Pentax K-50 vs Pentax K-30

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Pentax K-50

16 MP | APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

$609.89

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Pentax K-30

16 MP | APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

$525.00

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Pentax K-50 vs Pentax K-30 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two DSLR cameras by Pentax. Pentax K-50 was introduced to market in November 2013 and Pentax K-30 was launched in October 2012. There is 13 months difference between K-50 and K-30 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger K-50, especially in sensor tech.

Both Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 cameras have 16.0MP APS-C sensors.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Pentax K-50 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-11-27

16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 51600

Pentax KAF2 Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

6 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

650g. 130 x 97 x 71 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Pentax K-30 Compare

Pentax K-30 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-10-29

16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)

Pentax KAF2 Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

6 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

650g. 130 x 97 x 71 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Pentax K-50 over Pentax K-30

Max ISO	51.600 vs 12.800	303% higher Max ISO
AE Bracketing Range	±3 EV vs ±2 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR

Reasons to choose Pentax K-30 over Pentax K-50

Low Light ISO	1129 vs 1120	better High ISO performance

Common Strengths of Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	All the lenses are stabilized
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 921k dots	Higher resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	6.0fps vs 6.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)	Yes vs Yes	Adjust each lens for accurate focusing

Common Weaknesses of Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30

Articulating Screen	No vs No	No flexible viewing angles

Pentax K-50 vs Pentax K-30: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30. In this case, we can see that Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 have the exact same height, width and thickness.

Here is the back view size comparison of Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30.

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 have exactly the same weight of 650g.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 have the same APS-C sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-50

K-30

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-50

K-30

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Both K-50 and K-30 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don\'t tilt or flip in directions.

Pentax K-50 vs Pentax K-30: Sensor Comparison

Both Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 have APS-C sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the K-50 and K-30 sensor size comparison.

Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores
At Camera Decision, we also look at Dxo Mark sensors when available as we think it is a good indicator of image quality.

What types of Photography are Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Pentax K-50 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-30 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Pentax K-50 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-30 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details

Pentax K-50 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-30 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Read the details

Pentax K-50 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-30 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
650g
Body Thickness 71mm
Read the details

Pentax K-50 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-30 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Pentax K-30 vs Pentax K-50 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 have the same Pentax KAF2 lens mount and currently there are 150 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type	# of Pentax K-50 Lenses	# of Pentax K-30 Lenses
Standard Zoom	22	22
Standard Prime	19	19
Wideangle Zoom	12	12
Wideangle Prime	24	24
Telephoto Zoom	21	21
Telephoto Prime	12	12
SuperZoom	15	15
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	3	3
Macro Prime	14	14
Perspective Control Prime	8	8
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	n/a
TOTAL	150	150

Pentax K-50 vs Pentax K-30: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 scores compare:

Pentax K-50

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #27 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #186 out of 1200 in all Cameras

Pentax K-30

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #42 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #190 out of 1200 in all Cameras

Pentax K-50

$609.89

Pentax K-30

$525.00

Pentax K-30 vs Pentax K-50 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Pentax K-50	Pentax K-30
Brand	Pentax	Pentax
Announced	2013-11-27	2012-10-29
Body Type	Compact SLR	Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	APS-C
Dimensions	23.7 x 15.7 mm	23.7 x 15.7 mm
Area	372.09mm²	372.09mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4928 x 3264	4928 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity	51,600 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	11	11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Pentax KAF2	Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses	150	150
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.61	0.61
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/6000s	1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (at ISO 100)	12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync	1/180s	1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	6.0 fps	6.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	650g	650g
Dimensions	130 x 97 x 71mm	130 x 97 x 71mm
Battery Life	410 shots	410 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Optional	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	79	79
DxO Color Depth	23.7	23.7
DxO Dynamic Range	13.0	13.0
DxO Low Light ISO	1120	1129
	Report a correction	Report a correction