Pentax K-7 Review

Handling & ease of use
While entry-level models are designed to be as small and lightweight as possible, DSLRs for enthusiasts are usually developed to be larger and more solid beasts, which are able to endure more serious use than their cheaper cousins. The Pentax K-7 is no exception, boasting an extremely solid body, built around a stainless-steel alloy chassis and a magnesium-steel alloy housing that feels like it could easily survive a serious bash or two. With enthusiasts happy to shoot in all types of weather conditions, the K-7 has also been designed to take some punishment from the elements too (see K-7: Built to survive panel below right). Pentax has done all this and yet has managed to shave off a few millimetres compared to the K20D, and the result is a camera that feels incredibly comfortable and balanced. The large, contoured handgrip provides a very firm hold and while an optional battery grip is available, it's not required to improve handling, which is excellent.
The top-plate of the K-7 has a traditional feel with the exposure mode dial on the left side (with metering pattern selector beneath), while the right side is dominated by an LCD panel and the on/off switch surrounding the shutter button. Here you'll also find the exposure compensation and ISO rating buttons, nicely positioned so they can be easily reached by the finger that normally fires the shutter.
The left side of the K-7's rear is dominated by the LCD monitor, while on the right side are a number of control buttons that handle many of the camera's main functions, such as AF, White Balance and frame advance. While the sight of all these controls may seem intimidating at first, the set-up is easy to get used to, so even DSLR newcomers shouldn't take too long to get to grips with it.
The viewfinder is one of the best you'll find on a DSLR outside the full-frame models. It is very large and bright and provides a very sharp, clear view of the scene. It boasts a field-of-view of approx. 100%, which is excellent news when you want very accurate composition, and has a very good magnification factor of 0.92x. It's a major step up from entry-level models and as good, if not better, than the majority of it rivals.
The LCD monitor is first-rate too. As well as being large at 3in, its 921,000-dot screen ensures you can review images in high resolution – important when you magnify an image to check sharpness. The info display is nicely designed and very easy to navigate and while the Menu system isn't to my personal taste, it's easy to navigate and use.
Overall, the K-7 scores very highly for handling, build and ease of use.
Score 23/25

Features
The K-7 boasts a 14.6-megapixel resolution, the same as on the more affordable K20D, but it should be noted that both use different sensors. The K-7's CMOS sensor has been enhanced to produce less image noise at all ISOs than its predecessor and, of course, has been set up to shoot HD video as well as stills. This has led to Pentax also developing the PRIME II imaging engine, which delivers faster processing and aims to give images with more accurate colour reproduction. It also allows the K-7 to fire at an impressive top speed of 5.2 frames-per-second (in bursts of 40 frames for JPEG and up to 15 frames of Raw).
You'll discover, as you start to make your way around the K-7, that it is packed with features. While some, like the digital filters, are there to offer creative options, many are designed to help deliver the highest quality results possible. The K-7 offers a newly-developed 77-segment metering pattern that is claimed to offer major improvements in accuracy, with the option to switch to spot or centre-weighted too. Access the menu system and you can also look to boost the amount of tonal information recorded in an image by selecting Highlight or Shadows Correction.
As you'll note from the mode dial, there are no subject-based scene programs, but a wide range of creative options, including Sv and TAv, two modes that use the ISO as a variable as well as shutter speeds and apertures.
The autofocus system is similar to those on other Pentax DSLRs and is based around an 11-point array covering a large portion of the frame's central area. It does boast some improvements, notably an AF illuminator lamp that aids autofocus in low light.
The built-in image stabilisation is another area that has been worked on and Pentax claims that the Shake Reduction II system offers a benefit of up to four stops. The sensor-dust removal facility has also been improved, so the risk of dust particles being visible on images should be further reduced.
As mentioned earlier, the 3in LCD monitor offers excellent quality and that's no surprise considering that the K-7 not only offers a Live View facility, but also has the capability to record HD movies onto SD/SDHC cards. There is more information on the Live View and HD video functions in the panel on the right.
You'll find a full specification list on the Pentax website, but it's worth noting that the K-7 includes a multiple exposure option, an interval timer and a PC socket for studioflash.
The K-7 proves to be a feature-packed DSLR but, more importantly, many of the features on offer are ones that will help to deliver better quality results, rather than proving superfluous to most people's needs.  Score 23/25

Performance
Pentax can feel justifiably proud of how well the K-7 performs, as it proves to be an excellent all-rounder. The AF is very positive and quickly locks onto the subject. The 18-55mm lens may not be as quiet as those from Canon or Nikon, but is very responsive.
The first thing that is evident when reviewing images is the consistency of the 77-segment metering pattern in various types of lighting. Even in difficult shooting conditions, such as strong sunlight, where the scene included white yachts (with very reflective surfaces), the K-7 handled exposures with ease. In fact only strongly backlit subjects caused a problem. In terms of image sharpness, the 41.5MB files, whether straight JPEGs or converted from Raw, deliver excellent sharpness. Colour rendition is very accurate and saturation is excellent. Image noise isn't evident up to ISO 800 and produces usable images at ISO 1600. The Auto White Balance does a good job with a variety of daylight conditions and is good with artificial lighting, although tungsten scenes retain a orange cast. Image processing is fast, as is reviewing images, even when shot in Raw+JPEG mode. In fact, there aren't any real areas of concern, which is why its performance scores so highly.  
Score 23/25

Viewfinder screen
Black markings indicate the area covered by the 11 AF points, which light up red when activated. Exposure information runs along the base of the viewfinder.

K-7: Built to survive
The Pentax K-7 has 77 seals to prevent dust and water from creeping through the edges of buttons or compartments. Seals are also found on the D-BG4 grip and the latest 18-55mm and 50-200mm lenses. The K-7 can be used in temperatures as low as -10ºC and the shutter unit has been improved to withstand upwards of 100,000 cycles.

Digital filters
For those who fancy some in-camera processing, the K-7 boasts a number of options, from converting images to mono, to adding a Toy Camera or HDR effect (with the option to combine different effects). They're fun to try out, but, as with all in-camera processing, the results are hit and miss depending on the subject and scene type.

Overall Verdict
There is no no doubt that the Pentax K-7 is one of the best DSLRs released with enthusiasts in mind. It's a very enjoyable camera to use, with excellent build quality and fantastic handling. It's heavier and larger than entry-level models, but its design makes it feel lighter and smaller than it really is. It boasts an excellent range of features that cater for more advanced creative photographers and has a performance that matches other models in its class. The Pentax K-AF mount means that there is an extensive back-catalogue of lenses and no shortage of system options. It's a suitable option for all types of photography and would make a great choice for travel work, especially if you opt for a couple of primes, such as the 21mm or 40mm pancake lens. The K-7 proved to be a superb all-rounder and is a worthy alternative to the likes of the Nikon D300 and Canon EOS 50D. One for the shortlist.

Handling & ease of use 23/25
Features 23/25 
Performance 23/25
Value For Money 21/25
Overall 90/100