Stylish Is As Stylish Does - With The Pentax K-S1

We are accustomed to seeing DSLR cameras in conventional shapes these days - they have had a considerable time to develop from the rather space-age designs of the late 90's. Each manufacturer has their own aesthetic, but they are constrained by the actual function of the thing.

Pentax is no different - they need a lens out the front, a mirror box in the middle and a screen in the back. The inclusion of the occasional shutter, tripod mount, and flash socket is also good...Even the strap lugs are useful. And occasionally Pentax gets a chance to be a little more stylish than some.

Take the new K-S1 camera body. The grip shape is swooping Lincoln Continental  Museum Of Modern Art style and the cladding material breaks free from the false-leather of the past. And there are green LED's in the grip. Laugh not - this is a camera you can find in the high-contrast gloom of a studio space.

I am particularly taken with the bright screen display that lets me see at a glance what the thing is set on - and steer the AF point accurately. Even the mode dial at the back is illuminated - this is a camera that would be good to work with in a theatre.

Of course it is the standard Pentax AF mount - so you have a good range of lenses available.  It has a great two-year Australian manufacturer's warranty.

But it is the style that attracts.