Pentax KF: a timid update of the K-70 SLR

Pentax is a Japanese manufacturer that has long distinguished itself through its innovations. He was notably a pioneer in the integration of the pentaprism in the optical viewfinder, and is at the origin of the TTL (Through The Lense) measurement. Very attached to SLRs, Pentax has no hybrid camera in its range. And while the latter have the wind in their sails, leaving only crumbs to the good old mirror models, Pentax is going against the current by presenting the Pentax KF, ​​a new reflex camera, a close relative of the Pentax K-70.

A well-equipped model…

The SLR market is getting poorer and manufacturers have stopped innovating in this segment. If the Pentax KF is new, it is based on the K-70, an APS-C reflex now six years old. However, the latest Japanese child has a few arguments in its favour.

… but not very innovative

Without real revolution, the KF has a 24.24 megapixel sensor associated with a Prime MII processor, forming a duo already seen on the K-70. The set thus pushes the sensitivity up to 102,400 ISO.

To focus, the small APS-C device relies on an 11-point SAFOX X module (including nine crossed in the center), which seems a bit light in this year 2022. It is also possible to focus in Live View from the screen on ball joint thanks to a new hybrid autofocus which should improve the velocity of the body, formerly the Achilles heel of our reflex cameras. The screen on a ball joint gains some definition to reach 1.037 Mpts, and, something always welcome in 2022, the device also recovers a USB-C port.

A Pentax signature SLR

In good Pentax SLR body, the KF embeds a viewfinder with a pentaprism, a more expensive but generally more qualitative solution than the pentamirror system generally used on this type of camera. It thus provides coverage “about 100%” of the field and a magnification x0.95.

As you might expect, the Pentax KF benefits from in-house tropicalization, protecting the case against extreme weather conditions. Pentax makes it a point of honor to tropicalize its cameras and lenses to allow all photographers to leave the studio to experience the vagaries of the climate.

The stabilized sensor saves up to 4.5 stops, which should help photographers take handheld shots. The Pixel Shift Resolution is also in order. This shooting mode makes it possible to combine four views taken by moving the sensor in order to improve resolution and offer more faithful colors; we had already seen it on the Pentax Kp, a higher-end APS-C SLR. Similarly, by vibrating the sensor at high frequency, the KF is able to apply an anti-aliasing filter without the need for a low-pass filter on the sensor, to reduce moiré while maintaining full resolution. .

The forever forgotten video

Still inherited from the K-70, the video part hardly evolves and desperately caps off at Full HD and up to 60 fps. It’s not cheap for 2022, and it won’t satisfy an audience of videographers.

Price and availability

If you don’t want to succumb to the calls of the hybrid, the Pentax KF could satisfy the needs of enthusiasts looking for an affordable body. The latest APS-C SLR should hit the shelves at the end of November. You will have to pay the modest sum of €949.99 to acquire the body alone, and €1049.99 to get your hands on the kit including the DA 18-55mm AL WR lens, also tropicalized.