Pentax K-r Review

Name: Pentax K-r
Brand: Pentax

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Main Features

12MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 12800( expands to 100 - 25600)

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

6.0fps continuous shooting

598g. 125 x 97 x 68 mm

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Pentax K-r Overview

Launched in March 2011, Pentax K-r is a 12.0MP Entry-Level DSLR camera with a APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor, built-in Image Stabilization and Pentax KAF2 lens mount.

Pentax K-r Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Recommended Accessories
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Pentax K-r is a member of Pentax's Entry-Level DSLR class cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this class and how their main specs have changed with each new model.

Pentax Entry-Level DSLR Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Pentax KF Compare	November 2022	24.0MP - APS-C	6.0 fps	126 x 93 x 74mm	684g
Pentax K-70 Compare	June 2016	24.0MP - APS-C	6.0 fps	126 x 93 x 74mm	688g
Pentax K-S2 Compare	February 2015	20.0MP - APS-C	5.4 fps	123 x 91 x 73mm	678g
Pentax K-50 Compare	November 2013	16.0MP - APS-C	6.0 fps	130 x 97 x 71mm	650g
Pentax K-500 Compare	November 2013	16.0MP - APS-C	6.0 fps	130 x 97 x 71mm	646g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side-by-side:
Pentax KF vs K-70 vs K-S2 vs K-50 vs K-500

Alternative Model names found for Pentax K-r: Kr and K r.

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pentax K-r PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Pentax K-r review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Image Stabilization

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

12.800 Max ISO

11 Focus Points

921k dots LCD Resolution

1/6000s High Shutter Speed

6.0fps Max Continuous Shooting Speed

598g Light Body

Timelapse Recording

9 Cross Type Focus Points

Flash Sync Port

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Buy Pentax K-r from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Articulating Screen

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

0.57x magnification - Small Viewfinder

Low Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Low Battery Life: 470 shots

No Environmental Sealing

Poor Low Light Performance

Not so wide AE Bracketing Range: ±1 EV

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Pentax K-r Physical Specs

Pentax K-r weighs 598 g (1.32 lb / 21.09 oz) and has external dimensions of 125 x 97 x 68 mm (4.92 x 3.82 x 2.68″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 773g, Pentax K-r is a remarkably light camera for its class. With a thickness of 68mm, it has an average thickness for its class.

Weight Comparison

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Pentax K-r

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Thickness Comparison

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Here is the front and top view image of Pentax K-r with the dimensions:

Front and Top View External Dimensions and Size of Pentax K-r Camera Body

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Pentax K-r, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Pentax K-r Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Pentax K-r with its main competitors:

Pentax K-r Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs K-r	Thickness	vs K-r
Pentax K-x Compare	580g	18g lighter	68mm	equal thickness
Pentax K-7 Compare	750g	152g heavier	73mm	5mm thicker
Pentax K-30 Compare	650g	52g heavier	71mm	3mm thicker
Pentax K-5 Compare	740g	142g heavier	73mm	5mm thicker
Pentax K20D Compare	800g	202g heavier	70mm	2mm thicker
Pentax K10D Compare	793g	195g heavier	70mm	2mm thicker
Pentax K-50 Compare	650g	52g heavier	71mm	3mm thicker
Pentax K200D Compare	690g	92g heavier	74mm	6mm thicker

Weather Sealing

Pentax K-r doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Pentax K-r Lens Mount and Lenses

Pentax K-r has a Pentax KAF2 lens mount and currently there are 163 native lenses available for this mount. Pentax K mount has backward compatibility for all the K mount lenses produced since 1975 so Pentax users has access to a large selection of manual era native lenses in addition to the modern AF lenses.

K-r also has a Sensor based Image Stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on K-r. Sensor based image stabilization is one of the most useful features that you can have in an ILC.

Weather-sealed Lenses for Pentax K-r

There are 27 lenses with weather sealing for Pentax K-r but bear in mind that K-r body doesn't have weather sealings.

Here are some of the most popular Pentax K-r Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Pentax KAF2 Mount Lenses for Pentax K-r

Model	Focal Length equiv.	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Pentax D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW	225-675mm	35mm FF	2000gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM	225-750mm	35mm FF	1780gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
HD Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR	82.5-450mm	APS-C / DX	466gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW	24-75mm	APS-C / DX	712gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax smc DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED WR	75-300mm	APS-C / DX	285gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax DA 18-50mm F4.5-5.6 DC WR RE	27-75mm	APS-C / DX	158gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE	82.5-450mm	APS-C / DX	471gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax smc DA 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 ED SDM	27-405mm	APS-C / DX	453gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Here you can find the lenses that are compatible with K-r classified by suitability to certain photography types:

Check our Pentax K-r Lenses page for more detailed lens search.

Pentax K-r Sensor and Photography Features

Pentax K-r has a 12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Prime II processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4288 x 2848 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. K-r has a native ISO range of 200 - 12800 which can be boosted to 100 - 25600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Pentax K-r is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Fujifilm X-T5 with its 40.2MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Pentax K-r vs Fujifilm X-T5 or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

Pentax K-r DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Pentax K-r sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 72 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Pentax K-r here.

Let's look at how the size of the Pentax K-r's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Pentax K-r Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Pentax K-r LCD and Viewfinder

Pentax K-r has a Fixed Type 3.00-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 921k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

Unfortunately Pentax K-r doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best DSLR Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.

K-r has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor. The viewfinder has a coverage of 96% and a magnification ratio of 0.57x. 96% coverage means that what you see in your viewfinder while shooting will slightly be different from the actual image.

