For some, accessories are an added cost and weight in their travel bags. But in photography, accessories are a great help for a photographer to improve their skills. Some of it, even help to achieve the quality of the images that we want.

In this article, we’ll discuss the best Pentax K-1 accessories.

Best Pentax K-1 Accessories

1.    Reliable Battery

The top accessory on the list is a reliable battery. A battery is like the fuel on camera, it wouldn’t run without it. For Pentax K-1, the battery that usually comes with it when you bought it’s a rechargeable lithium-ion battery D-LI90P.

It has a capacity of 2100mAh and weighs 2.4 ounces. The number of images that can be recorded per charge is 760 and a playback time of 390 minutes, approximately. But this can be changed depends on the shooting conditions.

If you want a much longer battery life, you should try Wasabi Power battery for Pentax D-LI90P. Its weight is the same with Pentax D-LI90P; their only difference is the capacity. Wasabi Power battery has 2300mAh and designed with premium Japanese cells. This combination adds 20% on the running time of your camera.

2.    Battery Grip

Another way to double the life of your camera is by having a battery grip. Aside from the battery that’s already in your camera, a battery grip is an accessory that can hold more batteries. This will double your camera’s life and adds more stability.

For Pentax K-1, the battery grip available is D-BG6. D-BG6 can hold 1 D-LI90P battery or 6 AA batteries. It’s also equipped with an extra shutter release button and front/rear e-dials for vertical-position shooting, command dials and fully weather and dust-resistant.

3.    Flash Speedlite

Flash Speedlite is an essential accessory to help photographers to properly illuminate their subjects in a low-lit environment or creating creative shadows.

For Pentax K-1, the available flash Speedlite is Neewer TT560 Flash Speedlite. It weighs 286g and powered by 4 AA batteries. When it comes to its key features, it has the following:

• It has 3 flash mode: M, S1, and S2
• It has a vertical rotation angle from 0 to 90 degrees; while its horizontal rotation angle is from 0 to 270 degrees.
• Its flash duration is from 1/300s to 1/20000s.

The downside of this Speedlite is, after using the flash for 20 continuous shooting it will overheat and may shut down automatically. The automatic shutdown can be avoided by cooling it off for around 10 minutes before using again.

Another option for a flash Speedlite is Yongnuo YN585EX wireless Speedlite. Weight-wise, it’s much heavier than TT560 as it weighs 369.5g; but they both powered by 4 AA batteries. When it comes to its key features, it has the following:

• It can receive wireless signals from AF-360FGZ, AF540FGZ II, and P’s master units
• It has 3 flash mode: M, P-TTL, and Multi flash mode
• It has a vertical rotation angle from -7 to 90 degrees; while its horizontal rotation angle is 180 degrees towards left/right.
• Its flash duration is from 1/200s to 1/12000s

4.    Memory card

When people consider buying a memory card or any storage devices, the first brand that comes to mind is SanDisk. For years, SanDisk has proven to deliver durable, affordable and efficient storage media. So, for Pentax K-1, there are plenty of choices.

Pentax K-1 supported storage media such as SD, SDHC, and SDXC Memory Card or any other storage devices that conform to USH-I standards. This is good to take note every time you buy a memory card to ensure its compatibility with your camera.

SanDisk Extreme PRO 32GB Flash Memory Card is a good option.  Aside from its capacity of 32GB, it has a read speed of up to 95 MB/s and writes speeds of up to 90 MB/s which are advantageous for fast-action photography. With this, you can assure that you can shoot longer without the need to stop often to download.

Durability-wise, this memory card has impressive weather seals: waterproof, temperature proof, X-ray proof, and shockproof.

5.    Tripod

Image-stabilizating feature may be helpful, but tripod still holds the crown of being the best tool to keep our camera steady and shake-free. For Pentax K-1, one of the best options is Dolica’s 62″ Aluminium Proline Tripod.

This tripod is built with a lightweight aluminium alloy, weighs 2.5lbs, has 4 leg sections and can support up to 13.2lbs. So, whichever you use (point-and-shoot or DSLR cameras) this tripod is a good option.

Another good option is the versatile Manfrotto 055XPROB Pro Tripod. This tripod weighs 5.3lbs, has 4 leg sections and can support up to 15.4lbs. This tripod is ideal to use for small to medium format cameras.

One of the unique features of this tripod is, it has the Manfrotto-patented Q90 column feature wherein the tripod can reach extremely low position (up to ground level) which is great for capturing stunning macro shots. Also, you can easily swing the tripod vertically or horizontally without the need to disassemble.

6.    Disc Light Reflectors

A photographer’s studio wouldn’t be complete without a disc light reflector. For Pentax K-1, Selens 5-in-1 handle 43-inch round reflector is one of the best disc light reflectors available.

It has 5 reflectors and you can determine their purpose through their colors:

• The white creates a neutral color effect. But for it to work, you need ample light and place it closes to your subject.
• The silver is same with the white and is good to use for low light shooting.
• The gold creates a strong warm light on the subject and good to use whenever you want to shoot sunset portraits.
• The black serves as an anti-reflector. This is good to use whenever you want to cast a shadow on the certain areas of your image.
• Lastly, the diffuser. It’s the translucent material in the middle of the frame and is used to soften the sun’s natural light or diffuse the harsh light. The only way to use this is by placing it directly above your subject.

Video on Pentax Booklet

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