| Author: | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2015 Posts: 3,520
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 10, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $420.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Image-Quality, WR, Handling, Reliability (see later) | | Cons: | Reliability only if solenoid has been exchanged! | | Years Owned: 7
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: New
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I think it is about time that I write a review about the venerable K-30 as well, having written the tutorial for exchanging the solenoid. I also write this review taking the price in 2020 in acount, which makes this DSLR a steal, being able to drive modern PLM lenses and its very stylish design.
But one thing is utmost important: This review, particular regarding reliability, is only for a K-30 with repaired/exchanged solenoid! I mean the Japan made solenoid. Or for those who feel they can repair the K-30 themselves but not apply the foolish grinding/sanding method!
I had my first K-30 in Dec.2012 next to my K5 (and many other Pentax bodies before).
Being used to it I first missed the top-LCD a bit but the K30 is WR and has the 2 dials which are very comfortable when you use Av, Tv, Tav or P-Mode. P-Mode is anyway something even those beginners who would just use Auto or Scene-mode get aquainted with because without using the dials it is just Auto, but as soon as you use the dials, you can learn very quickly how to change either aperture or exposure time and see what wonderful results you can achieve.
AF-S is very good, AF-C is good (both a little bit better than the K5, the K5II is a step further!).
Handling is wonderful, as good and to some even better than the K5 series. Better than the later K-S2/K70 IMO and also more stable due to not having a swivel LCD. The body is made out of polycarbonat on a stainless steel mainbody and WR. To motor for the screwdrive mechanism is strong enough to take on long difficult lenses and if you update to firmware 1.10 which is now used even by the official Pentax repairplaces,
you can drive KAF4 (PLM) lenses, the AF is faster, you have ISO 51200 and Eye Fi!
Its reliable Sony IMX071 CMOS-Sensor with its 16MP is a great sensor and IMO still very up-to-date!
The very high ISO is just for fun, don't expect great image quality even at 25600, this is more fun to be able to have it. I don't even take the high ISO qualities of my KP or K70 really serious.
Very useful: You can use Eneloop NiMH AA batteries if you buy the D-BH109 adapter, very good in freezing cold days.
The Pentax K-50 (and with a few restrictions the K-500) are almost identical.
But I prefer the design of the K-30, it is more Pentax, the K-50 design reminds me of a boring Canon.
Of couse we have the onboard Anti-shake, something very typical for Pentax and fantastic because there are amazing vintage old lenses, manual, A-Ring and of course the great Tamukar and other M-42 lenses. If you know how to use the green-button (which is pretty easy) you might be astonished of what amazing quality many of those lenses are, particular primes!
Again, good to know the P-Mode and Green-Button mode!
Lenses:
- The Kit-Lens: Well, it is a kind of give-away, so you take photos.
Alright for the beginning, but really: You won't get those results this camera is able to!
If you need a cheap good zoom, find a good sample of the
- DA16-45, it is a real gem!
- DA primes: DA50 and DA35 are great and cheap.
- 55-300PLM: There is nothing better for the money if you can afford it.
A wonderful A-Lens (so no AF) is the SMC A50/f2,8 macro! Light, small and fantastic quality.
The K-30 was a masterpiece. It brougth Ricoh into some difficulties because the green China-made Solenoid happened to produce problems, here you can read in more detail about it.
I love other Pentax consumer cameras, the small K-S1 is another special one either for travelling or for those with really small hands.
But the K-30 is particular special!
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2019 Posts: 4
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 10, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Handling, buttons, switches, COLOR QUALITY | | Cons: | Autofocus when shooting videos | | Years Owned: 5
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 5
New or Used: New
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Dear K-30 users, I think I found a workaround to the famous aperture problem (you get dark shots) that I learned from a Japanese site!
Please try using the AA battery holder with AA batteries, I used both Duracell and Panasonic Eneloop. According to the site, using the battery holder instead of the original rectangular rechargable battery slows the camera just a bit , giving the aperture motor enough time to adjust! I have now taken over a hundred photos on multiple days and have not gotten the dark photo problem!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2014 Posts: 520
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 30, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Small, Fast accurate AF, WR, | | Cons: | None yet | | Years Owned: <1
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 10
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 9
New or Used: Used
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I had wanted a k-30 ever since the were announced and even tried to make my brother get one but he got a k-5iis now so he is better off I think. I finally found a cheap one that I couldn't pass up! Has met all expectations so far. Great little camera.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2015 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,677
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 27, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $240.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | WR, High ISO, Affordable, Beastly Build Quality, Easy Operation | | Cons: | Video? also a little small for my hands, but that's not the camera's fault! | | Ergonomics: 8
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 8
Features: 8
Value: 10
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 9
New or Used: Used
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I'm thinking about moving up to the K-3 now... But honestly, my K-30 was my first ever DSLR. I had used my friends' rebel t3 and d5300... They just felt cheap to me.
I bought the K-30 from a member here on a whim and am extremely happy with my decision!
This is the camera that got me hooked in photography. This was my first Pentax, and like my first Subaru, has made an impression that will last a lifetime.
I am sold on this brand!
| | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: May, 2015 Location: Paris Posts: 49 | | Review Date: May 26, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Low light performance, Solidity, Everything | | Cons: | Video, Battery life | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: Used
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Excellent camera overall, bought it after a K200, so I let you imagine the improvement I felt. My usage is totally amateur, to shoot landscapes, buildings, portraits mainly. I am not at all interested in shooting sports, or birds so super fast autofocus is totally optional.
