#bc i’ve to have 2 cards to a) be at home & b) enter home & c) another to go to uni

[bibleofficial]

time to start the day after doomscrolling for 5hrs

[lancecarr]

First Look: Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

I first saw the Wacom MobileStudio Pro at NAB last year and finally got my hands on one to test this winter. For an amazing Cintiq-style creative pen tablet that is also a touchscreen mobile computer, camera, 3D object scanner and more, I wanted to stretch the limits of its capabilities beyond the average sketch-pad and drawing demos you typically see with Wacom products. Here’s the first look at this interesting hardware/peripheral configuration:

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 shown with optional wireless keyboard

I first saw the Wacom MobileStudio Pro at NAB last year and finally got my hands on one to test this winter. For an amazing Cintiq-style creative pen tablet that is also a touchscreen mobile computer, camera, 3D object scanner and more, I wanted to stretch the limits of its capabilities beyond the average sketch-pad and drawing demos you typically see with Wacom products.

Here’s the first look at this interesting hardware/peripheral configuration:

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 & 16

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 (MSRP $1699-2199) is designed specifically to meet the demands of creative professionals who want the freedom to create anywhere. It’s a full-featured, Intel®-powered computer with the muscle you need to run professional creative applications. Choose up to 16GB of RAM, an Intel® Core™ i7 processor and Intel® Iris™ 550 graphics – with up to 512GB of fast storage.

With a resolution of 2560×1440 and color accuracy of 80% Adobe RGB coverage (CIE1931), Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13’s screen is dazzling. Not only will your work look amazing, it will feel amazing too. The new etched glass surface makes it feel like you’re working with pen and paper by providing a balanced amount of resistance to the Pro Pen 2’s tip. Plus, multi-touch gestures make zooming and rotating your creations as simple as pinching and swiping on your smartphone.

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 (MSRP $1999-2699) is a full-featured, Intel®-powered computer with the power you need to run professional creative 2D, 3D and CAD applications. Building a prototype of a new gearbox in SolidWorks®? An hour of HDR edits that need rendering in Adobe® Premiere® Pro? MobileStudio Pro is more than up to the task. Choose up to 16GB of RAM, an Intel® Core™ i7 processor and 512GB of fast storage. Plus, both Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 models come with NVIDIA® Quadro® graphics and on-board memory to make heavy files fly around your screen.

The 4K resolution (3840×2160) of Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16’s screen renders each fine brush stroke accurately and provides plenty of space in which to work. Color accuracy of 94% of Adobe® RGB means you can accurately reproduce even the most subtle shades. Your work will look amazing – and it will feel amazing too. The new etched glass surface provides the familiar sensation of working with pen on paper. Plus, multi-touch gestures make zooming and rotating your creations as simple as pinching and swiping on your smartphone.

While the MobileStudio Pro 13 & 16 are not just tablets, they also aren’t laptops. At first glance, the ports available on the sides of the device include a MicroSD (SDXC) card slot and 3 *USB-C slots.

*NOTE: If you’re a Mac or PC user that’s upgraded all of your Thunderbolt 2 drives and peripherals to Thunderbolt 3, you’re still going to be out of luck unless one of your devices also has the USB 3 connector and you have a converter cable or breakout dock. I’ve not found any TB2/3 to USB-C docks or converters that will communicate properly, so only the USB 3 to USB-C has seemed to work.

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 with optional wireless keyboard and a USB 3 SSD with a USB-C converter.

Specs from Wacom’s Website (MobileStudio Pro 16):

