very impressive. | Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only)

Perfect Package | Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only)

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	• Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only) Pentax Pentax average customer review:based on 31 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Old Skool Pentaxian making the jump

Very cool camera.

I've shot with a 35mm pentax SuperME since 1988. Then in 2006 made the leap to digital SLR with a Canon Rebel XT (350d). I had great fun with the XT, and still use it as my backup camera.

I've got more serious with my photography and decided to purchase the K20D from a Nikon guy that won it in a photo contest and had no use for it.

WOW- this camera is light years ahead of the 350D! Only thing I am working hard to get around is that I miss canon's warmer colors. The XT takes pictures that are a lot warmer.. and that suits my style very well.

I could of course use Photosho/Lightroom to add some warmth.. but that is besides the point.

I'm very happy with the low light performance, and the 14.6 MP effective range... good stuff!

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very impressive.

disclaimer - going to write this in an almost bullet'ed fashion to save time.

reasons why i bought this: -already have old pentax lenses. (work fine with it. 2 lens from 1960)

-14.6 megapixel. i read that its comparable to the 35mm negative in enlargement. that's true. after scanning and old negative at 1200 dpi, the lens captured the same amount of detail. it's pretty amazing.

-weatherproofing. in the past, i've always used very old manual cameras -because they're built like a tank, and will never break. and usually don't need a battery. this is about as close as you can get for under 1500$ i believe. and if i'm spending money, i don't want to buy another for many a year.

-2 knobs. as someone who's never used a camera with "modes", this is perfect. the aperture and shutter are very easy to control, so the picture comes out how you'd like it. also as a plus, the only "modes" this has are useful. aperture priority, shutter priority, manual, hyper program, and sensor priority. no fireworks, portrait, sports.... etc.

-a few plusses i wasn't expecting. double and triple exposures are possible in camera. the anti shake is amazing. i can shoot down to 1/10th of a second with almost no problem.
-when shooting in black and white, you can use in camera "filter" effects. it has an ifra red filter that while isn't a true infra red look, it does have a very high contrast, and seems to pull more tones out of any available scene.

negatives: (kindof)
-at work we use a nikon, the buttons and meter are reversed. so i have to stay used to two setups.
-the preset white balances are close, but not dead-on. the transitions are very subtle, so i don't think anyone who wasn't there will know.. but at the same time i don't mind at all. if i don't adjust the white balance, some images kind of take on a weirdly enhanced look.
-in very low light, the autofocus has a challenge. again, not a problem because it has a manual focus.
- the weatherproofing. the camera is tough as hell, but unless you use a certain lens set (i read) that water could enter where the lens meets the body. (so far i've yet to shoot in a hard rain though)

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Perfect Package

Have been using the K20D since June 08 and am very pleased with both the image quality as well as the features and functions.Controls and flexibility are outstanding with significant customization available. At 14.1 MP it is definitely a class leader in resolution.

Things I love:
- Most importantly excellent image quality (when combined with the DA*
lenses): sharp,clear and good color rendition, & dynamic range.
- Shake reduction built into the body which enables the use of any lens
in order to gain the benefit.
- Additional ability to further customize image quality for contrast,
sharpness, color, hue for 5 deferent presets. Not really necessary,
but available if you so choose.
- Ability to simultaneously shoot JPEG+RAW (pre-set or on demand)
- Intuitive controls and menus
- Excellent displays in both the main LCD screen as well as the top
LCD(excellent back lighting in the top LCD: bright green
illumination).
- Compact size for smaller hands, but good fit for larger hands when
coupled with the battery grip (I have reviewed the grip separately).
- Very quiet shutter sound
- Good fit and finish (solid build) & moisture/dust sealed

Things I wish it had:
- On demand composition grid in view finder (Advantage D300)
- Button adjustment for White Balance. The K20D requires that you get
to a menu first. Not a big issue since auto WB seems to work very
well in 99% of my usage conditions.
- Protective cover for the main LCD (Advantage D300). I currently use
an after-market product.

The K20D has been rated low in its Frame Per Second ability (3 FPS compared to the Canon at 6 FPS). If you require his FPS burst rate (i.e. sports journalism), this will be a handicap. For my usage, it is not an hinderance and therefore I discount the need for an ultra fast FPS burst rate.

