Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1

 

The Nikon D810 is an established flagship camera; the Pentax K-1 is the challenger...

Photographers looking for a full-frame digital SLR have had to choose between two brands – Canon and Nikon – until now. Pentax has been making APS-C format digital SLRs for foray into full-frame photography.

These two cameras come with very different approaches, however. The D810 is a ‘classic’ Nikon, with a sturdy build, carefully honed control layout and the backing of a huge range of professional lenses and photographic accessories.

The K-1 arrives with a new approach to camera ergonomics and, thanks to Pentax’s powerful SR II lens-shift system, an intriguing collection of features. 

Features
The big technical story with the K-1 is this sensor-shift system, which is used for a variety of functions. The most obvious is work with practically any lens and corrects a much wider range of movements than the lens-based VR system used by Nikon. Pentax says it can deliver a shutter speed advantage of up to five stops.

Both cameras dispense with the usual anti aliasing filter in front of the sensor. Removing the filter improves fine detail but risks occasional moiré effects. With the D810 you have to correct any moiré effects later in software, but the K-1’s AA simulation mode ‘jiggles’ the sensor a sub-pixel level during the exposure to simulate anti aliasing filter.

The SR mechanism accommodates a large enough movement range to compensate for skewed horizons with an auto-level mode. Most of the time you can see if the camera is straight, but this feature could be very useful in low light or when shooting at awkward angles. Then there’s the K-1’s Astrotracer mode: this uses the camera’s built-in GPS receiver to move the sensor to compensate for the movement of celestial objects during astro-photography.

Pentax’s Pixel Shift Resolution mode combines four separate exposures taken in quick succession, with a single pixel shift of the sensor between each one. This enables the sensor to capture full red, green and blue colour information at each pixel site – usually, sensors can capture only red, green or blue data for each pixel and have to interpolate (guess) the other colours.

Neither camera is specifically equipped for action photography, but  the D810 can shoot slightly faster at 5fps (7fps in DX crop mode), while the K-1 can only manage 4.4fps. The D810 also has a better buffer capacity. The K-1 has the more durable shutter mechanism, with a quoted 300,000-shot shutter life versus 200,000 shots on the D810.

On paper, the D810 has the more sophisticated autofocus system. It uses Nikon’s 51-point Multi-Cam 3500FX AF sensor, with dynamic area AF for moving subjects and Nikon’s new group-area AF mode. The K-1 has a newly-developed 33-point Safox 12 autofocus sensor with a smaller number of AF points, but they operate over an area of the frame 40% wider than a regular AF sensor.

Interestingly, in addition to the GPS sensor, the K-1 has Wi-Fi built in. Both of these are optional extras on the D810. The K-1 also scores some points with a higher maximum ISO setting of 204,600, whereas the D810 maxes out at ISO 12,800 in its standard range and hits ISO 51,200 in ‘expanded’ mode.

Build & handling
For anyone used to the layout of high-end Nikon SLRs, the D810 will offer no surprises. There’s no mode dial on the top of this model – instead, you change exposure modes by pressing a small mode button near the shutter release and turning the command dial.

On the left of the top plate is a fourbutton control cluster unique to high-end Nikons. There are buttons for setting the image quality, metering pattern, ISO setting and white balance. Around its base is a release mode dial with settings for single-shot mode, low and high-speed continuous shooting, the D810’s ‘quiet’ mode and mirror up modes. The mirror up mode, the D810’s delayed shutter release option, an optional electronic first curtain shutter and a smoother-acting shutter mechanism are all designed to get the best possible benefit from its 36-megapixel sensor and go some way towards offsetting the advantage of the K-1’s in-camera image stabilisation.

Round the back, the D810 has a fixed (non-articulating) 3.2-inch 1,229,000 dot LCD display. The K-1’s LCD display matches it for size but lags slightly behind in resolution at 1,037,000 dots.

The K-1 f has a unique scissor-action screen that pulls out from the back of the camera and can be angled upwards, downwards, left or right. It doesn’t give quite the same range of angles as the flip-out vari-angle screens on some SLRs and mirrorless cameras, but it keeps the LCD display on the optical axis of the camera, rather than off to one side. 

The K-1 also offers a radically different external control layout to the D810. It features a regular mode dial on its top plate and an additional Smart Dial. The Smart Dial is used to select settings such
as exposure compensation, ISO, drive mode, bracketing settings, HDR mode and more. Alongside it is an unmarked ‘e-dial’, used to change these settings.

Performance
Pentax has made clear progress with its autofocus and lenses, with the result that the K-1 feels smooth and responsive – at least with static subjects. With moving subjects, it couldn’t quite match the performance of the Nikon D810’s more sophisticated and highly developed 51-point system. Neither camera is really equipped for sports, but the D810 is better at tracking moving subjects. It’s also a little better at burst shooting. While it appears to offer only a small speed advantage over the K-1, it has a better buffer capacity and, if you use its DX crop mode, it can shoot at 7fps.

In poor lighting, the K-1 produces much cleaner, crisper images at higher ISOs of 3,200 and beyond, and its in-body stabilisation is an advantage if you’re using Nikon’s older, non-stabilised 24-70mm kit lens on the D810. Our hit-rate of sharp shots from the K-1 was much higher than with the D810.

