"Megapixels are only important when yiu're printing very large prints" THANK YOU! I tell people this at best buy and they look bewildered at what i tell them

Just bought this camera Spyros, and I love it. I have quite a lot of older k mount lenses from my film days so this was not a huge investment ($579 with 18-55 wr). I am glad to be shooting Pentax again. The controls and menu are very intuitive and the ergonomics are beautiful. This camera fits and feels wonderful (better than an equivalent Canon or Nikon). As far as the video, I actually have no problem with it; the quality is amazing and there are many workarounds to some of the limitations that it does have like using external recorders, and manual lenses with aperture rings will allow you to change the video settings during recording (like Nikon). I am amazed and very happy with this camera and I am sure that anyone else would be also. After all, a camera is just a tool, but what a wonderful and FUN tool this is. Thanks Pentax!

Got the K-50, with 18-55 and 50-200 kit lenses, a Pentax sling bag, spare battery, UV filters, SD card, and an additional flash, for right at $600 from B&H about a month ago. Just passed 2000 images with it and I LOVE it so far. Thanks again for the videos, hope to be able to watch more soon. Keep shining bro....

The K50 give you the most bang for the buck. I love it! The ability to use my older Pentax glass and AA batteries, so cool. I shoot in M or TAV mode with the custom image set to Reversal Film. Fantastic results. The pro feature like the 2 user modes are a great time saver as when I want to shoot with flash in my home studio. This camera is a joy to use and gives me results that I can't get from my Nikon cameras. This may sound crazy but since I only buy used gear, I have 5 of them.

I'm about to buy this tomorrow. I was going to buy the K-30, I've planned for it for a year already, good thing I found out there was a newer model haha.

I replaced my Pentax K-r with this camera with the 18-135 WR lens. Excellent upgrade. I probably would have upgraded eventually anyway but this video review helped push me along. Anyone considering this or any other brand, consider the water resistance, dual controls, legacy glass and the use of AA batteries that Pentax gives you with their cameras. Great channel. Thanks

My comment is now 7yrs old but, I have just purchased a used K-50 for $214 and am exctatic in awaiting this camera body. Having limited funds but many, many takumar M-42 lenses I can't wait to receive my new camera. The image peaking and 100% view in the viewfinder will be such an upgrade from my very old and only camera, the Canon Rebel XTI. I prefer manual focus and to have a check on my nailing the shot with my old eyes, I'm going to appreciate some digital help. Other than having to buy an expensive adapter for my canon 70-200mm lens all is well with the world. I'm going to love using this kit. Thanks for your consistent enthusiasm and education. I am a big fan my friend. Be well and take care, Neil

Just got my K-50 2 wks ago. This was my first DSLR. I previously had a Minolta Film SLR and digital point and shoot cameras. I am beyond excited using this camera! I will be taking classes to help me get to know all of the features. I really liked your video review, it helped me better understand all of the dials. Thanks!!

For just under $600 on Amazon, there is a K-50 version that comes with the 18-55mm and the 50-200mm DAL lenses by Pentax. I have been stunned (in a good way) by the quality as an amateur/hobbyist nature photographer. Zoo pics were amazing and on auto with the 50-200mm lens, the camera focused quickly and easily even when there was netting between us and the animals. Still could see each hair and glimmer in the eyes of the animals. It performed so well, I posted a review with the zoo photos. I've had it since Oct. and have only used it a few times so I have a ton to learn. I keep watching this video to help me get to know the camera better and all the other uses I might be able to make of it. Thank you so much!

just purchased the k50 a few weeks ago due mainly to it's weather resistance, cold weather usage and ruggedness, also it's many features that it's comp in this price range don't have... all at a very good price... I've gone without an SLR camera for over 25 years, so I've got a lot of catching up to do... I think this is the camera to help me do that... I purchased the 18 to 135 wr lens. I went to the grandkids dance recital the other night, put the camera on a tripod half way back in the auditorium (about 40 yds from the stage)... I am amazed at the shots I was able to capture at full zoom using ISO of only 3200 and shutter speeds of 1/100 in a pretty dim room... very impressed. No regrets on this purchase

I have 2 older Pentax DSLRs which I love. I am upgrading next year and this is on my short list.

