Pentax K-50 vs Pentax K-30

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Pentax K-50 and the Pentax K-30, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Pentax K-50 was introduced in November 2013 and Pentax K-30 was introduced in October 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Pentax K-50 Highlights

      • 16.3 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 51,600 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points (11 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 6.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 25 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Pentax K-30 Highlights

      • 16.3 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points (11 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 6.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 25 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Pentax K-50
      4. Advantage of Pentax K-30
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30.

      PROS

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   51,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/6000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/6000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)

      Advantage of Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-50
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax K-50 over Pentax K-30.

      Pentax K-50 vs Pentax K-30
      Cheaper Body only: $599/£529; body with 18-55mm WR lens: $779/£599; body with 18-55mm and 50-200m WR lenses: $879 vs Body: US $849.95, with 18-55mm kit lens: $899.95
      Higher Native ISO 51,600 vs 12,800

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Pentax K-50.

      Canon R100
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      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Pentax K-5 IIs
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      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Sony DSLR-A200
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      OM System OM-1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20.4 MP

      Sony DSLR-A700
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.24 MP

      Pentax 645D
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      Medium format

      40 MP

      Olympus E-450
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Leica M11 Monochrom
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      Full Frame

      60.3 MP

      Fujifilm X-M1
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      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Sony a7R III
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      Full Frame

      42.4 MP

      Sony NEX-5T
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      APS-C

      16.1 MP

      Canon 1D III
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      APS-H

      10.1 MP

      Advantage of Pentax K-30

      Pentax K-30
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax K-30 over Pentax K-50.

      Pentax K-50 vs Pentax K-30
      Selective Autofocus vs
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 1120 vs 1129

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Pentax K-30.

      Fujifilm X-Pro2
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Nikon Z30
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      APS-C

      20.9 MP

      Nikon D4s
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      Full Frame

      16.2 MP

      Canon 5DS
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Pentax K-01
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      APS-C

      16 MP

      Sony a6400
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 7D II
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon Rebel T5
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Canon 5DS R
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Panasonic GH5S
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.28 MP

      Panasonic GH1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Canon 70D
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Pentax K-50 Pentax K-30
        CheapBody only: $599/£529; body with 18-55mm WR lens: $779/£599; body with 18-55mm and 50-200m WR lenses: $879Body: US $849.95, with 18-55mm kit lens: $899.95
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Image StabilizationSensor ShiftSensor Shift
        Built-in Flash
        Environmental Sealing
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Pentax K-50 Pentax K-30
        Few Focus Points1111
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        Low Video Recording Limit25 min25 min
        No HDMI Output
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi connection possible Eye-Fi connection possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        Short Battery Life410 shots410 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 have 3.0" Fixed screens with 921k dot resolution.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. They both have 100% coverage and 0.92x (0.61x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Pentax K-50 features a 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 372.1 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 51,600. Pentax K-30 features a 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 246.5 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Cameras are equipped with PRIME M processor and can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. They can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 4224 x 2816, 3456 x 2304, 2688 x 1792 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Pentax KAF2 lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.5x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.


      In-Body Image Stabilization

      The cameras have a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when cameras are paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer.


      Battery

      Pentax K-50 comes with D-LI109 battery pack with battery life of 410 shots and Pentax K-30 comes with D-LI109
      4 x AA battery pack with battery life of 410 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/6000 sec on Pentax K-50, and up to 1/6000 sec on Pentax K-30. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100.. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or Wireless connection. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 bodies have the same dimensions of 130 x 97 x 71 mm (5.12 x 3.82 x 2.8") and they both weigh 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz).

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      130 mm

      97 mm

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      130 mm

      97 mm

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      97 mm

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      97 mm

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      71 mm

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      71 mm

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      Size comparisons of Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30

      Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      81
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      81
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      72
      •   51,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      72
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   51,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      81
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      81
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      83
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      GOOD
      83
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      83
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      GOOD
      83
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30 and give both of them the score of 67 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      OVERALL
      67
      OVERALL
      67

      Sensor

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      70
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   51,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79

      Photo

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      77
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/6000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      GOOD
      77
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/6000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Video

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      79
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      80
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot

      Connectivity

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      POOR
      46
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      46
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-30

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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