[Adam]

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The K-r is the latest 12.4 megapixel mid-range DSLR from Pentax.
The K-r body is expected to ship for no more than $799; a one-lens kit w/18-55mm will cost $849, a two-lens kit w/18-55mm & 50-200mm will cost $899, and a two-lens kit w/18-55mm & 55-300mm will cost $999.

• Buy from Adorama Camera
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Read our Full-Length Pentax K-r Review!

NOTE: This page has been moved to our Pentax Camera Database.


Below are improved features of the K-r over its predecessor, the K-x:
• Three stylish color choices include traditional black, the new classic white, and PENTAX red reflect any owner’s personal style.
• Large 3 inch LCD with 921,000 dots of resolution.
• Faster high speed 6 FPS framerate that captures 25 images in a single sequence.
• A maximum 1/6000 second shutter speed.
• Viewfinder focus point indicator.
• Improved in-camera HDR image capture including a Night Scene HDR mode.
• High sensitivity 100-25600 ISO range with improved noise performance from the new 12.4 megapixel CMOS sensor.
• Versatile dual-power-source design, which offers the choice of either a rechargeable lithium-ion battery or four AA-size battery power (using optional AA Battery Holder D-BH109).
• Infrared data transfer compatible with the IrSimple™ high-speed infrared data transmission system for wireless data transfer to the web or other IrSimple-compatible devices (includes a match-game between two PENTAX K-r’s).

Other important features of the new K-r models include:
• Widescreen 720p HD video at 25 FPS.
• PENTAX-original Shake Reduction mechanism for sharp, blur-free images that works with every PENTAX lens ever made
• Dust Removal mechanism, to shake dust off the CMOS image sensor.
• Highly responsive and accurate 11 point SAFOX IX autofocus system with dedicated AF assist lamp.
• Wide range of in-camera image processing and special effects filters.

Discuss the KR Here

Operating Manual

Pentax K-r
Year introduced 2010	Availability Worldwide	Mount KAF2 (without coupling for aperture ring)	Meter range 1 to 21.5 EV
Meter pattern m (16 segments) c s	ISO range (expanded) 200 - 12800 (100 - 25600)	Expanded dynamic range Yes, highlight and shadow	Exposure modes AutoPict, SCN, P, Sv, Av, Tv, M, B
Restrictions Exposure modes with M and K lenses are restricted to Av (with aperture always wide open) and M		Program modes Normal, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Night-scene Portrait, Flash Off
Scene Modes 11: Night Scene, Surf and Snow, Food, Sunset, Stage Lighting, Night Snap, Night Scene HDR, Kids, Pet, Candlelight, Museum		Exposure compensation +/-3 EV	Exposure lock Yes
Shutter speeds (auto) 30s - 1/6000s (stepless)	Shutter speeds (manual) B, 30s - 1/6000s	Mirror lock-up Yes	Shutter life At least 100,000 actuations
Self timer / Interval shooting Yes / Yes	Continuous shooting Hi: 6 fps (25 JPG, 12 RAW), Lo: 2 fps (unlimited JPG, 36 RAW)		Shake reduction Yes
Auto bracketing Yes (3 frames)	HDR mode Yes	Multiple exposures Yes	Built-in flash Yes, GN 12 (ISO 100), 16 (ISO 200)
TTL flash No	P-TTL flash Yes	Sync speed 1/180s	Flash exposure comp -2 to 1 EV
Extra external flash functions Wireless, High-speed, Contrast control	Autofocus Yes (SAFOX IX, 11 focus points), AF.S, AF.C and AF.A	Autofocus sensitivity -1 to 18 EV	Autofocus with SDM Yes
AF Assist Dedicated lamp (can be disabled)	Front/Back focus corr Yes, one adjustment	Power zoom No	Lens correction Yes
Viewfinder 0.85x, 96%	Viewfinder type Pentamirror	Diopter adjustment -2.5 to +1.5	AF Points in viewfinder Yes
Exchangeable screen No	Depth of field preview Yes	Digital preview Yes (with image magnificaion)	Live view Yes
Video/Movie Mode 1280x720p / 25fps (16:9) 640x480p / 25 fps (4:3)	Movie mode restrictions The aperture is fixed during recording. Autofocus is not available during recording.	Sound in Movie mode Mono (built-in mic) No provision for external mic	Camera controls 1 control wheel. Most functions accessed through info screen or menus
Custom Functions 22	Sensor 12.4 MP CMOS with SP coating	Image size 15.8 x 23.6 mm	Color Depth 3 x 12 bit (RAW)
Dust removal / alert Yes / Yes	Pixel mapping Yes	File format DNG, PEF, JPG, AVI	Memory card type SD, SDHC (max. 32GB), SDXC via firmware update
Tethering No	Back LCD 3 in. 921,000 pix	Top LCD No	Weather resistant No
Battery Li-Ion D-LI109 or 4 x AA with optional battery holder	Battery grip No	Size (W x H x D) 125 x 97 x 68 mm	Weight 544 g (598 g with Li-Ion battery and SD card)
Latest firmware Version 1.01
Comment IrSimple high-speed infrared data transmission. Embed copyright information in EXIF. Image plane indicator. In-camera RAW development. Save last JPG as RAW. High ISO noise reduction is customizable separately for each ISO setting.

