Pentax K-500 Officially Announced

Latest entry-level DSLR from Pentax

By PF Staff in Pentax Announcements on Jun 12, 2013

Today, Pentax is re-joining the entry-level DSLR market with their latest DSLR offering, the Pentax K-500. The K-500 is being launched at a price of $599 (including the DA L 18-55mm kit lens), which means that it will be slightly cheaper than the current Nikon D3200 and Canon SL-1 entry-level DSLRs. It will be available in early July.

Below are the highlights of the K-500:

16-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
Prime M image processor
6FPS framerate
1/6000 maximum shutter speed
ISO 100-51,200
100% viewfinder coverange with 0.92x magnification
4 optional focusing screens
1080p video at 30FPS in H.264 .MOV format
Dual control wheels for easy operation
Body-based shake reduction
11-point autofocus
3-inch LCD screen with 921k dots (VGA)

For those of you who are familiar with Pentax cameras, you have probably already noticed that these specifications are identical to those of the current Pentax K-30. The only difference is that the K-500 is not weather sealed and does not have an electronic level. Initial hands-on previews also suggest that the K-500 is not able to display the current AF point in the viewfinder.

The K-500 features the same body style as the new Pentax K-50, which was also announced today as a replacement for the K-30. However, the K-500 will only be available in black.

The K-50 and K-500 can shoot at ISO 51,200 (just like the K-5), while the K-30 was limited to ISO 25,600. The hardware otherwise apprears unchanged.

In the US, the K-500 will not be sold as a body-only. In addition to the 18-55mm kit ($599), it will also be available in a two-lens kit (DA L 18-55mm + 50-200mm) for $699.

The complete K-500 specifications are available in our Pentax camera database. We have also created a dedicated K-500 forum for future owners of this camera.

Click here to pre-order your K-500 at B&H Photo