system has 11 AF points, including 9 cross-type. It's not the most sophisticated, especially when it's paired up with cheaper Pentax lenses that don't have their own AF motors - but the new retracting kit lens has its own built-in DC motor, so the AF system should have a better chance to show its potential.