KP might make you think about your favourite salty snacks, but now it can make you think about a brand new mid-level DSLR: the Pentax KP.

The KP has big features like weather-sealing and high resolution in its sights - but its smaller-than-usual scale is its big sell. The Japanese camera maker designed a completely new body for this model to ensure a slimmer profile than existing Pentax DSLR cameras. Oddly, however, Pentax didn't release the exact dimensions in its press release.

The Pentax KP embodies a lot of the goodies you'll find inside the company's K-1 model. The KP, however, has what's called an APS-C size sensor (which is smaller than the full-frame chip in the K-1) with a 24-megapixel resolution. The maximum sensitivity of ISO 819,200 means shooting in near-dark conditions ought to be feasible too.

There's no anti-aliasing filter either for heightened sharpness. The KP counters for any potential issues this may cause in the same way as the K-1: its sensor can move (just ever, ever so slightly) by using its SRII image stabilisation system which can avoid potential moire in images.

Add a 27-point autofocus system (SAFOX 11 module; 25 of those points are cross-type for heightened sensitivity in both portrait and landscape orientation), tilt-angle LCD screen, near-100-per-cent field-of-view optical viewfinder and the Pentax KP has a whole host of decent features for this mid-range market.

There's no 4K movie capture, though, which continues to see Pentax sat a step behind in this department (it can shoot 1080p max).

The Pentax KP will be available in black or silver finishes from the end of February, priced £1,100 body-only. That's a price difference more than a couple of bags of KP nuts higher than the likes of the now-around-£850 Canon 80D or Nikon D7200.