Отзывы о Фотоаппарат Pentax K-1 Mark II Kit

A Great Camera came with 2 Lenes, the instruction book is a lot to read and take in, but they is a lot of extras on this camera....

Very red images, tried everything to fix it but its the camera. fortunately amazon service was great and I exchanged it for a Canon which is great.

A great camera for the price. A bit heavier than some of the opposition but feels very solid to use. One reason I chose it was because it claims to be weather resistant and I've had it out in the rain without any issues. Like the fact that you can buy an adapter and use AA batteries to power it should the battery run down. Very handy.

Compared to my Nikon D3300, I prefer this camera for most of my photography. It may lose out on megapixels but it's a joy to use and I'm very happy with the results. Both kit lenses seem pretty good and it's weather sealing makes a huge difference in Scotland.

I purchased this camera after my old nikon d 3000 gave way. Initially I was looking for mirrorless vs DSLR. Things that tilted me towards DSLR was,
I have used it before I know how a DSLR works
Choices of lenses are far more and it includes not only lenses from same company but Sigma, Tamron etc
Choices range in the price bracket

Then I looked for many nikon camera as I have nikon lenses, I specifically looked at D 5200 as only body was almost the same price range as this camera. But I choose this camera as
It has a image stabilization and some of you might think that lenses have Vibration reduction but its not same. There is still blurriness with VR but with image stabilization I won't say it's totally gone but it's minimal. I have a 3 month old son so the first pic's that I clicked from this camera were perfect, crystal clear.
Has a larger view finder
Weather proof
I have not takes any video yet so will update on that but I am a fan of still photography and I don't care about videos.
I have attached one pic with slow shutter speed clicked at dusk.

Arrived on time and packed well, once battery was charged I found the camera very comfortable to handle, photos taken were sharp and image very colourful, like the real item, found the auto focus noisey but got use to it after a while, instructions book is a bit long winded but have learnt alot by 'playing' with its functions. The camera is what I expected and have no regrets on my purchase.

I have used Pentax DSLR cameras since the ist*DS. This is by far the best of the bunch.

At first glance it is indistinguishable from the K7 I had before but the screen is obviously larger. The excellent button and switch placement hasn't been needlessly meddled with, which is a good thing. The menu tree is also familiar with a few extra features here and there.

Someone familiar with anything back to a K20 will find this easy to pick up and use without any great problem.

For those new to the DSLR market here's what you get. You get a massively improved and accurate autofocus. This thing is very fast indeed if you are lucky enough to have one of the newer generation of HSM lenses. Even with the older lenses this is quick. All the obvious modes are there. Pattern, spot and selective.

Metering is great and you get similar versatility to the autofocus. Bracketing and manual compensation is simple to set up without resorting to menus.

This is a product you quickly realise has been designed by people who actually use cameras and listen to their customers. The controls are there for you to use from switches or an intelligently designed fast menu.

Water resistance that actually works (with compatible lenses) is a genuine plus point. This is not a gimmick. You can genuinely use this in a downpour.

This camera at the moment is superb value for money. I thorougly recommend it.

Lovely bit if kit. This bundle was more competively priced than other cameras kits Amazon carry. Order at 8 in the evening, it was in the locker by 10 the next morning. Amazing.

I'm relatively new to DSLR cameras. But based off the reviews here and elsewhere I took the plunge on the K-50. When i received my first K-50, I unboxed it and checked everything out, I found that the lithium battery and charger were not in the box. I checked the Amazon and Pentax sites - they both showed them to be included. I also checked a few youtube unboxing videos and they all showed them included.It did come with the AA battery adapter, so I started using the camera. It works great.

I contacted Pentax support. After a few days with no response, I contacted Amazon to see how they wanted to handle it. Amazon over-nighted another K-50 to me. This was great... except the new camera had less than the first.The second camera was missing the instruction manuals, serial# cards and more importantly - the lithium battery and charger.

A few days later, Pentax replies with a different email address for me to send my inquiry to(why they couldn't forward it is beyond me). I email the new address with the new information that now 2 cameras were received and still no batteries/chargers. I promptly receive this reply: "The K-50 should have come with a D-Li109 lithium battery and BC109 charger kit included in the package from the dealer. It sounds like the dealer Amazon is using may be selling grey market cameras. However, our corporate office will mail you a battery and charger kit if you reply with your full US mailing address."

