Fearless in the Faroes

Gjogv's colourful houses sport a spectrum of hues on their walls and roofs Pentax 24-70mm f/2.8,1/50sec at f/8, ISO 100

Pentax had a tricky job on its hands when launching the K-1 back in 2016. The full-frame market has always been a congested space and the ‘big two' of Canon and Nikon have enjoyed years of leading the market with tried-and-tested DSLRs from the 5D and D800 (latterly D850) line-ups. Plus, the emergence of Sony's acclaimed mirrorless A7 series added further traffic and choice. However, it could be argued that the lack of expectation on the brand freed up the R&D designers at Pentax to throw off the shackles and try adding some genuinely new features to its first full-frame DSLR.

Pick up this camera and the first thing you'll notice is its weight and bulk. Users of ultra-lightweight mirrorless cameras may want to hit the gym for a few weeks before using the K-1 as it tips the scales at 1,010g, making it heavier than the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (890g) and the Sony Alpha 7R III (657g). Put simply, the magnesium-alloy K-1 is built like a tank, and that's a good thing, especially when you're heading to the Faroe Islands – a group of small islands in the middle of the North Atlantic, roughly halfway between Scotland and Iceland. A place where you can experience rain, snow and sunshine in one hour, let alone one day, the Faroes are