Pentax KF DSLR Review

John Riley reviews Pentax's lowest priced DSLR model aimed at enthusiasts that's still in production. The KF might be Pentax's least equipped model, but with a 24mp sensor it's far from being a compromise in what really matters, image quality.

Posted: 24/01/2026 - 09:39

Pentax currently offers four DSLR cameras, more than any other marque, and continues to buck the trend. There has been a rush towards embracing mirrorless cameras, and these have now reached a maturity that has tempted many away from the DSLR concept. However, Pentax, Nikon and Canon are still in the mainstream of DSLRs, albeit with only Pentax actually having expanded their position within that field.

The result is that at very reasonable prices, Pentax are offering a range of very fine cameras indeed. They have become very good at designing and producing quality DSLRs, continuing the strong heritage qualities that have existed since even the late 1950s. 

The company that produced the legendary Spotmatic, the diminutive ME Super, the professional LX system and even the basic but stalwart K1000, has continued to stick with what it does best, and the KF DSLR looks to hold its head up high, helping to carry the marque forwards. Let's see if it achieves its noble ambition.

Features

There have been two distinct lines of Pentax DSLRs, the flagship line and the advanced enthusiast line. The KF, being an incremental upgrade of the K70, is one of the latter, an enthusiast model at a keen price that is well equipped and manufactured to high standards. 

There is nothing unexpected here for existing Pentax users. Ergonomics and handling are pure Pentax and the KF instantly fits the hands. It is quite compact, measuring just 125.5mm x 93.0mm x 74.0mm and weighing in at a modest 681g, as measured including battery and card.

There is no info screen on the top plate, unlike the K-3 range, but a large mode dial is provided. Here we can access the full range of expected options, plus Scene modes and three user settings. The User settings can be defined by the photographer, but have preset values as defaults. U1 is Clear Tone, U2 is Landscape and U3 is Astrophotography. Exposure compensation is provided by a button. The video selection is via the shutter release collar. The green and WiFi/Fx2 buttons complete the top controls. The built in flash is released by a button on the left side of the pentaprism housing and below this we have the RAW/Fx1 and AF/MF selection. 

The left body of the camera houses a rubber cover for the stereo mike input jack. The right side cover gives access to USB 2.0 (Micro B) and HDMI out (Type D) connections. Hopefully future models might opt for USB-C as this is now so universal. Also on this side is the sliding access to the card slot, just a single SD card being accepted. 

There are front and rear dials, a step up from single dial cameras, plus the usual Pentax controls on the back. Here we can find menus, playback, info, flash, ISO, drive options and WB. The AF/AE-L button is on the back of the top plate, as is the LV button. The 3” screen has 1,037,000 dots and is sharp and clear. It is also fully articulated, the KF now being the only Pentax DSLR that does not have a fixed screen.

One of the strengths of the Pentax DSLR range is the use of real glass pentaprism finders, and this one is a fine example, offering a clear and crisp view, even in bright sunlight. There is a 100% field of view at 0.95x magnification.

Under the skin there is the 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, with no AA filter, although there is a filter simulator should some unusual subject show moire. Add to this a host of other features, listed below, and we have an impressive camera with a high degree of capability.

Key Features

• 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• Pentaprism viewfinder 0.95x magnification
• 3” articulated screen 1,037,000 dots
• 5 axis Shake Reduction
• ISO range 100- 102,400
• SD Memory Cards: UHS-I, SD/SDHC/SDXC
• One SD card slot
• 6fps
• SAFOX X autofocus
• Focusing to -3EV
• Metering 0EV to +22EV, 11 focus points, 9 cross type
• WiFi 
• USB 2.0, HDMI Out, Stereo mic jack
• Mechanical shutter: 30s - 1/6000s
• 125.5mm x 98.0mm x 74.0mm
• 681g with battery and card, measured
• Battery life 460 shots
• Freeze resistant -10C
• Weather resistance
• Compatible with Astrotracer O-GPS2
• FHD 30p, 60i

Handling

Although the lowest cost option in the Pentax DSLR range, the KF is much more than an entry level camera and has a high degree of sophistication. Handling is well established and absolutely spot on. The grip is secure and makes carrying the camera in one hand very comfortable. This applies equally well to wet conditions as the camera remains easy to grip and is not at all slippery. That weather resistance is a huge advantage to outdoor photographers.