I just got this camera today as a birthday present and I'm very happy with it my bf is a cannon guy and just keeps saying wow to all the features on it. We also got a sick deal on it at Target on clearance display mode paid under 200 for body and lens. I love it

$295 at B&H ....$470 for a WR Body AND two WR Lenses! You cannot beat this price on planet earth. I'm retired, on a budget, and I had a Pentax ME way back when the Dinosaurs roamed.... :-) Love your Reviews! TY!

I've had both the Canon and Pentax DSLRs all my previous film experience was with the film version Canon AE1, never failed to get a great shot. So naturally, when it came to a dslr, Canon was my first, did quite a good job, then I tried a Pentax, and it out performed the Canon easily, I was shocked. So I purchased the Pentax, and haven't looked back, I genuinely enjoyed your review, thanks so much for confirming what I've tried to tell, and show both Canon, and Nikon owners.

You've got some great videos. I bought the K-50 after months of contemplation. Watching your review validated my choice. I've had the camera for two weeks now and taking photos has never been so fun. Keep up the good work Spyros and thanks for the passion.

Thanks bro ... just bought a K-50 ... can't wait till it gets here.

You are right to be impressed. There is still no other DSLR (in that price range) that can compete with the k-30 / k-50. The points you mentioned are all valid - great video.

So I currently have a Rebel XS, which has been my first DSLR, but I've been reading up on and seeing a bunch of stuff for the K-50 lately. This is the most in depth review of it I've seen on youtube, and I think I'm pretty convinced now, that it is the next camera I need to get.

Just ordered. So excited. Thanks for the review !!!

Thanks a lot for info!! And specs breakdown

Hey @Spyros Heniadis First of all Great Video, well detailed and Proper review on the K-50. I have been a Pentax fan since their film days and I had bought the K-50 based on its reputation of its high quality past. Everything you said was spot on. The image quality of this camera is unbelievable and for what I am using the photo's for 16mp is MORE than enough. Ive had so many great compliments on the vibrancy of colours in the photos and this camera has been my secret weapon for specific environments that i'm shooting in. I own a Sony AS7 II in which I adore, but the Pentax seems to deal with colour so much nicer, the vibrant aspects seem to be a tad brighter without any compromise in detail , overexposure or over saturation. A great camera overall and quite frankly its a great Camera for its price point. I've needed to choose this camera over some other highly expensive cams I own based on its way it deals with colour. I love it

I bought K50 my first dslr. and I love it the pics iv'e taken are wonderful. a friend of mine who has a Cannon who,s been into photography for a long time is very impressed. Love the camera and the weather sealing is a must for me as I work by and on the water so I don't need to worry about splashes or rain. the simplicity of the buttons and functions is simple and understanding the programming is very easy I picked it up real quick. ok as I say its my first and everyone remember's there first love. bought Jan 2014. Cumbria uk England

one of the best review... thanks a lot.. just started thinking to replace my d5100 with this beauty..

Im buying one its my first dslr. One of the main resons in this camera is the weather seal due to working on water. I hope I enjoy. Liked your review looks like I've got alot to learn. Cheers.

Thanks so much for the video it helped very much in my decision to go with the pentax k50

Your tour was fabulous ! I still have a Pentax K1000, with three K mount lenses, and was looking to move into digital photo. With the K1000, I had access to a complete darkroom and developer studio, which has long past gone. I saw the K-50 on a search, and then was worried about the investment. Your video has resolved that worry. I am quite sure that my purchase, the K-50 body, the 18-55mm, and the 55-300mm lens pack. It comes with everything I need, except the SD card (no biggie). Add into this, the three lenses I already have, and I think I am going to be happy for a long, long, time. Thank you for your indepth video review :)

Great review and yes the K50 is phenomenal.. Was a K30 user..

