| Author: | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2013 Location: Pasadena, CA Posts: 1,126
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 5, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $499.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | image quality, basic usability, auto focus in good light, nice AF-C | | Cons: | loud shutter, dust reduction not that effective, autofocus in low light and with fast lenses, no portrait grip | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: New
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K-30 is excellent. It excels at all the most important things - image quality, reliability and basic usability. It seems to be a camera that's the best 'bang for the buck' but misses on features that would be nice to have for more advanced users. You can still use it for professional work but it simply won't be as pleasant.
The lesser things, that I would love to have, are due to cost cutting - mirror is not very well damped, dust reduction is not as effective as the ultrasonic system I found in olympus dSLRs and you cannot add a portrait grip. Autofocus is fine, works great for general use, but it can be inaccurate with F1.8 lenses, especially in low light.
Those things will not matter for you unless you are a very dedicated amateur or a professional though. If you are and have a spare couple hundred bucks I would get a K-5II. However, if you are on a budget, you will still do just fine with K-30.
Price was $499 with an 18-55 WR.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 2 | | Review Date: February 22, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | ergonomics,WR,hight ISO | | Cons: | none | | Years Owned: 2013
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 8
Features: 9
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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The best for Pentax beginers...
| | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2013 Location: Leicester Posts: 9 | | Review Date: February 5, 2014 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Weather sealing, ease of use, light but solid | | Cons: | Not found any yet | | Years Owned: 0.3
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 10
Features: 10
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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Only had it a couple of months and properly used it at one indoor event (horrible lighting!) and it performed far better than my K-m and K-r under the same conditions.
Accumulating some various lenses, just waiting for some decent weather and time to go and play, mainly watching fast cars.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2013 Location: Sydney, NSW Posts: 968 | | Review Date: February 2, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $650.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Everything!! | | Cons: | movie mode | | Years Owned: 0.25
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 8
Autofocus: 8
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 8
New or Used: New
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Really great camera, I have used it many times over the three months I've had it (my first DSLR). The movie mode is not great, but I wasn't expecting it to be - I bought the camera for the stills. I had read many reviews and done a lot of research before buying the camera and it has definitely met my expectations. The cons mentioned around the web don't really bother me, and if they don't bother you, then most certainly buy the camera!!
| | | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: October, 2013 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 4, 2014 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great picture quality, easy to learn, fast | | Cons: | Occassional focus problem. Not sure whether it is camera or lens | | Years Owned: 8 months
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 9
Features: 9
Value: 9
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 8
New or Used: New
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This is my third Pentax SLR and second DSLR. I really like the camera and find the image quality much better than the K10D it replaced. My only gripe is the occasional out of focus shot when trying to photograph wildlife. It may be the the lens (Pentax 18-250, early version). I just took a very blurry image of an eagle perched in our Palo Verde tree. I was no more than 50 feet away but the focus was probably tricked by a branch in front of the bird.
I am lusting after the latest DSLR, the K3. Lots more $$$ and may be more camera than I can use.
However, the lust continues.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: September, 2013 Posts: 62
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 26, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $495.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | balanced prise/option and very good IQ | | Cons: | no battery grip | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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it is a very good camera, not expensive, working with all my optics.
with DA 70 Lim and DA 40 Lim is a very compact and light weight.
I'm using it with A 28/2.8, DA 40 Lim, DA 70 Lim, A138/2.8.
zoom also, but rarely.
also using TENPA x1.36 eyepiece magnifier, highly recommended.
K-30 has a Christal-clear pictures and over-all is perfect.
make possible print 30x45 (cm) pictures at 300DPI and even bigger.
recommended
| | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2012 Posts: 15 | | Review Date: December 24, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great photo quality, relatively low noise at higher speeds, easy to learn | | Cons: | video sound, getting memory card out | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 8
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 8
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: New
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I got this camera about 3 weeks ago, so admittedly I've had little time to seriously evaluate it. I did take it to the company Christmas party a few days ago, where it performed admirably. I was expecting a lot harder learning curve than I got. You see, I'd been watching videos about this camera since my decision to buy it. It seemed, in those videos, to be a lot more complicated to move through the menus than it turned out to be in reality. Therefore, so far so good.. even better than my initial hopes. It has really good image quality. I am very impressed with the noise level, or lack thereof, at the higher ISOs. Compared to anything I've used up to this point, it's awesome.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 159 | | Review Date: November 30, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $630.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Image quality, WR, Looks | | Cons: | AF | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 8
Features: 9
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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Being my first foray into the DSLR world, I had shot numerous Canon P&S, and had always been happy with their image quality, so when I wanted something more, I was drawn to look into Canon and (of course) Nikon. After reading numerous reviews and price shopping I found that the image quality, low light performance and WR seemed to outweigh the negatives (AF) Pentax had. I also loved the looks of the camera (I have the blue K-30), it was so different from other offerings! Initially my friends asked "why wouldn't you get a Canon or Nikon" but I think I've pretty much silenced their questions once they've seen the images the Pentax system is capable of.
