Pentax K-50 Discontinued

Out of production and now limited availability

By PF Staff in Product Updates on Jun 16, 2016

After seeing it on the market for nearly three years, it's time for us to say farewell to the versatile Pentax K-50. The camera has been out of production for months but only now has supply started to dwindle at major retailers worldwide. We also say goodbye to the 16-megapixel sensor that powered seven different K-mount models and gave Pentax class-leading APS-C image quality for three years.

The K-50 can be seen as a landmark DSLR for Pentax, as it was the first to bring weather-sealed lenses to the entry-level market segment: back in July, 2013, the affordable SMC Pentax-DA L 18-55mm WR and DA L 50-200mm WR kit lenses made their debut alongside the K-50.

You can learn more about the Pentax K-50 in our in-depth review.

In its final year, the K-50 body sold for as little as $299— an incredible value. It is succeeded by the K-S2 (2015, $499) and K-70 (2016, $649), Pentax's current beginner-friendly weather sealed models. Both boast significant enhancements over the K-50 in areas such as resolution, autofocus, and user-friendliness. Like the K-50, the K-S2 is available in an affordable weather-sealed kit, this time with a new ultra-compact, silent-focusing 18-50mm lens.

The K-50 shares its internals with two siblings: the popular K-30 from 2012, which it replaced, and the K-500, a version without weather sealing or the electronic level. The latter was discontinued just one year after launch.

While the K-50 will slowly disappear from store shelves over the course of the coming months, its legacy will live on and it will make a great second-hand body for years to come. With the consumer DSLR market trending toward more features at lower price points, we are excited by the new K-70 and think that it and the K-S2 will do a sound job of filling the K-50's shoes while providing photographers with an enhanced shooting experience.

If you'd like to get your hands on a K-50 before it's gone, B&H Photo still has most K-50 18-55mm and dual lens kits in stock. The black body, white body, and red 18-55mm kits are sold out.

To celebrate the K-50, we will soon be launching a giveaway featuring it as the grand prize!