Отзывы о Фотоаппарат Pentax K-1 Mark II Kit

This is an amazing camera, both for the price and as a first dslr, easily matching up to more expensive nikon and canon competitors. I bought the package with both the 18-55mm lens and the 55-200 which I highly recommend, as it is much cheaper than buying the lens separately later, use the short one for landscapes as it captures a surprisingly wide angle and the long one for portraits and far away objects, as kit lenses go these are very high quality.

Pictures come out really well, colours are rich and pictures are clear and sharp, works great as a point and shoot but I recommend switching to manual mode and playing with different white balances, you can really make pictures 'pop' with a few tweaks to the settings. Auto mode is ok, it captures the scene and you can tell the picture was shot on a high quality camera and if thats all you want it for this does the job too. Auto focus isn't the fastest but not slow either, it is noisy but it doesn't bother me, i quite like it when my camera makes mechanical sounds, it makes it seem solid somehow, you can always flip to manual focus and twist the focus ring on the lens yourself if you want silent focussing.

Don't be put off by the low megapixel count compared to others on the market (16 here vs 20+ in canon and nikon). Megapixels arn't everything (my phone camera has more megapixels than this dslr, this still blows it out of the water in image quality) and this is unlikely to be the limiting factor in your photos, the size and quality of the sensor is more important here. Small camera shakes and slightly imperfect focus will mean in 99% of photos taken by the average user the difference in megapixels will be meaningless. Even with a tripod and a remote you won't notice it if you arn't blowing up the pictures to an enormous format.

The main reason i opted for this camera over its competitors is the number of nice little features it has that makes it a great entry level dslr, namely lens options, in camera shake reduction and battery mount. If, like me photography is a hobby for you and you are on a budget this camera particularly stands out for a number of reasons. Firstly and probably most importantly is the lens options.

If you want to take a great photo the right lens is important, a low-end dslr with the right lens will take a better photo than a full frame, £1000+ monster with the wrong lens, pentax havent changed their mounting system since the 70's which means all the old lenses, even the ones from old slr cameras like the k1000 will fit this camera and work, and the best part is they can be bought off ebay for like 10 or 15 quid. No they don't interface with the autofocus so you have to focus them manually, and they don't produce the same image quality as their super expensive counterparts, but this camera lets you buy a range of lenses on the cheap so you can have options when you're shooting and you can explore different techniques and have a lot of fun without breaking the bank, it also passively teaches you a lot about photography if you are looking at a scene and thinking what lens would work best rather than using the same one over and over.

On top of that pentax have put a shake reduction (normally a feature of premium lenses) feature on the sensor, meaning that all these old lenses will benefit from it. As i previously said shake will probably be more of a limiting factor in image quality than lack of megapixels, so this helps tonnes with image quality. The shake reduction also apparently works with the optional gps module to move the sensor and track stars, allowing for long exposure astrophotography shots using the pentax astrotracer function. I haven't tried this since i haven't splashed out on the gps module yet, so I can't really comment on it but it looks fun.

Finally, if you buy a battery adapter (approx £5) you can power the k-50 off AA batteries, handy if you run out of charge, particularly on holiday or camping or something as AA batteries can be found in most places, its a small thing but better than alot of other cameras where you would have to buy the special battery (£50+) or battery grip.

All in all its a great camera and you really can't beat it for the price

Length:: 2:56 Mins

Firstly I should mention the negatives with this Pentax K-S1 camera - it may look great and it's quite small and light for a dSLR, weighing 804g including its kit 18-55mm lens, but the right hand grip on the body is quite small making it a little awkward and uncomfortable to use one handed, so it feels heavier than it actually is. This is particularly noticeable when you directly compare it with another dSLR, but fortunately it's not so obvious when you start using the camera out and about. Plus the rear mode dial on the back of the camera is quite tricky to rotate (you think it's a jog wheel that can be moved with one finger, but it requires two fingers to grip and rotate it, just like when it's the mode dial on top of the camera). Plus the four way buttons within this wheel are initially tricky to find and read as they lie within this selector (but you soon get used to them). We don't think this is anywhere near enough to not to completely recommend this excellent dSLR camera, but I guess some might. In fact the Mode Dial on the back of the camera is a brilliant idea - when you are in Live View (as you nearly always are, as it's so useful) you can see what mode you are in instantly, so no more accidentally taking loads of pictures with say an inappropriate scene selected or in rubbish low resolution video 'photo' mode (yes I'm thinking of you Canon SX50 HS). I could use every setting on this camera without reading the quickstart guide, whereas my new Olympus OMD EM1 that cost three times the price was incomprehensible until I read the full manual and I can hardly read its top mode dial. So for me the KS-1 scores very highly on control ergonomics - and this isn't co-incidental, the KS-1's flat field user interface is specifically marketed as "eliminating many of the complexities of a DSLR".

Some say the KS-1's shutter/mirror is very noisy, but the shutter noise isn't as loud as my Olympus e620 dSLR, which was a great little 4/3rd camera - shutter noise is always going to be a problem with a dSLR that has a mirror (back in the days of film when you only took say forty 35mm shots in a day, the noise didn't intrude, but with a dSLR capable of taking thousands of shots in a day that shutter noise by your ear can really wear you down - and those sitting next to you). The only SLR alternative is a mirrorless dSLR like the bijou Olympus OMD E-M10 that uses a high res LCD screen (EVF) for the viewfinder, and although the shutter isn't silent it is a lot quieter (the E-M10 is let down by poor auto-focus in gloom though). If you find the idea of SLR shutter noise objectionable, also have a look at megazoom bridge cameras such as the significantly lighter 649g Canon SX50 HS that does have a very quiet shutter and a fixed wide angle/macro to 50x zoom lens built in, but it has noticeably poorer image quality, albeit still acceptable in everything but low light - but our household takes a lot of photos in low light. The 18-55mm (f/3.5-5.6, wide angle to 3x zoom) stock lens on this KS-1 camera is fine for general use indoors, in daylight and for starlight night-time shots (for macro shots you need extention rings or a Pentax macro lens though). In fact most noise from this Pentax camera is due to the noisy screw thread auto-focus drive to the lens, rather than from shutter release, but the combined effect of both is quite noticeable. The KS-1 has a bright auto-focus assist LED light.

