Pentax has been known to make their DSLRs tough, and they've chosen to further emphasize that with their latest addition to the K-series. The body has 81 seals inside and out in order to make it weather, dust, and cold resistant to a temperature of 14-degrees F. That's a freezing point on-par with the hard core rugged compacts.
Pentax has done some serious work on the imaging front as well. At the K-30's heart is the latest version of their 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, coupled with their Prime M image engine. As a result, the maximum ISO has been jacked up to 12,800 (expandable to 25,600) and it now has both 1080p video capture at 30 fps and 720p capture at 60 fps.
AF is handled by the new Safox IXi+ module that considers the specific lens you're shooting with as well as the light source when determining focus. It has 11 total AF points, which isn't outstanding, but nine of them are cross-type, which is formidable at the mid-level range.
The new 16MP K-30 might be Pentax’s least-expensive DSLR, but it’s far from “entry level.” First off, it’s fully weathersealed: Pair it with one of Pentax’s weathersealed lenses, such as the 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 WR kit lens or one of the premium optics in the DA* line, and you can shoot in a storm. Add to that a pair of command wheels, a 100-percent-accurate pentaprism finder, and 6-frames-per-second bursts, and you’ve got a camera that lives up to its more-than-entry-level pricing ($850, body only). How does it perform? Let's see.
In the Lab
| Camera Category: | Entry-level DSLR Mid-level DSLR |
| Sensor Size: | APS-C |
| Sensor Type: | CMOS |
| Megapixels: | 16.5 |
| Fastest Shutter Speed: | 1/6000 second |
| Slowest Shutter Speed: | 30 seconds |
| Bulb Mode: | Yes |
| Live View: | Yes |
| Image Processor: | Prime M |
| Viewfinder Coverage: | 100% |
| AF Points: | 11 |
| Display Type: | LCD |
| Display Size: | 3.0 inches |
| Display Resolution: | 921000 pixels |
| Articulating Display: | No |
| Minimum ISO: | 100 ISO |
| Maximum ISO: | 25600 ISO |
| Burst Rate: | 6.00fps |
| Self-Cleaning Sensor: | Yes |
| In-Body Image Stablization: | Yes |
| Pop-Up Flash: | Yes |
| Media Type: | Secure Digital (SD) Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Secure Digital Expanded Capacity (SDXC) |
| Video Capture: | Yes |
| Maximum Video Resolution: | 1080p |
| AF in Video Mode: | No |
| HDMI Port: | No |
| Wireless Flash Trigger: | No |
| Remote Capture: | Yes |
| Height: | 3.8 inches |
| Depth: | 2.8 inches |
| Width: | 5.1 inches |
| Weight: | 21 ounces |
| Price: | $899.00 |
| Touch Screen: | No |
| Model Number: | |
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