I immediately replied with my shipping address. That was 02/25/14... As of 03/26/14, Pentax has still not shipped me a battery and charger like they said they would.

Due to being out of town for work, I missed my cutoff for returning the camera. so I am going to keep it. On the flipside, Amazon has 2 aftermarket lithium batteries with a charger for ~$25. So I guess I'll be ordering those.

This camera was an upgrade for me from the K10d, and I feel like it was a worthy upgrade. The specifications are out there, but the ones that enticed me to upgrade from the k10d were the+low light handling (high ISO) capabilities+The high dynamic range (better than the 12-bits in the K10d+The improved focal handling+The continued support for older K-Mount lenses.There are other positives including the ability to customize buttons and the sequences they go through when selected and custom user functions, but they weren't the strong factors.I've had the camera for about 6 months now, and I love it. It works extremely well and doesn't change much from the K10d. I've adjusted to many of the differences and feel that if you are considering the K5 as an upgrade from a previous Pentax dSLR, you won't be sorry. The upgrade will probably be most worthwhile for those coming from the K20d and lower. The High-Iso performance is fairly impressive. I feel very confident taking photos up to ISO 6400 with this camera although I prefer sticking at 1600 and below.The 16MP images make it easy to pixel-peep and be too critical of your images. These large resolution images always appear worse on your monitor at 100% and should not be criticized too much for noise and sharpness at these levels. I've found that my images come out extremely sharp once printed and looked at in a more "normal" sized setting than if you zoom in and look at it at a 100% (pixel for pixel) size. My initial feeling was my photos were lacking, but once I had a few 4 x 6 to 8 x 10 prints made (not sure on larger), I was blown away. The resolution also changes how one should approach editing with respect to sharpness and noise, but that is a discussion left for photoshop forums and enthusiasts.The Pentax brand dSLR's are worthwhile for those who may already own Pentax cameras (as I did) including film cameras. All the K mount and even older lenses can be used with the K5. I love it. I actually started with my previous K10d because as a student it was nice to be able to pick up used lenses, including older 1970's vintage lenses, at an affordable price. You don't necessarily get all the nice automatic features, but the lenses have great quality, and I learned more about photography with those older lenses than I ever did before. The on-body anti-shake makes all your lenses anti-shake, and the weather sealing gives me confident that being out on a wet or drizzly day isn't going to ruin the camera. Just remember that full weather sealing (not water-proofing) requires a weather sealed lens to be 100%. I only have one or two lenses that meet that standard, but I still feel confident that moisture isn't going to seep through buttons, the SD card slot, or battery.My only complaints about this camera are more nit-picking than anything. The battery is to be complained about because it would have been nice to have kept the size compatible across the Pentax dSLR models. I suppose there is a good electronic reason for not doing that, but it would have been nice to keep taking advantage of my K10d batteries, even if it meant less photos on a full charge (due to a likely lower voltage).The mode selection dial seems awkward as I used to quickly roll through modes (aperture priority to full manual) quite easily but a button must now be engaged to change modes. I think the purpose was to keep people from accidentally changing modes, but I'm not a huge fan. The camera is a bit smaller than my K10d, and I am a bit big handed. This isn't a huge problem, but I do feel things are a bit awkward.Last, I feel that the access compartments for the battery and SD cards are a little lower in quality than the K10d. I don't that is a "real" problem, but just something that feels different on this camera.Pentax does have good customer support, and it is worth looking at the "PentaxForums" website if you are seriously considering this camera without much knowledge of the Pentax brand and this model. Early runs of the K5 had problems that Pentax replaced very nicely for its users.The K5 is a good camera from a good company. It may not match up to Nikon or Canon but it does perhaps provide the most value for your money.UPDATE: I also want to add that one other "flaw" comes in the PK2 mount and its interaction with older attachments. With my K10d, I was able to attach items, such as manual extension tubes, that didn't have full contacts and the camera could still adjust the aperture lever as it should (not talking A-Mode here but selecting the aperture on the lens itself). On the K5, that is not possible unless all 7 pins on the body are in contact with the attached lens setup. This causes issues with extension tubes that have no contacts or even a bellows type setup. It isn't the end of the world, mind you. The work around is to short the pins on the body via aluminum foil or removing anodized paint off of the objects making contact. Once this is done, the came

Great starter DSLR with excellent features. I previously had a Pentax ME SLR and can use the lenses on the DSLR.