I bought it mainly to improve the ISO performance as I felt was the big problem of the K200 especially for inside shooting. The high ISO performance is, believe it or not, even better than that of the K3 !!
I do not know other brands but I read a lot about the K30 and comparisons to other DSLR's, and I didn't regret at all my choice. The image quality is excellent. Conbined with my Sigma 17-70, it delivers amazing quality photos (you can see examples in my flickr).
Using is very easy, feels impressively solid. Honestly, given my usage, I couldn't find any cons aside of the battery life (400-500 shots), but you can simply buy a backup battery for 10 bucks.
I do not hesitate to recommend this DSLR to anyone that wants good ISO performance, image quality without beeing very AF demanding.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2012 Location: Wild-Nord-East Hungary Posts: 149
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 6, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $125.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Me is handy; two command dials; light, clear viewfinder; good auto focus; excellent image quality. | | Cons: | Battery life | | Years Owned: 6
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 8
Autofocus: 10
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: Used
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This is my 6th Pentax (Film SLR: S1; MX-ME; P30n; Digital: K-x; K-30)
16 Mpx. sensor worth buy good glass.
Pleasantly lies in hands. Viewfinder very nice.
Battery low, but 4 Eneloop batteries are good.
IMHO it's the camera that's the best for it's price.
AF superb for all me screwdriver lenses. (The except for DA 50/1,8 - low light)
Since the old manual lenses are only use the center focus point; mostly I use also autofocus lens.
The image quality is very good in Raw. But, in the machine .jpg compression not so much.
Fine prints A2 size (cca. 40 × 60 cm.) can be made.
I did not use video.
2021. 12. 02.
I bought it in December 2012 and used it satisfactorily until June 2018. We got soaked twice in a downpour twice, after the second I couldn’t turn it on.
I needed a camera back then, I bought a used K-3 II, which I have been using with satisfaction ever since.
Now I came across a used but good looking cheap K-30 I bought out of nostalgia.
Your battery isn't worth much, but it works great with my existing Eneloop batteries - it's an experience to take photos with!
| | | | | 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  | | | | | 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: July, 2013 Posts: 7 | | Review Date: October 20, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Design, image quality, great viewfinder, WR, excellent value for price | | Cons: | Arguably loud shutter, no external mic capability | | Years Owned: 0.5
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 10
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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This is my first Pentax, personally, and first DSLR. Several other people in my family have bought Pentax (a Super ME years ago, and two DSLRs more recently) and were never disappointed, so when I was looking for a DSLR myself, Pentax was obviously very much in the running.
Looking at a good variety of different cameras in the same price range, the K-30 stood out above the others (including some that were inching into a high price bracket). The only exceptions here were that some other cameras had higher megapixel counts, but of course that isn't even close to being all that matters, and that the K-30's video seems lacking, compared to others. Of course, buying the K-30 as a stills camera, and not for video, this really didn't matter to me, and the video is still there if I ever need it.
I haven't once regretted my purchase. The K-30 produces fantastic shots with excellent color reproduction. The features more than meet the needs of an amateur photographer, with advanced features such as weather sealing just being icing on the cake.
I really have no problems with the camera - even the cons I've listed are more for others and not myself. I don't find the shutter overly loud, though it is louder than some DSLRs I've heard. The lack of an external mic (and the mono only internal mic), will again only be relevant to people buying the K-30 with the intent to rely on it for high quality video production.
For anyone looking for a great stills camera, I definitely can recommend the K-30.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2012 Posts: 125
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 18, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | grip, WR, AA-batteries, IQ, high -ISO, screen and viewfinder | | Cons: | shutter sound is not as quiet (quieter than K-x) | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 10
Features: 9
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: Used
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Upgraded from K-x. Lots of improvements. Was deciding between K-5 and K-30, got better price on K-30.
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2013 Posts: 14 | | Review Date: October 18, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $1,100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | compact, light, water-resistent, good images | | Cons: | no battery grip, no tethering | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 9
Features: 9
Value: 9
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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I bought this as a kit with the 18-135 lens, which I highly recommend. The K-30 is a pleasure to use. It is more advanced than my K10D. I enjoy using the bracketing and HDR features. It is better in low light than my previous camera. The live view and video are fun to use. Overall, I highly recommend the camera.
| | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2013 Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 16, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $550.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Tropicalization, pentaprism, sensor size | | Cons: | na | | Years Owned: 2013
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
New or Used: New
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I've purchased this camera about 1 month ago and i've made ca. 1000 shots.
Until now i'm very good impressed from quality of this camera and pictures made with it.
Before purchase this camera, i have searched for digital reflex camera without have in mind a specific brand, more or less, in truth since i come from analog reflex canon (EOS 600) in the beginning i've searched for an upgrade in canon brand in order to reuse some optics, but after many comparison i've arrived to the conclusion that, in the budget around 500 euros, Pentax K-30 is the best buy! 
some photo samples :
    
Ciao
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2013 Posts: 12 | | Review Date: October 16, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Ease of use, bright viewfinder, excellent image quality, intuitive | | Cons: | None | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
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Like my old Spotmatic, this is a small, capable camera. It gets out of the way and let's me be creative.
BG
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