After having the camera almost a year, investing in many legendary Pentax lenses and accessories, I can say I'm extremely happy with my decision. While the AF can be a little slow in some extreme situations, by and large it's more than fast enough for what I need and my pictures are almost always are sharp as can be! The Pentaprism viewfinder is very nice and live view/focus peaking is nice for manual lenses and macro photography. Slightly annoying are the loud shutter, relatively poor battery life, and lack of AF in video (which I've used less times than I have fingers and toes). I also wish it had more buttons for direct access to things like AF mode (center, select, auto) and metering mode.
Controls are easy to learn and master, WR is a boon in colder/wetter climates; I've used the camera and multiple lenses in sea spray, snow, rain and extreme cold with no issue - situations in which 90% of photogs would leave their gear back home, I have never worried. Build quality is also a notch (or two) above the competition's similarly priced offerings.
I've consistently had good results at ISO's up to 3200, images printed at 8x10 look fine (I shoot RAW+JPEG mostly), and lower ISO's are stunning. Shake reduction is great to have on all lenses. So far, I can't justify upgrading my camera...maybe for a K-3ii down the line?!
Overall, I would recommend the K-30 and its sibling, the K-50, to any aspiring photographers out there; it leaves plenty of room to grow and is not a disservice to any of Pentax's higher-end lenses. I would give this a 9.5, but since that's not an option I'll round up to a 10  | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2013 Posts: 402
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 21, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $599.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Custamisable Noise reduction per an ISO, In camera lens focus adjustment, High ISO, good feeling grip. In camera shake reduction. Pentaprisem viewfinder. | | Cons: | No factory vertical grip, inconsistant exposure and focus in Auto. Poor battery charge life. No tiltable display screen. | | Ergonomics: 8
Build Quality: 7
User Interface: 8
Autofocus: 6
Features: 8
Value: 6
Image Quality: 8
Noise: 8
New or Used: New
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Just a side note: i rated the value lowest because one can purchase a 24 megapixel Sony a65 or a 24mp Nikon d5200 for nearly the same amount of money. And Now the new K-50 can be attained for less than a new k-30.
It's nice to see a real Pentaprisem on a camera. though i do wish there was a factory vertical grip/shutter option.
Battery life is poor when combined with the on-board flash, In 400 shutter activations i have had to change the battery three times.
The image quality is Very Good in Raw. however, the on-board JPEG compression tends to try and over sharpen images thus actually losing detail. This can be corrected in settings.
Features like 3 level customizable ISO noise reduction and individual lens focus correction, are what really put this camera in a unique place in the entry level DSLR market.
The On-board shake reduction is just something i have always considered a must and just makes sense.
So far, I would recommend this camera to someone who is looking for the precise features that the k-30 offers.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: February, 2013 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 35 | | Review Date: November 12, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $599.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Overall feel, image quality | | Cons: | Battery life, lack of available battery grip | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 9
Features: 9
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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I'm a photography enthusiast and the K-30 is my first dSLR. With this in mind, please note that I haven't handled a great many dSLR cameras other than while shopping various brands at big box electronics stores.
I ended up choosing the K-30 for a the following reasons:
- Image quality in comparison tests.
- Price.
- Weather resistance.
- My Dad's recommendation of Pentax in general.
I'd handled my Dad's K-5 II numerous times and really liked it. The K-30 didn't disappoint in this area! I love the way it fits my hand. Even when I'm not using the neck strap I'm always confident I'll be able to hold on to it - even with one hand.
I'm a huge fan of the dual control dials and low light performance of this unit. I've taken a few photos at 12,800 ISO and, yes, the noise is more noticeable than at 100 - 1600, but it's still very manageable.
I purchased my K-30 with the 18-55mm WR kit lens and a 50-200mm WR lens and cannot complain one bit! It was a great value for the money and has done everything I've wanted it to do so far.
**Added bonus: the ability to use older manual K-mount lenses! (I know this applies to the other Pentax dSLRs as well, but I just had to mention it!)
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 15 | | Review Date: November 2, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great features for price | | Cons: | Focus points other than center not as accurate | | Years Owned: 2 months
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 8
Autofocus: 7
Features: 9
Value: 10
Image Quality: 8
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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I bought a K-30 with the WR 18-55 from Hunt's for $500. This was a fantastic deal, considering my alternate choice for a new camera was a Nikon D7000 refurb for $600 body only. I have previously been using a Canon Rebel XS for around 5 years. I have enjoyed it, but felt the need for an upgrade. I had a few reasons for wanting to switch systems. I felt the low light performance of the Canon was subpar, pretty much never going above ISO 400. The rest of Canon's crop frame lineup doesn't really seem to be a substantial upgrade. Plus the incandescent white balance really is awful.