This is definitely the best APS-C DSLR on the market. It has a sensor capable of resolving detail that competes with full frame models, and even the D800 struggles to beat its 3600lph resolving power.

IMAGE QUALITY
The Pentax K-3 delivers stellar image quality at high-ISOs, as well as class-leading resolution at low ISOs, however the lack of an ISO 50/80 option is surprising. Usable images can be produced from the RAW files at up to ISO 12,800. The K-3 excels in RAW shooting and in JPEG mode it is a waste of potential. The RAW files are DNG, which makes it a breeze to edit files as DNGs are compatible with all adobe products, meaning you won't have to upgrade if you're using CS2/3/4/5 or LR2/3/4.

Auto White Balance and metering are improved over the K5ii, although the meter on my camera tends to overexpose by .7 stops. AWB is now better at shooting in indoor environments, and produces photos without color casts even indoors under mixed lighting (halogen, incandescent, and flourescent)

HANDLING
This camera is one of the best handling DSLRs, full-frame or not, available today. The grip is larger than the K5ii's grip, and the front dial is located perfectly, along with the groove in the front grip. The shutter button is precise. On the back of the camera, the control scheme is changed from the K-5 series and now features a stills/video selector as well as a record button, which is cleverly used as a live-view switch when you are in stills mode. The exposure comp and iso buttons are intuitively located, but the metering dial is sorely missed, as the new metering button is awkward to press when the camera is to your face. The mode dial lock switch is a gimmick, and Pentax should have kept the metering dial there.

The camera is built extremely well. All of the ports have thick rubber weather sealing and the camera feels heavy and rugged in the hand. This is to be expected, as it is constructed from magnesium alloy.

PRICE & Conclusion
The K-3 comes in at

Pros: I can take photos when it’s snowing, or by the sea where there’s spray without worrying that the K-30 will be damaged. I bought WR lenses before my daughters got married - so I could take photos in the rain [I was lucky, both days were sunny!]
Like any DSLR [and most Compact System cameras] it has MUCH better picture quality that a smart-phone or compact camera, even indoors - I prefer not to use flash and the ISO can go to 3,200 without the photos looking poor. It’s really good in low light! When I do use flash, I adjust it to be slightly-lower-power [Easy to do via flash-exposure-compensation] because I don’t like the “Rabbit in headlights” look of flash-photos.
It’s also a lot faster-to-focus-and-take-a-photo than phones & Compacts - great for photos of the grandchildren, seeing an expression and capturing it. Similarly you can capture seabirds-in-flight or hawks hovering etc [55-300mm lens used for those]
I bought the adapter so I can use AA batteries, I have 2 sets of spares [that’s 8 x AA batteries for torches in power-cuts!]
I record Raw files in the “DNG” format, which is not camera-brand-specific [that’s good!]
Cons: Like all DSLR, the makers have added more-and-more “features”, first-time-users might get the idea that it’s a really complicated camera - it is! All DSLR are! “Auto” settings work, but you should get even-better-quality-results by altering some settings yourself.
If you want an Expert review, I’d recommend the “Amateur Photographer” website, or for the most detailed “dpreview” has 22 pages just on the K-30!
In my opinion, the K-30 is a very good camera for what I want to do and is low-priced for a weather-proof DSLR. (watch the Amazon prices as they do tend to go up and down a lot)

Bought this camera (from other retailer, not amazon) after weeks long internet research. All the features of this camera are awesome except video. It has the largest ISO range, a fast auto-focus which doesn't disappoint, decent menu options and biggest advantage is the Weather Resistant body and lenses. I used them on cold mornings, in rain, on beach and in sand and it is still alive. Weather resistant is not just phony. BTW, don't dip it in water, it is not water proof ;). It can handle mild rain, moisture on beach, snowy areas but not underwater without waterproof case.