Thank you so much for this interesting and detailed review. I'm considering my first DLSR and its down to the K-50 or Nikon D3300, and I think the Pentax wins. Partly because I have an old maual telephoto in K-mount, and partly because it just feels good. Your review is great because it tells me the things you cannot find out from paper specs or even in a shop - how it behaves in real life, what features are really useful. For someone scanning the market for their first DSLR its very confusing. Many of the DSLRs aimed at the starter end of the market seem to want to "protect" a beginner from the basics of photography by offering too many guides/auto modes. Surely its so much easier just to learn a little about light and learn the rest by taking photos! Especially now the cost penalty of developing duff photos has disappeared. One criticism of this camera that your review did not tackle is battery life. On paper this camera says it take 400ish shots per recharge, which is about half as many as the Nikon claims. I know that claims on paper and experience in the field can be two different things, so can you comment on your experience of the battery life? I do think Pentax are very underrated. Good products, rubbish marketing. And yes, I will be getting a colour that's not black! Sorry, it may be a girlie thing, but I already have enough lumps of black plastic technology in my life. Personally I like the metallic dark green body with brown grips, camaflague-colours...good for wildlife shoots...

Love my K-30 and only have the 18-55mm kit lens and a couple of old manual Takumar lenses including a 50mm 1.4 and 55 1.8. But I was looking for the best photo mode DSLR out there for my price range at the beginning of the year, and that was Pentax.

Such a great video! I really enjoy the way you get into it! You don't just jump into a bunch of random facts, you start a subject, then finish it before moving on to a new subject! You really did this review right! Thanks so much!

awesome video! I really appreciate how thorough you were for a beginner like me! :P

Kudos for an incredible review. Most camera views are not much more than a reading of the marketing info. Thanks! Oh, and i just bought the K-50! $469 with two lenses!!!!

If you can manage, get a K-5-2 or 2S. They have the new focus system. That's by far the best focus system I've used. Though it has only 11 points, feels snappier than my own D7000 and definitely way better than friend's 60D. The low light focus performance is almost spooky. If you can see your subject through the finder, the camera can focus that. In some case it even locks focus when all you see is pretty much darkness. The new screen is much better and less reflective outdoors. You'll love it

Nice to see a review of the Pentax K50. I'm a K5 shooter and I thank you for posting this. Now if Pentax would fix the video features to match Canikon we would have the ultimate tool.

Good review Spyros.! Realistic way of looking at it and practical. It would be nice if you look at the Pentax K 30.!

just purchased the k50 from Amazon with the 2 kit lenses. Have an old Pentax 35mm camera and can use those lenses as well. You can buy vintage pentax lenses on Ebay I have seen a 50mm f1.4 for €25 very good value

BTW Thanks for the review as I found it very difficult for regular media outlets in YT that were covering anything Pentax when I was looking for the K-30

Strongly considering picking up this camera as a second unit. The feature set just blows me away. Currently using a T3i that I bought a couple years ago, but I've been in need of a weather sealed Camera as not having one has restricted my usage of my t3i. Great video as well, thanks so much!

VERY informative! I LOVED my old Pentax Spotmatic and think the world of the Pentax brand. I like shooting photos in low-light concert situations and my older Canon Rebel camera just isn't getting it done while friends with good smart phones are getting pix superior to mine. Would you recommend this camera for concert-light conditions? Or are results kind of low-quality and noisy?

Using a Pentax ist D L really considering buying a K-50 I think I will for some reason Pentax seems my kind of DSLR

I wish I knew about this before I bought my t3

I bought this camera 7 years go...I'm just now using it.

Another great review! Really enjoy how you breakdown and present the features! Thanks for all the work you do making such a professional presentation. -Ranger

Good stuff!

it is great to see Pentax getting reviews their products deserve, but at 5:40 you say that the TAv mode is redundant, as the same could be done at Manual Mode with Auto ISO. There is though a slight difference. Only with TAv Mode you get Exposure Compensation, which could be useful sometimes.

Spyros, maybe you can do a video showing how some of the older K mount manual lenses can be close to auto. Tip for using a MANUAL lens with Pentax K-50 (others models also) 1) Set camera to (Manual) mode. 2) Turn camera on and select the focal length of lens. 3) Custom menu #4 item #22 (Using Aperture Ring) set to Enable (2). 4) Custom menu #3 item #20 (Catch-in Focus) set to On (2). 5) Camera Menu #4 (E-Dial Programming) menu #2 select (M), change the green button funciton to (TvShift). 6) On the side of the camera set the focusing to (AF.S) - it is green. 7) From the “Status Screen” using the 4-way selector (top button), set the ISO to a manual ISO of your choice. 8) Select the aperture that you want to use from the ring on the lens. When ready to take a picture just point the camera and press the “green button” it will now act like “aperture priority” and auto set the shutter speed. (pretty cool eh). Now press the shutter all the way down and rotate the focus ring - when your subject is in focus the camera will fire. (Almost as good as auto-focus) or you can use the “live view” mode and use focus peaking... (el neat-o)... A good easy way to use some of the older really good lenses that can be picked up for little bucks and get them to behave in a more functional way without a lot of guess work....