Display Size: 15.6 inch (39.6 cm) Resolution: UHD (3840 x 2160) Advanced Control: 8192 levels pen pressure, tilt and multi-touch Productivity Boosters: ExpressKeys™, on-screen controls, time-savings settings Ergonomics: Right or left-handed use, adjustable optional stand Compatibility: Windows 10 – Stand-alone Mac, Windows – with Wacom Link Processor: 6th generation Intel® Core™ processors Graphics Card: NVIDIA® Quadro® M600M 2GB GDDR5 to NVIDIA® Quadro® M1000M 4GB GDDR5 Storage: 256GB – 512GB Solid state drive (SSD) Product Type: Creative Pen Computer Micro SD Slot: SDXC card (uhs-ii) RAM: 8 GB to 16 GB DDR3 Expandable Memory: No Expandable Storage: Memory card or external HDD, purchased separately Security: Kensington® security slot for Kensington MiniSaver™ Mobile Lock. Fingerprint Sensor on select models. TPM 2.0. Multi-Touch: Yes PenWacom Pro Pen 2 Pressure Levels: 8192, both pen tip and eraser Tilt Range: 60 degrees Tilt Recognition: ±60 levels Type: Pressure-sensitive, cordless, battery-free Switches: 2 side switches Extra Nibs: 3 extra nibs (2 standard, 1 felt) Pen Carrying Case: Yes Pen Stand: No Pen Holder: Yes Grip: Latex-free silicone rubber Technology: Patented electromagnetic resonance method Weight: 2200 g / 4.85 lbs Size: 418 x 262 x 19 mm (16.5 x 10.3 x 0.75 inch) Displayable Colors (maximum): 16.7 million Screen Size: 15.6 inch (39.6 cm) Technology: LED Viewing Angle: 178° (89°/89°) H, (89°/89°) V Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 Brightness: 314.78cd/m2 Active Area: 346 x 194 mm (13.6 x 7.6 in) Graphics Input: USB-C (for optimum performance) or Mini DisplayPort using optional Wacom Link Color Gamut: Adobe RGB at CIE1931 Coverage Ratio: 85% Area Ratio: 94% Adobe RGB at CIE1976 Coverage Ratio: 90% Area Ratio: 94% Response: 25 ms Industry Standard Pre-sets: Adobe RGB, 6500 deg. K white point default: DCI, REC 709, SRGB Operating System: Windows 10 Pro ExpressKeys™: 8 customizable, application-specific Touch Ring: Yes on Rocker Ring Touch Strips: No On-Screen Controls: Yes Rocker Ring And Home Button: 4 position customizable with default TouchRing function and home button Radial Menu: Yes Precision ModeYes Display Toggle: Yes Dedicated Pan, Scroll, Zoom, Brush Size: Yes Orientation: Right or left-handed use (Portrait/Landscape modes – auto sense rotation) Cable Included: AC adaptor and power cable Display: N/A PC And Mac: Optional Wacom Link with USB-C, Mini DisplayPort and USB cables. Optimum performance using certified USB-C cable to USB-C port Video Out: USB type C Peripherals: 3 USB type C (*NOT Thunderbolt compatible) Network: Bluetooth® 4.1 technology Wireless: 802.11 ac Cameras: Front: 5 MP HD Back: 8 MP HD Back: Intel RealSense™ R200 (3D scanning camera) on 512GB model Speaker2 x 2.0W Sensors: GPS, electronic compass, accelerometer, ambient light, gyro Power Supply Input: 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz Power Supply Output: 5V/3A (15W), 20V/5A (100W) Battery: 7.6 V, Li-polymer, 70 Wh Power Consumption: Max: 96W, 0.9 W when asleep, 0.6 W or less when off Battery Life: Battery life will vary. It depends on how the products are used and which device settings are selected. Battery Charging Time: Up to 2 hours Audio: Audio headset jack included. System Requirements: With optional Wacom Link: Windows® 7 or later, Mac OS X® 10.10 or later, USB-C port (or Mini DisplayPort and standard USB port) Limited Warranty: 1 year in USA, Canada, and Latin America 2 years in Europe 1 year in Japan & Asia Pacific What’s IncludedWacom MobileStudio Pro 16 Wacom Pro Pen 2 Pen case with 3 replacement nibs, color rings and nib removal tool, Pen holder AC Power Adapter + power cable Quick Start Guide Cleaning cloth Certifications: VCCI Class B, FCC Part 15, Subpart B (class B) and C, CE, KC, BSMI, C-tick, CB, CCC, EAC, China RoHS, Korean RoHS, EU RoHS, SII, NOM, CEL, IC, Energy Star, CEC-BCS, Energy Label Law Previous generation pens: Airbrush, Art Pen, Classic Pen, Grip Pen, Pro Pen Model Numbers: DTH-W1620M, DTH-W1620H Microsoft Specialized PC Certification: None

Pro Pen 2

One of the important factors of the performance in action is the Wacom Pro Pen 2, which delivers incredible speed, sensitivity and accuracy – in addition to the flexibility in varying natural pen grip that people differ individually.

This is the first on-screen pen device that I’ve used that has no strange parallax or strange offset due to tilt angle or pen grip position.