I recommend the DA* series lenses to get the best out of the K20D. These lenses are a tad pricey, but still less expensive than Canon's equivalent L series lenses. The image quality of the DA* lenses is outstanding and complement the K20D very well especially with the SDM focusing (fast and quiet)and weather-sealing.

This camera is definitely for the enthusiast/prosumer. When I was shopping for a new camera, I tried both a D300 and the K20D for a good 3 week trial each. Based on my user experience, I opted for the K20D and have no regrets.

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Pro camera for enthusiast and pro photographers

Since my day-to-day camera is a Pentax K10D, I was curious how the K20D would compare. I expected the camera to perform better than the K10D and prove to be a worthwhile upgrade. What I discovered was that the K20D is an amazing camera in much the same way as the older K10D. In short, while it's a very good camera, it might not be a worthwhile upgrade for current K10D owners.

Focus speed of the K20D is about the same as the K10D, just a little quieter. The 3 fps continuous shooting performance is nice, but the similarly speced Canon 40D and Nikon D300 have much faster continuous shooting performance. Also, the fact that you can no longer shoot JPEGs at 3fps until the card fills up was a disappointment.

Image quality is among the best I've seen in the sub $2,000 price range but the ISO noise was only marginally improved over the older K10D. The full compatibility with every Pentax lens means almost limitless options for expansion and growth of your photographic skills. Colors are rich even at the "natural" image tone setting. In-camera shake reduction and dust removal means that this mid-level camera is remarkably full-featured. Thanks to the intuitive control layout, any serious photographer will feel right at home.

Bottom line: if you don't already own a K10D, at the $1,299 (and lower) price point the K20D may be the best value on the market.

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I am so pleased with this camera

This is my first DSLR (though by no means my first digital camera: I've had a Powershot G1, Olympus C8080WZ & a Lumix LX-2). I've been refusing to buy a DSLR mostly because I've been annoyed with Canon & Nikon (they seem mostly to be about defining and farming market niches) and Olympus isn't there yet (limitations with Dynamic Range and viewfinder size). I've never owned a Pentax before but the more I read about it, the more I liked it on paper. Now that I've got it, I like it even better. The camera offers tremendous flexibility and control in a very straightforward way. If you're an enthusiastic amateur, want to take beautiful pictures, and don't want to have to spend an arm and a leg to do it, you should absolutely consider buying the K20D.

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The PENTAX K20D digital SLR offers advanced photo enthusiasts an array of exciting PENTAX innovations. The newly developed CMOS image sensor brings out optimum performance of PENTAX interchangeable lenses. Featuring 14.6 effective megapixels (highest in its class) and the latest noise-reduction technology, the sensor assures superb image quality. This SLR will make you feel in control with its Live View function that allows the photographer to see the image on the camera's back panel LCD monitor while shooting. Customizable features ideal for shooters who demand complete control include the Expanded Dynamic Range function that allows users to gain more contrast/detail in bright settings and a new Custom Image function to select/adjust finishing touches to an image. Weather and dust resistant body allows you to keep shooting even in harsh conditions; Dust Reduction and Dust Alert features eliminate the need of time retouching Advanced 16-segment metering and 11-point AF, with 9 cross sensors, ensure perfectly exposed and focused images Unique exposure modes, such as hyper-program, Sv and TAv, offer shooting versatility Retractable P-TTL popup ElectronicFlash; Guide number - 13 (100/m); Coverage - 28mm wide angle (equivalent to 35mm) Flash modes - on, redeye, slow sync, slow sync + redeye, trailing curtain sync, wireless; Flash exposure compensation - -2 to +1 EV in 1/2 steps / Hot Shoe for adding optional external-flash USB 2.0 hi-speed, video out, DC input, cable switch, X-Sync socket; Video out - NTSC, PAL; Printer interfaces - PictBridge Body dimensions (W x H x D) - 5.6 x 4.0 x 2.76?; Body weight (without battery or removable memory) - 25.2 oz; Loaded and ready - 28.2 oz Uses and includes Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery D-LI50 (39581) with Charger

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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