Pentax K-30 In-Depth Review by PentaxForums.com

photolady95 · 07-17-2012, 08:38 AM

I was so happy when I first read about the K-30. I was even going to save my money so I could buy one at Christmas as a present to me. However, now after reading the review, I'm thinking a K-5 would be the better new camera for me. One or two points has changed my mind. No top LCD, does not save movies in .AVI but .mov. Any of you ever tried to convert a .mov to .avi? I have, and I didn't like the results. So, for all it's new features, I think I'll keep my K-x and wait to see what a replacement on the K-5 brings me. Or perhaps, save my money for the now lowered price of a K-5.

deadwolfbones · 07-17-2012, 08:39 AM

Originally posted by photolady

I was so happy when I first read about the K-30. I was even going to save my money so I could buy one at Christmas as a present to me. However, now after reading the review, I'm thinking a K-5 would be the better new camera for me. One or two points has changed my mind. No top LCD, does not save movies in .AVI but .mov. Any of you ever tried to convert a .mov to .avi? I have, and I didn't like the results. So, for all it's new features, I think I'll keep my K-x and wait to see what a replacement on the K-5 brings me. Or perhaps, save my money for the now lowered price of a K-5.

Unfortunately for you, I don't think you're going to see Pentax go back to .AVI any time soon. :/

photolady95 · 07-17-2012, 08:44 AM

Then I guess I'll buy a K-5. I don't understand why they won't stay with one format on movies. .Mov is old technology; using Quicktime. eck!!

deadwolfbones · 07-17-2012, 08:48 AM

Originally posted by photolady

Then I guess I'll buy a K-5. I don't understand why they won't stay with one format on movies. .Mov is old technology; using Quicktime. eck!!

.mov is just a container, like .avi. The underlying codec used by the K-30 (H.264/AVC) is far more advanced than what the K-5 uses (Motion JPEG).

photolady95 · 07-17-2012, 09:05 AM

Still it's a .mov file. It's not going to let you get the underlying codec, change it to .AVI. You have to convert .mov to something you can see on a tv. I had one camea once that saved movies as .mov file, and trying to convert to something our tv could play was a nightmare. I never did get my niece's dance video to convert. And I know a lot about converting video, but have had no good luck with .mov movies.

mspoon · 07-17-2012, 09:20 AM

Thanks very much for the review! I'd been very torn between the K-30 and the K-5 and was leaning ever so slightly towards the K-30. Your review gave me the nudge to make the commitment. Made it in just in time, too -- Amazon had it bundled with the 18-135 for cheaper than anywhere else, for some odd reason. RIGHT AFTER I made the purchase, price jumped back up. So thank you very much for your timely review!

TJWest · 07-17-2012, 09:36 AM

hmm, for stills I am still very tempted by the k30, but the lack of HDMI, mono sound, and the fact that it is a .mov format is almost enough to make me wait for the K5 replacement or go to another brand altogether. I am not even buying it for video, but FFS, not buying it for video purposes, and making it a pain in the nob to make and view good videos are two different things. I do enjoy making the odd video of my kids. My four year old bridge camera even does stereo sound!

EDIT - HATE, hate .mov...

**luftfluss** · 07-17-2012, 09:41 AM

Originally posted by photolady

Still it's a .mov file. It's not going to let you get the underlying codec, change it to .AVI. You have to convert .mov to something you can see on a tv. I had one camea once that saved movies as .mov file, and trying to convert to something our tv could play was a nightmare. I never did get my niece's dance video to convert. And I know a lot about converting video, but have had no good luck with .mov movies.

What software are you using? Often, you need to change the default settings in order to get the best quality. In the past I used WinX HD Converter with good results.

When you say, "to something our tv could play", do you mean DVD? Or a video format supported natively by your TV?

**luftfluss** · 07-17-2012, 09:43 AM

Originally posted by TJWest

hmm, for stills I am still very tempted by the k30, but the lack of HDMI, mono sound, and the fact that it is a .mov format is almost enough to make me wait for the K5 replacement or go to another brand altogether. I am not even buying it for video, but FFS, not buying it for video purposes, and making it a pain in the nob to make and view good videos are two different things. I do enjoy making the odd video of my kids. My four year old bridge camera even does stereo sound!

EDIT - HATE, hate .mov...

.mov is pretty much the standard these days for DSLR video - Canon, Nikon & Pentax all use it. As DWB states previously, it's simply a container and the actual codec is h.264.

