Pentax MX-1 First Impressions Review

Conclusion

The MX-1 appears to be every bit the camera that competing models from Olympus, Canon, and Nikon are—at least when it comes to the sensor and lens. Its shortcomings versus the optically similar XZ-2 are offset by a $100 price difference, but the G15 and P7700 match the Olympus nearly spec-for-spec and cost the same as the MX-1. That's not good news for Pentax.

As usual, we imagine the MX-1 will sell in good numbers to the converted. Pentaxians are a rabidly loyal bunch, and they'll almost always choose the first-party product before going afield, even if it means paying a slight price premium. We're just not sure it will lure many outsiders away from the higher-profile G15 and P7700.

That could change if the image quality out of the MX-1 proves to be spectacular, but if our hunch about the XZ-2 connection is correct, it's not likely to stand out from the crowd. We can't wait to get it into our labs and find out for sure.