Pentax K-r Viewfinder

Pentax K-r Viewfinder

The Pentax Kr's viewfinder is an optical, eye-level through-the-lens type, with the LCD monitor also able to display an image preview, in Live View mode.

Pentax says the K-r's optical viewfinder provides a coverage of about 96% and a magnification of approximately 0.85x (with a 50mm f/1.4 lens focused at infinity). The K-r's dioptric correction adjustment (for eyeglass wearers) has a range from -2.5 to +1.5 m^-1. The eyepoint is 19.1mm from the view window and 21.6mm from the center of the lens. The Pentax K-r's viewfinder is a pentamirror design, which is less costly, but also less bright than pentaprism implementations. Like that of the K-x, the focusing screen is not listed as being interchangeable, but it definitely is. We're a little surprised that Pentax doesn't make a big deal out of this, as it would give them another accessory to sell, and helps the K-r stand out from other entry-level DSLRs. From what we can tell, the K-r uses the same focusing screens as the K-m / K2000, K-x, K100D, and K200D. Pentax doesn't sell replacement screens for any of these models, and it should be noted that third-party screens may bring limitations with respect to metering.

The Pentax K-r's viewfinder readout does a fairly good job of communicating camera status and exposure settings, showing most of the usual info such as AF points, flash status, focus mode, shutter speed, aperture, focus confirmation, ISO sensitivity, EV compensation, anti-shake status, etc. Physically, it is largely unchanged from the K-x, with the exception of one very important addition. Where the earlier K2000 / K-m and K-x lacked any indication of approximate AF point location, as well as which AF point(s) were active or had achieved a focus lock, the K-r provides this capability. This makes for a huge improvement in shooting with the camera, both because you can adjust the focus point without removing your eye from the viewfinder, and you can more confidently determine which part of the frame the auto point selection chose for a focus lock. For our money, this is one of the most important differences between the K-x and K-r, and makes it a much more enjoyable camera to shoot with.