This is a key point when comparing these cameras for value. The K-1 is a lot cheaper than the D810 and the gap becomes wider when you factor in the cost of comparable 24-70mm f/2.8 kit lenses. The Pentax lens is around £1,100/ $1,300, while the unstabilised Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 costs £1,600/$1,800. The newer, stabilised Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 VR is an eye-watering £2,000/$2,200.

Where the Pentax K-1 scores highly for high-ISO image quality, you might expect the Nikon D810 to be much closer at lower ISOs. Actually, the Nikon offers no clear advantage. In some instances its fine detail looks slightly better; in others it’s hard to see any difference. Indeed, the Pentax 24-70mm lens displays slightly better edge sharpness than its Nikon equivalent in our wide-angle test shots.

For video, the D810 wins out. You probably wouldn’t choose either camera if video was your main business, but the D810 offers full HD at up to 60/50p (the K-1 only manages interlaced video at this higher speed), electronic aperture control while filming, and clean HDMI output while recording to internal memory cards.

WE can’t split these cameras in terms of overall rating, and they have different characters and qualities. The D810 is the safe pair of hands for professionals. It can’t match the K-1 for features or low-light performance, but it comes with a big lens and accessory system. Cameras come and go, but lenses are for life, so you need to consider the long-term investment. The D810 has the better autofocus system and it’s better for video too.

The K-1 is both better-specified and more of a risk. Pentax has been building up its full-frame lens system, but Nikon still leads here. On the other hand, the K-1’s in-body stabilisation, better high-ISO
performance, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi, and lower price make it a terrific all-rounder.

Nikon D810

1. The D810 accepts both full-frame FX format lenses and APS-C DX lenses. (When you fit a DX lens, it switches to its 15.3MP DX Crop mode.)
2. The D810 doesn’t have a regular mode dial. Instead, it uses this control cluster, with buttons for image quality, metering pattern, ISO, white balance and release mode.
3. On the right is a large mono LCD status display for conveying exposure information, shots remaining, battery condition and other settings. 
4. The D810’s 3.2-inch LCD display has a slightly higher resolution than the K-1’s, but it’s fixed and non-articulating.

Website  www.nikon.co.uk
Street price (body) £2,399/$2,500
Image sensor 26.3MP CMOS
Sensor size 35.9 x 24mm full-frame
Max image size 7,360 x 4,912 pixels
Image processor Expeed 4
Low-pass filter No
Viewfinder Pentaprism, 0.7x, 100%
Lens mount Nikon F
ISO range (expanded) ISO 64-12,800 (32-51,200)
Autofocus points 51-point (15 cross-type)
Shutter speeds 1/8,000 to 30 sec, Bulb
Flash Pop-up, hotshoe
Max burst rate 5fps
Image stabilisation Via lens
Video – max resolution 1080p (24/25/30/50/60fps)
LCD screen 3.2-inch, 1,229k
Memory 1 x CF, 1 x SD/HC/XC
Wireless connectivity None
Interface USB 3.0, X-sync, HDMI
Body materials Magnesium alloy
Body (W x H x D) 146 x 123 x 81.5mm
Weight 980g
Battery life (Cipa) 1,200 shots

Pentax K-1

1. The K-1 uses its oown range of full-frame lenses, but it can also take APS-C Pentax lenses, where it switches automatically to a ‘crop’ mode.
2. The mode dial has five custom user settings and two additional exposure modes you won’t see anywhere else – Sv (sensitivity priority) and TAv (shutter speed and aperture priority).
3. This Smart Dial offers quick access to key functions like exposure compensation, ISO and bracketing. It works alongside the ‘e-dial’.
4. The 3.2-inch LCD display is attached via four sliding pivot arms. This enables you to tilt the screen both vertically and horizontally.

Website www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk
Street price (body) £1,799/$1,950
Image sensor 36.4MP CMOS
Sensor size 35.9 x 24mm full-frame
Max image size 7,360 x 4,912 pixels
Image processor Prime IV
Low-pass filter No
Viewfinder Pentaprism, 0.7x, 100%
Lens mount Pentax KAF2
ISO range (expanded) ISO 100-204,800
Autofocus points 33-point (25 cross-type)
Shutter speeds 1/8,000 to 30 sec, Bulb
Flash Hotshoe only
Max burst rate 4.4fps
Image stabilisation In-body
Video – max resolution 1080p (24/25/30fps), 1080i (50/60fps)
LCD screen 3.2-inch Flexi-tilt, 1,037k
Memory 2 x SD/HC/XC
Wireless connectivity Wi-Fi
Interface USB 2.0, X-sync, HDMI
Body materials Magnesium alloy
Body (W x H x D) 136.5 x 110 x 85.5mm
Weight 1,010g
Battery life (Cipa) 760 shots

Image Test

Detail__ Outdoors, the fine detail captured by the K-1 is slightly less crisp than the D810’s, though

the definition at the edge is better. This comparison used the makers’ 24-70mm f/2.8 standard lenses.

Low light__ This ISO 6,400 indoor shot shows the performance difference – the K-1’s result is crisper and smoother than the D810’s. Its five-axis in-body stabilisation gives it a boost in low light.

Colour__ The K-1 offers a slightly more robust, saturated colour rendition than the D810, and some outdoor shots show a hint of magenta in bright tones. Overall, though, they are hard to separate.

Exposure__ In unchallenging lighting, both cameras produce similar exposure levels. In this shot,
the K-1 has paid more attention to the shadows under the bridge, leaving the daylit area over exposed.

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