Pentax MX-1

This is a small but powerful <b>digital</b> camera from <b>Pentax</b>. Having recently tested myself on a DSLR offering I now downsize but not as far as %C2%91point and shoot%C2%92 as this <b>digital</b> camera has a lot to offer yet it can still fit in most pockets.

Announced this January at CES 2013, the Pentax MX-1 is Pentax’s first foray into the relatively crowded field of high-end-compact cameras. With a 12-megapixel, 1/1.7-inch backlit CMOS sensor, the Pentax MX-1 competes directly with established high-end compacts like the Canon PowerShot S110, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7, Olympus XZ-2 iHS, and Nikon Coolpix P7700 among others, many of which have already been through multiple updates and iterations.

The Pentax MX-1 is a 12MP high-end compact camera with a fast 28-112mm equivalent zoom lens - the first camera of its type that Pentax has created. With a rich history in camera design, it seems fair that Pentax would seek to recapture the two-tone camera designs of the last century with its MX-1 enthusiast compact (the MX-1 is also available in an all-black model as well). A metal top and bottom and a leather-like band around the middle provide a gripable surface as well as a classic look. Thanks to the painted brass top and bottom plates, we're told users will enjoy that old tendency toward 'brassing' exhibited in well-used vintage cameras as the MX-1 accumulates wear. We haven't yet bashed the Pentax MX-1 around enough to test this feature, but there's still time.

Many people can be misled by some camera makers’ claims of higher pixel counts, maxi zoom ranges etc … when in fact they’re actually being sold a turkey. This is one camera that goes against the trend: it can capture only a 12 megapixel image, has only a 4x zoom and its 35 SLR equivalent

An in-depth review of the Pentax MX-1 retro-styled enthusiast point-and-shoot digital camera.

If you want a quality compact camera for street photography but don't want to spend an arm and a leg, the Pentax MX-1 from six years ago is still a great buy, according to Mattias Burling, who reviews older cameras on his popular YouTube channel. Selling for only a few hundred dollars online (and even less if you hunt around the used market), the Pentax MX-1 is a legend of a camera, Burling contends.

Which capable compact, with plenty of control, should I buy?

This is an outstanding camera and a pleasure to use, easily taking its place alongside the top compacts.

This is an outstanding camera and a pleasure to use, easily taking its place alongside the top compacts.

Pentax’s retro throwback is anything but old-fashioned inside

The Pentax MX was a 35mm Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera produced from 1976 to 1985 and, for a time, was the company’s flagship SLR. It was solidly built featuring all-mechanical construction, including the shutter, and only the metering system was battery dependent. The new all-digital, all-electronic Pentax MX-1 couldn’t be more different. For openers, the MX-1 is not an SLR but an advanced digital compact camera with the kind of retro styling that’s all the rage these days with camera designers and, apparently, camera buyers, too. So, how does the MX-1 stack up?

The Pentax MX-1 is a new, retro-styled point and shoot camera with a 1/1.7″ sensor inside at 12MP resolution. It has a robust body, complete with a brass top that will add some character to i…

A compact digicam with traditional film camera styling and controls plus a slightly larger-than-average image sensor and a 4x optical zoom lens.

The Pentax MX-1 joins the growing list of premium compact cameras aimed at advanced users. Offering a large 1/1.7" 12 megapixel sensor, fast f/1.8 4x zoom lens, tilting 3-inch LCD screen and an appealingly retro design, does the Pentax MX1 offer enough to compete in this increasingly competitive market? Read our detailed Pentax MX-1 review to find out...

At CES, Pentax surprised us with an overdue, if somewhat unremarkable, advanced compact, the MX-1.