Now about video - It get severe beating especially if there are sound effects in the video (Like the volcano show at Mirage in Las Vegas).

In case if you want to see the results of this camera, here is my flikr page - https://www.flickr.com/photos/46109351@N02/sets.

Bought this as a gift to my dad. It is as durable as it looks and has all the features you need for a good quality dslr. The menus are easy to use and the shake filter works a charm. You will need to buy appropriate lenses to use it for different situations, but the lense supplied is ideal for general use. Buying a lense with a little more zoom can be helpful. I believe the durability makes it a great entry level camera and can be tweaked for more professional use.

I bought my last SLR way back in 1977 with my first week's wages as a fitters mate in a paper mill the summer before I went up to University so I can't really give a valid comparison with anything else currently on the market, but because I learnt to take (and develop) photographs back in the old days I have a reasonable grasp of the theory of optics and photography, I also used to work in I.T. so I sit towards to the guru end of the computer nerd scale. Firstly, this camera is very RED, in fact so RED that when I get it out to take photographs (or just brag) my audience is universally taken aback! Now that is out of the way I'm going to summarise my experience of the camera in as few words as possible; Pentax have pulled off a very difficult achievement in that they have created a product which is very easy to use from the outset and yet has many layers of sophistication which wait to be discovered as you be come more skilled, I have only had the camera a few days but I'm almost stunned by the quality of the images I've captured! Secondly, the build quality of this device is first class, I chose this model especially because of it's claimed ruggedness, whilst I doubt it would survive being hurled into a lake I'm sure it would easily shrug off having coffee, tea, beer or even cider accidentally poured over it or being left out in the rain. Thirdly, this camera is not one I would recommend for the weak of arm, again I can't compare it to other modern SLRs but it is a bit of a handful albeit a well designed and very ergonomic handful, a good case is essential as I think it is quite heavy. Finally, I can't really comment on the spec, except that say there is a lot of it, but the only camera magazine I read before my purchase gave this beast a gold award. To sum up my review, I'm dead chuffed with my purchase and I've discovered the fun of photography again, yippee! So a big thumbs up! TIP: I use GIMP for my photo-editing, it's brilliant software and it's FREEEEEEE.

PS: I haven't really tried the video function yet other than to test it works (well), but another reviewer noted the sound capture was weak, I can't comment really other than to say I bought this camera to take photographs not make movies.