Pentax K-r Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Pentax K-r has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

Pentax K-r Battery

Pentax K-r is powered by D-LI109,4 x AA battery which provides a battery life of 470 shots according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of DSLR type cameras is 943 shots, Pentax K-r has a short battery life for its class so we strongly recommend K-r owners to invest in some extra batteries.

Battery Life Comparison in Entry-Level DSLR Cameras

Pentax K-r

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Average

Max

Pentax K-x with its 1900 shots is the model with longest battery life among Entry-Level DSLR cameras. Check the comparison of Pentax K-r vs Pentax K-x or take a look at Longest Battery Life DSLR cameras list.

Pentax K-r Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Pentax K-x Compare	1280 x 720	1900shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-7 Compare	1280 x 720	980shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-30 Compare	1920 x 1080	410shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-5 Compare	1920 x 1080	980shots	No	No	No
Pentax K20D Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Pentax K10D Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-50 Compare	1920 x 1080	410shots	No	No	No
Pentax K200D Compare	None	shots	No	No	No

Pentax K-r Video Features

With Pentax K-r, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1280 x 720 at 25 fps and save in and Motion JPEG formats. 1280 x 720 is a low video resolution by todays standards. If video quality is important for you, we recommend you to look at cameras with Full HD, even better 4K / Ultra-HD resolution .

Microphones, Speaker and Headphone Connections

Pentax K-r has a built-in Mono microphone but no speaker. On the other hand, Pentax K-r doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a DSLR camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Pentax K-S2 or Pentax K-3 in a similar price range.

Pentax K-r Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Pentax K-r can shoot continuously at max speed of 6 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/6000 sec.

Flash

K-r has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

Focusing

Pentax K-r features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 11 focus points and 9 of these sensors are of Cross-type. Cross-type sensors locks focus faster and more accurate compared to single type sensors.

Pentax K-r also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

What type of Photography is Pentax K-r Good for?

In this section, we review and score Pentax K-r in 5 different photography areas.

Pentax K-r for Portrait Photography

Pentax K-r has a score of 66 for Portrait Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Portrait Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-r for Portrait Photography

Check the Best Pentax KAF Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography

Pentax K-r for Street Photography

Pentax K-r has a score of 83 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing

Image Stabilization
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-r for Street Photography

Check the Best Pentax KAF Mount Lenses for Street Photography

Pentax K-r for Sports Photography

Pentax K-r has a score of 78 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Ergonomics&Handling

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-r for Sports Photography

Check the Best Pentax KAF Mount Lenses for Sports Photography

Pentax K-r for Daily Photography

Pentax K-r has a score of 66 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body

598g
Body Thickness 68mm

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-r for Daily Photography

Pentax K-r for Landscape Photography

Pentax K-r has a score of 37 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theK-r.

Live-view
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor

Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-r for Landscape Photography

Check the Best Pentax KAF Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography

Pentax K-r Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Pentax K-r compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Pentax K-r alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Pentax K-r

Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Pentax K-r amongst Camera Decision readers.

Pentax K-r Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare the Pentax K-r with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Pentax K-r's price range.

Pentax K-r Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Pentax K-r has an Overall Score of 62/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Pentax K-r is ranked #96 out of 210 in DSLR cameras (Top 20 DSLR), and ranked #327 out of 1276 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#327 out of 1276 in Top Ranking Cameras
#96 out of 210 in Top Ranking DSLR Cameras
#39 out of 82 in Top Ranking Entry-Level DSLR Cameras
#138 out of 274 in Top Ranking APS-C Sensor Cameras
#20 out of 35 in Top Ranking Pentax KAF Lens Mount Cameras
#282 out of 393 in Largest Viewfinder Magnification Cameras (0.57x)
#58 out of 144 in Lightest DSLR Cameras with APS-C sensor(598g)
#87 out of 920 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen
Geek Score: 0

Pentax K-r

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Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Frequently Asked Questions about Pentax K-r

Does the Pentax K-r have Image Stabilization?
Does the Pentax K-r have RAW support?
Does the Pentax K-r have Weather Sealing?
Does the Pentax K-r have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Pentax K-r?
What is the Sensor Size of Pentax K-r?
is the Pentax K-r a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Pentax K-r have Touch Screen?
Does the Pentax K-r have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Pentax K-r?
What is the Weight of Pentax K-r?
What are the Dimensions of Pentax K-r?

Pentax K-r Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Pentax
Model	Pentax K-r
Announced	2011-03-11
Body Type	Compact SLR
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Pentax KAF2
Number of Lenses	163
Focal Length Multiplier	1.5×
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Technology	TFT LCD monitor
Screen Size	3.00"
Screen Resolution	921k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	96%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.57x
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/6000s
Max Continuous Shooting	6.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync	1/180s
Flash Modes	Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Trailing Curtain Sync, High-Speed Sync and Wireless Sync
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	72
DxO Color Depth	22.9
DxO Dynamic Range	12.4
DxO Low Light ISO	755
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Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Dimensions	23.6 x 15.8 mm
Sensor Area	372.88mm²
Sensor Resolution	12 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4288 x 2848
Max Native ISO	12,800
Max Boosted ISO	25600
Min Native ISO	200
Min Boosted ISO	100
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
Number of Cross Focus Points	9
Video Features
Video Resolutions	1280 x 720 (25 fps), 640 x 480 (25 fps)
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720
Video Formats	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	598g
Physical Dimensions	125 x 97 x 68mm
Battery Life	470 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	D-LI109,4 x AA
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Optional
Storage Type	SD/SDHC
Storage Slots	1
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