Pentax K-50 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Silver/Black)

Arriving barely a year after the release of the K-30, the K-50 is very similar to its predecessor with only a few minor tweaks including 120 unique color options.

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  Very good still image quality, Eye-Fi wireless compatibility, Good continuous shooting speed, In-body stabilization, Weather sealed

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  No continuous AF during video capture, Video on the slow side to initiate, Kit lens lacks sharpness at maximum aperture

A reasonable option for an entry-level dSLR, the Pentax K-50 should satisfy if you need the weather-sealed design. But while acceptable, it and its cheaper sibling the K-500 lag behind the competition in image quality and performance.

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  The Pentax K-50 features a weather-sealed body that's unique in its price class, an interesting set of shooting features, support for AA-size batteries, and a relatively nice viewfinder. Plus, it comes in colors, if that appeals to you.

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  Image quality and performance, while acceptable, don't match the competition's, and the cameras lack an articulated LCD. Also, both the shutter and the lens make a lot of noise.

The rugged, weather-sealed K-50 offers high image quality, speedy burst modes, and low noise at high ISO settings. Two dials for quick navigation, many customizable functions, and a good selection of digital effects round out the offering.

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  High image quality, Customizable buttons, Two well-placed dials, Good high ISO performance, Burst modes perform well, Sensor-shift shake and dust reduction, Big pentaprism viewfinder, Live view on high-resolution LCD, Rugged, weather-sealed body, Can run on AA batteries, Comes in 120 different...

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  Auto focus is slow when using Live View, No continuous auto focus in video mode, Li-ion battery life could be better, LCD does not tilt or swivel, No HDMI port, No external microphone jack

With a colorful, weather-sealed exterior and solid image quality, the Pentax K-50 shouldn't be overlooked.

The Pentax K-50 doesn't leave much to be desired. Like its predecessor, the K-30 , it delivers excellent image quality, has a host of innovative and unique features, and has many capabilities and options that are typically reserved for higher-end cameras.

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  Excellent image quality, In-body shake reduction and dust removal, Competetively priced, User-friendly interface, Very fast live-view autofocus, Loaded with features otherwise uncommon for its class, 100% pentaprism viewfinder, Fully weather-sealed, Durable construction, Handles well, AA...

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  12-bit RAW files, rather than 14-bit, Viewfinder autofocus speed lags behind the competition, Autofocus poor for sports, Drops out of live view when menu is accessed or mode is changed, Loud autofocus with screwdrive lenses, Somewhat loud shutter, Live view button oddly placed, Relatively-short...

Pentax’s cameras are always hard to compare to those from other manufacturers; it opts for more rugged designs and often eschews the trendy features du jour. With the K-50, Pentax neither pushes the limit on pixel count nor jams in as many video capabilities as possible.

The Pentax K-50 is chock-full of features, and those features--many of them, including in-camera vibration reduction and weather sealing, unique at this price--increase its allure. But its mixed image quality constrains its appeal.

The best thing about this camera is its weatherproofing credentials, so to get the most of it, partner it with the 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 WR (weather resistant) optic.

This is quite a meaty DSLR kit unit, however for me a little spoilt by its white colour, while this may be being picky – again – it does draw attention to the unit and if you are taking images in a ‘less savoury area’ it could mean you are targeted.

Features like the in-body Shake Reduction and weather resistance give the K-50’s similarly priced rivals a real run for their money. The fast write times and speedy AF performance really impressed us and the only minor gripes we could find were the rather pedestrian user interface, slightly slippery...

The Pentax K50 is a solid, satisfying camera, its sensor is capable of excellent results but it is still lacking a bit in terms of focus speed.

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  image quality, handling, controls

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  (somewhat) focus, video

I bought my first Digital SLR about seven years ago after using it's film version happily for about seven years. It died after two years so I bought a high-end digital point and shoot camera instead that served me fairly well most of the time although limitations of the autofocus (no manual mode...

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  Very fast and accurate autofocus in spot mode; smooth, low noise shutter action. Automatic capture mode has so far easily handled all the subjects and situations I have tried it on, even ones that didn't work with for previous cameras I have used.

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  A little too small for my large hands but I think I will get used to using it.

One of the best dslrs especially for beginners. Immediately twin dials are available. Dust resistant. I enjoyed this camera. I sold it because of two reasons. One is that the AF-point selections are two concentrated near the center of the sensor.

I have not use the camera yet but the price and what you get for the price is great, great.