Pentax K-30: Conclusion

Conclusion

With a feature set commensurate with its designation by Pentax as a mid-level DSLR, the K-30 is nevertheless the current entry-level model in the Pentax line. It's a short line to be sure, consisting of the K-30 and the K-5II/s. The K-5 is still available, but its price slots it between the K-30 and its newer sibling. Like it or not, the K-30 is your weapon of choice if an entry-level Pentax DSLR is on your shopping list.

I'm betting you'll like it: Weather-resistant construction, DSLR image quality and ISO performance with a 6 fps continuous shooting rate and a buffer capacity for JPEG images to take advantage of this capability. Manual and automatic/scene exposure modes and a full HD video capability, a boatload of scene and automatic modes if you tired of shooting manually and more camera settings and adjustments than you can shake a stick at if you want to get really involved -- what's not to like?

Well, some aspects of the video capability for one -- there's no continuous autofocus. And while you can refocus during video capture, the process is slow. Switching from another shooting mode into video is a bit on the slow side as well. Folks with large hands may find the camera a bit on the small side. And that's about it for my gripes -- other than I still have a hard time getting the memory card out of the camera, due in large part to the weather sealing that makes the K-30 a desirable camera in the first place. If you're in the market for your first DSLR, and especially if a rich uncle left you a bunch of Pentax lenses, the K-30 is worthy of your serious consideration.

Pros

• Very good still image quality
• Good continuous shooting speed and buffer capacity for JPEGs
• Weather resistant
• In-body stabilization 

Cons

• No continuous AF during video capture
• Video on the slow side to initiate
• Might be too small for large hands

Individual Ratings: *

Image/Video Quality 
Features 
Design/Ease of Use 
Performance 
Expandability 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score