Designed to be the king of bling in dSLR terms of its wide range of fun body colours (we have the Blue version), this stylish Ricoh Pentax K-S1 dSLR seems partly aimed at tempting relative youngsters to move decidedly up a notch photographically from their smartphone, compact and tablet cameras - I mentioned to my son that the KS-1 all white version looks just like the armour on the Starwars clone troopers, and he said `wow that's sounds cool'. When I was a lad in the 1960s my dad's 35mm film SLR was the most complicated thing in the house, and so I was drawn to it and fell in love with photography. Later generations though had exciting stuff like gaming consoles, PCs, iPads, and smartphones, and many simply don't seem to be interested in the black box dSLRs of their parents & grandparents despite being avid photographers. So I got this Vine review Pentax KS-1 dSLR camera for my 18 year old son, who always had difficulties focusing my old dSLRs resulting in very disappointing blurred images. No such problems with this Pentax KS-1 and its super fast auto-focus though, and I have to say my son highly rates the camera - the camera's photo image quality speaks for itself once you view them onscreen. He read the entire quick start booklet to get going (the full manual is a pdf on the supplied CD-ROM) and promptly rushed out taking sunset pictures. And if he wants to take a photo around the house, it's this camera he mostly grabs now rathe

Pros:

Getting started. The 52 page start guide book is simple enough to get you going. It was the usual routine to insert the card, I had a spare ready, as it comes without one, and battery, which came with some life. I topped it up for a couple of hours with its plug in charger. I will buy a spare battery, another Pentax 20140, to keep to hand.

The flash pops up manually, it has a menu for many different settings to explore, and there is a hot shoe for additional kit. You may find you don't need the flash as much as you think if you haven't used a camera of this quality before.

The lens is balanced to the body nicely and creates a tidy, together, feel when holding the camera. The stability is in the body.

The 18 - 55mm lens locks on smoothly and the large screen lights up, you can get going with entering settings. This couldn't be more straightforward. Adjusting the zoom feature and sharpening up wheel (my names!) is quick and easy to get right. Other lenses can be interchanged making the camera even more versatile. All Pentax lenses going back years, even to the 60's, will fit the camera, I was advised by an expert in my local camera shop. The kind chap there also said he had sold many of these cameras to students of photography which is a good indication.

I read that the anti aliasing technology fills in and reduces `jaggies' which seems a sensible idea to make the image more pleasing, smoother, with fuller resolution.

The larger than usual optical viewfinder takes us back to the golden age of being able to actually see what you're taking, especially on a sunny day. I am really enjoying this again; it helps tremendously to actually take the photo you were hoping for. This is an absolutely great feature.

The inbuilt anti shake is definitely required for me, with a speedy shutter and optimum sensitivity that will give me all the help I need.

I already have an hdmi cable, which I use with my ipad to tv for amazon prime films, iplayer etc, so I can show pictures on the tv through that.

Moving the images from the camera onto my computer was also straightforward, the imac just accepted the new camera through a cable I already had, and downloaded them from the card inside.

It's great to see that you can programme frequently used functions in for rapid access, like setting a car radio to your favourite stations. Time spent in preparation will be repaid when the moment arises and needs a quick choice.

I also approve of the easily located movie control on the on/off button. It's all about seizing the moment and being flexible with what you do with it.

It is helpful to have the currently set mode showing in green so there's no chance you are in the wrong zone. Red shows you are in movie mode, a totally clear and obvious distinction.

Cons:

My Fuji Finepix bridge camera weighs 564g and this one obviously weighs more at 767g - three quarters of a kilo - so this is a serious camera that needs its comfortable strap and perhaps a protective case for outdoor work. I carry mine over my shoulder rather than sticking out from my front, it feels less nerdy!

The lens cap could be easily mislaid as it doesn't seem to have anywhere to attach a lanyard.

The manipulation of the controls might be difficult for those with very wide fingertips, I use my nails a bit to select and move the wheel up and down. The same goes for picking open the cable entry port.

The camera is intuitive, but firm with you when you use Auto, you have to hold the button down until it's good and ready. Then you are allowed to have your shot. A delay necessarily occurs. Deciding to over ride auto and put in your own instructions is what makes a photograph rather than a snap. There is a time and a place for both.

The bulk and weight of this grown up camera mean that you will be taking your photography more seriously. It looks the business but also that brings in a degree of intimidation compared to pulling out a point and shoot.

I don't have any real need for effects, that can be done on the computer screen more easily, but I can see it could be fun to try them all. Now I know how our local estate agents always manage to get such deep blue sky in their house brochures! Using the green for 'forests' choice produces an almost electric green. I think I will stick to sorting out my colours on my imac in iphoto. These are extra functions that are superfluous at present for me.

Your choice of lenses may involve further spending on telephoto and, wide angle for example. Sigma lenses will fit it too. Wide angle lenses are really expensive because it is so difficult to get the glass properly prepared right up to the edges. There is a lot of waste in the factory I was told.

A tip for even closer up photos is to take the picture then crop it la

TL;DR: I've owned this camera for almost 3 months now and highly recommend it. Canon and Nikon are great, but this camera is unbeatable at this price point, particularly with its weather resistance and great photography features. Plus who doesn't love underdogs?

This is a great first time digital SLR. I was originally planning on getting something for under $500, be it used or new. A friend who shoots a Canon 7D recommended the Canon T3i which I was almost completely settled on, but then I started reading reviews online and found this camera. I simply couldn't ignore the incredible feature set of camera at this price point, namely:

1) Weather resistance
2) Pentaprism viewfinder with 100% coverage
3) Image stabilization built into the body
4) Dual control dials (front and rear)
5) 1/6000 sec. max shutter speed
6) 6 frames per second (FPS) continuous shooting

To get these features from Canon or Nikon, you need to spend a few hundred more typically. But for me, the weather sealing was the biggest selling point.

WEATHER RESISTANCE
I took this camera to the beach a few weeks ago. Holding it in hand, I double-checked to make sure all the rubber port covers were closed, then walked out into the surf and snapped a bunch of great shots of my wife and kids playing in the water. My only concern was not actually dropping it into the water which due to the pressure of depth might get water past the seals. Fortunately, hand-holding this camera is easy because it has a great handgrip, deep and rubberized. The camera was splashed with seawater and had sand blown on it which stuck due to it being wet, but I wasn't worried, it kept on working. After returning home, I rinsed it off in the shower, dried it with a towel, and it looked good as new. Incredible if you ask me!

Update 2015-01-09: If anyone was wondering, my K-50 is still working fine and still looks as good as new! This is by far my favorite feature of this camera that I can't live without. I love never having to worry about dust and moisture when using this camera!

PENTAPRISM VIEWFINDER
The viewfinder is nice and bright with a pentaprism finder vs the pentamirror you'll find in comparable Canon/Nikon SLRs. It's got 100% coverage, so what you see in the viewfinder is what you'll see in your shot, just the way it should be. I try to frame my shots perfectly in the camera and avoid cropping later. Your autofocus points and confirmation are shown in the viewfinder along with your light meter and the most important controls. With practice, you can change settings to get the shot you want without taking your eye out of the viewfinder very much.

IMAGE STABILIZATION
This is primarily intended to reduce handshake, allowing you to use slower shutter speeds during handheld shooting. The bonus of this feature is that no matter what lens you use, you will benefit from the image stabilization (unlike Canon and Nikon who integrate IS/VR into the lenses, adding to their cost). However, unlike IS built into the lenses, this in-camera image stabilization (called Shake Reduction by Pentax) doesn't actually show its effect through your viewfinder, due to the fact that it moves the camera's image sensor to compensate for movement. With it enabled, I seem to be able to get steady shots with a shutter speed 2 stops slower than 1/(focal length x 1.5). I haven't tested it by turning it off and comparing the results, so I just trust that it's working. Another bonus of this feature is that it allows you to adjust composition before shooting. If you use live view, you can move the image up/down, left/right, or tilt it a bit. I've never actually taken photos using this, but I imagine it might be useful by allowing for minute adjustments when shooting from a tripod to set up the perfect shot.

