Pentax K-50 review

A weatherproof all-rounder well-suited to beginners

Pentax K-50
The Pentax K-50 is a good option for those new to photography looking to shoot outside a lot.

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Pentax K-50


The K-50's metering system has struggled slightly with the high contrast scenario presented here when using the camera in general-purpose metering mode.

Pentax K-50


Colours are more deeply saturated when comparing JPEG images with raw format (DNG) files, which leaves a lot of scope for post-production editing.

Pentax K-50


The camera copes reasonably well in lower light conditions, producing images which are still full of detail without introducing too much noise.

Pentax K-50


The camera's kit lens at its widest point offers 18mm, or 27mm in 35mm terms.

Pentax K-50


At the telephoto end, the lens is 55mm, or 82.5mm in 35mm terms.

Pentax K-50


The 18-55mm kit lens is a good all-round performer for everyday shots.

Pentax K-50


You can get good shallow depth of field effects with the kit lens, despite its maximum aperture of f/3.5.

Pentax K-50


Detail reproduction is good.

Pentax K-50


Although there are a number of effects filters, those can't be shot in raw format. You can also shoot "Custom Images", which give you a number of different options such as black and white and cross processing (as seen here).

Digital filters

Pentax K-50

Toy Camera

Pentax K-50

Retro

Pentax K-50

High Contrast

Pentax K-50

Shading

Pentax K-50

Invert Color

Pentax K-50

Color
Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar. 

Latest in DSLRs
Nikon Df DSLR camera on a wooden surface by large window, with dusk light
Forget Fujifilm, I've retested 2013's Nikon Df DSLR and it's the ultimate retro camera for these 6 reasons
Monochrome image of a distant wind farm alongside a Canon DSLR camera in the hand with black background
You don't really need a new camera – a $200,000 photo prize was just won with this old Canon DSLR
Photographer holding the Nikon D800 DSLR camera up to their eye while leaning on a tree trunk surrounded by bluebells
I used my DSLR for the first time in years since switching to mirrorless – here are four things I learned
Two cameras sitting next to each other on a wooden table
If DSLR cameras are dead, why are they still so popular? Here are 5 reasons
Prouct photo of the Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome with a 16-50mm f/2.8 attached
Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome review: one love
Canon EOS 4000D with 18-55mm lens attached on red background beside a lowest ever price text
This Canon beginner DSLR is so cheap right now it might even tempt you away from mirrorless
Latest in Reviews
WWE 2K25
I've spent days in the ring with WWE 2K25, and it's like a five-star match ruined by the Million Dollar Man
Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro electric toothbrush
Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro review: A powerful seven-mode, Swiss-made sonic brush
Atelier Yumia
I was already sold on Atelier Yumia as an RPG, but I wasn’t expecting it to have my favorite crafting system in all of gaming
Alienware 27 AW2725Q monitor on desk displaying a scene from Cyberpunk 2077
I played games with Alienware's new 27-inch 4K OLED monitor and now I don't want to see another LCD panel
PLAUD NOTE
I tested this AI voice recorder, and now I'll never take meeting notes manually again
SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4
Testing the new SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4 SSD proved both challenging and revealing