Review on Pentax K-30 Weather-Sealed 16 MP CMOS Digital SLR (White by Walter Velasquez

.GO! In my opinion, Pentax succeeded with this camera. I am the current owner of Kx and this camera has served me very well over the past few years. I wanted to upgrade to a newer/better version of Pentax. This camera takes everything that was in the Kx and extends what made this camera great into what I think is an amazing camera. High ISO images are very good. I cranked it up to ISO 6400 and didn't notice any noise in my Christmas light photos. I am sure you will notice significant noise as you approach 12800 or extend to 25600. But shooting at 6400 and below I wouldn't have any uncertainty. The viewfinder is a pentaprism. Which is rare in its price range. Most of these cameras offer pentamirrors. Doesn't matter? With a pentaprism you get a 100% field of view, what you see in the viewfinder is captured. I found no fault with the 18-135mm lens I bought in the kit. I don't and usually don't have pixelated squeaks. Seems to be a very solid lens. I like that it covers a very good range from wide-angle to moderate telephoto. The weather resistance is AMAZING for this price range. I've gotten it out in the rain and my 3 year old doused it while I was taking pictures of him in the bubble bath. I can't wait for snowstorms (unless temperatures drop below 14 degrees Fahrenheit) or the next spring/summer thunderstorm when I'm trying to get that perfect flash shot. You honestly don't understand what this weather resistance offers until you experience it. I used to romp around indoors with Kx. I use my camera mostly, almost exclusively for stills, not video. The K-30 records video at 1080p/30 fps, which is an advantage for some of you. However, it does not have stereo microphones. Again, it's okay with me, I photograph things, I don't video them. I could buy a $250 camcorder that would blow almost any camera out of the water if I wanted to record video. The display is much better than the Kx, I can't do justice to the upgrade over the Kx. 3" and 921K. Very solid display, of course nothing shakes or moves, but the camera is waterproof after all. The fact that it is stationary doesn't bother me. In any case, I take 99% of the photos through the viewfinder. I have it tries to really give an honest real time composition review and with the new big and clear display it seems easier. Focusing is much faster than the Kx and it tops out on focus/video. Again I can' I bought this camera over the K-5, K-5II and K-5II mainly because it's cheaper, but to be honest I like the fact that when I'm pressed for time I can pick a scene and I can let the camera do the calculations and if I want to set it to full manual mode I can do that too Pentax also offers Av, TAv, Tv, User etc modes where the camera has a ( or more) exposure, aperture, ISO and you choose the rest. Very nice feature. Compared to similarly priced SLR cameras; In true Pentax tradition, you get a lot for your money. Top notch APS-C images, weatherproof body, fantastic ISO images etc. I only wish Pentax would spend more money on marketing and reintroduce themselves to the US market/stores. These cameras are very good and I love the fact that nobody seems to know about them. Please ask me questions and I will try to answer.