Pentax's K-r entry-level DSLR reviewed: the sweet spot has been hit
It may look like a toy, but as ma always said, it's what's underneath that counts. It's not often that those old adages prove true in consumer electronics, but such is the case with Pentax's newest entry-level DSLR. The K-r ($800 in kit form) is positioned between the K-x and K-7, and according to PhotographyBLOG, it fits perfectly there. They felt that the compact design was a boon for newcomers to the field who wouldn't be keen on lugging around anything of size, and most importantly, the image quality was said to be "excellent." Of course, low light performance began to suffer at ISO levels north of 800, so those interested in ditching the grain and blur after dark will still need to spend a bit more on a prosumer model like the Nikon D7000. The wide range of manual controls were also a hit, but considering that the HD video mode is identical to that on the lower-end K-x, you'll be forced to deal with a less-than-stellar UI. We'd suggest hitting the source link for the full skinny, but we'll go ahead and spoil the ending: it managed a Highly Recommended badge.