DUAL CONTROL DIALS
Dual control dials are great when shooting in manual or one of the "priority" modes. You can quickly adjust your aperture, shutter speed, and ISO while staying in the camera's viewfinder. They're also fully configurable, so you can change them to work however you like. Update 8/28/2014: One thing I've found is that it's not possible to reverse the direction that the dials work in.

18-55mm WR LENS
It also happens that this kit lens has very good optical quality. I compared it to an original SMC Pentax 50mm F1.4 prime lens I bought off of Craigslist, which is considered to be a very sharp prime. I can hardly tell any difference between the image quality these 2 lenses produce. This speaks very well for the 18-55. And it's weather sealed. It is a bit noisy during autofocusing, but if that's a concern you can buy lenses for this camera with quieter internal focusing motors; however, they are a bit more expensive. For a kit lens, this thing is great.

1/6000 MAX SHUTTER SPEED
1/6000 is half a stop faster than the 1/4000 offered on

Somehow when I picked the camera up it just felt wrong the balance was all out and it did not feel as though it was a camera I could easily use. I compared it to my Cannon SX30 which has exactly the same size body (ignore the lens) and the SX30 seemed so much better balanced.

Having said that, it is a good camera that takes excellent photographs. This is the first DSLR camera I have used although I have plenty of experience with film SLRs. I had been looking for a camera to upgrade from my Cannon SX30 (now discontinued) Canon PowerShot SX30 IS Digital Camera (14.1 MP, 35x Ultra Wide-angle Optical Zoom) 2.7 Inch Vari-angle Purecolor LCD (discontinued by manufacturer) for quite a while and this seemed ideal from the specifications. I am now not sure if I want a DSLR as my main camera. I will compare it briefly with the SX30.

For a given focal length the lens is noticeably better with a much crisper focus the SX30 is slightly soft focus. Although the SX 30 has a much greater zoom without needing to change lenses. More about lens changing later.
The viewfinder is much better and brighter.
If you like power zoom, just moving a lever, this is not for you as the zoom is manual and the wheel at the top that usually zooms in a non DSLR does different functions.

I have the white model with the colour coordinated lens and body, it comes with a small white ring to fit on the end of the lens to cover the black end of the lens if you are not using a lens hood. Don't bother with the ring as it is not very noticeable and it falls off immediately anyway.

The shutter is remarkably loud in fact I have not come across a noisier one with any of the film SLR cameras I have used, definitely it will scare wildlife if you are stalking to take a photograph.
Initially you have to set it up, all the usual things like date & time, I fell at the first hurdle here and should have read the comprehensive instruction manual supplied. There is not the normal "save" option, save is "Settings complete".
All this is displayed on the colour screen which is nice and clear to see which can be used as a viewfinder if you switch to "live view".

In use you can use it as a fully automatic camera except for the manual zoom you can just press the shutter, the auto focus is very fast and accurate with many different settings. In fact it is fast from turning on to taking the first photograph.
There are 4 capture modes:-

AUTO:- Which lets the camera decide which is best and it usually makes a very good job of this.
SCN:- Which allows you to select from 19 scene modes including `portrait', `Surf and snow' and `Stage Lighting'
EFFECT:- Which allows you to select from 10 of effects including `Brilliant colour' and `Bold monochrome'
P/Sv/Tv/Av/TAv/m/B:- This is where the fun starts as you can use it as a full manual camera or select various exposure modes such as `shutter' or `aperture' priority.
There are also many other ways of fine tuning such as fixing the ISO film speed which I found useful when using other lenses that do not auto focus.

As most of the clever stuff is in the camera and not the lens it is possible to use lenses from other cameras with an appropriate adaptor. I used the Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount Adapter, Selective 35mm Olympus Zuiko Lens to Pentax K Mount Camera adapter (Please See Compatible Lens list), OM-PK Pro with Olympus OM series lenses. To do this you have to switch to manual focus. This also shows a problem with the view finder, it is nice and bright with useful information displayed BUT it is only a ground glass screen so it has none of the usual SLR focussing aids such as split screen. I found that the only thing that actually worked was to set the lens at infinity, set the ISO speed, set the shutter speed, and then use a light meter to determine the aperture setting. As I wanted to use a long lens to photograph wild birds this worked well with a 400mm lens. There is a setting that allow the auto focus to work if you input the focal length of the lens so that the metering works. I found this to be quite accurate with fixed focal length lenses up to 200mm but obviously not with zoom lenses which I had to use manually with a meter.

IN SUMMARY
A very good and versatile camera which I expected to get used to the balance after I had used it extensively for a fortnight but I did not and although I am now familiar with the controls I still don't like it.

I'm a relatively new photo enthusiast. Almost a year ago, I got a $300 bridge superzoom (Sony DSC-HX200V), and now I'm hooked. I started learning some of the more advanced features, but I wanted to "get serious" with a DSLR. (I love the Sony for what it is, but the 1/2.3” sensor can only do so much, and it doesn’t have a thread for lens attachments like filters.)

I'm glad I chose the K-50. If this is roughly where you're at, and your emphasis is on still photography, this is a great choice — especially if you're into outdoor photography, at all.

The features and image quality just can't be beat at anything like this price. (If you don’t need weather sealing, I believe the K-500 is basically the same camera, and it is ridiculously cheap.) The value is most obvious with the pro-style features, like dual control wheels and weather sealing; get ready to spend over twice as much for those features with one of the two major brands. (If you want to use it outside much, the sealing is the killer feature. We're going on an Alaska adventure this summer, so the weather resistance sealed the deal for me.) Another major benefit is the in-camera shake reduction system. This means the telephoto lenses can be cheaper than IS telephoto lenses for the big 2. (Compare the prices on the weather-resistant 55-300mm Pentax lens versus the not-weather-resistant Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens.) The burst shooting, 6 fps, is downright crazy.

I made this choice after reviewing just about every online image quality comparison I could find, and I thought the K-50's IQ was generally better than and very rarely less satisfying than the output of an SL1 or d3300.

Now that I own the camera, I'm already very impressed, and that's without yet learning how to do much with the manual modes. AF is super fast and very accurate. (If it's focused on the "wrong" thing, just point it at the "right" thing, half-press the shutter, keep the shutter half-depressed to keep the focus locked where you had it, and frame and shoot as intended. It's so fast that I can do all of that in about half a second, and I'm still not even a very experienced amateur.) The full auto and scene modes are very good. Right out of the box, if you're at least kind of knowledgeable about the basics of photography — if you can frame a shot and not work too hard against what the lighting is giving you — you'll get good-to-great shots right away.

