DSLR · 2008

Pentax K-m

The Pentax K-m is a DSLR from 2008 with a APS-C sensor measuring 24.0 × 14.9 mm. Its crop factor is 1.53×, so a 50 mm lens frames like 77 mm on full frame. Every number below is calculated for this exact sensor.

APS-C1.53× cropPentax K
Pentax K-m camera
Photo: ほしけん, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1.53×
Crop factor
24.0×14.9 mm
Sensor size
358 mm²
Area · 41% of full frame
2008
Release year

Specifications#

Brand
Pentax
Model
K-m
Camera type
DSLR
Released
2008-01-01
Lens mount
Pentax K
Sensor size
24.0 × 14.9 mm (APS-C)
Crop factor
1.53×

Specifications merged from Wikidata, Lensfun and openMVG. Spot an error? Tell us.

Sensor size compared#

Medium format 44 × 33 mmFull frame (35 mm)Pentax K-mFour Thirds / Micro Four Thirds1" (one-inch) sensor
The Pentax K-m sensor (highlighted) drawn to scale against common formats. Its area is 41% of a full-frame sensor, which collects about 1.3 stops less total light at the same exposure.

Focal length equivalents & field of view#

Multiply any focal length by 1.53 to get the full-frame field of view. Angles are for a rectilinear lens focused at infinity.

Lens on this cameraFull-frame equivalentHorizontalVerticalDiagonal
8 mm12 mm112.6°86.0°121.0°
10 mm15 mm100.4°73.4°109.4°
12 mm18 mm90.0°63.7°99.3°
14 mm21 mm81.2°56.1°90.5°
16 mm24 mm73.7°50.0°82.9°
18 mm28 mm67.4°45.0°76.3°
20 mm31 mm61.9°40.9°70.5°
24 mm37 mm53.1°34.5°61.0°
28 mm43 mm46.4°29.8°53.6°
35 mm54 mm37.8°24.1°44.0°
40 mm61 mm33.4°21.1°38.9°
50 mm77 mm27.0°17.0°31.6°
56 mm86 mm24.2°15.2°28.3°
70 mm107 mm19.5°12.2°22.8°
85 mm130 mm16.1°10.0°18.9°
100 mm153 mm13.7°8.5°16.1°
135 mm207 mm10.2°6.3°12.0°
200 mm306 mm6.9°4.3°8.1°
300 mm459 mm4.6°2.8°5.4°
400 mm612 mm3.4°2.1°4.0°
600 mm919 mm2.3°1.4°2.7°
800 mm1225 mm1.7°1.1°2.0°

Depth of field table#

Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 19.6 µm (the 0.030 mm full-frame standard scaled by the crop factor). Detailed tables: 24 mm f/1.8, 24 mm f/2.8, 35 mm f/1.8, 35 mm f/2.8, 50 mm f/1.8, 50 mm f/2.8.

FocalAperture50.0 cm1.00 m2.00 m3.00 m5.00 m10.0 mHyperfocal
14 mmf/1.88.8 cm36.6 cm1.64 m4.53 m46.0 m∞5.57 m
14 mmf/2.813.9 cm59.8 cm3.22 m16.6 m∞∞3.59 m
14 mmf/420.2 cm93.4 cm8.60 m∞∞∞2.51 m
14 mmf/845.8 cm4.17 m∞∞∞∞1.26 m
28 mmf/1.82.1 cm8.8 cm35.8 cm81.7 cm2.35 m11.2 m22.3 m
28 mmf/2.83.3 cm13.7 cm56.3 cm1.30 m3.96 m27.2 m14.3 m
28 mmf/44.7 cm19.6 cm82.0 cm1.96 m6.60 m3.2 km10.0 m
28 mmf/89.5 cm40.4 cm1.87 m5.51 m848 m∞5.03 m
48 mmf/1.80.7 cm2.9 cm12.0 cm27.2 cm76.2 cm3.12 m65.4 m
48 mmf/2.81.1 cm4.5 cm18.6 cm42.4 cm1.20 m5.02 m42.0 m
48 mmf/41.5 cm6.5 cm26.7 cm60.9 cm1.73 m7.65 m29.4 m
48 mmf/83.1 cm13.0 cm54.1 cm1.26 m3.80 m25.0 m14.7 m
78 mmf/1.80.2 cm1.1 cm4.5 cm10.2 cm28.6 cm1.15 m173 m
78 mmf/2.80.4 cm1.7 cm6.9 cm15.8 cm44.5 cm1.80 m111 m
78 mmf/40.5 cm2.4 cm9.9 cm22.6 cm63.7 cm2.60 m77.7 m
78 mmf/81.1 cm4.8 cm19.9 cm45.4 cm1.29 m5.47 m38.9 m

Equivalent aperture#

Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.

Aperture on this cameraFull-frame equivalent (depth of field)Hyperfocal at 28 mm
f/1.2f/1.833.4 m
f/1.4f/2.128.6 m
f/1.8f/2.822.3 m
f/2f/3.120.0 m
f/2.8f/4.314.3 m
f/4f/6.110.0 m
f/5.6f/8.67.17 m
f/8f/12.25.03 m

Night-sky exposure limits#

Longest exposure before stars trail. The NPF rule accounts for pixel pitch and is stricter than the classic 500 rule — use it for pin-sharp stars on high-resolution sensors. (NPF needs a known resolution and is omitted here.)

Focal length500 rule
9 mm (14 mm eq.)36.3 s
13 mm (20 mm eq.)25.1 s
16 mm (24 mm eq.)20.4 s
23 mm (35 mm eq.)14.2 s
33 mm (51 mm eq.)9.9 s

Open the NPF / 500 rule calculator →

Handheld shutter speed guide#

The reciprocal rule uses the equivalent focal length. High-resolution sensors may need one stop faster than this for pixel-sharp results.

Focal lengthNo stabilisation (1/equiv. focal)With 3-stop ISWith 5-stop IBIS
16 mm1/25 s0.3 s1.3 s
33 mm1/50 s1/6 s0.6 s
65 mm1/100 s1/13 s0.3 s
131 mm1/200 s1/25 s1/6 s

Frequently asked questions#

What is the crop factor of the Pentax K-m?

The Pentax K-m has a crop factor of 1.53× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 28.3 mm vs 43.3 mm).

What size is the Pentax K-m sensor?

24.0 × 14.9 mm (APS-C), an area of 358 mm² — 41% of full frame.

Is the Pentax K-m full frame?

No — its sensor is APS-C, which is 2.4× smaller in area than full frame.

What lens mount does the Pentax K-m use?

The Pentax K-m uses the Pentax K (flange distance 45.46 mm).

How long can I expose the night sky with the Pentax K-m?

With a 13 mm lens (20 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 25 s.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources

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