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Pentax K-30 Beginner Digital SLR
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The Pentax K-30 digital SLR was one of the biggest surprises for me this year. Not only does it have better image quality than comparably-priced digital SLRs, it also has much better features, including a weather-sealed body, truly fast 6 FPS high-speed burst, focus peaking and built-in image stabilization. In fact, it’s a pretty big stretch to call it a “beginner digital SLR,” although it has plenty of beginner-friendly features. For outdoor photographers on a budget, the Pentax K-30 is absolutely my top DSLR recommendation. It will cost you a bit more than the price listed above, but buy it with the excellent weather-sealed Pentax 18-135mm zoom lens (instead of the standard 18-55mm) and you’ve got a wonderful do-it-all DSLR camera kit that will last you for years.
Pentax K-30 Studio Sample Photos >>
- Street Price: approximately $799 with 18-55mm kit lens
- 16.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
- 1920 x 1080 full HD video
- Built-in sensor-shift image stabilization
- Sensitivity: ISO 100 to 12,800 (expandable to ISO 25,600)
- Burst: 6 FPS
- 3-inch 921k-dot LCD
- Focus peaking
- Weather-sealed body
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About the author: Photo-John Photo-John, a.k.a. John Shafer, is the managing editor of PhotographyREVIEW.com and has been since the site launched back in 1999. He's an avid outdoor enthusiast and spends as much time as possible on his mountain bike, hiking or skiing in the mountains. He's been taking pictures for ever and ever, and never goes anywhere without a camera.
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Olympus E-PL1 FTW!
You like the E-PL1 huh, Thien? Do you think it’s an adequate DSLR replacement? I know you have a DSLR, too. How much do you use it now that you have the E-PL1?
Wish I could field test the Sony Alpha SLT-A33 to see how it performs against the A100 I’ve been using for the past three years. I had really good results with some minor peeves with the Alpha A100 and would like to see how the technology has improved up to this point.
Derek-
I’m really curious about the A33 image quality and performance, too. It’s quickly moving to the top of the list of cameras I’d like to review next. There’s no doubt that it’s better than the A100 since the A100 is over 4 years old now and Sony has been making some of the most innovative cameras on the market in the past couple of years.
@ derek,
I compared it to my A550 and had to return the A33. Mine might be a fluke, but the A550 not only had better focus accuracy, but it never overheated. The A33 overheated after using it about 30 minutes in 75-80 degree weather, nothing extreme temperature wise. I would be afraid to use it in anything warmer. While the image size was the same, I had a 2 in 10 shot ratio of spot on focus compared to the A550. This may be ok for portraits, not good when needing to crop the image (where every pixel counts). Last straw was the auto focus during video recording. I found no way to control it for objects running across your focus path. If ANYTHING runs across it, the lens cycles to gain focus. There is no way to program the camera to allow a 1 second pause for light poles, children, or team-mate players that block the shot for a second. The overheat and non-controllable auto focus forced me to return to carrying a camera and video camcorder. Note: also, as a matter of prefference, the A33 never felt right in my hands due to it’s small size. Sony should have kept a traditional size camera and filled it with heat sinks or something.
~Chris
I bought the top rated bridge camera of 2005. It was rubbish. Then I bought the Nikon D40 in 2008. WOW!!!
Now I have been a Nikon man since 1975 with the Nikkormat FT2, Nikon F301, Nikon F601. But the D40 is brilliant.
It is not about the camera. It is about the person using it. We’ve heard about that a million or so times. But the underrated Sony is way too efficient that users of traditional gear do not believe it since they haven’t tried it.
Olympus makes some great cameras.I think if I were to pick one for someone starting I would say go with the E-30 though, as it is an actual SLR. And since it has been out a while can be had for about the same as a newer pen.pick up the 14-54 2.8 and you have an amazing camera that will last you through the beginner stages and far beyond.a nice fair to have in a body its dual control knobs- one for aperture and one for shutter. It has a solid AF system as well. Compared to the rebel series and the entry level Nikos the quality its
significantly higher as well.