Pentax K-r

Pentax K-r is Pentax's Entry-Level DSLR camera initially revealed on March of 2011. The camera includes a 12MP, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a peak resolution of 4288 x 2848.

The K-r is scored #49 out of 80 in Entry-Level DSLR cameras & all round #406 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can look at our Advanced camera finder to see camera results based on your personalized requirements.

Below is a chart of various criteria used in the scoring system.

The Pentax K-r is part of a family of digital cameras. You can see the full list below.

You can look at the K-r from different angles in the gallery here.

Here is a shortlist of advantages and disadvantages of the Pentax K-r based on aspects that are normally seen as necessary in a camera.

The Pentax K-r is powered by the Prime II processor chip. The sensor spec on the Pentax K-r is 23.6mm x 15.8mm (APS-C). The 373 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4288 x 2848 pixels using aspect ratios of 3:2. The camera has Image Stabilization (Sensor based). Sensor stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter can lead to cropping.

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The CMOS sensor has 12 megapixels and features a native ISO range of 200 to 12800. The ISO can be expanded digitally to 100 to 25600. RAW photos are supported so the user has more margin for error.

The graphic below shows the K-r's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The K-r sensor has a crop factor of 1.5 and is outlined in green.

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To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Pentax K-r weighs around 1.32 lb (598 gr / 21.09 oz) & the physical size of the camera is 125mm x 97mm x 68mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.7"). The weight of general Entry-Level DSLR camera is 540 gr and the Pentax K-r is weightier as compared with various rivals.

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Below is a pic of the Pentax K-r alongside a softdrink so you're able to get a sense of its size.

The top view here will show you the button design on the K-r.

The K-r works with the Pentax KAF2 mount and has 17 lenses on the market today. Here is a few of the lenses we have in our collection that will work with the K-r.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Samsung D-Xenon 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fisheye10-17mmf/3.5-4.5 320g

Venus Laowa 100mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO100mmf/2.8638g

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Samsung D-Xenon 16-45mm F416-45mmf/4.0 365g

Samsung D-Xenon 12-24mm F4 ED12-24mmf/4.0 430g

Irix 45mm F1.445mmf/1.4925g

Venus Laowa 25mm F2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro25mmf/2.8400g

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Pentax smc DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL IF SDM16-50mmf/2.8 565g

The K-r has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• GPS Yes

Cameras that consist of NFC and Bluetooth support are able to be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You will be able to copy pictures and at times change settings without connecting directly with the camera.

Several apps also give a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't near the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it can easily be attached to an external screen. Many cameras will allow you to recharge the battery through the USB socket.

The highest video quality on the Pentax K-r is 1280 x 720 and you can record in Motion JPEG format. 720p is terrible for today's requirements. You should go for a minimum FUll HD quality for video. The body doesn't include a microphone and headphone socket so you have got absolutely no control over the sound. It is perhaps best to shop for an alternative camera in case you require good sound for your video clips.

There is no weather sealing for the Pentax K-r so you have to be cautious in rainy and dusty conditions.

The Pentax K-r includes a 3 inch fixed display having a resolution of 921 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the display is not a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder specifications for Pentax K-r are below:

• ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)
• ViewFinder Coverage 96%
• ViewFinder Magnification 0.57x

Viewfinders are very handy during bright outdoor conditions which can make the camera display washed out and difficult to see.

Pentax K-r continuous shooting speed is 6.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/6000 sec.

Pentax K-r has both integrated flash along with external flash ability. The max flash sync speed is 1/180 sec.

Pentax K-r has both Phase Detect Auto Focus as well as Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster & accurate as compared with Contrast Based focusing. The camera includes Face detect which is valuable for portrait photography.

The AF system includes 11 focus points to choose from. Pentax K-r has manual focusing when required during low light occasions or you need to have more precise focusing control.

The battery power (D-LI109,4 x AA) for the Pentax K-r is made to last for 470 clicks as per the CIPA requirements making it lower when compared with it's competitors. The typical Entry-Level DSLR camera battery life is 589. Pentax K-x offers the highest (1900) battery life within this category of cameras.

Below is a list of Entry-Level DSLR cameras which have the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Pentax K-x
K-r vs K-x1900 yesnono

Nikon D3500
K-r vs D35001550 yesnoyes

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Nikon D3400
K-r vs D34001200 yesnoyes

Canon SL3
K-r vs SL31070 yesnoyes

Sony A450
K-r vs A4501050 yesnono

The following graph shows a overview of the Pentax K-r for various forms of photography. To view more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

The Pentax K-r has a score of 63 which is above average, meaning that it is a good choice for portraits. Shooting portraits favors heavily to sensor specs, RAW support & flexibility to use external flash.

With a above average rating of 67, the Pentax K-r is a good pick for street photography. A decent street photography camera provides a perfect balance of picture quality and portability.

A reasonable sports photography score of 55 means the Pentax K-r is reasonably suitable for photographing sports. A camera needs to have excellent tracking and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Portability is very crucial when selecting a camera for travel. Overall, the Pentax K-r gets a decent 47 as a travel camera which is fairly acceptable to purchase for your vacations.

For anyone planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photos, the most significant factor is going to be image quality. The Pentax K-r at it's nice rating of 65 as a landscape camera is a fine choice within the current marketplace.

A camera for vlogging should really posses a moving display screen, microphone input and preferably image stabilization. Taking everything in to account, the Pentax K-r is just not good for vlogging as it delivers a lousy rating of 26.

If you are shopping for alternatives to the K-r, below is a range of the top rated cameras which fall within the category of Entry-Level DSLR.

The graph down below offers you a bird's eye view of the K-r versus it's top ranking competitors suggested earlier.

Following are additional cameras you might have a look at as alternate options. To read through a complete comparison, simply click the "compare" link.