Performance

The AF system on the K-m doesn’t seem to suffer from the reduction in AF points from 11 to five. The speed of autofocus is as good as any of its peers, and focus is generally accurate. One feature that takes a bit of getting used to is the audible noise which the focusing system makes.

With the standard kit lens, the lens itself emits a loud buzz and whirr while shifting between focal lengths. Primarily this is just an issue of personal preference, but something you may need to consider more seriously if you’re looking to take up wildlife photography. If that’s the case, then investing in some of Pentax’s more expensive glass could prove worthwhile in the long run.

The metering system of the K-m tends to throw up a variety of results, ranging from shot to shot, but more often than not appearing underexposed. This variety of capture, however, also extends to the camera’s white balance. More often than not, the K-m produces images displaying a white balance erring on the warm side.

There are also a few niggles with the K-m’s interface, in my opinion. For example, the camera sports an Auto Exposure Bracketing function, which is a welcome addition if you’re fond of HDR photography. However, as the AEB function sits under the same selection menu as other drive mode options, combing Auto Exposure Bracketing with a two-second self-timer is impossible. This ultimately means that if you want to completely remove camera shake, you have to manually bracket images using the self-timer – ultimately a trade-off that needn’t have been.