I landed on the K-30 mainly because of features for price. I got better low light performance, which was a huge factor. I also got dual control wheels, better dynamic range, the use of vintage lenses, better FPS, 9 cross type focus points, sensor shift image stabilization, 100% viewfinder coverage, weather sealing, video capability and better incandescent white balance (using level two). The last item was also a major factor for me, the white balance in incandescent light on my Canon was always awful and required correction in post quite often, the K-30 is awesome in incandescent light. The sensor shift image stabilization was an intriguing feature since I used my 50mm 1.8 around 90% of the time.
I also ended up buying a Pentax-F 50 1.7 off ebay for $145 and love the combo. The 50/1.7 is very sharp, ridiculously so when stopped down. I do use the kit lens more than I thought because of the better ISO performance. I feel totally comfortable going up to ISO 1600 and if need be 3200. The noise is not offensive at 3200, but it does start to degrade fine detail at that point. I'd say that was a significant improvement. I'm still not used to having dual control wheels, but I'm starting to think of using the second one more often. I feel like there's lots of room to grow as a photographer with this camera.
My profession is a graphic designer, so I am very familiar with Photoshop and often trying to tweak my images to achieve better results. The higher dynamic range really lets me pull out a lot of detail out of shadow areas in post using RAW files. I always shoot in RAW + JPG, when an image looks good as a JPG I usually use that. But it's nice for those photos that need just a little work. Most of the time the camera gets it right, but sometimes I like to punch up the contrast or color. Usually it doesn't require as much tweaking as the XS.
The ergonomics of the camera are nice as well. The finish on the camera feels like a higher quality than my XS. Also having weather sealing is a definite plus, though I really don't plan on using that too much. The battery capacity is fine, even though professional reviews seem to say otherwise. I hardly use flash ever, so this may not be the typical use. I look forward to getting the AA battery adapter, a good cheap Christmas present. The kit lens has very smooth zoom and focus rings and appears to be in a whole different class than the Canon kit lens. Quick shift is a great feature that I really wish the 50/1.7 had.
Overall the K-30 has met my expectations, with a few caveats. The camera tends to use the center focus point when set to 11 point focus more often than not. Also the low light focusing on it can be slow and fail to find a lock, but this is in extreme low light and may also be attributed to my 80s vintage lens (which is still awesome). Also using the kit lens, there is a strange fingerprint like pattern in the viewfinder, though this is not present in final images. Basically this only happens with the cheaper consumer zooms and is normal so I can live with it. For some reason the viewfinder seems dimmer than the XS, but now that I am accustomed to the K-30 this doesn't bother me.
I really enjoy this camera and am glad I purchased it, though I wish the new lenses for Pentax were more price competitive. They've pretty much guaranteed I'll just be buying my equipment in the used marketplace. I don't really see the need for a lot of equipment since my main subject matter is my young children. But who knows I already feel a bit of LBA  .
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2013 Posts: 10
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 30, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $620.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | price, weather sealing, image quality, m42 compatability | | Cons: | battery life, headphone jack, used lens market | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 8
Autofocus: 6
Features: 8
Value: 10
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 7
New or Used: New
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honestly, this is a great camera for the price point, it easily surpasses the same entry level cameras such as the nikon 5200 and canon t3i. its a solid camera that has survived what i have thrown at it. the only real problem is the lens market, there is no real used market driving down the price for higher level lenses, so if you want to upgrade beyond the kit, you are going to pay for it. The kit lenses though while definitely not professional grade (even the 18-135) are excellent(better than competing kit lenses i would say) once you go up 1 f-stop and are fine for most non-pro needs.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2013 Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 23, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $800.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Weatherproof, Image Stabilization, Lowlight Performance | | Cons: | Not yet encountered | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 10
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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I got this camera a year ago and I loved it instantly.
It gives you weatherproof, built in image stabilization,
and great lowlight performance.
Overall, the best camera for it's price.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2013 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: October 23, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $724.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | wr,ergonomic,speed | | Cons: | nothing | | Years Owned: 3 month
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 10
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 8
New or Used: New
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before this camera i have nikon d3100 and this camera its much,much better.Focus very fast,interface is the best I see out there,picture quality is good,very little noise after iso 2000.I have Tamron 18-200mm and focus very fast.On Nikon was slow or didnt focus.So I recommend it.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: February, 2013 Posts: 76 | | Review Date: October 20, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | WR, ease of changing settings | | Cons: | unable to use a wheel for ISO in M mode | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 8
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 8
Features: 9
Value: 9
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 8
New or Used: New
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Overall, it's been a great camera. I just want to know why I can't use a control wheel to set the ISO in M mode. When using smc M lenses, having a control wheel for aperature does me absolutely no good.
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