There is a certain pleasure in handling well made kit and the KF has a good solid feel to it, with controls that are clearly of good quality, operating slickly and positively with no slack. 

There is only one SD card slot, perhaps two would have been good, but this tends to be more of a theoretical comment as in many years of photography this has not proved to be an actual problem. The provision of a fully articulated vari-angle screen is something that many will welcome and although it is not a deal breaker either with or without for this reviewer, it can actually be quite useful for low angle shots and tripod work.

There is a dazzling array of digital filter options. These fall into three main areas. Custom Image covers all the usual styles such as bright, Natural, etc. Digital Filter is more concerned with extracting and replacing colours and toy camera and other settings. Sample shots of these effects have been included. There are also some 19 Scene Modes, selected from the top dial, and these cover particular genres and situations, for example the portrait setting will automatically set suitable image style parameters. Whether this all helps or not for a beginner is something that could be debated, as sooner or later progress might be slowed if too much reliance is placed on the camera doing everything. Equally well, not everyone wants to become bogged down with technicalities and might prefer to concentrate on enjoying shooting images. The choice is there. 

The KF uses the smaller capacity battery. The DLi109 delivers around 460 frames, around half the expectation for a K-3 III. However, the answer is to be sure to carry more than one battery, something that is probably sensible for any camera. In terms of overall handling though, the KF is a well thought out camera that performs well and is a real pleasure to use.

Pentax KF Sample Photos

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Performance

Lens Performance – Pentax manufacture an excellent range of high quality optics. Initially for this review it was intended to use the HD Pentax 35mm f/2 but as the weather turned for the worse the SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm WR lens was used for the majority of the shots. This is a step above the concept of the “kit lens” and represents great value for money and a very high level of performance. As a standard zoom this lens is Highly Recommended, and is the lens routinely used for our product shots in reviews.

ISO Performance – Images are absolutely usable from the noise free ISO 100 right up to ISO 1600, with just a tinge of noise starting to creep in from ISO 800. Noise at ISO 3200 and 6400 is tolerable, depending on taste, but sharpness is starting to fall off as well. ISO 12800 sees the biggest hit and is probably the highest value we might normally use. ISO 25600 shows high noise and mushier sharpness. ISO 51200 and especially ISO 102400 are very noisy, very low contrast and exhibit extremely poor sharpness. However, at normal levels the performance is excellent, with ISO 12800 probably being the highest value for the best quality.

Pentax KF ISO Test Images

White Balance – There is a useful range of white balance presets – Auto, Multi Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent ( with several options), Tungsten, CTE, Manual and Colour Temperature. Auto settings work well. Daylight keeps the colour balance of a scene, so making the most of unusual lighting effects outdoors. Shade can be very useful in the interior of woods and forests, avoiding a nasty purple cast in the shadows. Cloudy is the perfect setting for those who like warm daylight images, similar to using Cloudy or 81A optical filters. CTE is Colour Temperature Enhancement and is intended to enhance the natural colour of sunsets and early morning colours.

Pentax KF White-balance Test Images

 

Digital Filters –  Being a mid range DSLR intended for beginners as well as more experienced photographers there are various Scene Modes. These set appropriate parameters for specific shooting requirements: Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Object, Night Scene Portrait, Sunset, Blue Sky, Forest, Night Scene, Night Scene HDR, Night Snap, Food, Pet, Kids, Surf and Snow, Backlight Silhouette, Candlelight, Stage Lighting and Museum. 

