Pentax K-50, K-500, and Q7 cameras officially announced

Pentax has officially unveiled three new cameras, called K-50, K-500, and Q7, which have been the subject of multiple rumors at a special New York event.

As the summer has arrived and people go on vacations, Pentax has decided to introduce three new shooters. Two of them are DSLRs, while the other one is a rather tiny mirrorless camera looking to compete with the big boys.

Pentax K-50 is a weather-sealed camera with ISO up to 51,200, 16.28-megapixel CMOS sensor, and sensor-shift IS technology.

Pentax announces K-50 and K-500 DSLR cameras

The Pentax K-50 and K-500 DSLRs are very similar to the K-30, which has officially been replaced as of now. Moreover, the two new shooters’ specs lists are very much alike, though the K-500 is cheaper and does not have weather sealing like its bigger brother.

Pentax will offer the K-50 for mid-level consumers, while the K-500 is aimed at entry-level ones. The devices will be available in exactly 120 color combinations, as the body and the grip’s flavors can be selected by the users, confirming what we already knew.

Refreshed Pentax DA-L 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL WR and 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED WR lenses unveiled, too

The two cameras will be compatible with K-mount lenses. Speaking of which, Pentax has also refreshed its 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL WR and 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED WR lenses during the same event.

Since the Pentax K-mount has the same crop format as Nikon’s DX, the 18-55mm lens provides a 27-82.5mm equivalent for the 35mm format and 75-300mm for the 50-200mm optic respectively.

Pentax K-500 is an entry-level DSLR with the same specs as the K-50 mid-level one. The major difference is that this one is not weather-sealed, like its bigger siblings.

Pentax K-50 and K-500 have nearly identical specs

Both the Pentax K-50 and K-500 DSLR cameras feature a 16.28-megapixel APS-C CMOS image sensor, PRIME M processing engine, sensor-shift image stabilization technology, RAW support, ISO sensitivity up to 51,200, 3-inch 921K-dot LCD screen with Live View support, 100% optical viewfinder, and a shutter speed range between 1/6000 and 30 seconds.

The pair has a built-in flash with more than 15 scene modes, as well as several manual and auto exposure modes, which will help photographers capture better images across various conditions.

These cameras will be able to record full HD movies at 30 frames per second. The films and other multimedia content will be easily transferred to a computer, as Eye-Fi cards are supported by the cameras.

Moreover, geo-tagging shots is possible with the help of an optional GPS.

The Pentax K-50 captures up to 6 frames per second in continuous mode, while the K-500 captures only 5fps.

Pentax K-50 and K-500 release date and price confirmed, as well

As stated above, the K-50 is weather sealed, while the K-500 is not. The former will become available for $699.95 for body-only, $779.95 for the 18-55mm lens kit, and $879.95 for the dual kit, including the 50-200mm lens, too.

The K-500 will cost $599.95 with the 18-55mm lens and $699.95 with the dual lens bundle. Both cameras have been scheduled for a July release date in the US.

Pentax Q7 is the company’s first camera with a 1/1.7-inch sensor. The mirrorless shooter captures photos at 12.4-megapixel quality and sports sensor-shift image stabilization technology.

Pentax Q7 mirrorless camera becomes official with larger 1/1.7-inch 12.4-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor

The third Pentax camera announced today is the Q7, which will be compatible with the Q-mount. It is the company’s first mirrorless shooter to come packed with a large sensor measuring 1/1.7-inch, which will give photographers the ability to focus on their subjects a lot faster in low-light environments.

Pentax Q7 features a 12.4-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor with sensor-shift image stabilization, 3-inch 460K-dot LCD screen, but no built-in viewfinder. However, the company has confirmed that an optional optical VF will become available alongside the camera this summer.

Q7’s maximum shutter speed is 1/2000th of a second, while its minimum one stands at 30 seconds. Just like its bigger cousins, this camera supports regular SD cards, as well as Eye-Fi ones, allowing users to immediately share images to a computer via WiFi.

Pentax Q7 release date, price, and availability information

More than one hundred color combinations will be available for the Pentax Q7, too. The camera will be released sometime in August for a price of $499.95 with a 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 zoom lens.

The 07 Mount Shield lens has been announced as an 11.5mm f/9 pinhole lens, which provides a 35mm equivalent of 53mm. It weighs only 8 grams and it can be used as a body cap, as well. The product will cost $79.95 and is scheduled to go on sale in July.