Great review...I just pulled the trigger on this camera and am stoked to get out and start shooting! My main interest is in having a camera able to withstand the rigors of wintertime sessions (skiing and snowboarding), and the K-50 seemed like the way to go (for the price). Anyway, thanks again for the video!

I just got mine for only 457 USD. The prices are even better by the December 2015. I´m very pleased with my new Pentax :-)

To be 100% honest, had I known about this camera before getting my canon t5i, I would have bought it. Don't take me wrong, I love my t5i and it is my first DSLR, but just in terms of the investment, it would have been great!

Very useful review. Thanks to your review I have almost decided this is the one for me. Come to think of it, if I had the money in my hand right now I would buy it.

Thank you for this video Spyros, it has helped me make the decision to buy the K-50.

Great review, keep up the good work...You can get this camera at Costco with the two lenses ..The 18-55mm and the 50-200mm, and a Camera bag, and 16GB card for 650.00 through 5-4-14 online at their web site... GREAT DEAL !

Thanks after a lot of research I'm going for this one. Mainly for the weatherproof , price and this may sound silly but the nice grip.

Thanks a lot for your answer!

I just bought used K50 with only 1100 shutter actuations, for $270 Canadian Dollars, which is about $200 USD. I really enjoy using the camera. It is so easy to use and the menu is very simple. I wish the mirror was quieter and the eyepiece extended out further, but those arent big concerns, overall.

I had a K50 for about a year,....still not sure why I sold it?? Anyway, I just bought another one at B&H for $300 and a 55-300mmWR for $250. That's less than I sold mine for on eBay! I'm looking forward to using the camera again and doubt if I'll let it go. I thought your video was excellent, straight forward and to the point. Thanks!

Tank you for you review, it was a great one. I'm in the middle of the same issue. I'm deciding what camera should I take, the K-30 or the new K-50. According to information I have are only differences between those two the ISO - 100 - 25600 for the K-30 and 100 - 51200 for the K-50 than AE bracketing ±2 for the 30 and ±3 for the 50. Imho major change are the looks. And because the price of those two on our market are exactly the same I will let the looks and grip dicede.

thank you for this great advice. i will include this on my list. cheers!

If you or your family/friends/neighbors don't already have a big collection of nikon/canon lenses, then you should really consider K-50. Its a fantastic camera and it outperforms both the D3200 and 600D/700D. D5200 however does a few stuff better than K-50. And K-50 has a few features that are better than D5200. The interface is not confusing and very logical. Although I use a K-5 (I am guessing the interface is similar) For the price, this really gives you a lot so you can go for it.

Ty I bought one because of this video.....

I caught a great deal on this camera that I couldn't turn down normal I shoot Nikon but I am very happy with this camera 16Mp is enough I never print bigger than 8x10 and I don't shoot video with my camera sensor get hot. have gotten some nice prints with no flash.

If you are still around, I just purchased this camera and it is my first DSLR. Even though I'm not a photographer I found myself continuously trying to focus manually on my last camera. My question is this, is there a book or other learning materials you recommend for newbies? I would love to know what to do with all the bells and whistles and what the lingo actually means, thanks!

One great feature not mentioned is the near-100% accuracy, pentaprism viewfinder. I think the competition uses pentamirror viewfinders which are inferior. Another is the ability to use AA cells. If you're on vacation, load it with Energizer lithium AA's and forget about packing the charger.

Dang, thanks for the review! Was thinking for a while of getting this camera, and your review just helped me make my decision. I will DEFINITELY get this camera, and I think that I'll go with Pentax products in the future as they seem to be very good & reliable. Currently rocking a very cheap GE x5 14.1 MP point-and-shoot camera lol. Again, thanks for the awesome review!