HockeyDad · 07-17-2012, 09:58 AM

Wow! Thanks so much for the review!

It seems that Ricoh/Pentax is redefining what an entry level DSLR is to be. I know many will say that this is a Mid-level but to my knowledge, it's the cheapest DSLR Pentax makes so it's the price of entry for any newbie looking at the Pentax system AND a DSLR. However, I've said elsewhere that I think many newbies (myself included had it existed) will grab a K-01 because they've never used an OVF and couldn't care less.

So that said, whether the K-30 is an Entry or Mid-level DSLR, I find it very telling that all anyone benchmarks it against is higher-end DSLRs. I currently own a K-r and am struggling with justifying the expense of upgrading it since it is my first DSLR that I purchased only a year ago. The K-30 certainly has a greatly improved list of features over the K-x and K-r that preceded it. However, that's mostly convenience stuff (that I really really want). What I feel like I'm missing is a way to quantify just how big a jump the improvements to AF performance and IQ are over the K-r? Things like, when I'm shooting hockey in dimly lit arenas, will I get a significantly higher percentage of keepers due to the AF accuracy and speed combined with the new "predictive" abilities of select point AF? I know that exact question can only be answered by me... and probably will be when the fall season starts

... but in the meantime, I'd love some additional insight and/or comparative data against the DSLR(s) that the K-30 is actually replacing.

Unsinkable II · 07-17-2012, 10:07 AM

A really super review. One of the best I have read of any camera in terms of background knowledge and objectiveness.

I'm sure it is difficult to be a "general" reviewer comparing semi-equivalent Pentax/Sony/Canon/Nikon models, but it is perhaps even more difficult to compare models from the same company. There is a far higher level of detail and nuance required, and this review is worthy of credit.

Bravo!

LFLee · 07-17-2012, 11:22 AM

I don't agree with your suggestion Adam, on the forgoing the AA option all together. Please!! this is a very unique option and we should urge Pentax to include it in the K5 replacement as well!!
Battery capacity will not be affected by the AA battery compatibility. Right now the compartment and battery for Kr and K-30 is obviously not fully optimized. With new battery technologies and better design, it can surely fit AA batteries option in K5 replacement while keeping the high capacity dedicated battery!! You are so short-sighted to urge Pentax to remove it. I want that feature in K5 or its replacement instead!!

PLEASE! DID YOU DO A SURVEY HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT IT TO REMOVE???

It is a unique feature like WR for Pentax!!! come on!

PaoloG · 07-17-2012, 11:41 AM

Stellar review DWB! It makes my waiting for my pre-ordered K-30 slightly less painful.

Oh, and congratulations to your new job!

Could it be that Pentax will stop producing entry-level DSLRs cameras altogether? So there would be only mid-range DSLRs (K-30), semi-pro DSLRs (K-3) and hopefully Full-frames as a top-notch of the portfolio with advanced mirrorless cameras (K-01) dedicated for enthusiast as the entry-level alternative?

rumpole · 07-17-2012, 11:56 AM

Originally posted by photolady

I don't understand why they won't stay with one format on movies. .Mov is old technology; using Quicktime. eck!!

Has it been confirmed that the container is actually .mov format and not the newer MP4? I don't have a K30 but the manual says MP4.

It doesn't really make any difference anyway. Quicktime .mov format was the basis for the MP4 standard, and Quicktime Pro will convert a .mov to MP4 by passing through the video stream with no loss of quality.

MP4 is certainly not old technology. It's the basis of the entire current Apple ecosystem: iTunes store, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, etc only play MP4 videos. This at least ensures most device manufacturers support it (even if unlike Apple they allow other formats as well).

If you're editing your videos before you use them then I can't think of any current editing software that doesn't support MP4, and your software will be converting your output into DVD mpeg2 or avi or whatever format you want anyway. If you're using the videos directly with no editing then Youtube supports uploading MP4, so does Facebook. Even my old DVD player will play MP4.

Originally posted by photolady

And I know a lot about converting video.

LOL

**luftfluss** · 07-17-2012, 11:59 AM

Originally posted by PaoloG

Stellar review DWB! ]

Could it be that Pentax will stop producing entry-level DSLRs cameras altogether? So there would be only mid-range DSLRs (K-30), semi-pro DSLRs (K-3) and hopefully Full-frames as a top-notch of the portfolio with advanced mirrorless cameras (K-01) dedicated for enthusiast as the entry-level alternative?