  Hands-on with the Mobile Studio Pro 16

The obvious first option was to open up Adobe Photoshop CC and give the drawing/sketching capabilities a quick run to get the feel of the pen-to-surface response and sensitivity. Having used several variations of the Wacom Cintiq tablets in the past, I really wanted to experience this new screen and pen technology, that Wacom engineers have claimed is a thinner glass with a tougher scratch-resistant surface and that the lag time is also undetectable.

The pen tip action is so smooth it does require you to adapt a different touch than you might be used to with your old tablet or Cintiq. I had to adjust my pen tool prefs settings to require a harder pressure than I have in the past until I can develop a lighter feel in my drawing approach.

If you’re an existing Wacom user, this experience is noticably different – in a very good way!

I also spend time re-programming the click buttons on the pen to simulate Right-click and Alt/Option buttons for ease of bringing up contextual menus, brush and selection tools.

If you are a keyboard shortcut junkie like I am, there are definitely some things you use frequently that can be programmed into the ExpressKeys and the TouchRing that will really speed up productivity (I’ll get into those more in my next article in this series for various apps/functions). Not to mention the many, many other keystroke combinations you may use in any one application.

However, I found that relying solely on the touch-screen/pop-up keyboard for simple Windows OS tasks such as Logging in with your password and accessing apps or the Start menu from the task bar (if it’s hidden) is nearly impossible at times, so I opted for the wireless keyboard to keep handy. It’s also much more intuitive to enter text for design and layout work as well as extracting text from a doc that you use in your layout/design or on-screen text for your video productions.

Also – the touch screen is as sensitive as you’d hope it might be. Very similar to using a large iPad and familiar gestures (you can choose between Windows 10 standards or Wacom standards in your setup prefs). I would highly suggest setting up one of your ExpressKeys on the tablet to toggle the touch screen on/off or you’ll be cursing at it while you work and it’s trying to guess between your pen tip and your hand for input instructions.

One thing I’ve been using is a Compression Glove that not only helps isolate my skin away from the screen’s surface while working, but also supports my hand/joints while working for hours gripping the pen. It keeps the screen clean from skin oil residue and doesn’t triger the touch screen surface unless you want to intentionally. Also, I’ve discovered a “hot spot” on the screen that gets really, really warm on the lower-center which I assume is where the processor or video card is located and it actually feels hot to the touch. The glove helps to isolate your hand so the intensity of the heat is much less when you glide over it or rest your hand on the screen at that location.

Also, the built-in 8MP camera will allow you to capture images on the spot directly to your device so you can start working on design comps, sketches and storyboarding right away. This is perfect for location scouting and storyboard development!

Using the MobileStudio Pro 16 with Adobe After Effects

I know you’re asking yourself “Why would I even think about trying to run After Effects on a pen-computer?” – and in most cases, you probably won’t very often. But if you have to do a lot of roto or paint work on hundreds/thousands of subsequent frames, then I can’t imagine NOT using either a Cintiq or the MobileStudio Pro for these tasks.

I tried it out with the memory-intensive Roto Brush Tool and working with media it was reading off the USB 3 SSD drive and it performed surprisingly well. Would I do a full feature production with this alone – no way, but if I needed to take care of a couple shots on the road or on a client site, then having the MobileStudio Pro with me is a self-contained way of accomplishing what would otherwise need for me to wait until I returned to my studio – or carry a lot more gear with me.

I will be covering more about the Roto Brush tool, paint tools and other editing workflows with the MobileStudio Pro 16 in my next article int he series, so stay-tuned.

3D Scanning with the Intel RealSense Cameras and Sensors

Something that nobody would expect with a pen computer is a built-in 3D scanner. It’s a smaller version of the Intel RealSense that promises to deliver a reasonably good scanned model.

The camera array on the back of the MobileStudio Pro contains Wacom’s native 8MP RGB camera (far left, not used for 3D scanning), followed by the R200’s first IR camera, its RGB camera, the IR laser projector and at the far right the second IR camera. The mount underneath is for the optional stand.

I tried a couple half-assed attempts to scan something but realized I wasn’t really following the instructions properly (who reads the instructions right out of the box?)

So we’ll be looking forward to doing some proper scans and modeling with the Artec Studio and MobileStudio Pro in an upcoming article in this series. I can only imagine how useful this modeling capability could be when combined with 3D texture painting on the scanned models.

