Which camera?

I would visit a "proper" photographic shop, such as Jessops, who actually have cameras in stock that you can test There's on near you at 12-14 Clumber St, Nottingham, NG1 3GA.

As you know, I'm a Pentax Fan and user and have been for decades so it's no surprise that I recommend the Pentax K50. It's got a great sensor, is weatherproofed, has a metal body, is backed up by decades of great, almost cult, lenses that can be picked up quite cheaply, and it has a great optical viewfinder that outclasses a EVF every time.

Pentax K-50 review – Features

At the core of the Pentax K-50 is the same 16.28-million-pixel sensor last seen in the K-5 II, although there are key differences. For example, the K-5 II offers 14-bit raw-file capture compared to the 12-bit capture of the K-50. This gives the K-5 II the potential to capture a more comprehensive range of tones, particularly in highlight and shadow areas.

The Pentax K-50’s sensitivity range is an impressive ISO 100-51,200, with files saved as either raw or JPEG files. Usefully, Pentax raw files are saved in the DNG format, which means they are compatible with nearly all raw-conversion software programs, so potential purchasers need not worry about having to upgrade to new software.

One of the key selling points of Pentax’s K-series DSLRs is that they are fitted with the Pentax K mount, which has been in use since the 1970s. As such, there are many second-hand manual and autofocus lenses available. As Pentax DSLRs currently lack the popularity of some of their competition, older lenses can also be purchased at extremely good prices.

All the lenses can benefit from the Pentax K-50’s built-in sensor-shift image stabilisation, which also has a tilting movement to ensure even better stabilisation. However, the movements of the sensor don’t just prevent camera shake, as there is also a horizon-correction function that can slightly shift the sensor to get horizons perfectly level. This tool works well when used with the electronic level, ensuring that you get perfectly straight horizons every time.

An even more interesting and specialist use of the sensor-shift capability is for the unique AstroTracer function. AstroTracer works with the O-GPS1 GPS unit and actually moves the sensor slightly during exposures of up to 5mins, to ensure that star trails are not recorded when shooting the night sky.

Further differences between the Pentax K-50 and the K-5 II are that the K-5 II has a better AF system, and a magnesium-alloy body rather than the polycarbonate body of the K-50. The K-5 II can also shoot at 7fps, as opposed to the 6fps of the K-50.

Like other Pentax DSLRs, there is a great range of in-camera customisation options, including AF fine-tune and setting how the auto white balance responds to tungsten light. An intervalometer, multi-exposure mode, lens correction and dynamic range optimisation are also crammed inside the K-50’s body.