Kit lenses are solid as well. I basically just leave the 55-200mm on for running around. It makes for great portraits with fantastic bokeh/depth of field. (Put everything on auto, set the zoom length to roughly 85-100mm, and then start taking awesome portraits pretty much instantly.) It zooms well enough for kids’ sports and not-super-distant wildlife shots, too. (For our trip to Alaska, my spouse — who’s also pretty good at framing a shot and holding a camera steady — will carry the superzoom for those shots that an SLR can’t get without a ridiculously large & expensive zoom lens.)

There are a lot of fun effects and other post-processing tools, too, if you'd rather do these in-camera than in software. (I wouldn't recommend that strategy generally, but deleting the bad shots and trying some minor processing is a fun way to kill the ride back from a day's adventures, and I've found at least one effect that's easier in-camera than on a computer.)

The real viewfinder is also very good; it has 100% coverage — another feature not common in this price range — which helps with framing shots. (For those with slightly diminished eyesight, they have a neat accessory that B&H should but does not suggest: the Magnifier Eyecup O-ME53, which magnifies the viewefinder by an extra 40%. It gets 4.5 stars on B&H, with most of those saying their vision “isn’t as good as it used to be” and it's helped substantially with manual focus via the viewfinder.)

The Live View is also very good, and if you want to use manual focus with Live View, you can zoom in a lot closer to focus, a feature I've already found helpful.

This camera is thus great if you want to learn to take pictures (more) like a pro. A lot of reviews suggest it’s also great if you have film SLR experience and want to feel like you're getting back on that bike (not least since the mount works with most legacy Pentax lenses; for newbies like me, that just means some fun on eBay down the road). Even if you just want something fairly easy that kicks tail right out of the box, this is a fine choice and a great buy.

Like all cameras, it does the best in outdoor daylight. (If it’s very sunny, shots can get a little washed out, but this is also really true for all brands. Thus, I'd recommend a circular polarizing filter.) It still does pretty darned well in low

The Pentax K3 is the company's current flagship model and competes roughly in the same class and is priced almost exactly as the Nikon D7100 and Canon 70D, both of which I was able to handle briefly in the past. I upgraded to this camera from a Pentax K-r, a 2010 entry-level model.

- Build Quality and Ergonomics -

As usual for a Pentax, the build quality is superb. Not just good - superb. The K3 is built like a tank. Its full-metal chassis feels considerably more solid than either the D7100 or 70D and it fits perfectly into my hands. The rubber parts and deep grip make it comfortable to hold. Then there is the weather sealing, of course. I shot a Holi festival recently and the camera received a couple of colourful splotches, then it started to rain and it got thoroughly wet. When I came home I carefully rinsed it off under the shower. No problem at all, works like a charm. Of note is the fact that all kit lenses Pentax offers with the K3 are weather sealed, as opposed to the policy of competitors which sell weather sealed cameras, but only offer weather sealed lenses that cost almost as much as the body.

As to be expected from a semi-pro camera, the K3's body is riddled with buttons that are intuitive to use and provide access to most functions without having to dive into the menu. I use the camera with my left eye and keep stabbing myself in the eye or smudging my glasses when using the back AF button, maybe it can be moved further outside in the future. The viewfinder provides 100% coverage at 0.95x magnification - it is bright, clear and generally a pleasure to work with.

- Image quality -

The image quality of the K3 leaves little to desire. Provided a decent lens is mounted, pictures are sharp, detailed and crisp. The default JPEG style is not to everyone's taste, but it can be changed and I shoot RAW anyway. The camera's dynamic range is impressive and it allows for shadows to be pulled up several stops in PP without unacceptable losses in image quality. The one area where the K3 did not quite meet my expectations is high-ISO noise performance. I am slightly hesitant to use images shot at ISO 3200, but I guess my standards might just be a tad bit high. In general high-ISO performance is good, but nothing to rave about.

- Performance -

The K3 feels very responsive. It powers up quickly and hasn't given me any errors or freezes yet. The AF is a bit of a mixed bag. It is very fast and accurate and does very well in low light, but still fails to perform satisfactory in subject tracking. When using AF.C I often find it to be rather hesitant in reacquiring focus when the subject has moved. The number of AF points (27) could also be higher and spacing wider, but at least the majority (25) are cross type and the centre 3 are rated down to f/2.8, which is very good. Of note is also the lack of dedicated sports lenses with high performance AF in Pentax' lineup. If you shoot a lot of fast paced action and sports you should probably consider other options (which is a shame considering the stellar frame rate of 8.3 fps). For anything else, the K3's AF is great. When using manual focus in live view, the K3 offers focus peaking - really useful for all the cheap, old, but optically great MF lenses the Pentax system has on offer. I use it a lot with the SMC-A 50 f/1.7 which was very hard to focus through either my K-r's viewfinder or liveview.

- Conclusion -

The K3's only notable drawback is that it's definitely not the first choice for the dedicated sports photographer. Everyone else gets a camera that delivers impressive image quality, high performance and superior build quality and weather sealing. For me it's the complete package.

This camera was an upgrade from a K100D purchased in 2006. My wife runs a Christmas Tree festival to help less fortunate kids have presents under the tree Christmas morning. I take pictures of children with Santa. In 11&12/2013 I am taking photos in a dimly lit room and having to wait on the camera to focus on the subject before taking the photo and folks are coming up alongside me and snapping 6 or 7 photos to my 1 and they aren't using a flash! I replaced my K100D with this K500 and WOW! What a difference! During the 2014 festival the performance of this camera was readily apparent when I was able to auto-focus in this dimly lit room and fire off multiple shots very quickly. The difference is the ISO setting on this camera vs the K100D. It can get up to 51000 ISO compared to the 3200 max of the older model. The colors this camera sees are incredible as well. When photographing the Christmas trees without using the flash, all the colored lights on the trees really stand out and make for some beautiful shots.

Here are the stats on the attached photo:

Filename - IMGP3897.JPG
Make - PENTAX
Model - PENTAX K-500
Orientation - Top left
XResolution - 300
YResolution - 300
ResolutionUnit - Inch
Software - K-500 Ver. 1.00
DateTime - 2014:12:13 21:07:45
YCbCrPositioning - Co-Sited
ExifOffset - 706
ExposureTime - 1/8 seconds
FNumber - 3.50
ExposureProgram - Normal program
ISOSpeedRatings - 800
ExifVersion - 0230
DateTimeOriginal - 2014:12:13 21:07:45
DateTimeDigitized - 2014:12:13 21:07:45
ComponentsConfiguration - YCbCr
ExposureBiasValue - -0.30
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Flash not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 18.00 mm
FlashPixVersion - 0100
ColorSpace - sRGB
ExifImageWidth - 4928
ExifImageHeight - 3264
InteroperabilityOffset - 54468
SensingMethod - One-chip color area sensor
FileSource - Other
SceneType - Other
CustomRendered - Normal process
ExposureMode - Manual
White Balance - Auto
FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 27 mm
SceneCaptureType - Standard
Contrast - Hard
Saturation - Normal
Sharpness - Hard
SubjectDistanceRange - Distant view

This photo was shot with an ISO setting of 800. In the old film days this shot would have been very grainy, but the noise reduction circuitry is really exceptional for what is classified as an entry level camera. I recently spent some time along the Nantahala River in North Carolina near Smoky Mtn Natl Park and was taking pictures of the kayakers coming through the rapids. I was able to get some really great stop action photos and this was using an older Sigma 70-210 manual focus zoom lens. I like to think that I have a good eye for composing photographs, but this camera has enabled me to step up to the next level.