Here’s the general introduction to using the scanner with the included Artec Studio Ultimate software (first year only is free with the device):

  In my research for examples of scanning with the MobileStudio Pro, I ran across this very interesting (albeit quite lengthy) YouTube video from Laurence Mann’s channel – but he visits Ten24 studios and lets a real pro use it and show us how to set it up and scan properly with it. An extra treat if you watch through the whole video to see what a high-end 3D scanning studio produces – but I digress… check it out:

Again – that’s a drastic comparison but also a great example of how to get a good scan and just how impressive a model you can get with a portable device!

My First Look take-away…

So my thoughts and observations in general after testing the MobileStudio Pro 16 for a bit are positive and also mixed. The design in general may be confusing to some. Is it a pen-tablet? Is it a baseless laptop? Is it a 3D scanner? What problems does it solve for me?

It might be the first rendition of what computing in the future may look/feel like. Maybe we’ll see something similar in the not-too-distant future that is more modular and customizable?

Does it replace my laptop? Of course not. But it does allow me spontaneous creativity in a single tool that can do so much. What I know is that Wacom is trying hard to capture a different market here and I think they’re on to something.

PROS:

Portability and flexibility. The MobileStudio Pro 16 fits in my laptop backpack and weight a lot less. I’ve used it (with the keyboard) as my sole workstation a couple days just to see if it could be done, and while I had to keep it plugged into AC power for most of the time, it functioned surprisingly well!

The Pen functions beautifully with the screen glass. The right amount of drag on the surface keeps it from feeling like glass – more like a Rapidograph on vellum. No noticeable lag time with normal motions and works great with all the Adobe CC apps that I tested it on.

Plus it’s just cool. Way beyond just a tablet – it’s a real computer with real software. Not cheesy mobile apps or dumbed-down versions. I can use my actual production files off my hard drive and work directly with them.

CONS:

The only negatives for me from the original OOBE (Out Of Box Experience) was the lack of accessories that I find too important to exclude to make the MobileStudio Pro a truly self-contained pen computing experience for the working professional. Like the wireless keyboard ($50), Wacom Link ($70 – to use with your Mac/PC like a regular Cintiq) and a stand ($100). I mean, C’mon – at least throw in the friggin’ plastic stand folks! Very few people are going to be ONLY holding the device in their laps or in the air with their hands. I had to prop it up constantly to get at a usable viewing/drawing angle.

And the lack of Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. USB 3 is slow and outdated and hard to find compatible peripherals for. I’m really hoping they update the ports in their future designs.

Also – the battery life kinda sucks. We’re talking like iPad 2 battery life. And I haven’t found a portable charging brick yet that will support the MobileStudio Pro, so you’d better hope you’re going to be near an AC power outlet and DON’T FORGET YOUR AC ADAPTER! 😉

But alas – I see the future, and so will you when I bring you my next articles in the series covering ExpressKeys programming, video/roto workflows and real-world 3D Scanning with the MobileStudio Pro 16.

Stay tuned…

  The post First Look: Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 appeared first on ProVideo Coalition.

https://www.provideocoalition.com/first-look-wacom-mobilestudio-pro-16/

[gryphon1911]

© Ricoh Imaging

Background

There are TONS of cameras out there...some you might not even realize. One of these relative unknowns is from a relatively well known camera maker, Pentax.  The diminutive Q series cameras.  At the time of release, the Q series camera was the smallest interchangable lens system on the market.  Not sure if that is true anymore...but this camera system is tiny. I have seen a few online friends that used this system and was impressed by the IQ coming from this small 1/1.7" sensor. Initial cost of these cameras new precluded me from experimenting then...but with some online sluething and patience, you can now get this system for a fraction of what it cost new. I was lucky enough to find a whole system for sale.   The Pentax Q7 in black and silver with 4 lenses will be the focus of this review. Follow along to see what we thought of the IQ, the handling, the good/bad of this little system. Here we go!

