The K-50, which incorporates 81 ‘anti-water’ seals, will debut alongside two new lenses, an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 and 50-200mm f/4-5.6, also designed to be weather-resistant.

Pentax claims the K-50 can withstand temperatures as low as -10°C.

The K-50’s ‘dust-removal’ mechanism is intended to shake dust from the surface of the imaging sensor. The lenses, which both feature six weather seals, are not dust-proof, however.

According to Pentax’s Tokyo HQ, the K-50 is designed to have a ‘soft and sporty body shape’ – apparently to grab the attention of female users in particular.

Due out at the end of June, priced £529.99 body-only, it features Pentax’s shake-reduction system – which the company claims offers a four-stop benefit.

The camera’s sensor-shift shake-reduction system is designed to allow photographers to minutely adjust composition alignment horizontally and vertically, as well as employ ‘slant-wise rotation’. The camera also includes a horizon correction function.

The K-50 deploys an 11-point SAFOX IX+ AF module (which includes nine cross-type sensors), an optical viewfinder, full HD movie recording and in-camera raw file processing.

The camera boasts a top ISO of 51,200 – borrowed from the higher-end K-5 11 – six frames-per-second shooting and a tweaked version of Pentax’s Prime M image processing engine to help boost image quality.

The imaging sensor measures 23.7×15.7mm and the K-50 has a maximum shutter speed of 1/6000sec.

Also on board is a 3in, 921,000-dot resolution LCD monitor and 77-segment metering system.

There will be a customising service available, offering 120 colour
combinations (20 body colours and six grips), so purchasers can personalise their new kit. However, at
the time of writing, the price of this service had not been announced.

The standard body colour options are white, black and red.

Like the K-30, which continues in the range, the K-50 features interchangeable focusing screens.

It will also go on sale with an 18-55mm weather-resistant lens in a kit priced £599.99.

Pentax has also unveiled the K-500, an ‘entry-level’ model that lacks the weather sealings of the K-50 and does not feature a focus indicator through its viewfinder. The K-500 will cost £449.99 with an 18-55mm kit lens but will not be available body only. 

There is no word on whether Pentax plans to launch a new full-frame DSLR, as has been reported in recent months.