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.
Following the near extinction of the standard pocket digital camera in the wake of the smartphone juggernaut, camera manufacturers are aiming more squarely at the enthusiast market, and the MX-1 is a clear sign that Pentax considers it an important segment to serve. Dominated largely by cameras like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 and Canon Powershot S110, and more recently by the Sony Cyber-Shot RX-100, the enthusiast pocket camera market consists of cameras with larger sensors, premium lenses, raw capture and a bias toward manual controls and modes, in addition to the usual auto and semi-auto modes.
The MX-1 shares a lens ( and probably sensor) with the Olympus XZ-2: a 28-112mm equivalent zoom with a relatively bright F1.8-2.5 aperture across the zoom range. Physically though, they’re very different cameras. The MX-1 is both wider and thicker, lacks a hot shoe, and surprisingly has only one control dial, skipping the trend toward a customizable control ring around the lens. In the MX1’s favor are a slightly larger LCD ( thanks to its 4: 3 aspect ratio) , that flips up and down in the same way as the XZ-2, and an EV adjustment dial that hangs over the right rear edge ever so slightly, for quick changes to the auto and semi-auto capture modes; it’s also stiff enough that it doesn’t turn by accident.
We were a little disappointed to see no hint of Ricoh’s influence on the interface ( Ricoh purchased Pentax 18 months ago, so we’d expect to see some of the fruits of that deal appearing soon) . In particular, some of the GRD and GXR’s control features, with customizable access to key menus and simple, smart controls would have been welcome. But several other omissions show that Pentax isn’t aiming the MX-1 at quite the same market as some other premium compacts.
Built as much as a premium camera for the casual snapshooter as it is for the photographer craving more control, the Pentax MX-1 makes accessing its high quality optic and potentially good sensor less intimidating. It looks cool, and if it measures up to expectations, particularly from its lens and sensor, it will make a good street camera for semi-auto shooters, and a reasonable substitute for carrying an SLR everywhere.
Pentax MX-1 key features
12MP backlit CMOS sensor
4x 28-112mm equivalent F1.8-2.5 lens
ISO 100-12800
3.0 inch, 920K dot LCD screen
JPEG, Raw ( DNG) , Raw+ JPEG capture
1080p 30fps video recording with stereo microphones
Rear control dial and EV dial
Pentax SLR-like interface
HDR mode
CMOS sensor
The Pentax MX-1’s 1/1.7 backlit CMOS sensor has a total resolution of 12.76MP, outputting a 12-megapixel image measuring 4, 000 x 3, 000 pixels. Many of the Pentax’s rivals, including the Olympus XZ-2, Nikon P7700 and Samsung EX2F also use 1/1.7 12MP BSI CMOS sensors. It seems likely that most of them share a single sensor, possibly the one Sony published details of in October.
Sensor sizes compared
The diagram below compares the size of the MX-1’s 1/1.7 sensor to those in its nearest competitors - in general larger sensors potentially offer better image quality. The MX-1’s sensor is equal to most of its direct competitors, like the S110, XZ-2, and LX7.