From the test and reviews of the k-50 vs k-30 I've noticed that focusing on the k-50 is slightly more accurate and the image stabilization is 3 stops vs 2,5 stops. so the k-50 is clear winner if you could get a good deal on it.Usually with the new WR kit lens would be the best buy for the money.

Great camera - it has a 100% viewfinder as well - virtually the same size as the nikon D7000 and bigger than any camera in it's peer group!!! Also, the weather sealed kit 18-55 is better than most kit lenses!!!

I recently switched from a Canon 7D to Nikon D7100. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest and rain is almost a daily event, I've been horrified to take it out in the wet even though that the Nikon and the Nikkor lenses I own are weather resistant. After watching your video I ordered the Pentax K-50 (Costco 2 lens kit). Let's see it works out. Cheers.

Now definitely going for Pentax although its presence India is almost negligible...!!! Nice review btw.....sorted my doubt over Pentax K-50, Nikon D5200 and Canon 650D....!!!!

Awesome review Spyros!!! I was Pentax shooter @ age12. I'm currently shooting with a Olympus Pen it focuses quick but struggles with tracking a moving subject, I make due with touch to focus. But I'm concentrated on touching instead of capturing a moment. I was considering the K-30, is there an advantage to spending the extra cash for the K-50. Or aside from weather sealing should I do the K-500 instead. Or an old K-5 all around the same money.

I was a Nikon guy. Now I just ordered a K50. Why? I tried it and fell in love. It is a joy to use, especially for nature photography where control is everything. I didn't purchase the Pentax to save money, although in the end I probably will. My only quibble with Pentax is that their lens mount has gone through so many variations, that not all k-mount lenses will work completely with the camera, they will all work in some kind of mode however and on the up side there are 25 million to choose from. So now let me ask you the same question. Would you ever give up your Canon or Nikon for a Pentax? Just curious. PS-Thanks for your review. I subscribed.

I very much enjoyed your review! Spent much time years ago researching for my first 35mm and was very glad I purchased the Pentax ME Super. Allot of camera and quality shots, for an amazing price. Was out of the pic arena for awhile and digital has absorbed everything. Being sold on my Pentax I still compared them all and the Pentax 50 won again. I do feel it was fatuitous that the 'sealed' 50 was available [kinda like the 'Super' was] when I began comparing. Even the same company I bought the ME from, B&H, is still here. The BEST part.. I picked up my K-50/ 18-55 lens, PLUS the 50-200mm Zoom, all for UNDER $700 [free shipping]. A simple Q, please. Film brands produced different quality, eg: Fuji was my choice. Is the quality of these digital 'cards' equal?

I've been into photography for 2 years, and I have been looking into the 700D for my first own DSLR. However, I'm quite interested in this camera. I'm really into it's features, and it seems really nice for those who are experienced in photography, but want a really nice camera at a more affordable price.

had the pentax kx or really still do I was looking at the power options and at the time and pentax seemed to offer the nicest camera that could be battery powered / camp for days / no recharging// camera worked great till the view finder fogged over and theres a ring that falls out of the 55/ 300 lens the new camera looks great excited paid 560 for a red combo pack and i can still use batteries

What I need is a good camera to reproduce the art originals for prints. Between this K-50, T5i, and D3300 at the moment. I do not care about video, doubt I would use it at all. I do care about the highest quality print I can make at an entry level price point. My previous experience was all film cameras in SLR space. I loved my AE1 programs. Go.

Could you please do a review: K5 II vs Nikon D7000 or D7100. And by the way, thanks for the great reviews.

Great Review, the Pentax k-3 is tested?

I recently bought this camera after watching this review and what made my final decision was the body , weatherproofing since I am at the beach daily. My last camera did not make it..lol

thanks for the review, i shoot a K-5 and my wife is constantly stealing it. She is an entry level shooter and i've a large suite of lenses so it'll be a great and affordable, body-only buy for christmas.

thank you

I may have to pull the trigger on this camera because I see the Black Friday deal has the body plus the 18-55 and the 50-200 for $496.

Thanks for your review. I'm about to go on a cruise to Antarctica and want to get a DSLR to take (as well as the old faithful P&S). I was looking at the Canon 700D but I stumbled oin the Pentax K-50 which was in my price range with weather proofing. Looks like this is going to be the camera for me.

