Cool Move, Pentax!

I have always liked Pentax cameras. I have used two of them. If you are on a budget and want to buy the most feature-packed camera and not leave a big hole in your wallet at the same time, this is the camera for you: the Pentax K-30, which starts shipping in July.

This is, as far as I know, the only midrange DSLR to have weatherproofing that can match, or even exceed, the creme de la creme cameras from Canon and Nikon. A combination of weather seals and high grade materials make this camera water, dust, and cold proof. You can use this camera at temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius!

And that blue color just looks so much fun! As far as I can tell the only thing that sets this apart from the much-loved Pentax K-5 of "old" is the top LCD display. The materials are also different, this time a blend of polycarbonate plastic and stainless steel, whilst the K-5 is made of magnesium alloy and steel. Professional cameras are magnesium alloy only, which means they are harder and practically immalleable. Of course this also makes them so much more expensive.

But alas, the camera body alone does not make the camera. You also need a wide array of lenses to be able to fully appreciate it. And this is where Pentax unfortunately still lags behind. If Pentax starts to make tele lenses longer than 300mm and reduce the price of their "Limited" range of prime lenses then they will surely give Canon and Nikon a BIG run for their money.

Nonetheless I am very glad that Pentax did not decide to drop out of the DSLR race after being sold to Ricoh. I am pretty sure that the K-30 will be one of the best-selling cameras this summer. I will probably not buy it myself, but I will surely drop by my camera store to check them out once they start to hit the shelves.