Our hands-on video review of the weather-resistant Pentax K-30 Digital Camera covers the standout features of the camera, and also shows it in action with a couple of lens choices, including the SMC Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED lens and the SMC Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL lens. The K-30 is equipped with an APS-C 16.3MP image sensor, 3-inch LCD screen, optical viewfinder and a movie mode that supports Full HD 1080p video capture at up to 30 fps. The K-30 also features excellent low-light performance, as well as image stabilization with a sensitivity setting, continuous 6 fps burst mode and quick autofocus. Another highlight of the K-30 is the camera’s open RAW file format, which doesn’t require any special software and will open right up in Adobe Photoshop. Plus, the user-friendly ergonomic design and intuitive controls make the K-30 easy to use for shooting photos or video. Check out the review for a closer look.
| Sensor Type | CMOS with primary color filter |
| Sensor Size | APS-C (23.7 x 15.7mm) |
| Color Depth | 8 bit/channel JPEG, 12 bit/channel RAW |
| Effective Piexels | 16.3MP |
| Total Pixels | 16.5MP |
| Dust Removal | Sensor movement with SP coating on low pass filter |
| Pixel Mapping | Yes |
| Image Stabilization | Sensor-shift SR with rotational compensation (3 stops maximum) |
| Lens Mount | Pentax KAF2 Bayonet |
| Usable Lenses | Pentax KAF3, KAF2, KAF1, and KA (others with optional adapters) |
| SDM Function | Yes |
| Focus System | SAFOX IXi+ TTL phase-detection |
| Focus Points | 11 points (9 cross) |
| Focus Sensitivity Range | EV -1 to 18 (ISO 100) |
| Focus Modes | AF.A (auto), AF.S (single, w/focus lock, focus/shutter priority selectable), AF.C (continuous, w/focus/FPS priority selectable), Manual |
| Focus Point Adjustment | Auto 11 pt, Auto 5 pt, User-Selectable (with Expanded Area AF), Center |
| AF Assist | Yes via dedicated LED AF assist lamp |
| Focus Peaking | Yes (not available while recording video) |
| Metering System | TTL open-aperture 77 segment metering |
| Exposure Sensitivity Range | EV 0 to 22 (ISO 100, 50mm f/1.4) |
| Metering Patterns | Multi 77, Center, Spot |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 5 EV (1/3 and 1/2 steps) |
| Exposure Lock | Yes |
| Exposure Bracketing | 3 frames, up to +/- 2 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 steps |
| Shutter Type | Electronically controlled, vertical-run, focal plane shutter |
| Shutter Speed | 30-1/6000 sec., bulb |
| Viewfinder Type | Pentaprism |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.92x |
| Standard Focusing Screen | Natural-Bright-Matte III (interchangeable) |
| Diopter Adjustment | -2.5 to 1.5m |
| Depth of Field Preview | Optical (diaphragm stop-down), digital |
| LCD Monitor | 3.0" / 7.6 cm 921K-dot TFT-LCD |
| Live View Type | TTL by CMOS image sensor |
| Live View Field of View | 100% |
| Live View Display Modes | Magnification (2-6x), Grid Overlay (4 x 4, Golden Ratio, Scale), Bright/Dark Indication, Histogram |
| Live View Autofocus | Contrast detection AF (face detection, tracking, select, spot) |
| Built-In Flash Type | Retractable P-TTL popup flash |
| Guide Number | 39.4' / 12m at ISO 100 |
| Flash Coverage | 28mm wide angle equivalent |
| Flash Modes | On, Redeye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync + Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless |
| Flash Exposure Compensation | -2 to 1 EV (1/2 steps) |
| External Flash Connection | Hot shoe (P-TTL) |
| Sync Speed | 1/180 sec. |
| Storage Media | SD, SDHC, SDXC |
| Interfaces | USB 2.0, AV out, cable switch |
| Video Out | NTSC, PAL |
| Microphone | Built-in monaural |
| Power Source | D-LI109 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, optional 4x AA battery holder |
| Recordable Images | Approx. 560 (lithium-ion), 1600 (AA) |
| Playback Time | 300 min. (lithium-ion), 620 min. (AA) |
