Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)

I have been using the KR now for almost a week so these are my initial impressions. The best way to describe this camera is a KR with several new improvements, though more evolutionary than revolutionary.

My favorite new features are the improved LCD (higher resolution), visible AF point, faster live view focusing, faster shooting at 6 FPS and faster focusing in all environments, especially in low light though with the new AF assist lamp. I cannot emphasize the AF capability in low light. The KR focuses fast, even in almost total darkness.

Another new feature is the capability to use AA batteries as well as Lithium ion. It comes with a Lithium ion battery and charger to start.

The image stabilization is still in body as Pentax has been doing for years. This allows the use of many Pentax lens and still have stabilization.

The high ISO capability with the KR is great as it is with the KX. I had a T2i and find the high ISO capability better with the KR. Plus the white balance requires less adjustment with the Pentax. It seems like I was always modifying the white balance settings with the T2i. This came as a shock to me knowing some of the white balance issues I have seen with Pentax cameras in the past.

One of the coolest new features that I really like is the capability to convert the last JPG picture taken to RAW. So let's say you take a picture and you cannot take it again (one time opportunity!) and the JPG was not up to par...You can save it as RAW and then convert in camera or in software later. This is only possible for the last JPG taken however.

The video will work in a pinch but is not the strength of this camera. It is 720P and 25 FPS with no auto focus. The T2i is better in this arena but I honestly never used it much. Despite DSLR improvements in this area (especially with the T2i), I still prefer using a camcorder.

However, the KR is a photographic tool and has lots of options once you start wanting to experiment a little more. Get it with the 55-300 lens (great lens!) if you can swing it. It is a great deal with the 2 lens kit and truly a savings versus buying it later.

Pentax is often overlooked in the DSLR arena. The KX has been a great seller for Pentax. If you have one, I would not necessarily upgrade to the KR, though some of the new features are nice. If you are looking for your first DSLR or possibly switching from another brand, I highly recommend the KR.

This is my 5th Pentax Digital Camera. I currently own and use the Pentax K-r, K-x and K200. They are all exceptional cameras that produce stunning results with nominal effort. By far, the K-r has shown it superiority in rapid focus in low light conditions. The cameras are small, sturdy and perform as expected. The price for these entry level and serious amateur cameras is a bargain considering the superior results. Add a quality 2.8 prime lens and turn out photos to rival Cannon and Nikon at one-third the price.

Buy Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black) Now

I chose Pentax because I already have 2 Pentax SLR bodies and wanted to be able to use my lenses. I chose the K-R over the K-X based on a lot of reading and what I thought was a good fit for me (and cost, too).

I love my new camera! I got it less than a week before a trip to Europe and am extremely satisfied with the photos I took without a chance to really learn the camera. I am a total amateur and new to digital cameras, so when I say it is easy to use it really is.

My favorite features so far:

exceptional low-light results I can only say WOW!

capability to use AA batteries as well as Lithium ion I bought the AA adapter and had to use it in an emergency so glad I had this as a back up to the lithium battery

Couple of reasons I picked this camera:

said capability to use AA batteries

stabilization in the body not in the lenses

I've taken a couple of thousand photos with it and am really pleased with the results. I'm looking forward to really learning what it can do.

Read Best Reviews of Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black) Here

Please see update at end. My initial enthusiasm has been replaced with frustration.

First some comments on other reviews on some other sites. One reviewer claims there is a lack of visible AF points. That is simply wrong. Not only are the AF points visible in the viewfinder but you can set the AF point as well. Next, a reviewer claims the AA battery adapter is expensive. That may be true as the ability to use Lithium or AA (a great plus)is relative but you can buy a cheap one for less than $10. This reviewer also claims that the exposure bracketing is limited to 1/3 stops. Not correct. You can set the feature for up to a 3 stop range! Finally a reviewer states that high end cameras use a CCD sensor rather than a CMOS sensor. I just checked the Nikon $7,000 job and it uses CMOS (albeit full frame size)and their mid-level camera does too but their low end job uses CCD.

