Compared to...

Studio scene comparison (higher sensitivities)

By default the K200D's High ISO noise reduction is switched off. As a result the Pentax produces fairly detailed images with little noise reduction blurring at higher sensitivities (some of the perceived sharpness is due to the high default sharpening settings though). The downside of this that you also get a good portion of noise. There are the usual purple chroma noise blotches and the image is visibly grainier than than the competition's. However, one of the few advantages of the K200D's JPEG engine is the control you have over high ISO noise reduction. You can choose from four levels which allows you to define your own noise/detail compromise.

ISO 800

Pentax K200D	Olympus E-520
Canon EOS 450D	Nikon D60

ISO 1600

Pentax K200D	Olympus E-520
Canon EOS 450D	Nikon D60