I shot with a DSLR for the first time in years. I didn’t hate it. The Pentax K-1 Mark II is a nod to the era of oversized cameras

The Pentax K-1 Mark II with the Pentax 24-70mm f/2.8 lens.

The cameras topping the best-seller charts right now are often the smallest options – but the limited real estate often means sacrificing some tactile controls. I went the opposite route when I picked up a short-term loan of the Pentax K-1 Mark II.

When I picked up the Pentax K-1 Mark II a few weeks ago, it was my first time using a DSLR since I traded mine in for a mirrorless a few years ago. The experience isn’t tempting me to revert back to the bulkier interchangeable lens camera system, but it is reminding me of the perks of the classic format – and that you don’t have to have the latest, greatest camera to be enamoured with the photographs.