As a returnee to SLR photography after 20 years, the DSLR I eventually chose was the K-50 in red packaged with the 18-55mm WR lens. What decided me were the very positive reviews, the fact the camera is wet-weatherproofed and overall value for money. It has turned out to be an excellent choice for a semi-serious amateur with a basic understanding of F-stops, shutter speeds and light metering who wants to upgrade to a DSLR with its vast range of features and shooting options.

The K-50 is visually stunning in its red casing, and people frequently comment on how good it looks. The camera has a chunky & quality feel. The menu and various control functions are sturdy and easy to master even by someone with large hands. All the features/controls are well-explained in the 300-page manual, which although initially intimidating is easy to follow step-by-step. Just shooting on AUTO means a beginner can achieve good results before learning how to improve depth-of-field, white balance and varying the exposure settings. The viewfinder screen is excellent, ditto the built-in flash which has an intelligent pop-up design and closes with a simple click if you want to lock it away and use natural light for exposure. The ‘recording movies’ features are also very good but the microphone is highly sensitive particularly in moderate wind conditions.

You can save your photos in various file formats and use a vast range of (mostly free) editing software: with some experience you can radically enhance your results by editing/playing with them.

The camera has the option of two power sources: a built-in battery (which I have found lasts for several days of shooting and is the only power source I really need) plus the option of 4x AA batteries held internally in a D-BH109 AA adapter, a useful accessory not included in the basic camera package and a minor omission which would have been nice to have as part of the standard kit, ditto a basic 16GB SD memory card. You’ll also need a robust carrying case.

My next purchase will be a 50-200mm lens to complement the 18-55.

Overall: robust, versatile, easy to use, excellent value – and stunning in red.

I must start this review by admitting to being a complete novice when it comes to photography. I've been happily using point and click cameras for years and have never felt I had the knowledge to step up to trying out SLR Cameras. My most recent camera has been a Cybershot and I've been pleased with the results it has delivered. I was very interested, when given the chance, to see how an SLR camera like this would compare and how I would get on with such a sophisticated bit of kit.

The camera itself comes packed well and contains: Camera, Lens, Battery, Battery Charger, AC Plug cord, Strap, PC camera software (some imaging software to allow you to adjust images once taken, though I will stick to paintshop pro to avoid needing to load more software on my PC) and the manual. A couple of things that aren't present which you will need are: There is no micro USB cable included, you will need one for connection to a PC; you might need this if your card reader doesn't contain a slot for HCSD cards as mine doesn't. There is also no HCSD card included. Apparently they aren't as standard with SLR cameras and they don't have internal storage to use so this is an absolute must. Thankfully they aren't very expensive and I was able to get on for less than a tenner (and am using one borrowed from another camera for now).

The camera itself is fairly large and weighty but feels very robust and well built. Once it is all set up and connected i found it has (to me) a bedazzling array of options available and I'm going to do more reading to get a better understanding before I get too comfortable with tinkering. Thankfully for getting started the camera can be put into auto focus mode and also into auto scene selection mode and will pick the most appropriate settings based on it's programming and the conditions and will focus accordingly. Scene selections can also be manually set without needing to tinker further and I've found this really helpful in testing when switching from pets to landscapes and others. The camera also comes with anti shake capability, this definitely helps me as I am not the stillest and know i'd get movement with anything past a very rapid shutter speed so this is a huge boost and helping me to produce steady pictures.

Pictures can be taken either through the view finder or via the "live view" LCD screen view depending on your preference and lighting conditions (a big drawback of our most recent camera was only an LCD screen meaning we had to guess at what we were photographing in the bright outdoors of Malta this past summer). You can easily play these back in playback mode. You can also switch to video recording mode (via an easy setting on the "on" switch" and use this to playback and review as you go.

Overall I am really impressed with what is on offer here. I've been getting out taking pictures in different times of day, different light and weather conditions and different landscapes (of which I have a lovely variety on offer in the local area) and have also been taking pictures of people and pets. The camera is taking some beautiful pics and it speaks volumes for it that I can get such lovely pictures using the assistance the camera gives. There are a range of effects available but I haven't been using them as I find the pictures very pleasing as they are.

I'm not great camera expert, very much a home user, but for someone making the step like I am from a novice background I am really impressed, it's an impressive camera to me and I don't think others making the jump would be disappointed.

This is a first impressions review to provide initial feedback on this newly released camera.

The first thing to strike me in taking the camera body out of the box is that it is quite heavy. Not a criticism, just an observation. The trend in DSLRs has been for the lens to be mounted further and further to the left. And as can be seen from the product photo this is particularly evident in this one. I did wonder if this would render it prone to be imbalanced when being carried around the neck with the right hand side being heavier, but with the lens fitted this seemed to be OK.

Set up was very simple, insert battery and SD card (the symbol for the correct way for the card to be inserted seemed to me to be the wrong way round - but perhaps that is just me) and give the camera a few details of location, date and time and I was ready to go.

The LCD display is very clear and can be customised for a variety of different displays.

The mode button is a click wheel which goes into place with a clear and confident click. Although the day was dank and overcast I decided to give the camera try out in difficult conditions. I tried switching between various modes of Auto, Screen (effects) and Creative Filters. These switches were very easy to make. So setting a macro capture was very simple.

The results (RAW and jpg are supported) are very pleasing. Some of the creative effects, bold monochrome and infrared filter in particular are very good. The "forest" setting enhances greens - for older film camera buffs it reminded me of Fuji Velvia which was always stunning for such shots. But of course one of the advantages of digital is the versatility to be able to switch between the various settings and ISOs to deal with a range of conditions. And with the light being so poor on this first expedition the ISO levels were often pushed up to 800 or over.

There are a few things which didn't create such a good impression. First this is a genuine SLR which means that it has a mirror in it which flips up to reveal the sensor to capture the picture. This was very noisy, especially when I tried a few indoor shots. So if you wanted to use this to take discreet shots I think you would struggle. Second the hand and thumb grip is quite small. The thumb rest in particular is located across the Exposure lock button and pretty small. This is not an issue for me as I have smallish hands, but for anyone which larger hands I think this could be a struggle. Third the LCD screen is fixed. That means that when the camera is not is use it is exposed - and if being carried round the neck could easily come into contact with a belt buckle or zip. I know this is common with compact cameras but I know that the one I have has a wrist strap and I never wear it around my neck so this risk is reduced.