You should also know that this camera is just a bit of a power hog. It will get the shots claimed but with all the electronica on the camera your experience may vary. I would suggest a back up battery. They can be had cheap for less than $10.

Now my experience for the last month. This is my first DSLR. I have been happily using Pentax cameras since the early seventies. This summer I went to Europe and I shot over 20 rolls of film with my beloved and unbreakable SF1. After spending hundreds of dollars on processing it was obvious a change to digital was necessary. After months of research I decided on the K-R. You just trust this company. Also, and this is what snagged me, ALL of the old lenses work with this camera and the shake reduction is in-body rather than in the lens. My glass on my SF is superb and I wanted to use these lenses. The K-R "reads" these lenses almost like the new lenses. I think the only thing the DA lenses bring to the table is automatic aberration correction. You can correct the older lenses manually however if you can even notice any aberration

This is a really terrific digital still camera, although I still think I like film better (Luddite!). Fit and finish are superb. The burst exposure mode rate is as advertised. I just bought a 32 gig class 10 card (over 3000 shots in full rez RAW!) and was able to blow off over 30+ shots at full rez before it slowed down at all. My photos so far are pretty darn good.

My gripe with this camera though is it is too darn flexible (read complicated). You can reset almost everything and the defaults are not necessarily the most desirable. While the menus are pretty easy to navigate, it has taken a while to finally have all the menus and options where I want. There are so many options that it is imposable to remember how to access them or that they even exist. Constant reference to the user manual is a necessity. I tried to buy a second one from Pentax to use in the field but they tell you to download the PDF version. Of course you can just set the camera to auto picture mode right out of the box and fire away but then why buy a camera that can do so much? On the other hand this is a camera that you can grow with and not worry that next year's model will be significantly better.

My next gripe is about the video capabilities. The K-R is only 720p not 1080p as is common now and has no auto focusing in movie mode. It also does not have an HDMI output to directly connect to a HDTV. You have to load the movie onto a thumb drive before you can play on TV for example. It records mono rather than stereo as is standard elsewhere. It is obvious that Pentax did not catch the wave of DSLR video capability. My two year old $100 Flip type video camera has more flexible video capability if not video quality. They lose a star over this issue.

My final gripe is that the "Live View" on the LCD screen has a bit of a lag when moving the camera around. I rarely use anything but the viewfinder though.

All in all though if you take your still photography semi-seriously, want great lenses that are backwards compatible (front compatible too as my SF uses the new DA lens with no problem) and want a camera that is really a mid-user DSLR camera that is a really good value at an affordable entry level user price, this is for you.

UPDATE: Pentax discontinued the camera and I've grown displeased with it on a general level. I find that the sharpness has to be adjusted in editing software for most shots. Additionally the accuracy of the metering system can be hit and miss. Two identical shots taken in sequence will come out where one is OK and the other underexposed. The shadows and highlights do not balance out properly. The movie mode just sucks and is surpassed by even $200 point and shoots. Not to have proper video capability (no HDMI output? Come on!) in this day and age is absurd. After so long with one great Pentax camera (SF1) it seems stupid to have a camera that now seems obsolete so quickly. I have lots of Pentax lenses however so I'll probably get sucked into buying another Pentax once they get video right.

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I used a Pentax K1000 for many years, and loved it! So thought I'd try a "newer" version, and wanted to be able to use all my lenses. My only complaints are that I didn't get the 55-300 tele-photo lens with it, to take advantage of the auto-focus feature, which provides excellent photos with minimal fuss. The "digital age" brings SO many options to "learn" that it can be overwhelming at times... Translating little pictographs into the proper capture mode takes some getting used to, like anything else new... However, the more I use this camera, the better I like it. Still reading the book and trying things... Lots to learn... But with the "auto" features and basic settings (and my very basic understanding of the thing), it starts well ahead of the typical "point-n-shoot" cameras.