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06-26-2014, 01:30 PM   #1
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Should I upgrade to K30 from Kr

I am very happy with my K-r.
A local electronics store has K30 on sale. Body only is $399.

I am debating to myself should I go for it?

06-26-2014, 01:31 PM   #2
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That's a pretty good deal- I'd go for it. Better image quality, AF, live view, viewfinder, build quality, and video- you can't go wrong

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06-26-2014, 01:41 PM   #3
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Is the body new?

Slighty used they hover around 300-320ish USD IIRC. I believe the k-50 body only new is sold on Adorama now for 421USD but I'm not sure if they ship to Canada and if they do, I don't know if it's free.
06-26-2014, 01:48 PM   #4
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forgot to mention It is new with 2 yr warranty. It is a display model, not used or customer return.

06-26-2014, 02:32 PM   #5
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It won't hurt, but for most people it's better to invest in a lens. I went from a K-x to a K-5 (a bigger jump) and my IQ didn't change much. It did with my lens purchases.

But if you're having trouble with your AF performance, or you constantly get caught in rainstorms, then it might be worth it.
06-26-2014, 04:01 PM   #6
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I upgraded from a K-x to a K-5 and found my pictures to improve dramatically. TAv mode alone is worth it.
06-26-2014, 05:39 PM   #7
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Definitely an upgrade in multiple ways. Go for it!

06-26-2014, 08:16 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by boriscleto Quote
I upgraded from a K-x to a K-5 and found my pictures to improve dramatically. TAv mode alone is worth it.
If you'd invested that money toward a used * or Ltd lens (for example, DA*55 or FA77 Ltd) you might have seen more improvement. You have many lenses which are a great value, but very few which reach beyond the lower mid-range in IQ. And when I say "reach beyond," I mean only by a small margin. AFAIK, the K55/1.8 may be the best lens you have, with some of the A primes and a couple of F zooms reasonably close behind them.

The lens gap is bigger than the moderate jump from 12MP to 16MP, or the other small gains the K-5 has over the K-x.

Last edited by DSims; 06-26-2014 at 08:29 PM.
06-27-2014, 12:19 PM   #9
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I'd be tempted too if I were in your case. Can you hold out while you save up a bit more and the K-3 comes down in price? I'd kind of lean toward a higher end lens too unless you strongly feel your Kr is limiting you.
07-01-2014, 04:47 PM   #10
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Thanks for the inputs. I will pass the K-30 deal and wait for the chance to do a bigger upgrade.
07-01-2014, 08:37 PM   #11
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K5iis...
07-02-2014, 04:27 PM   #12
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I did, upgraded my Kr to a K30 and happy I did
07-02-2014, 05:06 PM   #13
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Wait a little and you'll find a K-5 deal or something! Patience pays off.
07-02-2014, 06:39 PM   #14
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I would have said go for the K-30. You can't buy a lens that's goin go make a difference for $399. But going from 12 to 16 Mp will visibly improve your images, if you print them at any size. Honestly, my K-01 is as good for IQ as my K-5, and made my 12mp K-x completely redundant, we gave it away. The sensor in the K-30 is the same as the K-5, and the K-30 was the first big improvement in AF, that culminated with the K-3. As I've said many times, 12 mp is the bare minimum in many regards, and doesn't give you much room to crop. Not to mention the shadow recovery possible with that sensor in the K-30 sensor is worth the price of admission by itself.

I once read a paper by an academic stating 14 bit was functionally the same as 12 bit processing. I've seen nothing between my K-01 and K-5 that would disprove that.
07-02-2014, 06:56 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
I would have said go for the K-30. You can't buy a lens that's goin go make a difference for $399.
I think this might be true with your shooting style and subject matter, but I don't think it applies to everyone, by any means. Especially if older lenses are in the running.


For example, an F or FA135/2.8 can make a huge difference for a shooter who doesn't already have a DA*50-135. IQ is nearly identical, but the FA135 beats the pants off it in AF performance and size (which is why I have both).
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