Product Description

Hoya Corporation Pentax Imaging Systems Division is pleased to announce the launch of the PENTAX K-7 lens-interchangeable digital SLR camera. Despite its compact, lightweight body, this model brings together a wide array of advanced functions and user-friendly features with outstanding reliability and operability. This makes it possible to enjoy high-quality digital SLR photography with great ease.The K-7 has been developed as a high-end model of the Pentax K digital SLR camera series. True to its series concept, it was designed not only to assure outstanding image quality, but also to provide exceptional ease and comfort of operation and the utmost satisfaction to photo enthusiasts of all levels, including advanced amateurs. After making a thorough review of all essential digital SLR camera components and functions, Pentax has revised and upgraded many of them, including viewfinder, shutter unit, continuous-shooting capacity, and exposure and autofocus systems. Protected by a durable, high-quality metallic body, but the K-7 is designed to be extremely compact and functional just like all other K-series models for enhanced portability and maneuverability. In addition, it has added several user-friendly features, including video recording, high dynamic range (HDR), and automatic horizon correction. All of these make the K-7 a tremendous photographic tool, perfect for all discerning digital SLR photographers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4648 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Black
• Brand: Pentax
• Model: 17831
• Dimensions: 7.95" h x 8.82" w x 8.00" l, 5.70 pounds
• Display size: 3

Features

• Compact, magnesium alloy body - One of the smallest DSLRs in its class
• Redesigned 14.6 MP CMOS sensor - Improves noise control, four channel output for faster image capture and movie capture capabilities (Still - up to 4672x3104; Movie - up to 1280x720p 30fps)
• 3.0 High Resolution LCD with Live View function
• Weather, dust and cold resistant body
• Fast 5.2 frame-per-second shooting with the powerful new PRIME II Image processing engine

Customer Reviews

compact yet rugged and reliable
The Pentax K-7 is the best all around digital SLR I have ever owned or used. As a constant companion this system cannot be beaten. With the DA pancake lenses attached, the K-7 is small and unobtrusive. Yet it is a powerful photographic tool. Every feature needed by an experienced photographer is found on this body. Plus a few extra. Also, it has fully auto modes so you can easily hand it to a less experienced user and simply say "point and shoot". For years, to have a rugged weather proof camera meant hauling around an enormous body. The K-7 is built like a tank yet is small and light. I have carried it for at least 100 miles of hiking (not all in one day) and it is a joy. Easily hangs behind my arm while walking on the street so it is always ready.

Performance is fast and reliable in all conditions indoors and out. Note: startup time can be greatly improved to near instant by turning off the shake reduction feature when not needed.

As an added bonus, the "kit" lens included with this body is exceptional. I think Canon and Nikon take pride in providing the most ridiculously crappy lenses in their "kits". So much plastic you can't even use them as paper weights. But this Pentax 18-55 is amazing! Weather sealing, smooth manual focus action, and astonishingly high quality optics.

As a compact, all purpose system for travel and constant carry, the K-7 plus a couple tiny DA lenses is a pleasure. You can argue over image quality all day. But the reality is that you have to have the camera with you to get the image. And this system is small enough and tough enough that it will always be ready when needed.

So far so good...
After much research, mostly tending towards nikons and canons, I came across this one. Caught my attention immediately with the metal body, 100% view finder, weather seal, compact size, in body shake reduction (which works nicely). An insignificant detail I like is the omission of scene modes from the settings dial. Already a little biased towards Pentax having used a spotmatic for many years, this is the camera I ended up with. My first D-SLR. Have to say, I'm not disappointed. Its fast, responsive and fairly easy to use. Feels great in the hand though the N90 might be a tad more comfortable. K7 captures high quality images, good colors, sharpness etc. Would expect that from any high end camera. Continuous shooting hangs after 4-5 shots for memory transfer, maybe I need to use a faster card (using 4gb, class 4).

K7 gets criticism for noisy high ISO output, but this doesn't really bother me - if I'm taking pictures at a party or indoor (not professionally), 14 mp of noisy image is enough to down sample and have good enough photos for flickr/facebook etc. or regular size prints. Besides, I quite like the noise it generated at 3400 ISO. Anyone recall how noisy 400 speed film can get!

One disappointment is a limited selection of pentax lenses, e.g. I'd like an equivalent of canon's 24-70mm 2.8 L. Would be nice to have an option for the $99 50mm 1.8 prime (nikon?) vs. the $350 1.4 aperture. Happy with the 18-55 and 50-200 weather seal ones for now.
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Update (1/2)- discovered a bad pixel on the sensor after downloading images to computer. Little bit of a disappointment. Decided to return the camera instead of dealing with customer service. Amazon was great about this... Not to say good or bad about pentax customer service, just didn't want to deal with them a week after purchasing a product... All the same, excellent little camera, I miss it already. Will probably wait for the next iteration.

Great Camera!
I bought this camera about 4 wks ago. I spent several months researching before buying. I also looked at the Nikon D90 and Olympus E-30. I decided on the Pentax K7 largely due better build quality, selection of good & reasonably priced prime lens (some of which I hope to pick up in 2010), and attractive pricing. I do a lot of backpacking; so the weather resistent build quality and ability to match small & good primes is a great combination. The 18-55 came with the kit, and I picked up the 50-200 WR zoom too. I have been very happy with the shots I've taken over the last few weeks. The jpegs are sharp with very good color. The video performace of the camera is very good too.