I've been thinking this, too, that Pentax may forgo a true "entry-level" DSLR.

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07-17-2012, 08:38 AM	#16
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	I was so happy when I first read about the K-30. I was even going to save my money so I could buy one at Christmas as a present to me. However, now after reading the review, I'm thinking a K-5 would be the better new camera for me. One or two points has changed my mind. No top LCD, does not save movies in .AVI but .mov. Any of you ever tried to convert a .mov to .avi? I have, and I didn't like the results. So, for all it's new features, I think I'll keep my K-x and wait to see what a replacement on the K-5 brings me. Or perhaps, save my money for the now lowered price of a K-5.

07-17-2012, 08:39 AM	#17
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by photolady I was so happy when I first read about the K-30. I was even going to save my money so I could buy one at Christmas as a present to me. However, now after reading the review, I'm thinking a K-5 would be the better new camera for me. One or two points has changed my mind. No top LCD, does not save movies in .AVI but .mov. Any of you ever tried to convert a .mov to .avi? I have, and I didn't like the results. So, for all it's new features, I think I'll keep my K-x and wait to see what a replacement on the K-5 brings me. Or perhaps, save my money for the now lowered price of a K-5. Unfortunately for you, I don't think you're going to see Pentax go back to .AVI any time soon. :/

07-17-2012, 08:44 AM	#18
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Then I guess I'll buy a K-5. I don't understand why they won't stay with one format on movies. .Mov is old technology; using Quicktime. eck!!

07-17-2012, 08:48 AM	#19
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by photolady Then I guess I'll buy a K-5. I don't understand why they won't stay with one format on movies. .Mov is old technology; using Quicktime. eck!! .mov is just a container, like .avi. The underlying codec used by the K-30 (H.264/AVC) is far more advanced than what the K-5 uses (Motion JPEG).

07-17-2012, 09:05 AM	#20
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Still it's a .mov file. It's not going to let you get the underlying codec, change it to .AVI. You have to convert .mov to something you can see on a tv. I had one camea once that saved movies as .mov file, and trying to convert to something our tv could play was a nightmare. I never did get my niece's dance video to convert. And I know a lot about converting video, but have had no good luck with .mov movies.

07-17-2012, 09:20 AM	#21
mspoon Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: North Carolina Posts: 34	Thanks very much for the review! I'd been very torn between the K-30 and the K-5 and was leaning ever so slightly towards the K-30. Your review gave me the nudge to make the commitment. Made it in just in time, too -- Amazon had it bundled with the 18-135 for cheaper than anywhere else, for some odd reason. RIGHT AFTER I made the purchase, price jumped back up. So thank you very much for your timely review!

07-17-2012, 09:36 AM	#22
TJWest Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 116	hmm, for stills I am still very tempted by the k30, but the lack of HDMI, mono sound, and the fact that it is a .mov format is almost enough to make me wait for the K5 replacement or go to another brand altogether. I am not even buying it for video, but FFS, not buying it for video purposes, and making it a pain in the nob to make and view good videos are two different things. I do enjoy making the odd video of my kids. My four year old bridge camera even does stereo sound! EDIT - HATE, hate .mov...

07-17-2012, 09:41 AM	#23
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Originally posted by photolady Still it's a .mov file. It's not going to let you get the underlying codec, change it to .AVI. You have to convert .mov to something you can see on a tv. I had one camea once that saved movies as .mov file, and trying to convert to something our tv could play was a nightmare. I never did get my niece's dance video to convert. And I know a lot about converting video, but have had no good luck with .mov movies. What software are you using? Often, you need to change the default settings in order to get the best quality. In the past I used WinX HD Converter with good results. When you say, "to something our tv could play", do you mean DVD? Or a video format supported natively by your TV?

07-17-2012, 09:43 AM	#24
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Originally posted by TJWest hmm, for stills I am still very tempted by the k30, but the lack of HDMI, mono sound, and the fact that it is a .mov format is almost enough to make me wait for the K5 replacement or go to another brand altogether. I am not even buying it for video, but FFS, not buying it for video purposes, and making it a pain in the nob to make and view good videos are two different things. I do enjoy making the odd video of my kids. My four year old bridge camera even does stereo sound! EDIT - HATE, hate .mov... .mov is pretty much the standard these days for DSLR video - Canon, Nikon & Pentax all use it. As DWB states previously, it's simply a container and the actual codec is h.264.

