The Pentax K-50 was announced in June 2013 as a replacement for the popular K-30, which we reviewed in August 2012 . It has a similar, weather-sealed, dust-resistant body but improved versions of the 16.3-megapixel APS-C sensor and PRIME M processor, which have been tweaked to reduce noise and...

Everything that makes the Pentax system great, now at a lower price

A simple, sturdy design, coupled with professional features and excellent image quality make the Pentax K-50 an impressive all-condition shooter.

This camera is weather sealed

Increased size and weight make this camera a little clumsy

There was a time when Pentax SLRs were proudly worn round their owners' necks. Now-legendary models, such as the Pentax K1000, Spotmatic and ME Super, were the cameras of choice for enthusiast photographers, which made the Pentax brand one of the biggest in the industry.

The Pentax K-50 is uniquely weather-sealed and sits at a nice price without sacrificing image quality. The design is excellent and comfortable, performance is on track and image quality is quite good.

Coming barely a year after the introduction of their fine K-30 model, Pentax was wise enough to not stray from the formula of specifications and features that made the K-30 so desirable in rolling out the new K-50.

Very good still image quality; Eye-Fi wireless compatibility; Good continuous shooting speed; In-body stabilization; Weather sealed

No continuous AF during video capture; Video on the slow side to initiate; Kit lens lacks sharpness at maximum aperture

The Pentax K-50 ($699.95 direct, body only) is a solid midrange D-SLR camera , which happens to be available in any of 120 color combinations. Despite the fact that it can be had in a lilac and pink color scheme, it's a serious photographic tool.

Large pentaprism viewfinder; Weather-sealed design; 5.9fps burst shooting; Customizable controls and noise reduction; In-body shake reduction; Very good high ISO performance; Available in 120 different colors

Fixed rear LCD; No mic input; Slow to focus when recording video

The Pentax K-50 makes for a good starter option, and we were impressed with the lightning quick speed of its operation at this price point - with auto focus being particularly impressive.

Weather resistant build; Internal shake resistance; Can run on AA batteries

Chunky body; Fixed LCD; Noisy lens

Pentax DSLR offers semi pro features including weatherproofing for an entry level price You don't see a Pentax DSLR for ages and then two arrive at once; the K-50 , which we're reviewing here as a mid to entry level option, alongside the £100 cheaper K-500.

Camera body and supplied lens are both weatherproofed against the elements; whilst internal sensor shift shake reduction mechanism means that specially image stabilised lenses are not required; very swift to power up and auto focus

Body design reflects price in being chunky with big buttons and relatively frill free; LCD is fixed rather than angle adjustable; noisy mechanics of zoom lens if used in automatic mode

Pentax has a knack of making its cameras stand out from the crowd, and from the all-white K-30 to the colourful compact Q range, they always catch the eye; the latest K-50 D-SLR - its most advanced entry-level model yet - keeps this tradition going.