UPDATE: The Pentax K-1 Mark II J Limited Edition 01, in all its monstrous metallic glory, has been officially announced by Ricoh.
Like other limited editions from the company, the Pentax K-1 Mark II J Limited Edition 01 is a special edition of the standard Pentax K-1 Mark II full-frame camera and otherwise features the same core specifications.
In addition to the North American walnut grip and custom top cover, the camera also features special landscape shooting modes designed by photographers Kazutoshi Yoshimura and Takukei Seo – 'PH-mode Yoshimura' and 'PH-mode T' will reproduce each photographer's camera settings.
The Pentax K-1 Mark II J Limited Edition 01 will be available in Japan only from 30 April, price to be confirmed. And if you're wondering exactly what the "J" project means, according to the company (via the wonders of machine translation): "If there are users who enthusiastically support and love even 1%, let’s make it for those people." Clearly 'the 1%' has a very different connotation in Japan!
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ORIGINAL STORY (24 Feb): The latest camera from Pentax has been leaked online – and it can only be described as a red metallic monstrosity. Unless you get the version that's a blue metallic monstrosity, of course. Or the slightly more tasteful black or silver versions.
Sadly, no – this isn't the long-gestating, longer-delayed Pentax K-3 Mark III APS-C flagship camera, which was supposed to launch this week at the CP+ 2021 super show in Japan but has been postponed (yet again). Instead, this is a limited edition version of the Pentax K-1 Mark II full-frame flagship.
• Read more: Best Pentax cameras
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As you may or may not be aware, Pentax is very big on releasing limited edition versions of its cameras in Japan; it has released special collectible versions including everything from the Pentax Evangelion Q10 (based on the popular mech anime Neon Genesis Evangelion) to the Pentax K-r (themed around teddy bear mascot character Rilakkuma, currently enjoying a standout series on Netflix).
The new Pentax K-1 Mark II J Limited 01 isn't quite a brash as those bodies, but at least two of its four variants are every bit as colorful, as you can see in these images leaked by Nokishita.
The "J" limited edition was previously seen in the Pentax KP J, which was a standard Pentax KP featuring a wooden grip and a custom top pentaprism cover. Announced at CP+ 2019, this Japan-only release it was discontinued earlier this month – and it now seems that this may have been to make way for this new limited edition K-1 Mark II.
We can expect, then, that the Pentax K-1 Mark II J Limited 01 will similarly be announced at CP+ this week – and it will almost certainly be another Japan-only release, so you'll have to hit up an importer if you really want a crazy red or blue camera body.
Like the previous J camera, this one also looks to have a custom grip and top cover – though otherwise it will be the same 36.4MP / 1080p 60p body with ISO100-819,200 and dual memory card slots that the regular K-1 Mark II is.
Read more:
Pentax K-1 Mark II review
Pentax KP review
Best Pentax lenses