07-17-2012, 09:58 AM	#25
HockeyDad Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Michigan Posts: 482	Wow! Thanks so much for the review! It seems that Ricoh/Pentax is redefining what an entry level DSLR is to be. I know many will say that this is a Mid-level but to my knowledge, it's the cheapest DSLR Pentax makes so it's the price of entry for any newbie looking at the Pentax system AND a DSLR. However, I've said elsewhere that I think many newbies (myself included had it existed) will grab a K-01 because they've never used an OVF and couldn't care less. So that said, whether the K-30 is an Entry or Mid-level DSLR, I find it very telling that all anyone benchmarks it against is higher-end DSLRs. I currently own a K-r and am struggling with justifying the expense of upgrading it since it is my first DSLR that I purchased only a year ago. The K-30 certainly has a greatly improved list of features over the K-x and K-r that preceded it. However, that's mostly convenience stuff (that I really really want). What I feel like I'm missing is a way to quantify just how big a jump the improvements to AF performance and IQ are over the K-r? Things like, when I'm shooting hockey in dimly lit arenas, will I get a significantly higher percentage of keepers due to the AF accuracy and speed combined with the new "predictive" abilities of select point AF? I know that exact question can only be answered by me... and probably will be when the fall season starts ... but in the meantime, I'd love some additional insight and/or comparative data against the DSLR(s) that the K-30 is actually replacing.

07-17-2012, 10:07 AM	#26
Unsinkable II Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 1,352	A really super review. One of the best I have read of any camera in terms of background knowledge and objectiveness. I'm sure it is difficult to be a "general" reviewer comparing semi-equivalent Pentax/Sony/Canon/Nikon models, but it is perhaps even more difficult to compare models from the same company. There is a far higher level of detail and nuance required, and this review is worthy of credit. Bravo!

07-17-2012, 11:22 AM	#27
LFLee Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,292	I don't agree with your suggestion Adam, on the forgoing the AA option all together. Please!! this is a very unique option and we should urge Pentax to include it in the K5 replacement as well!! Battery capacity will not be affected by the AA battery compatibility. Right now the compartment and battery for Kr and K-30 is obviously not fully optimized. With new battery technologies and better design, it can surely fit AA batteries option in K5 replacement while keeping the high capacity dedicated battery!! You are so short-sighted to urge Pentax to remove it. I want that feature in K5 or its replacement instead!! PLEASE! DID YOU DO A SURVEY HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT IT TO REMOVE??? It is a unique feature like WR for Pentax!!! come on!

07-17-2012, 11:41 AM	#28
PaoloG New Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 17	Stellar review DWB! It makes my waiting for my pre-ordered K-30 slightly less painful. Oh, and congratulations to your new job! Could it be that Pentax will stop producing entry-level DSLRs cameras altogether? So there would be only mid-range DSLRs (K-30), semi-pro DSLRs (K-3) and hopefully Full-frames as a top-notch of the portfolio with advanced mirrorless cameras (K-01) dedicated for enthusiast as the entry-level alternative?

07-17-2012, 11:56 AM	#29
rumpole New Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 4	Originally posted by photolady I don't understand why they won't stay with one format on movies. .Mov is old technology; using Quicktime. eck!! Has it been confirmed that the container is actually .mov format and not the newer MP4? I don't have a K30 but the manual says MP4. It doesn't really make any difference anyway. Quicktime .mov format was the basis for the MP4 standard, and Quicktime Pro will convert a .mov to MP4 by passing through the video stream with no loss of quality. MP4 is certainly not old technology. It's the basis of the entire current Apple ecosystem: iTunes store, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, etc only play MP4 videos. This at least ensures most device manufacturers support it (even if unlike Apple they allow other formats as well). If you're editing your videos before you use them then I can't think of any current editing software that doesn't support MP4, and your software will be converting your output into DVD mpeg2 or avi or whatever format you want anyway. If you're using the videos directly with no editing then Youtube supports uploading MP4, so does Facebook. Even my old DVD player will play MP4. Originally posted by photolady And I know a lot about converting video. LOL

07-17-2012, 11:59 AM	#30
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Originally posted by PaoloG Stellar review DWB! ] Could it be that Pentax will stop producing entry-level DSLRs cameras altogether? So there would be only mid-range DSLRs (K-30), semi-pro DSLRs (K-3) and hopefully Full-frames as a top-notch of the portfolio with advanced mirrorless cameras (K-01) dedicated for enthusiast as the entry-level alternative? I've been thinking this, too, that Pentax may forgo a true "entry-level" DSLR.