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

This is my first DSLR so I can't directly compare it to others. I bought it in mid-April 2013. I'm not a Pentax fan, at least I wasn't when I bought it: I made my decision by comparing the specs with other cameras in the same price range at the time. Weather protection, in-camera stabilization, and low-light performance were key factors, all of which lived up to the reviews and my expectations. I also like the idea of at least partial backwards compatibility with most existing pre-digital Pentax lenses, although I haven't had the money to take advantage of that yet. I haven't used the video feature at all and I don't care, so I can't speak about it. This review is mainly for people who are new to DSLRs - if you're one of them you already know everything I do and more. I have a body (black) with an 18-135mm weatherproof lens because I see no point in buying a weatherproof camera with an unsealed lens and I wanted more coverage than the 18-55mm kit- Lens. Either way I'm glad I didn't go for the cheaper option and now that body prices are coming down with the release of the next model, the K-50, I'd recommend a better lens to anyone. I'm still learning the features of the camera and how to use it, but even as a complete newbie to DSLRs, I was able to get good pictures almost straight out of the box. The menu system seems complicated at first, but once you start with simpler settings and work your way up, it's easy to master. The manual is detailed and easy to understand, and the Pentax Forums website (not affiliated with the manufacturer) was also a great help in getting the most out of the camera. Physically, the camera suits me well. I have relatively small hands and don't have any grip or weight issues, even with a large lens. The controls are fairly well laid out and I had no trouble accidentally changing settings during recording or fumbling around to change things when I wanted to. The viewfinder is comfortable and the 100% crop means there are no surprises - what you see is what you get, good or bad. I don't use the LCD screen for photography very often, but I've had no problems with it except in very bright sunlight or at awkward angles. There is no other weatherproof DSLR in this price range. I love shooting in the rain and on the beach so keeping water and sand away from the camera and lens is important to me. I wasn't quite an adventurer yet, but I've had a camera in the rain and on the beach, including a full saltwater immersion, no problem. I enjoy watching other camera owners escaping the waves or packing their gear in the rain. At this point I'm usually shooting in a mode where I can set the aperture and shutter speed while the camera sets the ISO. Initially, however, I used automatic settings almost exclusively and generally had good results. I use image stabilization all the time because I don't have the steadiest hands and after experimenting with it a few times I found that it makes a big difference at slower shutter speeds. The picture quality is very good. 8x10 prints from my semi-decent printer look great. The original size of the images is 13.6 x 20.5 inches, and while I've never seen prints this large, I expect well-executed full-size shots to be usable. This is with my decent but not great lens; I expect better lenses to give better results. The camera works very well in low light conditions. Especially when shooting in RAW format, very good details can be extracted from poorly lit shots, despite the increased noise compared to well-lit shots. I haven't figured out how to get the most out of the flash yet, so it's good to have a camera that works well without extra light and in situations where you don't need to be noticed. By the way, about the announcement of your presence. A: The only downside that I know for sure that isn't due to my lack of experience is that the camera is quite noisy. For example, it's significantly louder than my friend's Nikon D-7000. This is not a problem under normal conditions, but I took some pictures in a quiet environment. In single-screen live view, the mirror goes up and down twice (depending on autofocus settings), giving you twice the noise. This shouldn't be a big deal unless you're taking candid close-ups or photographing shy creatures, but it's important and I've felt a little intrusive at times when shooting outdoors or on the beach. .I mainly photograph landscapes, flowers and people. I haven't done much action shooting, so I can't say how well the camera will handle things like soccer (whether in the US or the rest of the world), basketball, and the like. I have some good surf/bodyboard recordings. (See flickr.com/photos/honolala for some of my results) I would suggest getting a spare battery - I have this: Pentax K30 Digital Camera Battery Lithium Ion (1200mAh, 7.4V) - Replacement for Pentax D -Li109 battery and AA adapter just in case. I took over 400 shots before changing the battery and I haven't run out of a single one, but I don't use the flash or LCD very often. I also recommend getting the fastest memory card possible and carrying a spare card. I have two of these SanDisk Extreme 16GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-1 45MB/s SDSDX-016G-AFFP flash cards. The K-30 has many features that I haven't fully explored yet, but even when I'm not making the most of them, I'm able to capture some very satisfying images. The more I learn, the better it gets. I would highly recommend it to anyone who needs the security that weather protection offers, as well as a very good sensor and easy to learn menu. You will benefit from this for years to come.