The Pentax KR

The Pentax KR comes in several colors.

by Thomas Harrop

As a long time photographer I have fallen into the trap that catches many professionals. That is, limiting the possible choices for a camera to Nikon andCanon. I own and use both in digital format and have been happy with them. I recently had the opportunity to shoot with one of the newPentax cameras (the Kr) and I was very pleasantly surprised.
Most pro’s insist on using SLR (single lens reflex) cameras because they give a better idea through the viewfinder what’s going on with your photo. The Kr is an SLR and offers both a bright (and nearly full-frame) eye level finder and a ‘live-view’ mode that let’s you use the large color screen on the back as a viewfinder. Although using the screen as a viewfinder chews through battery power, it is a great way to frame moving subjects and a must for shooting video. (The Kr records high quality video in addition to still images.)
The other advantage to using an SLR is that you can change lenses. Many point and shoot cameras offer exceptional zoom ranges and innovative optics but nothing matches the ability to use a lens that is top quality and made for a specific purpose. For example, Pentax offers a 200mm f/2.8 lens that is great for photographing wildlife. Their 10-17mm is a very wide angle lens that let’s you photograph very well in small areas and creates really fun distorted portraits. In addition to the current Pentax lenses the Kr accepts the whole range of Pentax and after market lenses (such as Tamron, Tokina and Sigma) in the classic ‘k-bayonet’ mount.
If you are looking for a camera to do sports and action the Kr is a good choice. With a top frame rate of 6 frames per second, it shoots as fast as most professional digital cameras and its 12.4 megapixel CMOS chip gives you enough file size to make fine quality prints even at large sizes.
The camera offers many great professional features including image stabilization, CMOS self cleaning, choice of quality levels and color spaces. If you have been thinking about picking up a new camera to shoot photos and video, the Kr is a great choice for both. We got the camera in red and it never fails to get comments from friends, family and clients.