| Pdf Document Page* of the K-r Manual | New Feature / Improvement |
| 18 | Red AF Point Illumination Indication |
| 18 | 3" VGA Resolution LCD Mon. |
| 19 | New Infrared Port |
| 45 | Using Li-ion Battery |
| 48 / 322 | Optional AA Battery Holder |
| 51 | More Battery Indication Levels (Show Battery Type and its Fullness / Emptiness) |
| 101 | Expanded ISO Range Up to 25600 (K-x can be Up to 12800) |
| 127 | New Option of "Focus Priority" Or "Release Priority" of the AF-S Mode |
| 128 | New Option of "Focus Priority" Or "FPS Priority" of the AF-C Mode used In Conjunction With Continuous Frame Advance Mode |
| 129 | New AF Assist Light with the Option of Turning Off (K-x has that function but using Flashlight but Without any External LED) |
| 130 | New AF Fine Adjustment Function (For how to do similar thing with the K-x, Read Here) |
| 153 | New Interval Shooting Function |
| 154 | New Multiple Exposure Function |
| 315 | Support the 3 FA Limited Lenses for Lens Correction Functions (Similar to the new firmware update of the K-7) |
* Remarks:-
1. The document page and the user manual page of the Pentax pdf file are usually mis-aligned, e.g., the Page 101 of the pdf file is actually the Page 99 of the manual, so please take note of this;
2. To go-to a pdf page directly, press Ctrl-N or Shift-Ctrl-N (Depending on the version of the reader).
On the other hand, the following limitations are still the same for both K-r and K-x:-
| Pdf Document Page* | Limitation |
| 18 | Same 12.4 MP CMOS Sensor (Low Resolution to the Competition) |
| 19 | No Cable Switch Socket |
| 28 | Mono Sound Recording for Built-in Microphone under Video Mode |
| 170 | AF is Not Possible During Video Recording |
| 170 | No Still Image Can be Taken During Video Recording (which Canon DSLRs Can) |
| 334 | Top Flash X-sync of 1/180th second (Ditto for the K-5 anyway) |
Frankly, the K-r is quite feature rich and highly configurable. It should have been the perfect camera without the major discrepancies as listed in the second table. The 12MP is really on the low side for the pixel count by today's standard. And, the lack of a cable switch could be a headache to some whom like to shoot on tripod and monopod with real-time focusing/metering and exposure controls.
Last but not least, the K-r actually consumes a bit more power than the K-x. Just note about the theoretical maximum number of shots possible with the K-x is 1900 whilst for the K-r, it is only 1600, when Lithium AA batteries are used and both measured at 23 Deg. C.
Btw, I am still wondering if I should buy the K-5 or the K-r. But if I am to buy the K-r, this would be the colour I would choose (and maybe also with the DAL 35 with matching colour, too):-
Read Also:-
What Colour Scheme of the K-r Would You Choose?
How to Order a Custom Coloured K-x from Japan by Yourself?
Poll Results and Summary on the Choice of Recent Current Pentax DSLRs
Mega Poll: Current Pentax DSLR Body Selection Dilemmas!
Ten Reasons for Thinking Twice before Decided on a K-5..
K-x Debug Mode Tutorial - AF Adjustment