Pentax K-30 Weather-Resistant DSLR Review by WDC With Rating 88/100

On May 21 2012, Pentax announced the 16.28 Megapixels weather and dust resistant DSLR camera - the PENTAX K-30. It features a compact & lightweight body, 16.28 Megapixels CMOS sensor, new SAFOX IXi+ AF sensor module with 9 cross points out of 11, and the 81 seals weather, dust and cold resistant body. It also comes with a glass prism optical finder with 100% field of view, high-speed burst shooting at 6 fps, a high-speed shutter unit with a top speed of 1/6000 second, dual electronic dials to access to exposure control and several Auto Picture and scene modes, as well as a 3-inch 920K LCD display, an ISO range reaching to 25,600, and 1080P video at 30fps (30, 25, 24, and 60fps at 720P). It is compatible with all PENTAX K-mount lenses.

The K-30 features the Auto Picture mode, which analyzes a scene then automatically selects the most appropriate shooting mode from Portrait, Landscape, Macro as well as others. It also offers 19 creative Scene modes, including Night Scene Portrait, Pet, Backlight Silhouette, etc. The new K-30 is available in three body colors: Crystal White, Crystal Blue, and traditional Black. The K-30 is listed for $849.95 body only, and $899.95 for the kit including the DA L 18-55mm zoom lens. Here's the summary of review by WhatDigitalCamera, giving the camera a rating of 88 out of 100:

"In the past Pentax D-SLR's have been known to underexpose a touch, however we experienced no such concerns in our tests. Even in tricky situations where the lighting was harsh and the colours were vibrant, the K30 handled situations well. Loading a large selection of RAW files into Photoshop revealed histograms that shared a uniform shape and it was only when we turned the highlight and shadow clipping warnings on that we realised shadows were clipped ever so slightly. In areas where there were extremely bright highlights, the 77-segmented metering system delivered excellent results and retained superb detail, leaving little, if any work to be carried out with the recovery slider in Camera RAW. When we previously tested the K-01 we were extremely impressed by the way the sensor handled noise at its high sensitivity settings. The level of detail the sensor resolved up to ISO 3200 was exceptional and only began to fall away at ISO 6400. In regard to the K30, the ISO performance is nigh on identical, which is no great surprise considering the fact that it features an identical sensor. Ultra fine detail is controlled exceptionally well up to ISO 3200 and it's only when you push beyond this point that some of the finer details in an image become less distinct. Noise is evident at ISO 6400 and the two highest settings - ISO 12,800 and 25,600 should be avoided as the results at these sensitivities contain strong signs of colour noise. As far as sharpness and detail goes you can't fault the K-30. The 16.3Mp chip that Pentax has made clear is produced by Sony delivers outstanding levels of sharpness.

For a mid-price DSLR, the K30 certainly offers a lot. The sensor has been adopted from previous models, but this is a wise move by Pentax as the 16.3Mp CMOS chip certainly delivers impressive results. The AF system is starting to show its age a little. Though it's fast at locking onto subjects when you're composing through the viewfinder, the contrast detect system proved to be a bit sluggish in Live View mode. You do end up having to wait a few seconds at times before it acquires correct focus and this is particularly irritating when we know there are much faster contrast detect AF systems currently being offered by other manufacturers. Add to this the lack of continuous focusing in video mode and there are areas for improvement. Where the K30 really excels is in its build and handling. The rugged design is backed up by a multitude of weather seals to keep it protected. Offering such a high-end feature within a mid-price model is very commendable. We adore the feel of the K30 in the hand too. It feels solid and should survive a knock here and there. Add to this the 6fps burst rate and K30 is a very well equipped DSLR. It does stand out in the mid-range market and though it's currently expensive we expect its price to fall over coming months. For anyone looking to advance from a compact, the K30 makes a sensible choice. Best of all it will produce great images and give you all the DSLR control you need to progress your ability to the next level."

Better than my K-5 maybe but watch the price, John A. Byrne - Jun 13 2013
I bought this camera since my K-5 has the mirror lock-up problem and I did not have time ot get it fixed in time for a European vacation. It was easier, faster and almost the same price to get this camera instead of a fix for the K-5 and I took over 4000 shots and just love it. The ergonomics are terrific and I have large hands. The color, dynamic range and ease of use m...

This is a great camera!, Dude - Jun 09 2013
It takes great pictures. The display is easy to read. I have used it in rain storms and it has worked great....

Great upgrade, Family man - Jun 08 2013
We were shooting a K-100, which was good, but with kids moving into sports and a big trip coming up, we felt it was time to upgrade. Paired with the Sigma 18-250 as the walking-around lens and the Pentax 50 f1.4 for low light/no flash situations, it's a versatile package and a great upgrade....

Great Camera, JaguarOT - Jun 07 2013
I was really looking to step up to the true DSLR world. Having owned a couple cameras with swiveling LCDs and large optical zooms (Casio QV8000sx and Canon Powershot S2 1s), I knew I could get similar zoom-ability and much better optics with a few interchangeable lenses, but I thought the swivel LCD would be a necessity. OTOH, I had four lenses left over from my 35mm day...