As a Pentax user from the days of MF, I've wanted a DSLR for a while, and a bit of a windfall allowed me to return a borrowed model from another manufacturer, and buy this cracker.

I recently bought the Pentax K-50 and I must say this is an absolutely superb camera. you get the Kit along with the DA L 18-55 weather sealed lenses, and you have the option to use Li-ion batteries or standard AA rechargables with an additional battery holder accessory.

A reasonable option for an entry-level dSLR, the Pentax K-50 should satisfy if you need the weather-sealed design. But while acceptable, it and its cheaper sibling the K-500 lag behind the competition in image quality and performance.

The Pentax K-50 has a lot to like, with its tank-like, sturdy design and plethora of settings and controls. But color reproduction and noise levels at high ISOs make images a mixed bag.

Weather sealing to protect against exposure to the elements (water; dust; Speedy (albeit text-based) menu navigation

Images are very noisy after ISO 800; Colors appear oversaturated and inaccurate at default settings

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.

After a year or two, my camera started to give me black pictures randomly. And now, it's impossible to get any picture via the viewfinder, they are all black. The only solution is to take them in LV mode. Pentax refuse to recognize the problem and leave the users on themselves.

The Pentax K-50 is a fully weather-sealed D-SLR camera with an big optical viewfinder and fast burst shooting capability. It's available to order in any of 120 color combinations, but its video functionality is behind the times.

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