Even with the negatives, the Pentax K-3 is really a top-notch enthusiast DSLR that's deserving of an Editor's Choice.

Excellent 24MP image quality; Extremely responsive; fast burst; Anti-aliasing simulator; Rugged and weather sealed

Bulky; expensive – but to be expected; Built-in mono mic; No built-in Wi-Fi/NFC connectivity

The K-3 ($1,299.95 direct, body only) takes a lot of what Pentax cameras are known for-robust weather sealing, excellent control layout, and fantastic high ISO image quality-and couples it with the best-yet Pentax autofocus system and an impressive burst shooting mode.

Excellent high ISO image quality; Shoots at 8.1fps; Fast, 27-point autofocus system; In-camera shake reduction; Selectable simulated low-pass filter; Weather-sealed design; Pentaprism viewfinder; Sharp rear display; Top-notch control layout; Dual SD card slots; PC sync flash socket

Limited autofocus during video recording; A little slow to start; Lacks built-in GPS or Wi-Fi

What's the best way to describe the Pentax K-3 ? Well, it's an advanced DSLR with a robust feature set that delivers impressive image quality without making any sacrifices in terms of performance or overall speed.

Exceptional detail at low ISOs; High-resolution 24-megapixel sensor; Accurate metering and white balance; Fantastic auto white balance performance in artificial light; Innovative and effective AA filter simulator; In-camera moire removal; In-camera HDR with RAW support; Sensor-shift shake reduction...

Certain menu screens have become overly-complex; Camera locks up for a prolonged period while writing RAW files; Phase detect autofocus area unchanged; Viewfinder AF tracking speed not significantly improved over the K-5 IIs; Poor video autofocus; Video recording freezes briefly while...

The K-3 is the latest iteration of what's become a very strong series of DSLRs - the K-5 added a great sensor to the excellent body introduced with the K-7 , the K-3 makes a big step forward in terms of focus capabilities as well as showing a great deal of tweaking and polishing.

Very high image quality; especially in Raw; Excellent ergonomics and handling; Extensive feature set; In-body stabilization works with all lenses; Extremely solid build quality; Large; bright optical viewfinder; Good level of customization; Well-chosen direct controls; Comprehensive in-camera Raw...

Disappointing JPEG color response; Rather clumsy JPEG sharpening (slightly improved by changing to 'Fine' sharpening; Many lenses don't appear to live up to camera's full autofocus potential; Video quality not up to standards implied by inclusion of mic and headphone jacks; SD-based Wi-Fi not as...

And then there's the video… The K-3 gets an improved video capability with a more seamless video interface and a wide variety of capture frame rates for both its full HD and HD resolution clips.

Good still and video image quality; High continuous shooting rate; Good capacity buffer; Weather sealed; Attractive price point versus feature set

Lack of continuous autofocus during video capture; AA filter simulator may not completely eliminate moire in extreme cases; Flash sync speed lags behind most competitors

Pentax K-3 Review – Can the Pentax K-3 enthusiast DSLR offer some competition to Nikon and Canon? Find out in the full What Digital Camera Pentax K-3 review

Great image quality; Solid build; Customisable interface

Sluggish AF performance; Lacking Wi-fi functionality; Some performance quirks

Even though the new Pentax K-3 offers a very robust and massive body, it is quite compact; it's only slightly larger than the ultra-compact Canon EOS Rebel SL1, although it's almost double the weight.

Ricoh's flagship APS-C camera, the 24-megapixel Pentax K-3 is jam-packed with clever technology, yet it's also affordably priced and among the very smallest enthusiast DSLRs. As well as overhauled imaging, autofocus, and metering, it also boasts an industry-first system that lets you choose whether...

Top-notch image quality; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Unique on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots; Optional Wi-Fi remote control, Unusually compact for an enthusiast DSLR, Great ergonomics; movie, focus and...

AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a DSLR; Rather dated-looking menu system; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors; Less third-party support than some rivals, Pentax's smaller market share means less third-party support, AE-lock button is...

Pentax has introduced an excellent dSLR into the mid-level range. Its APS-C sized 24-Megapixel CMOS sensor, built-in SR stabilization, 1080p HD video and fantastic performance and quality make it a true challenger in this market.

"Green" shooting mode is accurate and easy in all situations; Dedicated Video Capture Button is always ready to record; Full 1080p HD video capture with tons of control; HDMI output and audio input add to the video capabilities of the camera; Weather -sealed body protects the camera when shooting in...

Although performance was very good; it did not live up to expectations; High ISO images are incredibly noisy; Face Detection only works in "Green" mode with Live View enabled

Since Pentax was bought from Hoya by Ricoh, it's seen a bit of an increase in new launches and development.

Weatherproof body; 100% viewfinder; Universal DNG raw format

Chromatic aberration issues; LCD screen fixed; Tends to underexpose