Images have been shot to show the range of Custom Image options: Auto Select, Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant/MIYABI, Radiant, Muted, Flat, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome, Cross processing, SATOBI and Gold. All of these are adjustable to taste. New options are KATEN and KYUSHU, but these two are only accessible with compatible lenses.

Images have also been shot to show the range of Digital Filters: No filter, Extract Colour, Replace Colour, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Colour, Unicolour Bold and Bold Monochrome. All of these are also adjustable.

That is a huge, comprehensive selection of options with sometimes more than one way to approach a subject. It merits extensive experimentation.

Pentax KF Digital Filters

Video –  A limited video capability comprises:

• FHD 1920x1080 30p 60i
• MPEG 4 AVC/H.264
• Limit up to 4GB/25 minutes.
• Star Stream shoots images at intervals and merges them into a single movie file.

Although decent simple video can be shot, Pentax DSLRs are not primarily video cameras.

Value for Money

The Pentax KF body is priced at £849 but is currently available for around £799. For this money we get a very impressively made high quality DSLR.

There are very few APS-C format DSLRs available to buy, dominated by various Pentax models. Pentax stands alone in terms of using glass pentaprism finders for APS-C and the difference in their quality of manufacture is significant.

The KF looks excellent VFM, as it stands proudly in its almost unique spot.

Verdict

High quality, great results and a very affordable price make the Pentax KF a really attractive proposition. The OVF is much better than most EVFs in bright daylight. In every other respect apart from (sometimes) size and weight, the DSLR concept does everything that most photographers could wish for. Not video, probably, but then this is aimed at being a very accomplished stills camera. 

Of course, at around half the price of the flagship K-3 III something has to give, but this tends to be in terms of features rather than in any reduction of standards. So the shutter speeds run up to 1/6000s instead of 1/8000s, the shutter life is rated at 100,000 cycles rather than 300,000 cycles, there  is only one card slot instead of two, a smaller capacity battery...but in terms of delivery of quality images and super handling there is no compromise. The KF even offers a fully articulating screen, whereas the flagship K-3 III does not.

The Pentax KF is a very powerful choice and for many photographers will hit the ideal point in terms of quality and cost.

Specifications: Pentax KF
General
Lens Mounts	Pentax KAF, Pentax KAF2, Pentax KAF3, Pentax KAF4
Availability
Year announced	2022
Discontinued	No
Dimensions
Depth	74mm
Height	93mm
Width	125.5mm
Weight	684g
Image Sensor
Sensor Size (height)	15.6mm
Sensor Size (width)	23.5mm
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Type	CMOS
Pixels (H)	4000
Pixels (W)	6000
Pixels	24Mp (Megapixels)
Exposure Control
Digital filter	Yes
White balance	Auto, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Manual, Outdoors/Daylight, Shade
ISO sensitivity	100 - 102400
Metering	Centre Spot, Centre-weighted - Average, Multi Pattern
AE lock	Yes
Exp modes	Aperture-Priority, Manual, Program, Shutter-Priority
Self Timer	12s, 2s
Bulb mode	Yes
Shutter speeds longest	30sec
Shutter speeds shortest	1/6000sec
Construction
Weather-sealed	Yes
Focusing
Focusing modes	AF Fine Tuning (Micro Adjustment), AF Tracking, Autofocus, Face Detection, Manual, Spot
Viewfinder
Interchangable focusing screen	Yes
Depth of field preview	Yes
LCD Monitor
Touch Screen	No
Screen resolution	1037000
Live view	Yes
Tilting screen	Yes
Brightness adjust	Yes
LCD Monitor	3in
Video
Stereo Sound	Yes
Video Resolution	1920x1080 FullHD
Movie mode	Yes
Storage
File Type	JPG, RAW, RAW + JPG
Card Type	SD, SDHC, SDXC
Interface
Headphone Socket	No
Microphone Socket	Yes
USB	USB 2
HDMI	Yes
Other Features
Histogram	Yes
Image Stabilisation	Yes
Dust removal	Yes

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