As usual, Japanese Pentax lovers will be spoilt for choice with 15 (yes, FIFTEEN!) dual-colour custom body options on K-30 (UK colours range is limited to three: black, magenta and white)

BIC Camera in Japan announced K-30 to go on sale on 29 June 2012.

link

Frankly speaking I can never understand why UK photographic equipment retailers with their excruciating prices are lagging behind US, Japan and Hong Kong, Taiwan and many other places in terms of camera accessories available for us to choose from? On every trip to Hong Kong and Japan I find big variety of optional and often limited edition premium accessories available (not limited to Pentax). Same goes to Pentax Q accessories. You just go to one place, say BIC Camera in Shinjuku and pick all you want from one place (they even give you loyalty card- much more rewarding than any we know over here). The choice we have here, in the UK is mildly speaking... pitiful, you need to hunt up and down like crazy, spend hours on on-line research and you won't get your stuff any cheaper in the end, anyway ( I have to wait for my camera to be delivered 10 days plus). Just sooo ill-regulated. And this is in London and UK, in general, not in some financially deprived 3rd world country. It seem that local businesses are either inert and un-interested or simply too big to care. I suspect the latter is more relevant. Sad, but true. I would suspect Pentax UK is responsible for stock allocating and co-ordination with regional manufacturers. Truly, they got to shake up and wake up.

Re: Pentaxophile

I am sorry if I misquoted the quality of DSLR videos (I have a very vague idea about the topic). Surely there is a lot of appeal in DSLR video for many people. I just being old-fashioned and not keen on keeping all eggs in same basket No offence to those who feel opposite

Philip

I was camera-hunting for a good whole month, spend hours and hours reading dependent and independent reviews, calculating cons and pros and listening to Pentax lovers and Pentax haters. Finally decision is made: I will go with K-5. Released in 2010 (so as Nikon D7000 and Canon 60D) Pentax K-5 still have better appeal to me over K-30. Mind you- I am a novice but three factors that give thumbs up to K-5 (from amateur point of view):

1. It is thoroughly tested and reviewed by almost every imaginable pro- and anti-Pentax group, publication or individual. It have came out in almost every single review with 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5. You simply can't fault it. K-30, on the other hand yet have to score it's points.

2. K-30 already have gathered army of it's admirers and of course camera's aggressive outdoorsy looks and do-it-all functions would most likely appeal to people who perhaps want to have a taste of DSLR movie-making or simply want a small but robust, up-to-date technologically, secondary DSLR . Myself, I always expect my photo camera to be ready work hard for great photos and not average videos (all these quality rigs and add-ons on ANY DSLR neither are comfortable nor they making any economic sense as they too often outsource the cost of decent semi-/ or- professional video camera). So in a nutshell, K-30 does not appeal much as a photographer's camera (call me close-minded).

3. Controls: K-5 is a definite "YES", K-30 is just a "MAY BE".

Hello,

I am just another guy who decided to favour Pentax over Nikons Canons and such. I am not a professional (and not anywhere near "advanced" enthusiast just yet) but I am a quick learner and Pentax definitely has a massive appeal and despite recent turbulent history it's marriage to Ricoh is made in heaven. I joined this website and really looking forward to find useful advice from you guys and once I get my hands on my very own Pentax K-5 in week's time I would most definitely share my opinion about my camera's and my own combined abilities

Philip