While the Pentax K-r may share the same 12.4Mp resolution as its entry-level sibling, the K-x, the ISO range is much more impressive. The Pentax K-r has a standard ISO range of 100-12,800 although the sensitivity can be expanded to an ISO equivalent of 25,600 – the best in its class – and also matching more expensive D-SLRs.
There’s an 11-point phase-detect AF system, with 9 cross-type sensors in the centre, while the K-r also features a great continuous shooting rate with an advance of 6fps – notable for a camera in this price bracket.
The anti-shake system is in-camera, known as Shake Reduction (SR), and you’ll find both Live View and HD video recording (though it’s at 720p), while the 3in screen resolution is strong, at 920k dots.
The Pentax K-r has a nicely proportioned, well sculpted handgrip that’s a decent size and there’s the added bonus of the grip having the most tactile and high-end rubberised coating. Another nice touch is dual battery compatibility, either accepting the supplied Li-ion or 4 AA batteries in the same battery compartment if you happen to run out of juice.
AF performance is good, locking on to subjects without hassle, but there are a couple of niggles. You have to press the OK button in the middle of the D-Pad for a second if you want to select an alternate AF point, otherwise you can find yourself changing ISO or WB by accident. And then there’s the AF noise – the lens produces a fair amount of whirrs and buzzes as it focuses. In Live View, it’s quick and a nice touch is that it automatically zooms in on the point of focus and out again.
The four-way D-Pad also doubles as quick-access to WB, ISO, Drive and Flash – though, as mentioned, if you’re in AF point selection, it requires a quick hold of the central OK button to revert to these controls. The Info button acts like a Quick menu, allowing you to move through and alter a range of settings that are displayed on the screen.
www.pentax.co.uk