© Ricoh Imaging

Handling/Weight/Size

This is a small camera.  Captain Obvious has just entered the room.  We already covered that in the opening of this article...but it bears mentioning again.   I've got some pretty meaty hands and I need something to grip.  My smallest camera that I feel I can hold comfortably for serious photography is an Olympus EM5 style body. So, even though I knew there was a risk that I might not be able to handle this camera body well, I gave it a try. Yes, it is very small.  My basic grip on this camera body is index finger on the shutter release with the thumb on the small bump on the back.   My middle finger fits into 90% of the front grip, ring finger barely sits at the bottom.  Most of the time it slips off the bottom.  I wish they made an add on grip for it.  Another inch or 2 at the bottom would be just awesome. It's almost too small to hold with one hand if you needed to do that.   I end up using a wrist strap and my left hand. Even with the small camera, the buttons are in a good location.  The rear dial is easy to get to with the thumb.  The mode dial has enough resistence that you will most likely not bump it out of position.  I never did so far through my testing. Here are some camera dimensions for you: Body dimensions: 4x2.3x1.3 inches Weight 7.1 ounces (200g) with battery As compared to an Olympus EM5 Mk II Body dimensions:  4.9x3.4x1.8 inches Weight: 16.5 ounces (469g) with battery and a Nikon D500 Body dimensions:  5.79x4.53x3.19 inches Weight:  30.34 ounces (860g) with battery

front view of cameras (camerasize.com)

Top view with kit lenses (camerasize.com) Pentax 5-15/2.8-4.5, Olympus 14-42, Nikon 18-55 AF-P

Pentax had a great idea when it came to the battery and SD card door.  They are both on the side of the camera, each on the opposite side of the body.  SD card door is on the right, battery on the left.

Notable Features 1 The Front Dial

Similar to what you might see on the Olympus PEN-F, there is a front dial with 5 positions.

The front dial can be used for a few functions.  You can have custom image modes like B&W , portrait, bright, etc. set to the 4 positions.  If you create a user defined custome image mode(you can save 3), you can use them here too.  Other options are toggling the built in ND filter, aspect ration, focus method, focus peaking. Unfortunately, those options are not allowed to be mixed together.  For example, I cannot use the first 2 positions for custom image and the last 2 to toggle the ND filter off/on.  It's either all custom image settings or all ND toggles.  This is a shame that you are limited in this way.  A great idea, but not taken to a logical conclusion. Not 100% sure what I will settle on for this feature.

Notable Features 2 Bokeh Control

On the mode dial, there is the lettering "BC".  This is for bokeh control.  There are 3 levels of control, each blurring more and more.   I found through my cursory testing that 2 and 3 are way too much.  1 worked just fine.

Basically you have 24-211mm field of view covered here in this little kit.

Notable Features 3 RAW In The Buffer When Shooting JPG

This one shocked and delighted me.  WHY IS EVERYONE NOT DOING THIS?!  Basically, what this camera does is when shooting JPG only in camera, the Q keeps the last images RAW data in the buffer.  It is accessible to you where you can go in, save it, do in camera RAW processing on it. Think about how awesome and cool that is.  Say you are shooting JPG and the last shot you took is pushing the capabilities of the sensor and JPG bit depth.   Press the image review button check out the shot.  Look to the right and you'll see that by pressng the exposure comp button, you have the option to save the RAW file.

Image Quality

The 1/1.7" sensor can get a lot of heat from some people.  Yes...it is small.  Yes, it doesn't have the dynamic range...it is "only" a 12mp sensor. However, Pentax has done quite a good job in processing from this little camera.   Shooting JPG and for color images, I don't like going over ISO 1600  For monochrome, I'm OK all the way up to ISO 3200.  Even with that, the processing that Pentax does is not really for me.  The colors are not to my liking and even with sharpness turned down some, there is some artifacting that just looks bad. RAW gives you a lot more latitude and you can run the Adobe DNG files in Lightroom or your processor of choice and really get the most out of those files.  I experimented quite a bit and found  good recipe in Lightroom that I feel gives me superior IQ over the in camera JPG engine. We'll provide plenty of sample images in the lens section below.  Bottom line - I'll be shooting this camera in RAW all the time.  It's the best way to get he most quality that appeals to me.  You can get way more quality out of this camera than it has any business producing.

Shake Reduction

This tiny little camera has in body stabilization.  Pentax calls it SR for shake reduction.  It works fairly well.  Not in the same league as an Olympus 5 axis IBIS or Nikon's newest VR....but it will save your bacon in a pinch.  It's just nice to see it included. I'm not sure if it only kicks in when you depress the shutter or not.   On longer lenses, the LCD seems shakier than I think it should...but I'll have to do more research into it.