High Iso Noise Reduction
Auto	Applies Noise Reduction at optimally calculated levels thoughout ISO range (default setting)
Off	Does not apply Noise Reduction at any ISO setting
Low/Medium/High	Applies Noise Reduction at constant chosen level throughout ISO range
Custom	Applies Noise Reduction at user-defined levels for each ISO setting

Slow Shutter Speed Noise reduction
Auto	Applies Noise Reduction as necessary based on shutter speed, sensitivity and internal temperature (default setting)
On	Applies Noise Reduction when the exposure time is longer than 1 second
Off	Does not apply Noise Reduction

Attached Images

         

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Last edited by Ole; 01-18-2011 at 07:41 PM.

[jackassp]

Pros	Add some nice features to a "K-x"
Cons	None really
Rating	9
Price (U.S. Dollars)	700
Years Owned	A few weeks

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
Currently costs more than the K-x, but does add some nice features. Slightly larger size, much better looks.
Compatible with all the old and new Pentax lenses (of course)

Camera Review
In use, it feels like you are still using a K-x, but it feels more solid, and it looks more serious.

Improvements / Pros
- Good image quality again
- Good high ISO performance (25600 not really usable)
- More accurate AF in natural light (questionable under tungsten)
- Much faster AF
- Very fast continuous shooting
- Usable Live View, with greatly improved focusing speed and accuracy
- More flexible battery options (Li-Ion or various AAs) Better battery life
- Much more usable, low light AF illumination (works very well)
- Much improved video, without the "jelly"
- Extra filters, cross-processing options
- Hand held HDR now possible (with correct settings)
- Illuminated AF points in viewfinder
- Greatly improved LCD screen resolution and clarity, better info layout
- Faster continuous shooting, can capture 25 jpegs in rapid succession.
- Soon to be released FW upgrade to support SDXC memory cards.
- Quieter shutter, but still noisy compared to K-7 or K-5

Negatives / Cons
- Cost (but it's not exorbitant

Everything it does, it does at least as well as the K-x, and that includes the photos it takes, but the added features make it just that more enjoyable.

Cheers from Jack.

[dogbloggerjonh]

Pros	image quality, ease of use
Cons	Can't find any
Rating	10
Price (U.S. Dollars)	899
Years Owned	one month

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
Great value. Great performance. Just plain great.

Camera Review
I’m submitting my review of my Pentax K-r DSLR. I must admit though, I am a little partial to this camera because of what it has done for my life. For more than a dozen years I was a sports columnist, then found myself laid off in Nov. 2005. For just over five years I was unemployed and scratching for a way for my family and I to get by. The economic times and situation here meant very little prospects in my field. However, recently I stumbled upon a position in my field (journalism). However, I would also be required to take photographs for each article. After speaking with some professionals, I decided to go with a Pentax K-r. I borrowed the money from a relative to purchase a K-r kit with a Pentax 55-200 telephoto lens, and began reading the book and experimenting with the camera.

Please understand, my job prospect hinged not only on how well I performed as a writer (which I had confidence in), but how well my photographs were. I had little experience with photography in the past, but the K-r was easy to use, and produced high quality, professional-grade images – and I really didn’t know what I was doing. I set the mode and pressed the shutter release at first. And – amazing images! It allowed me to shoot fast-action sporting events as well as feature-style photographs. Not only was I pleased with the results from my K-r, so were the editors. I got the job and my K-r and I are now gainfully employed and getting back on our feet. Thank you Pentax.

So, my review may not be as technical as many other out there, and I know that. However, this review is a real-world example on how well this camera performs. If this camera didn't perform when I needed it to, then I'm still looking for work and struggling to make ends meet.
I’m learning to be a top-notch photographer, beginning to grasp the more technical aspect of the camera, and my K-r is always with me. I love it, and, more importantly, I love what it’s been able to do for me and my family.

I don’t know if I could ever give this camera a more glowing review. Sure, there are some out there who will test the camera extensively in all types of situations. They’ll find fault, and benefits of the K-r. Me, on the other hand, only know one thing about the Pentax K-r – it’s performance, quality and versatility saved my family, and allowed me to look toward a brighter future. It’s allowed me to find a job, and it helped me discover a true passion in my life, photography. Thank you, Pentax, and thank you K-r!

[LIJ]

Pros	Easy to use, excellent image quality
Cons	Film mode not up to par
Rating	8
Price (U.S. Dollars)	935 dollars (6780 Swedish kronor)
Years Owned	1 week

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
Good value for the money spent. The K-r seems to ad a little extra not given by the competition in the same price range. Improves the main drawbacks of the K-x, most notable the lack of AF points in the view finder. Quite small in size for a DSLR.

