Pentax is sometimes seen as a conservative brand, but the Pentax K-S2 changes all that with features never seen before in the company's DSLRs: A tilt/swivel screen, in-camera Wi-Fi and a retracting kit lens. And that's not all.

Very compact for a weather-sealed DSLR; Good ergonomics and great viewfinder; Excellent image quality; Decent performance for its class; Articulated screen is great for difficult compositions; Offers features not found in other Pentax DSLRs, Unusually compact for a weather-sealed camera, For the...

18-50mm kit lens is fiddly and prone to jamming when retracted; Wi-Fi is slow and unintuitive; Slow startup; Limited movie mode; Poor battery life for a DSLR; Priced too close to its enthusiast-grade sibling, Barely any cheaper than the enthusiast-grade Pentax K-3, Power switch turns too far, too...

The Pentax K-S2 is an entry-level DSLR with plenty to prove. It's hard to compete with Canon and Nikon in the DSLR game. Even Sony, which has produced some of our all-time favourites, struggles. Today's contender is the Pentax K-S2.

Great image quality; particularly for RAW; Excellent viewfinder; Handy OIS system

Fairly poor for video; Non-touch screen

It's been a while since I have been sent a camera that stretches me a little. Providing the amount of stretching is a little I like it as it stops you getting into a rut that allows the camera to make all the choices without you having to think.

Barely six months separate the launch of the Pentax K-S1 and the K-S2. The latter isn't a replacement for the earlier release - which famously features flashing disco lights on the handgrip - but sits above its sibling in Pentax's current D-SLR line-up.

It's been a while since I have been sent a camera that stretches me a little. Providing the amount of stretching is a little I like it as it stops you getting into a rut that allows the camera to make all the choices without you having to think.

Despite its name, the Pentax K-S2 ($699.95, body only) isn't a replacement for last year's K-S1 , it's simply the second entry in the company's new line of midrange D-SLRs. The K-S2 has many of the features you'd expect to find in a Pentax camera , including full weather sealing, and the dual...

Weather-sealed design; In-body image stabilization; Pentaprism viewfinder; Vari-angle LCD; Excellent high ISO image quality; Snappy autofocus system; Available in multiple colors; Dual control dials; Available with compact zoom lens

Very limited shooting buffer; Lacks continuous focus in video mode; Companion app has issues; Video shows rolling shutter effect

Ricoh has been plugging away in the consumer dSLR space, even using flashing lights and a cornucopia of colors to attract first-time and family buyers to its Pentax models, away from more staid Nikons and Canons.

The Pentax K-S2 offers excellent photo quality; a solid weather-sealed build; a big viewfinder and a broad feature set

Its video quality is middling to poor

Pentax's latest reintroduction to Indian shores is through the undertaking of Ricoh Imaging. With the Pentax K-S2 here, Pentax's entry-level offering has a lot to give to first-time DSLR users, who might not be adept at taking utmost care that DSLRs often require.

Easy auto mode; Fast; accurate focusing; Decent dim light performance; Autofocus motor in camera body; Weatherproofing in budget DSLR body

Noisy autofocus motor; Bulky and heavy; Build lacks refinement; Amateur interface; Lens is somewhat flimsy; WiFi connection is unstable

The Pentax K-S2 is a sturdy-bodied DSLR built to withstand torture, and it also delivers good image quality. Unfortunately, it loses out on account of weight, inferior video quality, tacky lens mechanism, amateurish interface, and lack of overall refinement.

Easy auto mode; Fast; accurate focusing; Decent dim light performance; Autofocus motor in camera body; Weatherproofing in budget DSLR body

Noisy autofocus motor; Bulky and heavy; Build lacks refinement; Amateur interface; Lens is somewhat flimsy; WiFi connection is unstable

Who it's for: Entry-level or enthusiast photographers who want an all-around camera - especially for the outdoors - and don't care about video. Following close on the heels of Nikon's D5500, the 20-megapixel Pentax K-S2 ($800 with 18-50mm kit lens) fits neatly into the same class of midrange DSLRs...

Weather-sealed body and kit lens; In-camera image stabilization; Large viewfinder with 100 percent field of view; Vari-angle (swiveling) LCD; Dual command dials

Plasticky feel; poor video quality