Auto Focus

I found that the other reviewers of this camera were right.   In good light, the AF is effective and relatively quick.  It is not going to beat a current Micro Four Thirds camera, but on the whole it will not disappoint for most applications.  Stick to S-AF and you are good to go.   I'd ignore C-AF. You have multiple focus modes. Face - face detection Continuous - AF tracking of subjects Spot - the AF is locked to the middle of the frame Auto - you select the size of the focus area, of which there are 3 sizes, and the camera determines what in this area to lock onto.  It actually does a fairly good job at this. Select - the AF box(small area) can be moved by first pressing the OK button and then using the direction buttons on the back to move it.  The AF array does not cover the whole sensor, so you will see your boundaries by a thin black box on the back of the LCD.

Manual Focus

Your typical focus by wire affair.  I'm not  big fan of this and the very small focus rings don't help it much here.   However, MF is there should you need it.  Pentax also included a menu option to allow for full time AF override just by turning the focus ring.  I had to turn this off as I found just the slightest of touches would throw you into MF mode.

Battery Life

With the body being so small, you have a limited space for a big battery.  CIPA ratings on this camera body are 250 shots.   I doubt most people would get that, having to rely on the rear LCD for everything is going to churn through some battery pretty quickly.  I recommend getting a few extras. During a day long shooting session, I made it through 3/4 of a day and came home with 280 images.  That was shooting RAW+JPG, image review and changing camera settings.   Technically one could say thatit took double that number, one RAW and one JPG.   I'm going to run the camera another day and shoot just RAW to see the number of shots I can get.  All in all, for the size of the battery and the fact that it needs to use the 3" LCD for everything, not that bad.

Video

Nothing really special here.  An standard 1080p offering.  This would not be my first option, and to be honest a modern cell phone will probably do just as well if not better since they do 4k.  The benefit of this system is the ability to use lenses, which a cell phone lacks.

The Lenses

The Q7 has a "crop factor" of 4.7, so multiply the focal length by this number to get the approximate field of view (FOV) of these lenses. The lens numbers denote the order in which they were released, field of view on a 135 equivalent is in parenthesis below. 8.5mm f/1.9 - The 01 Standard Prime  (40mm) 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 - The 02 Standard Zoom (24-70mm) 15-45mm f/2.8 - The 06 Telephoto Zoom (70-212mm) 11.5mm f/9 - The 07 Shield Lens - body cap lens (55mm) The real jewel here is the original kit lens, the 8.5/1.9.  Sharp and fast.  What fits into the theme...it's tiny.   The 07 Shield lens is smaller, but not in the same league. So let's get into the images from these lenses.   Most of these shots were shot wide open as well.   Diffraction is going to hit pretty quickly if you go much past f/5.6, so shooting from f/1.9 through f/4.5 is where I stayed most of the time. We'll start with some images from the 01 Standard Prime, 8.5mm f/1.9.  This lens is excellent optically.  Very sharp even wide open.

8.5mm f/1.9 lens (01 Prime) 1/60, f/2.8, ISO 250

8.5mm f/1.9 lens (01 Prime) 1/80, f/1.9, ISO 200

8.5mm f/1.9 lens (01 Prime) 1/2000, f/1.9, ISO 100

8.5mm f/1.9 lens (01 Prime) Higher ISO Example (B&W conversion in On1 Effects 2018 1/60, f/1.9, ISO 2000

Then let's move to the 02 Standard Zoom, the 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5.   Given some of the online reports, I was expecting this lens to be quite a disappointment.  On the contrary, it is rather quite good and a bit better than I anticipated.  It is true that it is weakest at 15mm, but very good up through 12mm.

5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 (02 Standard Zoom) 1/500, f/2.8, ISO 200 @ 5.5mm B&W processed in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 from RAW

5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 (02 Standard Zoom) 1/250, f/3.5, ISO 200 @ 9.5mm

5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 (02 Standard Zoom) 1/60, f/4, ISO 125 @ 8.2mm

5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 (02 Standard Zoom) 1/200, f/4, ISO 100 @ 9.8mm

5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 (02 Standard Zoom) 1/200, f/3.5, ISO 100 @ 9.8mm

The shield lens, 07 - 11.5mm f/9.  Not sure when I would ever use this lens outside of this testing.  I was not fond of this lens.   Unless you are super into lomo type photography I'd skip this lens.  Here are some samples.