My K-5 experience has been a real adventure: first I was sent a broken, used camera (palmed off as new) by an Amazon seller (Essex Technology Group); then Amazon sent me one that was either damaged or defective. Whatever the reason, the images from this second camera were uniformly terrible--muddy and ugly, with no definition. Amazon was terrific: they sent me a replacement K-5, which arrived today. The third time's the charm! What a difference! This camera is great, I am I very glad I got it. I already have a K-r, so I have something to compare with. I like the K-r very much, but the K-5 is a significant upgrade in all respects.What's good about the K-5:--16+MP (up from 12+ in the K-r), increased DR, 14-bit color (up from 12-bit in the K-r).--You can shoot remote (IR) from behind or from in front of the camera. Great improvement over K-r (you had to be beside or in front of the camera).--You can shoot remote (IR) burst and remote timer. Another improvement over the K-r.--You can shoot with cable shutter release, which can be more convenient than IR in some situations. (K-r is IR only.)--With the v1.11 firmware upgrade, you can capture over two dozen RAW images in burst mode at 7fps before the shooting speed begins to slow down. A huge improvement over the K-r, and one of the main reasons I upgraded to the K-5. Very few cameras at this level can do this.--You can set WB to Kelvin temperature numbers. Very useful; for me it's easier than remembering a list of terms ("shade" "fluorescent light" etc.) which may or may not be entirely applicable. (Althought these in-camera numbers don't correspond to what Adobe thinks they are in PhotoShop, the differences aren't too great.)--At any given WB setting, the color seems to be a tiny bit better than K-r. But this is highly subjective and could be due to inevitable slight differences in environment, due to time required to remove lens from one camera and put in on the other.--Even in flat light, it appears to generate better images (more contrast and more detail) than the K-r, which was already a very good camera in any light.--The increased resolution is very noticeable in enlargements, which is going to mean better large prints and crops.--Even JPEG images are very good--I just gave it a quick test for some images to view on the computer, so I haven't yet shot and looked at RAW.*NOTE: for some reason, the camera comes with JPEG quality set to less than maximum. With all this firepower, I don't know why Pentax assumes that the user wants to generate anything but the best possible images. But this is quickly changed through the Info Menu.--You can shoot DNG (Adobe's version of RAW) which means instant compatiblity with Photoshop's earlier versions.--You can make countless modifications to programs and settings, to customize everything in a way that works best for your shooting style and image preferences. For example, it feels more natural for me to have the front e-dial for aperture and the rear e-dial for shutter speed. Pentax has it set up the opposite, but it was a matter of moments to go into the menu and switch the dials' function to suit my preference.--Redundancy: there is more than one way to access most key functions to change them. In many cases, you can go through a button, through Info, or through Menu. This makes it much quicker and easier to find what you are looking for.--User friendly! Many settings can be accessed at the touch of a button. The choices are generally very good and take very little getting used to.--Like the K-r, other key settings can be accessed and changed by simply pressing the Info button once or twice, then changing from the matrix of a dozen items.In short, what's not to like? The price has come down, the kit lenses work great, the camera is compact and easy to use, IQ is terrific. Can't wait to take some surf shots with the zoom. (Of course, some waves would help, and sunshine would be good, too.)In my original review I had some comments about the physical features of the K-5; they are very minor and with use I have gotten used to them, but they are real and I am including them here...................From my original, "First thoughts" review:At this point I can only comment on the handling of the K-5, since I haven't had a chance to use it much. I have a K-r, which I like a lot. I realize that anything new takes some getting used to, but I feel that the K-r was a little better in terms of handling. Examples:1. The Mode dial (PASM)on the K-5 is a lot stiffer, and it's awkward and unneccessary to have to push down the button atop the dial in order to make the dial turn.LATER NOTE: I always shoot Manual mode, so at this point this is a very minor issue.2. The AF selector dial is also too stiff--very hard to turn. [Still irritating.]3. I also find the battery cover opening mechanism to be needlessly complicated. A simple push-to-open (like the memory card cover) or a simple latch (like the K-r) would b

I am going to write a short and sweet review. I will also keep it not technical that has been done well above. I started digital with the K100D the moved up to the K20D which is a very good camera. I was a pro for many years during the film days and once I got shooting again I love digital. My daughter wants to become a photographer so I am back at it. Here is the only place where the Pentax falls down. They just do not make some of the things a pro would like to have. The K5 cannot tether which in many conditions would be a huge help and even required for others in a pro shoot. You cannot buy a remote flash trigger that allows you to use PTTL. There are just many accessories for Canon and Nikon that I wish I could get for the K5. That said I do love the camera, they really thought out the ergonomics on this one, a vast improvement over the K20D, which by the way was fine, I would never have thought anything about them if I had not got the K5. It is just very intuitive to use, everything is right where it ought to be, I hardly have to bring the camera from my to change settings. The photos are fantastic. I was a bit put off by the auto focus but as it turns out it was the lenses I was using. Okay they were not bad at all I am just being very picky. But when I stepped up to the star lenses the auto focus performs wonderfully. I took a shot of a raft going down a river that I shot through tree branches in the winter, the AF found the raft, ignored the branches and gave me a perfectly focused shot. I rate this camera very high a nine or ten on its use and quality. If the lack of some things that would only really bother a pro doesn't bother you then this is the camera for you, it does out perform many cameras in its price range and even of some vastly more expensice. Shooting at high ISO is great it took me a while to do it as I am old school but I have taken shots at 3200 and 6400 that are great even 12K us usable, 1600 looks like the 400 of other cameras I have used. If you have light room you can easily clean up the noise at the highest ISO as well and get some great photos. Well I guess it was not that short, but I had to say what a joy it is to use this camera. Even if I have to go to a D3s for some studio things and for the accessories, I will continue to shoot with the K5 for a great many things.....of course if Pentax decides to create firm ware to aid tethering hint, hint, I can do without remote PTTL as I shoot off camera flash on manual anyway. Oh yeah the video is great and as for the auto focus, all the pro videographers I know never shoot with auto focus anyway.Okay, now that I have used the camera for a good amount of time I would like to revise the review a bit. I still love the K5, there is something about it that just makes me enjoy having it in my hands. Picture quality is wonderful, as good as cameras costing many times as much but here are the problems that I have had. First I ordered a star lens it came with the autofocus motor not working, it was replaced but still a hassel. Second since I got back into shooting professinaly the K5 has not held up. It is in the shop getting repaired right now. I know that electronic devices break and it did right in the middle of a shoot. I was able to pull out my K20D and finish fine though. I am not going to get into what happened just that it made shooting with it impossible for that day. Where I am really not happy is with Pentax customer service. I have about two months left on warrenty and that seems to make them not so interested in being prompt. They have had my K5 for a month now, they said it would be fifteen to twenty days. I called at twenty days and they said they had just got the camera ten days before. I mentioned that I had a signed receipt for the day it was delivered. They said wait ten days and call back so I did. Then they said the they had just got the camera five days later than before. When I questioned the guy about that he said oh wait there is a hold on your camera because it is on warenty. I asked him if that made a difference on their turnaround time and he just said call back when it has been twenty days, which of course it had been over that. It is hard because I do really like the camera but with this kind of customer service I am going to fork out for the Nikon D3s I guess when you put the camera through pro work you really need a pro camera. I will still use the K5 especially for travel and landscape work. I really dont think that if someone uses the camera like an amature would and not shooting thousands of photos in a day there would be no problems, and maybe not anyway I may have just been unlucky but thanks to their customer service I am going elsewhere before I have so much invested I cant do so.