The "innovative" light features (green for photos, red for video) don't really do anything for me. I can tell by the position of the on/off switch what state the camera is in. I'm not knocking these - some people may find them useful.

The autofocus wasn't fast enough on this first trial to keep up with the fast moving object which is our dog. But I will need to re-test that since the light was poor and the dog is blindingly fast.

I have added a few of the photos I took (none are going to win any awards) so that some impression of quality can be obtained. These are all original jpg files and there has been no post camera tweaking of the quality.

The Pentax K30 is effectively the cost-reduced version of the K5. They share the same excellent 16Mpixel sensor and automatic picture taking system, but the K30 has fewer controls and with the DA-L 18-55mm kit lens is significantly lighter than the K5 with the optically identical DA-WR 18-55mm kit lens. The Amazon blurb above is correct when the camera is used with the DA-L lens options offered.

The pictures are very, very good on both, sufficiently so that having used the K5 intensively in a wide range of conditions for a year and a half, and the K30 for almost a month I still cannot really tell the difference between the end results. At first I thought the brand new K30 was better, but after cleaning some hints of dirt off the front of the K5 lens and then shooting some A-B tests on a range of subjects it was obvious that there was no significant performance difference.

Ergonomics
. It is just a fraction small for my hands, but SWMBO found the lighter K30 nestles nicely and all the right controls just fell under her finger tips. She was delighted with how easy it was to use.
. The `Green' function is sufficient for the vast majority of point-and-shoot photography that one is likely to attempt, ideal for a novice DSLR user, and makes amazingly good pictures from a wide range of conditions.
. The default auto-finding Auto-Focus is a bit of a pain - it prefers to focus on nearest objects and not my subject, but I simply selected centre zone on the menu and that works a treat, same as with the K5.
. Pressing the Review button to look at pictures taken also allows one to have the full ability to examine the picture in minute detail, with as much as 16x digital magnification (32x on the K5), and I still could not see a pixel structure from the sensor. Press it again, and immediately go back to shooting mode. Nice.
. Flash is a pop-up feature, and it is something I tend not to use unless absolutely necessary for controlled lighting, and I've only experimented with the flash enough to prove it works. With the sensitivity of this camera, even hand-held night-shoots come up trumps, which I find quite astonishing, and delightful.
. The shake-reduction is seamless in operation, and while I've not been aware of any side-effects from it, I have certainly noticed how sharp the hand-held images are.
. Reflex viewfinder. Ohh, it is so good to be able to see a proper real picture with the correct dioptre adjustment for my eyes, one that can be used in any light level, just like on my 35mm cameras. And it has all the relevant status info you could ever wish for, but I've not much used any of that info apart from the electronic-levelling meter to help me to keep verticals properly upright.
. LCD viewfinder. I've used this to review the shots, or for monitoring the video while using the tripod, or for silent shooting with no mirror flip, or the menu system when setting up the many options on the camera.
. Battery life (without flash) is good. The manual suggests between 300 and 400 pictures. The 7.8 Watt-Hour D-Li109 K30 battery is smaller than the 14 Watt-Hour D-Li90 K5 battery (both 7.2V) and the pin-out means it requires its own different charger, so I will not be able to swap spare batteries between the cameras.

The Body
. This is a fraction smaller than the K5 (but only by a few millimetres), definitely lighter and seems to be a very good fit for more delicate hands than mine. SWMBO has decided that it is perfect for her to use...
. It has extensive sealing to improve weather resistance, much the same as the K5. Some of the rubber covers are very difficult to re-fit, such as that for the cable release terminal socket. Other covers feel a bit insubstantial, such as those for the two compartments housing battery and the SDHC chip.
. The battery compartment is strange as it is shaped to also accommodate a carrier (an optional extra) for AA cells. I would have preferred it to merely take the larger D-Li90 battery pack.
. No HDMI connector, this is the only major drop off, as I use the one on the K5 for video playback and slide-shows on a big screen.
. No microphone socket. No big deal however, as I always use a separate sound recorder and only regard the camera sound as a guide track.
. No external DC power socket, not really necessary if you don't plan to use much video, except I do use the one on the K5 sometimes when shooting video and often when playing back the video.

The Lens
.The DA-L 18-55mm is very nice, and having a plastic body is lighter than the metal bodied DA-WR 18-55mm even though they share the same optics with eleven elements in eight groups. L = Light, WR = Weather Resistant. The L is NOT weather resistant, even though the K30 body claims to be.
. The zoom range of 3 to 1 seems to be not really enough, and I would have preferred more, perhaps the 7.5 to 1 DA-WR

Now before the Nikon and Canon fan boys start over-turning tables at the title of this review, I must confess I'm a bit of Pentax fan boy. So I'll probably be adding a slightly warmer glow to this review than your average punter. This is my 5th Pentax DSLR, having previously used the *st DL, K10D, K20D and most recently the brilliant K5. I wasn't going to upgrade to this initially, being very happy with the K5's image quality, but in the end I couldn't help myself. So much of this review will inevitably be comparing the K5 with K3, so apologies for those not interested in that, but it's a logical way for me to put the K3 into some sort of context.

**Why Pentax Again**

Why did I buy Pentax again? Well it's partly if course the fact that I've got a lot of Pentax mount lenses, not to mention the lovely and unique Limited range. It's also due to a couple of shooting modes unique to Pentax. Only Pentax DSLRs have the sensitivity priority mode (set the ISO and camera changes the shutter and aperture) and the TAv mode, where you set the shutter speed and aperture and the camera changes the ISO to properly expose.

**K3 Handling**

Of course the handling of the camera is very similar to the K5, and feels very similar on your hands. It's got that same high quality feel, derived from the magnesium alloy body and high quality rubber. Some buttons have been added and moved, but nothing that takes much getting used to. The main addition is of a dedicated movie button, which is most helpful, and certainly quicker to use than a locked shooting mode dial (where it was on the K5).

**K3 Performance**

The main draw for me with the K3 was the dual memory card slots. I don't know about you guys, but I really like the ability to wirelessly connect to a computer, and send images to it, or the cloud. I shoot RAW+jpeg at the same time, and send the RAW image to my Sandisk Extreme 32gb card, and the jpegs to my wifi sd card. It works perfectly and means I can share some shots more readily, and also have more storage. It also means that the write speeds improve (v K5), which I'm guessing is due to the fact that all the data is not having to be placed on one card, as opposed to the K3 being quicker.

Where the K3 is noticeably quicker v the K5 is it's autofocus. It is much quicker, although to be fair it probably only brings the Pentax into line with the focus speeds of some of the competition. The tracking and speed is much better in low light.

Another key difference versus the K5, is the screen. It's only slightly bigger but boy it is much brighter and easier to view in sunlight.

Got my K3 drenched the other day whilst out and about (with a WR lens attached), and as you would expect, no damage whatsoever. It really carries on the impressive weather sealed performance of it's predecessors. You can take this out in a downpour and feel confident snapping away.