11.5mm f/9 (07 Shield Lens) 1/60, f/9, ISO 125

11.5mm f/9 (07 Shield Lens) 1/60, f/9, ISO 320

11.5mm f/9 (07 Shield Lens) 1/60, f/9, ISO 125

11.5mm f/9 (07 Shield Lens) 1/60, f/9, ISO 250

11.5mm f/9 (07 Shield Lens) 1/125, f/9, ISO 100

The constant f/2.8 Telephoto Lens, the 06 15-45mm f/2.8.  Not the optical equivalent of the 01 Prime, but very good.   The constant f/2.8 is a great option to have for this 70-200-ish FOV lens.

15-45mm f/2.8 (06 Telephoto Zoom) 1/2500, f/2.8, ISO 100 @ 45mm

15-45mm f/2.8 (06 Telephoto Zoom) 1/200, f/4, ISO 160 @ 45mm

15-45mm f/2.8 (06 Telephoto Zoom) 1/2500, f/4, ISO 100 @ 15.1mm

15-45mm f/2.8 (06 Telephoto Zoom) 1/125, f/2.8, ISO 320 @ 22mm

15-45mm f/2.8 (06 Telephoto Zoom) 1/400, f/2.8, ISO 200 @ 15mm Through some dirty coffee shop glass

Other Misc. Items of Note

Shutter Sound: The shutter sound is quiet, mainly because for most of the Q lenses, the shutter is of the leaf variety and found within the lens itself. The leaf shutter handles everything up through 1/2000 of a second and any shutter speed higher than that is handled by an electronic shutter to 1/8000 of a second. A second benefit of the leaf shutter in some of the lenses is that you get flash sync up to 1/2000.  You can go full electronic if you wish or the camera can determine when to use the either. Built in Neutral Density (ND) Filter: Some lenses contain an ND filter built into them.  Useful for when you run out of shutter speed or if you do not want to use the electronic shutter above 1/2000. Quick Menu: If you are familiar with Fuji's Quick menu, Olympus' Super Control Panel (SCP) or the Nikon MyMenu...this is the Pentax version.   Just about any shooting option you want to get to quickly is here.  Just press the INFO button on the back of the camera when in shooting mode to bring up the grid.

TOP ROW Option 1 is the custom image selection. Here you can pick the type of jpg you want like natural, monochrome, cross process and tweak them. Option 2 is Digital Filter. Options here are things like Toy Camera, high contrast, tone expansion, fish eye, etc. Option 3 is in camera HDR. Option 4 and 5 are highlight and shadow control respectively. MIDDLE ROW Option 1 is metering - matrix, center and spot weighted. Option 2 is toggling on/off the in built ND filter(if the lens has that). Option 3 is toggle between AF and MF. Option 4 handles the focusing methods.  Face, continuous, auto, select (movable single AF point) and spot (single center focused AF point - not movable). Option 5 is the focus peaking toggle. BOTTOM ROW Option 1 is toggle for lens distortion correction. Option 2 is aspect ratio. Options are 4:3, 3:2, 1:1 and 16:9. Option 3 is image save format.  JPG, RAW or RAW+JPG. Option 4 is the JPG quality. Option 5 toggles shake reduction.

Bottom Line

This is not a camera for everyone, and you may be thinking why on earth would I even get one.   I saw some good things from it from the online forums and the price is so low now, when you find a bargain that it is a good time to experiment. I'm a big proponent of viewfinders and I'm not really falling in love with the rear LCD.  Not because it is horrible...but I just prefer the view and stability of a optical or electronic viewfinder.  I might find an alternative to it in some way.  Not sure what that looks like at the moment. So why use this when there is so much on paper that is against it when looking at other small, interchangeable lens camera systems? Honestly, it is a bit of fun.  It is something different and I've not been exposed to a Pentax anything before.  There are some really well laid out controls and menu functions as well.  I always say that you can learn something from everyone...and gear is no different.   All technologies have a contribution. I'm very happy with what I'm seeing up through ISO 1600 and in good light the files hold up well when shot in JPG.  You can eek out a bit more quality if you shoot in RAW.  With the 01 Prime, you can put this thing in your pant pocket, it is that small.  It is something you can keep with you ll the time with little hassle.  You will be a bit more limited with it...but just remember that and shoot to the strengths of the system. It would not be my first or favorite choice for very dark, low light shooting unless I had the ability to shoot on tripod and at base ISO.