First class camera. I love it.
Which is more than I can say about the manual which came with it, it is in French only.

I've been using the Pentax K-5 Mk1 for the last year or so and that is one hell of a camera so wondered if upgrading to the MkII was worth it.

First off the body of the MkII is identical to the Mk1 with no cosmetic changes in both looks and layout, it is weatherproof just like the MK1 which is very welcome when shooting outdoors in the UK, it feels equal in build quality and has a stainless steel internal structure for extra ruggedness, like the Mk1.

The K5 MKII comes with a standard 18-55mm lens which is the norm, it is a decent starter though and lenses can be added at a later date, there are plenty around.

So what is different to the MK1, well the MKII is noticeably quicker in both focusing and shutter speeds, focusing is lightening fast and pin sharp with the standard lens. I have a Sigma 75-300mm tele/macro lens and focussing is a little slower with that.

The user interface is again very similar to the Mk1 but does have some differences in certain functions when in manual modes, auto made has not been altered in any way, why fix it if it ain't broke!

The photos this camera produces are stunning, colours are vibrant, images are pin sharp and that is in Auto, switch to manual modes and the sky is your limit, with user adjustable ISO from 80 to an amazing but very grainy 51200 ISO this camera will take picture in near darkness without flash ! if need be.

Pentax have retained the built in level function of this camera, I find this function extremely useful when taking landscape photos and when sitting the camera on a tripod, in fact I have it switched on all the time.

The viewfinder is bright and clear with all the right information within it, ISO, F Stop, shutter speeds ETC, the level is also displayed within the viewfinder.

This DSLR will also take full HD movies, but this eats memory cards like a hungry hippo!! You will require an SDHC card for this camera and would recommend upwards of 16gb if you want to use this camera in RAW or high quality JPEG formats.

Is there any difference between the photos from the Mk1 and MkII, yes but very little. The Mk1 photo's seems a little softer but this is very slight and maybe the way I have the Mk1 setup, I am yet to get deep into the set-up of Mk2 but having seen the photos produced I don't have a reason to, yet.

In the box....
K-5II Body
Pentax 18-55mm DA lens
Battery
Battery charger
Strap
USB lead
Audio/video lead.
Concise instruction manual.
Software

As a budget DSLR Pentax have yet again come up with a winner in the K-5II, I would recommend this DSLR to anyone starting off in the world of photography, menus are easy to use and the Auto(Green)mode is faultless if you want point and shoot, manual modes are again easy to adjust and understand, the K-5 MkII also comes with a very good instruction manual, which will guide you through set-up and advanced features.

