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"K30 has best specs of any entry level DSLR" - Video Review

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solarider

solarider

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"The Pentax K-30 has the best best specs of any of the entry level DSLRs. With a weather sealed body, two control dials, a 100% viewfinder and great image quality, it sounds amazing. To test the abilities of this little marvel, The Camera Store's Chris Niccolls took the K-30 on a float down the Bow River, where the weather sealing, AF abilities and dynamic range were put to the test!

Read our blog post on this shoot at: https://www.thecamerastore.com/blog/2012/07/19/pentax-k-30-hands-field-test

--
At any given moment, there is a sort of all pervading orthodoxy, a general tacit
agreement not to discuss large and uncomfortable facts… Anyone who
challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising
effectiveness. - George Orwell

“It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is, Victory is not possible. The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. … The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over [the purported enemy], but to keep the very structure of society intact.” George Orwell, 1984
 
Very responsive Live view being much faster than T4i. Big bang for buck, generally a very positive field test.

"...overall we really really like this camera." He's not big on it's looks but "... it handles well, we beat the crap out of it, takes that with no problem, which is great classic Pentax slr. We were very happy with the image quality overall... the autofocusing is vastly improved, that live view is a big surprise too... the camera continuously focuses nice, you get the dynamic autofocus... a nice feature in this price range... battery option is great, double A option is a cool feature... Pentax has really given you a lot for your money... it's great to see Pentax returning to their classic good value for the money, big bang for the bucks, so I do like that. It handles like a classic camera, easy to use...

"Overall, when you look at this price point with the lens, under $1000... we played with the T4i, this thing dominates a camera like that... much better SLR, much nicer features, and basically the same price point. Overall folks we recommend this highly as long as you get past that running shoe look, this is a great one to have."

Wow, I'm really excited now to expect great improvements for the top tier k5 replacement coming up soon!

--
At any given moment, there is a sort of all pervading orthodoxy, a general tacit
agreement not to discuss large and uncomfortable facts… Anyone who
challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising
effectiveness. - George Orwell

“It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is, Victory is not possible. The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. … The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over [the purported enemy], but to keep the very structure of society intact.” George Orwell, 1984
 
I liked a lot things about the review, but I would have liked to see more about great features like; green button, program shift, focus peaking, 100% OVF, User modes, S-mode, TAv. I didn't get a sense the reviewer knew much about Pentax.

I would also disagree with the "entry-level" descriptor. This is clearly a mid-level body, due to 100% OVF, viewfinder, WR and two wheels. I still expect to see an entry level Pentax at some point, with K-r type features.
--
Dan
 
Tim A2 said:
Is the K30 an entry level camera?
Click to expand...
Any camera with scene and auto modes on the dial is an entry-level camera in the sense it includes these settings specifically for entry-level buyers. So even the Nikon D7000 is an entry-level camera in the sense that a total beginner can pick one up without knowing anything and start shooting straight away in one of those two modes.

The K-5 has no beginner 'scene' modes and the Nikon D300 doesn't even have 'auto' either so an entry-level user would struggle with it. I suspect Nikon's touted D600 is being described as an 'entry-level' simply for no other reason (apart from cheaper build/cost) than it will include both auto and scene modes for beginners which has been hitherto unheard of sacrilege and desecration on a full-frame DSLR which have always been the preserve of the more serious pro buyers.
 
Not even microphone input for external stereo mic!

Does that sound like well-equipped entry level DSLR?
 
This is Pentax's entry level DSLR - all Pentax DSLRs are now Weather Sealed.
--
Regards Dean - Capturing Creation
N.B. All my Images are Protected by Copyright
 
temama said:
Not even microphone input for external stereo mic!

Does that sound like well-equipped entry level DSLR?
Click to expand...
No one can offer everything at this price point. Pentax offers the best photographic features, by far. My hobby is photography, not videography, so they made the right compromises AFAIC.

--
Dan
 
Tim A2 said:
That is a legitimate answer and a good way to look at it. Thanks. Some say Pentax no longer has an entry level camera; that they want to position the K30 a step above entry level. It's a matter of semantics, I suppose. It is what it is.
Click to expand...
For quite some time now, Pentax have always had an entry level and an enthusiast body in their line up.

The only reason the K-30 could be considered mid level is because Canon invented a new sub-entry level DSLR category with the 1000/1100D.