**Image Quality**

Well, like I said at the start, I wasn't actually disappointed with the K5, but the K3 takes things up a notch again. I'm not sure that is much difference in the low light performance, but then the K5 was/is pretty awesome at high ISO, low noise shots. The auto white balance seems to do a more accurate job, I find myself adjusting far less frequently.

One of the key features of the K3 is the AA filter. Now I'm not convinced I really know what they are talking about, but I've not noticed any moire in my shots. The idea, from what I understand, is that the K3 should capture more detail than the K5. I'm certainly not unhappy with the results, but I would have to really pixel peep to see the difference. As I do a fair bit of post processing in Lightroom, I always prefer to have the max detail to work with, and so any fine tuning of noise control etc on the Mac. I think I need to use it a fair bit more before I really understand the benefit of this feature. I've still got the K5 so I plan on running some tests.

Overall, I'd say if full frame isn't a must have for you, then you will struggle to find a better all round package in the APS-C class.

In the interests of full disclosure, I have never been into photography and therefore if you are well-versed in the subject, there are probably more relevant reviews for you from other people. I came to this camera having had little-to-no experience with anything other than a compact 'point-and-shoot' camera, and a couple of days with a compact system camera. I didn't really have any real photography know-how or any real understanding of the various lenses let alone the more complicated things like ISO settings etc. There was therefore a certain amount of uncertainty about the merits of selecting a full DSLR before getting this camera. I am, however, delighted that I did go down this route rather than just a simple compact or compact system camera - it has been fantastic for a newbie to photography!

The version that I have is the Pentax K-30 DSLR with 18-55mm DAL lens kit in black. In the box there is the standard manuals, warranty and proprietary bloatware/software. There is also a battery charger, rechargeable battery, shoulder/neck strap as well as the camera body and lens. These are all well packaged with all elements nicely protected by various levels of cardboard and plastic. The instructions for assembly were easy to follow as were the instructions for attaching/detaching lenses.

In terms of build quality it is made from a sturdy matte plastic with rubberised grip sections on the 'handle' and the left side. The lenses appear to be well made of a similar plastic with rubberised grip to allow easy zooming. Unfortunately the lens cap isn't attached in any way which, for me at least, means that it will could be easily lost and a small strap connecting it to the camera or the shoulder strap would have been nice. The camera and lens combined are lighter than expected given the substantial size of the unit - I expect the mainly plastic construction has contributed to it.

In terms of actual performance, this surpasses any camera I've used to date. The camera and the menus are filled with settings which, for a photography newbie, is somewhat daunting. I'm still learning about things like ISO so can't really comment on that aspect of things, but even in the hands of a beginner using auto mode, this camera can take amazing photos. In addition to the regular settings, the camera also has a button to allow quick change between JPEG and RAW which I've found really useful as it makes it quick and easy to change settings without having to go into the menu.

And in relation to the menus, they can be a little dense. Whilst they are far from the most difficult menus to navigate, they aren't entirely intuitive and take some getting used to, which can be annoying when you want to change settings in-between photos.

The back of the camera has the usual series of menu buttons/d-pad for navigation, as well as a LCD viewing screen. Unfortunately the LCD screen is set in its housing and cannot be moved or tilted at all. Which I'm sure this helps keep down cost and a bit of bulk, it also makes it slightly less user friendly than some of the camera's competitors. The camera does, however, have a regular viewfinder which I found to be a welcome change from many of the other cameras I've used. The optical rather than electronic viewfinder made the camera much easier to use and get me more confidence in the photos I was taking. The only downside with the set-up is that the screen remains on when taking photos and I cannot find a way to disable this. It can be somewhat distracting when taking photographs to have the screen turn on even when it isn't wanted.

My other main concern is battery life. I have struggled to make it last a full day with medium use and having to remove the battery to charge is somewhat inconvenient. Thankfully Pentax have set up the camera battery section to accept AA batteries which is a great inclusion. However, in order to use AA batteries, you need a proprietary battery adaptor from Pentax which is somewhat disappointing and defeats the point of allowing AA batteries. Given that, I think a heavy user would definitely need to invest in some spare batteries as anything over a couple hundred photos will require a battery change.

All-in-all this is a fantastic camera. Having only used cheaper cameras in the past, I have been amazed at just how much of a step up the K-30 has been. It has totally changed how I view photography and even though I may not know the intricacies of photographies yet, it has certainly sparked a desire to learn more. If you are considering taking a step up I cannot recommend this highly enough, and the only think preventing this from getting five stars are some minor gripes that I have, most of which are probably personal to me.

This is my second Pentax camera, this replacing my older Pentax K-r which has and continues to serve me faithfully. The Pentax k-50 however builds upon the older design by adding several additional upgrades. Some Pros/Cons.

Pros:
- Being fully weather sealed.
- 16.3-Megapixel CMOS Sesnsor
- In Body, Sensor-Shift Shake Reduction. This is something you find on cameras at twice the price point of the K-50. It also means that the hundreds of thousands of manual lens for Pentax dating back some 40 years (including all K-Mount and Screw type mount) can be used in this camera with the senor shake reduction features.
- Very intuitive easy to use interface. You can pick it up and start shooting right away.
- Very fast auto-focus acquisition, even in low light. The AF mode has programmable zones so you can meter your shots depending on the environment.
- Can shoot at ISO 51000, but that results in high levels of 'noise' in the picture. ISO levels up to 12800 should be sufficient for most shots.
- Has 11 preset customizing options for JPEGs in camera. Also has individual settings to tweak 7 other setting like saturation, hue, contras, B&W etc.
- Battery adapter allows the camera to run off AA batteries, though you should ideally use rechargeable NiCad or LiOn batteries. It will chew up regular alkaline AAs.
- The build quality and hand grip are solid, all the buttons are placed logically can can be accessed by just your right hand on the fly. Good tactile feel on all the buttons.
- Full frame pentaprism viewfinder, basically what you see is what you get.
- Full 1080p video.
- Customizeable in dozens and dozens of different colors from the Pentax website.

The Cons
- The continuous Hi mode where you can shoot 30 JPEG frames at 6 FPS has above average loud shutter noise.
- There is only a small built in mono microphone located at the top of the flash when shooting video. The sound quality is ok for shooting indoors, but picks up excessive ambient wind noise when shooting outdoors. As of now, there are no attachments for third party microphones.
- Pentax was recently acquired by Ricoh Imaging, so long term support is a little suspect.

It's a shame Pentax does not spend more on marketing like the big boys (Nikon/Canon). However, if you are willing to go against the conventional trend and are not fully committed to a DSLR system, you cant get a better value than the Pentax. This camera has features that are not available in many others in its price point. The ideal comparison here is with the Nikon D7100 or the Canon EoS 7D, and while the Nikon has a few upgrades like higher MP, the Pentax has it beat in all other features (AF, LiveView, Shooting Modes, In Camera Editing, in body Image Stabilization). In addition, the Pentax also costs nearly 50% less and can use any previous K or S type lens mount. Pentax also has a very active user community online that offer support and guidance, which takes some of the fear out of them being acquired by Ricoh. Actually the biggest knock on this camera is that it is in many ways functionally similar to the K-30, so you might be able to find a better deal on Amazon on a K-30 bundle. This camera though is a solid performer in all aspects.