So my thoughts on the upgrade, the K5 Mk1 is an excellent DSLR which takes great photos, the MkII has raised that bar a little it is faster to use and produces yet again stunning photos, so YES it is worth upgrading.

As with all things, the last 5 percent of the performance envelope will always cost you a fortune. This body gets you to the 90th percentile for dirt cheap. I recently purchased it to revive some of my old Film SLR lenses and to be able to take a decent picture again. (CELL PHONE CAMERAS GAH) This body has been a wonderful re-introduction to the hobby of photography. And it reminds me how prudent the Pentax brand is and has always been.

It is 45years since I last used SLR cameras and what a shock. The Pentax K-50 is well built and works like a dream. You can use it as a beginner and improve in time.Play around with it as much as you want its a fun camera. Enjoy it. Bought through Amazon UK.

My use of Pentax cameras goes back more years than I care to count, starting with a secondhand SP1000 from a local junk shop! More recently I've had a K10D, a Samsung (Pentax) GX20 and a delightful little K-500 only 4 months ago.

In spite of loving the K-500 I was tempted to go back top-of-the-range sooner than I expected when I saw Amazon Warehouses had a reduced price K-3 body. The box was damaged as advertised, but the camera itself seems to be in perfect condition, none of the mentioned scratches.

My first impression was that after being used to the 500, the 3 is definitely back to the house-brick build of the K10D. In both handling and performance the K-3 shouts both Pro and Top-of-the-Range at you and is most definitely a serious bit of kit.

Now I'll leave the techie bits to others, and I'm never interested in 'debates' between makes as I'm never going to be rich enough to change all my lenses, flashes etc. in one go.

Having set the camera's parameters similar to the K-500 my first model shoots have produced excellent results - the expected high resolution but with nice, smooth natural skin tones. (I'd set the colour to Natural then just boosted the contrast and saturation a shade, but still softer colours than Bright) But I love the way the camera handles, nice and solid but quietly positive with the focussing and mirror/shutter.

Other Likes? Well being able to insert 2 SD cards to have 2 copies of vital shoots secured is a good one. Going back to a preview switch on the shutter release is another, But whatever the niceties, and there seem plenty, this is quite simply a superb top-of-the-range camera.

This really is an utterly amazing camera. I recently bought the K30's bigger brother, the K5, and to be honest I can't really tell them apart. The only advantage the K5 has is it has more buttons, so you don't need to dive into menus so much to turn things on and off, and the K5 has a very useful secondary LCD screen. Apart from that, there's not really anything to tell them apart.

It's absolutely perfect for beginners to SLRs, it really is. When you're new to SLRs, they are bit intimidating with buttons and settings all over the place, and you don't really know what does what. For a first camera, you want to just have the basics. These basics are to the fore with the K30, so it's very easy to pick up and get into 'proper' photography without constantly messing things up by fiddling with half-understood settings. The problem with entry level cameras though, is after a while you know what you're trying to do. You wish your 'basic' camera had, for example, spot metering, or curtain flash, or something a bit more controlled. This is where the K30 really shines, because everything you could ever want or need from an SLR is there - it just buries the more advanced controls where they're not going to freak you out as you're learning. That's not so say it needs 15 button pushes to get to some obscure menu to use these features, they're very accessible - but they're not right to the fore where you might get bogged down with them. This is really the only difference here between the K30 and the K5 - the K5 has these advanced controls right in front of you, as it assumes a more advanced user, while the on the K30 they're 'one level down' so to speak. I haven't found anything yet that my K5 can do that this can't.

It's a plastic body, but don't let that put you off. I challenge anyone to be able to tell the difference between the metal body of the K5 and the plastic body of the K30 - I certainly can't tell the difference. The weather sealing is also a fantastic bonus, as you're not afraid to really USE it. It's an expensive bit of kit and it's nice you don't have to worry about a bit of rain, or sand, or whatever. It's a tough camera, and perfect for an 'expedition' camera where you know it's going to get knocked about. You're not afraid to put it into dodgy places where it might get splashed, and so you can concentrate on your shots.

I have absolutely no reserve about recommending this camera in the highest terms. Nikon and Canon may have the repututation for being 'pro', but this little Pentax is up there with cameras costing 4 times as much. An incredible camera, and deserves to be a future 'classic'.