| Movie Recording Time | Up to 25 min. clip length |
| Recorded Resolutions | 4928 x 3264 (16MP) 4224 x 2816 (12MP) 3456 x 2304 (8MP) 2688 x 1792 (5MP) |
| Quality Levels | Best, Better, Good |
| File Formats | RAW (DNG), JPEG, DCF 2.0, DPOF, PIM III |
| Color Space | sRGB, AdobeRGB |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto, 100-12800 (expandable to 25600) |
| White Balance Type | Image sensor detection with light wavelength sensor assist |
| White Balance Modes | Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent (D, N, W, L), Tungsten, Flash, CTE, 3 manual, and 3 Kelvin temperature presets |
| White Balance Fine Adjustment | +/- 7 steps, A-B axis or G-M axis |
| Capture Modes | Hyper Program (P), Sensitivity Priority (Sv), Shutter Priority (Tv), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter & Aperture Priority (TAv), Hyper Manual (M), Bulb (B), User (U1, U2), Scene (SCN), Auto Picture (AUTO), Movie |
| Auto Picture Modes | Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Object, Night Scene Portrait, Night Scene, Blue Sky, Forest |
| Scene Modes | Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Object, Night Scene Portrait, Sunset, Blue Sky, Forest, Night Scene, Night Scene HDR (JPG), Night Snap, Food, Pet, Kids, Surf & Snow, Backlight Silhouette, Candlelight, Stage Lighting, Museum |
| Custom Image Modes | Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome, Cross Processing |
| Face Detection | Yes |
| Digital Filters | Extract Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Color |
| Dynamic Range Adjustment | Highlight, shadow |
| Digital Level | SR auto-level function |
| File/Folder Customization | Folder name (standard, date), file name (standard, customizable), embed copyright |
| Drive Modes | Single, Continuous (Hi, Lo), Self-Timer (12 s, 2 s), Remote (0 s, 3 s, continuous), Auto Bracketing (3 frames, standard, timer, remote) |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | Up to 6 fps |
| Multiple Exposure | 2-9 exposures, auto exposure adjustment |
| Interval Exposures | 999 exposures, 3 sec. to 24 hr. interval, time delay |
| HDR | Auto, HDR 1, HDR 2, HDR 3, pixel alignment |
| Playback Modes | One Shot (no data, basic data, full data, color channel histogram, bright/dark indication, copyright info), Multi Image Display (4, 9, 16, 36, 81 thumbnails), Magnification (up to 16X, scrollable, quick magnification), Image Rotation, Calendar Filmstrip, Display, Folder, Slideshow, Select & Delete, Movie Playback (no data, basic data, full data), Save RAW Data From JPG (if available in buffer memory) |
| Playback Mode Pallete | Image Rotation, Digital Filter, Resize, Cropping, Slideshow, Save as Manual WB, RAW Development, Index Print, Image Comparison, Protect, DPOF, Movie Edit, Extract JPG from Movie |
| Playback Digital Filters | Monochrome, Extract Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Color, Tone Expansion, Sketch Filter, Watercolor, Pastel, Posterization, Miniature, Soft, Starburst, Fisheye, Slim, Base Parameter Adjustment |
| Video Resolutions | 1920 x 1080p30/25/24 1280 x 720p60/50/30/25/24 640 x 480p30/25/24 |
| Video Quality Levels | Best, Better, Good |
| Video File Formats | MOV, MPEG-4, AVC (H.264) |
| Video Sound | Audio gain adjustment |
| Video Capture Modes | Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome, Cross Processing |
| Video Digital Filters | Extract Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Invert Color, Color |
| Video Interval Movie | 3 sec. to 24-hr interval, 12 sec. to 99-hr record time, time delay (AVI, MJPG) |
| Custom Functions Available | 23 |
| Laguages | English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, Russian, Korean, Traditional/Simplified Chinese, Japanese |
| Primary Construction Materials | Reinforced polycarbonate over stainless steel chassis |
| Operating Temperature | 14-104°F (-10-40°C) |
| Dimensions | 4.8 x 3.1 x 2.3" / 12.2 x 7.9 x 5.8 cm |
| Weight | 22.8 oz / 646.4 g |