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The new Pentax KP can shoot at ISO 819,200

The new Pentax KP can shoot at ISO 819,200

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Plus weatherproofing, 5-axis image stabilization, and more

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Pentax

Pentax’s newest camera is a relatively tiny DSLR called the KP. On paper, the KP is a mixed bag of features you’d expect to find in a modern camera: it has 5-axis in-body image stabilization and weather sealing, but only shoots 1080p video. It has Wi-Fi, and a tilt-out touchscreen, but only 27 autofocus points and a top speed of 7 still images per second.

The KP’s most mad feature, though, is that the 24-megapixel APS-C sensor is capable of shooting at ISO 819,200. That’s twice the limit of the Sony A7S II, a camera that can practically see in the dark. The cost of such low-light luxury? $1,099 for just the KP body when it goes on sale February 25th in North America.

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Now, the A7S II has a full frame sensor, so there’s basically no chance it’s at risk of being outperformed in terms of actual image quality by the Pentax KP. Images taken by any camera at 819,200 are also going to look pretty awful by traditional photographic standards to begin with. (We asked Pentax for sample images shot at this ludicrous ISO but a rep for the company said there are none to share yet.)

But sometimes you just need the shot, image quality be damned. And high ISO rating aside, there appears to be a decent amount of other things to like about this camera — even if it’s probably not enough to help Pentax compete with the Canons and Nikons of the world.