The Pentax K-30 ($899.95 with 18-55mm lens) has a lot of features that are common in more expensive D-SLR cameras that have all but vanished from the sub-$1,000 price point. It uses a glass pentaprism viewfinder, can fire off photos at 5.2 frames per second, and its body is weather sealed. It doesn't offer a tilting rear LCD or some of the more advanced video functionality of our Editors' Choice Nikon D5100 ($899.99, 4.5 stars), but photographers who prefer the optical finder to Live View and appreciate the ability to shoot in a downpour or in freezing temperatures should give the K-30  serious consideration.

Design and Features
Available in blue, white, and black variations, the K-30 is only 3.8 by 5.1 by 2.8 inches (HWD) in size and 1 pound 6.9 ounces in weight, just a little bit smaller than the 3.9-by-5.2-by-3.1-inch Canon EOS Rebel T3i ($899.99, 3.5 stars). It is a bit heavier than the Rebel—which only weighs 1 pound, 2.2 ounces. One of the factors that makes the K-30 heavier is its viewfinder. Most cameras in this price range use a pentamirror finder, which saves weight and, more importantly to the manufacturers, cost. The pentamirror finder uses a series of mirrors to redirect light to your eye, mimicking the functionality of a solid glass pentaprism. The result is a small, dim finder that doesn't cover the entirety of the frame. A pentaprism, like the one found in the K-30, is physically larger and covers 100 percent of the image frame—so what you see when you trip the shutter button is what the camera captures.

View All 12 Photos in Gallery

Also setting the camera apart from others in this class is a dual dial control system with programmable functionality. Advanced shooters will love the ability to assign EV compensation, ISO control, and other common shooting settings to a dial that would normally go unused when shooting in Aperture or Shutter Priority modes. If you're not as knowledgeable about the ins and outs of photography, you can set the K-30 to operate in Auto or Program mode and fire away as it takes control of settings. There are also a number of Scene modes available. These aren't quite as user-friendly as the Guide Mode found on the Nikon D3200 ($699.95, 4 stars), but do give some explanation as to when they are applicable.

There are enough physical controls packed into the K-30's compact body to keep advanced shooters happy, though not as many as the Pentax K-5 ($1,249.95, 3.5 stars)—a more advanced camera that features a PC Sync socket and a dedicated control to select the active AF point—both of which are absent from the K-30. You'll find buttons that adjust the ISO, AF, Flash, Self Timer, and White Balance on the rear of the camera, as well as a reprogrammable Raw button and a switch to toggle between autofocus modes on its left side.

The rear LCD is 3 inches in size and has a 921k-dot resolution. It's fixed, unlike the tilting display found on the Sony Alpha 65 ($999.99, 4 stars), which makes it a bit harder to use the camera if you need to shoot from an odd angle. The display is extremely sharp, though, and when you activate Live View mode you have the option of using Focus Peaking as a focusing aid. This feature, which has previously only been available on compact interchangeable lens cameras and pro-level video cameras, highlights in-focus areas of your frame to improve accuracy when focusing manually. Peaking works for stills only—the camera's processor isn't quite up to the task of keeping it active during video recording—but is a boon to anyone with a library of older, manual focus Pentax lenses. Like the company's other D-SLRs, you can use any K-mount lens without the need for adapters—that's 37 years worth of glass at your disposal.

Even though the K-30 is fully weather sealed, the 18-55mm kit lens included with this package is not. If you want a fully weatherproof kit, you'll want to pair the camera with any DA* series lens or lens with WR designation. You can opt to buy the camera in a kit with a weather-sealed SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR lens ($529.95) for $1,199.95, which represents a significant savings when compared to buying the lens separately. Bear in mind that, while you can use the K-30 in a downpour and in temperatures as low as 14°F, it can't be submerged, you should take extra care when near salt water, and it isn't fully ruggedized like our Editors' Choice tough point-and-shoot Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS ($399.9, 4.5 stars).