Camera Review
After one week’s use, the Pentax K-r seems like a good quality DSLR. The build is sturdy (although not weather proof) and all the buttons are easy accessible, at least for my hands. The functions are logical and easy to understand if one has some basic understanding of how cameras work, although there are some special features to figure if one uses manual lenses, for example, when stopping down the lens to take a light metering one can for instance use the EV-compensation button, something that is not mentioned in the owner’s manual.
The K-r has all the usual capture modes (portrait, landscape etc. together with M, AV, TV and P) as well as Pentax’ ISO priority mode (Sv). It also has a number of in camera processing options, including an HDR function which works reasonably well even when the camera is hand held.
However, what makes the K-r stand out is image quality. The colours are vibrant and the metering works well. The autofocus is quick and very often seems to pick up the “right” focus point. It has the option of using up to 11 focus points. In live view mode however, the focusing seems to be quite slow. Even at high ISO’s the image quality is very good. There is very little noise up to 1600 ISO. The claimed ability to take 6 pictures per second also seems to work in reality. Even the built-in flash works ok, although it cannot be compared to an external one.
The kit lens, the SMC Pentax-DA L 18-55 AL, is very good for being a kit lens, probably the best kit lens I have come across, although it has somewhat of a cheap feel to it.
There are also some drawbacks with the K-r, however I will not go into things that you cannot expect from a DSLR in this price range. One feature that would be nice is an auto ISO limiter (the function where you can limit how high the ISO is allowed to go when it is in auto mode). At least I haven’t been able to find that. The K-r has an option to use regular AA batteries, but in order to do so, you have to buy an optional battery holder to put in the camera. It would have been nice if Pentax had included that. Also, there is not included an AV cord in the box, so you can connect the K-r to a TV unless you buy one of those cords (the K-r also lacks an HDMI output). Furthermore, my K-r came without an owner’s manual included in the box. Apparently Pentax had forgotten to put one in. Nothing major, but annoying. The manual is downloadable from Pentax’ website.

[enjoytheride]

Pros	fast, good IQ, ease of use
Cons	non articulated LCD, price
Rating	8
Price (U.S. Dollars)	750 body only
Years Owned	2 months

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
bought the body only and a
SMC Pentax-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL II separate.

Camera Review
my first Dslr after many years of using a canon megazoom point and shoot. bought the Kr after buying and returning a Nikon d5000. I am def satisfied with my decision. The Kr is faster in every regard over the d5000. Image Quality is great, especially in low light. viewfinder is big and bright. Solid feeling construction, a good weight but not too heavy.

post shot proccessing is a little slow on the camera itself but not a big gripe. i really wish the LCD was articulated. even my old canon had that. but again not a huge gripe. the biggest complaint i have is the price. but given its a brand new camera, its not a surprise.

overall im very pleased. looking to buy a another lens soon.

[Gennatay]

Pros	Image quality, high ISO, continuous shooting
Cons	Loud Shutter
Rating	10
Price (U.S. Dollars)	$899 Kit
Years Owned	1 month

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
For a beginner DSLR this was a great value. I paid $899 for the body and two (18-55 and 50-200) lens.

Camera Review
I bought this camera after weeks of research on entry-level DSLR. I want to take better pictures on my family and especially my son. Also, I was growing out of my point and shoot and wanted better quality and more control over my shots.

I bought this camera kit because of its small and light-weight design. It fits easily into my small hands without feeling too heavy or bulky. It has an easy learning curve, the menu is very well laid out as are the controls and it comes with 2 lenes (great value). I am very happy with this purchase.



Attached is one of the first pictures I shot in full manual mode. Im still practicing, but I can see improvements in my shots already

[bodhigav]

Pros	high iso performance, body feel, in body IS, compatibility
Cons	in-camera focus-confirm for legacy lenses is not as good as expected
Rating	9
Price (U.S. Dollars)	$750 for 2 kit lenses
Years Owned	2 months

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
the size and body is great, I love the compatibility with legacy Pentax and m42 lenses via adapter. Overall, I don't regret switching from Canon to Pentax.

Camera Review
Well, I had a Canon 450d before this and don't regret the change to Pentax platform a minute. I bought the K-r plus kit lens and 55-300 lens combo on Amazon for $750 (don't worry, it will return to this price point soon). The Pentax at 3200 ISO looks better than the Canon at 1600 ISO. The ergonomics are much better and the auto ISO range is great. I sold off the 2 AL lenses (they lack the quick-shift AF of true DA lenses) to buy the 16-45 zoom and am pleased with the result. However, I prefer shooting with primes and really like the 35mm 2.4 AL. It's cheap (comparitively) and very good for the money. Overall, I like Canon for the selection of lenses, but think you get more for the money with Pentax. I can't wait to get a Limited 70mm. Overall, I wanted better high ISO performance and didn't wan't to pay around $1000 for the Canon 60d body. The K-r has fulfilled this recquirement and gone beyond. Overall, I'm very happy with purchase.