--
Zooms? pfffft!
 
temama said:
Not even microphone input for external stereo mic!

Does that sound like well-equipped entry level DSLR?
Click to expand...
A separate stereo sound recorder like the Zoom H2N will do a much better job than most any camera with separate mikes for about £150 and not be restricted by cables running back to the camera. I've seen reports that the video quality from the K-30 is better than the Canon T4i (650D) and as that camera is about £100 dearer then it's a no-brainer that the K-30 is better for video if you want to get serious about it. I don't at present but who knows later on?
 
sir_bazz said:
Tim A2 said:
That is a legitimate answer and a good way to look at it. Thanks. Some say Pentax no longer has an entry level camera; that they want to position the K30 a step above entry level. It's a matter of semantics, I suppose. It is what it is.
Click to expand...
For quite some time now, Pentax have always had an entry level and an enthusiast body in their line up.

The only reason the K-30 could be considered mid level is because Canon invented a new sub-entry level DSLR category with the 1000/1100D.

--
Zooms? pfffft!
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I know what "sub-entry level" means. Regardless.... in this day and age of dSLRs, a camera with a pentaprism is not entry level.
 
Jim in Hudson said:
I'm not sure I know what "sub-entry level" means. Regardless.... in this day and age of dSLRs, a camera with a pentaprism is not entry level.
Click to expand...
Just a few years back, we had cameras like the *ist DS, (which also had a pentaprism), which was the Pentax entry level body, the Canon 350D and the Nikon D70 all as entry level.

A few years after that, Canon "invented" a new class of camera that was even lower in spec than these, ie. the 1000D/1100D. Did Canon's xxxD series automagically become a mid level body just because a lower class of camera was released? Or is it still an entry level body? I just find it hard to call say the Canon 450D, a mid-level body when it was an entry level body when first released, (due to there being no xxxxD series at the time).

In any case it was much easier to classify bodies when each manufacturer had just two current APS-C bodies in their respective lineups.

--
Zooms? pfffft!
 
sir_bazz said:
Jim in Hudson said:
I'm not sure I know what "sub-entry level" means. Regardless.... in this day and age of dSLRs, a camera with a pentaprism is not entry level.
Click to expand...
Just a few years back, we had cameras like the *ist DS, (which also had a pentaprism), which was the Pentax entry level body, the Canon 350D and the Nikon D70 all as entry level.

A few years after that, Canon "invented" a new class of camera that was even lower in spec than these, ie. the 1000D/1100D. Did Canon's xxxD series automagically become a mid level body just because a lower class of camera was released? Or is it still an entry level body? I just find it hard to call say the Canon 450D, a mid-level body when it was an entry level body when first released, (due to there being no xxxxD series at the time).

In any case it was much easier to classify bodies when each manufacturer had just two current APS-C bodies in their respective lineups.
Click to expand...
I understand your point. However, the Nikon D70 was not entry level (according to Wikipedia at least). The D50 and came out shortly after the D70 as Nikon's entry level camera and it had a pentamirror. This was seven years ago and Nikon's entry level offerings have had a pentamirror ever since.
 
temama said:
Not even microphone input for external stereo mic!

Does that sound like well-equipped entry level DSLR?
Click to expand...
Very dumb post. First of all, if somebody is buying based purely on video, they will buy the gh2. Second of all, if somebody was shooting serious video with any dslr, they will have standalone mic equip. Not just external, but boom mics and such. The k30 video feature is an afterthought, for photog enthusiasts who may want to capture a clip here and there. Nobody is under the impression this camera is vying for the dslr video market, least of all pentax.

Thos who buy this camera will do so bc its perfect for street photog and outdoors. Weather sealing, great noise performance, bright prism VF, affordable.
 
Jim in Hudson said:
sir_bazz said:
Jim in Hudson said:
I understand your point. However, the Nikon D70 was not entry level (according to Wikipedia at least).
Click to expand...
Someone should correct Wikipedia then. :)
Click to expand...
Go ahead.... but the Wikipedia folks may ask you to explain in the article what the cheaper D50 was. :)
Click to expand...
Hehehehe

And I'll have to respond by asking them if the D70 automagically changed from an entry level to mid-level camera just because the D50 was released. :)

That'll get them scratchin' their heads.

--
Zooms? pfffft!
 
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