As a lapsed beginner and in the process of re-learning/remembering photography, the pentax k-50 camera is all that the various reviews I read beforehand said it was. I was also looking at canon rebel T5 (1200D) and nikon 3300 but went for the pentax K-50 because I wanted a DSLR that had aperture, shutter speed and iso controls externally so i didnt have to mess about with the menu. It is a nice weight, layout of buttons and dials well thought out, though in the beginning i did get confused between the front dial and on/off switch and end up turning the camera off a lot! The menu, which is well laid out,offers plentiful options which i have discovered simply need time and practice to figure out. I am only using it on manual mode and so far i have really enjoyed using it, its easy to use and the pictures that it takes are good (well when i get all the settings correct :)). The lenses are fine for general use. As I am in the process of re-learning / remembering about aperture and depth of field etc i have found that the lowest f-stop of the kit lenses is not low enough for the type of photos i want to take so i need to buy new lenses almost immediately...but all in all it is a nice camera and i am very happy with my choice.

A simply spectacular tool. I am a Pentaxian for sure, but I have used many other brands including the Big Two, and nothing comes close at this price point. You get a modern update of the highly acclaimed 16 MP Sony sensor in a fully weather-sealed body with a matching (high quality) kit lens for under $700!

The body is unbelievable rugged for being plastic. It makes every other DSLR in its price range feel like a cheap toy. Plus, the grip is hands down the best I have ever felt at any price. It hugs my hand and locks in place--no need for a hand strap. The grip and solid, unyielding body are why I chose this model over the K-5II.

At low ISOs, the older sensor is on par or maybe a little noisier than competing models, but when the lights go down, this thing shines. Zero noise gain when well exposed, but if you have to push say a 3200 RAW image, you will be blown away at the headroom the K-50 has in its 12 bit files. And if you can find noise (by pushing), it's not that gross banding we are used to seeing with cameras that shoot for marking megapixels rather than image quality. It is a gentle, film-like fine grain in very large prints. And this is for color, if you're converting to B&W, you can take this thing all the way through its ISO range and make beautiful small prints.

The menu system is as near perfect as I can trust engineers to make it. They either are, or work with photographers. Everything you need is one to three clicks away. I tried using a D5200 recently, and I couldn't even figure out how to set it to RAW, I had to look it up. Then ISO took me five minutes. It was ridiculous. I guarantee you will not have this problem with any Pentax DSLR from 2010 to today.

The lens is pretty brilliant for a kit lens. It is weather-sealed and solid. The zoom is very well dampened. It feels high-quality. I have used many kit lenses in the past from many manufacturers, and this one is the best. It even beats Panasonic's micro four-thirds kit lens in build. Image quality wise, it's about on par with others; by that I mean it needs to be stopped down to shine. But it is very sharp throughout the range when it has plenty of light.

Now for the bad: The out-of-camera JPEGs suck. Pentax has never had great JPEG processing. This sensor begs to be left alone. Shoot RAW and use a calibrated monitor to edit the images (it records in DNG, so there's no worry there).

Moreover, this body needs good glass. Please don't be a hipster and buy a high-quality camera and only use the kit lens. This is a serious tool, not a toy, so invest in decent lenses. Luckily, the K-mount has among the most expansive and diverse lens collection in photography (it's why I shoot Pentax). But you don't have to break the bank, just go to your favorite flea market or internet auction site and look for old manual lenses. You'll be surprised and the quality that can be had for under 50 USD.

So there it is. My very first ever Amazon product review. Yes, I love this camera that much. It is not just an alternative brand. And this is not an alternative camera at all because the competition doesn't come close at this price.

Bottom line: If you are looking for your first DSLR, or if you're considering switching mounts because you're growing tired of the half-adding and broken promises the Big Two have been accused of lately, you cannot go wrong with the Pentax K-50.

UPDATE 12/2014 - I am putting my review back up a notch. I found two firmware updates that seemed to have improved the ability to take low light photos significantly. I was ready to pack it up with this camera when I stumbled acrosss them in a last ditch effort to figure out my issues. Not enough time with it yet to see the extent but it appears to be working much better than before in all lighting conditions.

UPDATE 4/2014 - I have found a significant drawback with this unit that has really taken the lustre off of the camera and has left me very disappointed. The unit stinks in low light. It will hunt for focus and not find it, flash or no flash. It doesnt even have to be very low lighting conditions. I have used other canon and nikon units and they do not have the same issue. The camera has been getting significantly less usage since that. I still really like it for daylight shots but look elsewhere or try it before you keep it if standard indoor room lighting levels are important to you. If it were not for the lenses purchased I would have returned it to costco and looked for something else.

Original review:
Purchased this unit from costco after researching reviews on comparable Nikon and Canon units. All but one of the tech reviews raved about this camera. The plus side is the unit is "weather proof" (still not sure how that is defined). The reviews in general favored this unit in overall image quality over the Canon T5i rebel which was the other unit I was comparing it to. This was less expensive than the Canon and weatherproof. Out of the box the unit is very easy to pick up and start shooting with if you have any experience with DSLR cameras. Very intuitive menu design. Overall build feels very solid and fits my hands well. Photo quality is amazing in the little bit of playing I have done with it. I need to work on learning the advanced features of the unit (which are many) to do a better job on exposure. I was seeing my subjects under exposed a bit in daylight. Playing with some of the settings has helped. I don't fault the camera for this, but my relative inexperience. I coupled this two lens set with a fast 50 lens for portrait shooting. Going off topic: I LOVE this lens. First prime lens and am really impressed with the bokeh effect I am capable of producing, nothing less than stunning with this camera. The combination has really been a huge step up in what I can produce over my D50. Going off topic again:I also added a class 10 eye-fi card 16gb for instant photo transfer. Love it. Third unit and to me they are very easy to setup and use, never had an issue with them. I have seen nothing negative yet about the camera. Like the color combinations. Got mine in white and it looks classy. I need to dig in and learn how to really unleash the potential of the camera.

I am excited about the "weather proof" aspects of the design and need to learn more about it. I purchased an Olympus Tough TG1 last year for less than perfect and underwater conditions and it does the job it's designed to do well but lacks the control and overall image quality of a DSLR. Being able to take this outside without paranoia over any exposure to the elements weighed heavily in my decision over the Canon and Nikon (I was really leaning towards the Canon after having used it). Just make sure that the lenses you are going to use carry the weather proof rating also. The fast 50 does not.

I am really looking forward to learning this camera better and have no regrets over buying it sight unseen over the canon and nikons. So far I am amazed with the quality of shots that I have produced. I will update this later when I get a little more time with the unit.