There is large group of people who buy crop-sensor camera as starting point then they collect lenses and upgrade to full-frame one day. The problem with Pentax is the fact that it doesn't have any full-frame DSLR at the moment so none who wants to more serious about photography will rather choose Canon or Nikon.

Does the pentax k-50 have a histogram? Also how does (or will) it perform when using my old Pentax K-1000 lenses? any info you can give about this would help me decide between this & the Canon T5i

thank you so much.. ill going to get K5 then. thanks!

I would love to see your review of Pentax K 5-II vs Pentax K-50 to compare things like live view mode speed(focus peaking) ,focusing in low light,speed and acuracy ,image stabilisation ,gapless lcd ,etc I'm also considering Samsung nx300 which is in the same price range and would be interesting "smaller different beast" alternative to the k-50 Anyway if you get the chance to review the new Samsung nx-300 against k-50 that would be great too ;)

Second part: 2- The movie mode on pentax is beeing hammered all the time on all reviews... is it that bad? I saw complains about the low light performance and artifacts mostly... I´d like to make some amateur documentary movies about architecture.. is it out of the question for a bit more serious movie capture? I know about the issue with the focus, I dont mind using manual focusing. Would be nice to see some video comparison. Thanks , and sorry about the english - not my native language.

Hello Mr. Heniadis, I am currently having a problem with my k-50. I noticed some smears on my photographs and just figured some extra dust had accumulated on the sensor. I did discover that both Pentax and Nikon had applied an excessive amount of oil in and around their shutters. So now I have to not only clean the sensor before and after each use, but I have no way of knowing what a fix would involve. I contact Gabe at Advanced Camera in Portland, Oregon and he seemed very familiar with this issue. He explained that it will involve a complete tear down and that would run me approximately $200.00 if that was the only problem. #2 problem is when I attempted to shoot, the auto-focus motor was creating a grinding sound as though it wanted to operate, but could not. I then switched to Manual Focus, which functioned flawlessly. Went back to Auto-Focus and it is now functioning perfectly. #3. When I continued to shoot, I noticed that the first four images were completely black, even though I had a speedlight in use at the time. So when I continued to shoot, the images eventually appeared and it seems as though the camera is working well with the exception of excess oil being spattered onto the sensor. Any helpful hints and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. The camera has just over 5,000 activations. Many thanks, Tony

Great video. Thank you!

Nice review!! nikon d5200 or pentax k 5 ii? pentax k 5 ii is obviously superior in many aspects but i am in a dilemma due to d5200s new sensor people are raving about. Is that sensor that big a deal??

OK. So you have rave reviews about this camera. But my question is: what lens are you using on the camera for photography?

Mine is in the mail! :)

i am a first time user of a camera thats not a point in shoot i got this k-50 on sale for 500 with 32g mem card but i have no idea what anything dose or is any where or videos to show me what everything is and dose thanks great review

Can you tell me how to reset it please?

Hello Spyros, I am beginner to DSLR Camera photography and not touched any DSLR camera before. please advice ,is the User interface and Control of K50 is easier than other DSLR camera and best choice of beginner like me..? i am getting this Pentax K-50 with 18-55 mm lense in Singapore at USD 750.

BTW: How do you like the white one? I like how it looks but common sense is telling me that it get dirty and scratched after some time.

Hi Spyros. I have a Nikon D90 and was wondering if the Pentax K50 would be a better camera replacement or if I should just stick with my Nikon?

I'm wondering about whether or not i should get this camera. It would be my first dslr. Is it a good beginner camera? Also are the pictures very noisy? I'm considering it over others in it's price point (480$) because of the reviews and Weather Sealing. I take lots of landscape shots and close ups. Lastly, how are the videos compared to it's competitors?

i need a serious advice right now.. im torn between having K-50 and K-5.. K-5 is much tougher cam, 14bit.. but K-50 is newer.. any advice please?

You mention this camera has "time lapse" feature. Would you please tell me how to find it? I did look at the manual and check the manu on the camera itself but could not find it anywhere.

Hi, I have a problem on my K-50. On the first few shots the image is totally black. The image is getting better after few minutes of shooting.