Pentax K200D Editors Choice

Adam-T said:

BTW there are loadsa spiffing deals on GX10s Barry and it's a superb
buy if you want the links, I almost E-Mailed you one I spotted but
didn't think you were really interested..

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Thanks. I know the deals about, pretty damn good on the GX-10. As ever..the idea of switching mounts, or even starting on another one, is a tough one.

Adam-T said:

BTW the live Exposure comp on the rear dial in A mode more than makes
up for the 7D's dedicated dial and the Antishake is at least as good
as KM/Sony - far removed from the K100's....

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Well I hear the K100 isnt great AS wise, someone managed to get it to work on a lawnmower..bout it!

I dont have the 7d, I have the 7 film though, and its probably the best film camera ever to hit the planet ;-)

Cold dead hands on that one ! lol

I do keep an eye out, however I never tried a pentax with a proper flashgun, and the feeback I get here, does not inspire much confidence on that one..flash is kinda very important to me. Still Nikon could tempt me, will keep an eye open on the D90 when it comes around.

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I am not the 'Ghost Hunter', nor am I the Irish actor in the 'Quiet Man' ;-)

ptodd said:

Indeed, I can see what you're saying. I'll have to do some more
proper comparisons for myself sometime to make up my mind. For some
reason, I'm still under the vague impression that the new Samsung
sensor is very good, and the K10 era Sony not for me...

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Oh, no doubt the new Samsung 14MP sensor is wonderful - better than the Sony 10 MP one in most respects. But I do think the 10MP Sony sensor gets a bad rap sometimes compared to the 6MP one. Maybe the K200D really is just better than the K10D in this respect due to the image processing engine, but all I can say is, in direct head-to-head comparisons, I can find no meaningful way in which the K200D image quality is a step below the K100D or *istDS. At their worst, they are close to indistinguishable, and at their best, the K200D winds hands down. But I make no claims that the K200D matches the K20D in image quality - just that I can see no IQ-related reason to choose the K100D over K200D (quite the contrary).

My main reason for the upgrade had to do with focus issues on the DS, really wanting SR, and sensing that the rumored entry level model Pentax is supposedly releasing would be a step down from the K200D in most ways that mattered to me. I realize the chances of anyone ever releasing the exact camera I want is close enough to zero that it's not worth waiting for. Combine all that with an unexpected sudden financial opportunity, and as I put it in another post, it seemed the Camera Gods were telling me, "now", and the K200D was the best fit for me.

--
Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/photo/

Gary Martin said:

Ultimately it's a matter of personal taste. Anyway, this comparison
has already been discussed ad nauseum.

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True enough, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth at least summarizing things every now and again.

I admit, on paper, there are many reasons to choose the K10D over K200D. The better viewfinder, extra dial, and bigger buffer sound like no-brainers, after all. In order to choose the K200D, you've got to have a fairly specific set of priorities, but I don't think these are freakishly bizarre, either. Here's what did it for me:

• I hate the whole idea of proprietary batteries
• Holding both, the difference in size/weight was significant
• All else close to equal, I feel better buying a new model with the better support (including potential for firmware upgrades) than one that has been retired
• The potential for better IQ, especially with regard to high ISO noise
• A couple of the new features actually seem useful - pixel mapping, dust view

I had to get over the difference in viewfinder, but found the K200D "good enough". The buffer matters not at all to me - in three years with my DS, I probably used continuous shooting only two or three times, and never to fire off a long row. And one dial was fine - although I admit having an easier way to set ISO would have been nice. But I'm used to doing so via the Fn menu - and the layout is actually considerably improved on the K200D. So in the end, the factors I listed above were the deciding factors.

And although I don't have a K10D to compare with directly, I really am more and more becoming convinced there probably are significant IQ improvements in the K200D despite the obvious similarities.

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Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/photo/

At the moment the price is fairly even here between K10D and the K200D .. but i guess in about 4 months time the K200D may look VERY good value indeed if the price drops away as it often seems todo

I also love proprietary batteries .. I use a Ds and a A640 canon for this reason ( amongst others)

My main thing is going to be if the high ISO is better than the K10D

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Tom Bell
Dartmooor
Devon
UK

Member said:

ever..the idea of switching mounts, or even starting on another one,
is a tough one

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Given the direction sony is going in, you'll have to change mounts at some stage as that 5D ain't going to last forever . I Still feel that the 7D is the best handling DSLR which takes Minolta AF lenses and that 7D it's little brother the 5D are the kings of high ISO in DSLRs which take Minolta AF lenses (plastic NR don't impressa me much)

Member said:

Well I hear the K100 isnt great AS wise, someone managed to get it to
work on a lawnmower..bout it!

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Tried it on the washing machine and it worked, also handy of you're sitting on an old Kawasaki Z750 Twin with knackered big ends but otherwise the SR switch may as well be off - if you can't get the shot without it, there's little or no chance you'll get it with it on ..... the K10 is a totally different kettle of fish, I noticed the SR working within the first 5 shots !!

Member said:

I dont have the 7d, I have the 7 film though, and its probably the
best film camera ever to hit the planet ;-)

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Well, that'd be a Canon 1V or Nikon F3 / F6 or even a Pentax MZS but I see where you are coming from

Member said:

Nikon could tempt me, will keep an eye open on the D90 when it comes
around.

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if it uses that D300 sensor - no thanks - use the D90 as chance to get a D80 on the cheap....

SR at 13th sec 24mm - not a big deal you may think but I took quite a few and all the ones which focussed OK (amazingly most of them) were tack sharp at 100%



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Please ignore the Typos, I'm the world's worst Typist

Hi all- I just got the K200d today brand new with the new 18-55 lens for 560.00.. I had the K10d and regretably sold it for an E510. After using this camera today for several shots, I am amazed at the IQ, accuracy of the WB, and mettering as compared to the K10 which for me seemed to be a little inconsistant. This camera may lack a few things the K10 had but it also has a few advantages as well. After using this camera I can say I do not miss the K10 and now have no regrets selling it. It seems to me this camera should have no problem selling well considering its size and features. Don

I wonder how much headline the K1000 got when it was introduced.

Nols
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'Ask not what your camera can do for you...' (oh well, you know how this ends)

Nols said:

I wonder how much headline the K1000 got when it was introduced.

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If they had discontinued it after one year nobody would remember it. No digital will ever have a 20 year run.

Judging a photographer on the basis of equipment is like speculating one's physique from a gym pass.

tombell1 said:

My main thing is going to be if the high ISO is better than the K10D

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My own comparisons show that resized similarly (eg, full screen or printed at same dimensions), the K200D is at least as good as the K100D. I don't think too many people said that about the K10D.

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Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/photo/

I bet very little Nols. But then, neither did Toyota !

tombell1 said:

At the moment the price is fairly even here between K10D and the
K200D .. but i guess in about 4 months time the K200D may look VERY
good value indeed if the price drops away as it often seems todo

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It is worth comparing the prices of the various models at introduction . I believe the original *ist D was well over $1000. The DS came out at around $800-$900 for the kit. The K100D at around $600-$700, I think. The K10D just under $1000. And the K200D goes for $700-$800 for the kit. As far as I can tell, that's a steal by these standards, and I see no reason the price won't drop over time just as it did with the other models.

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Marc Sabatella
http://www.marcsabatella.com/photo/

Right out of the review:

'If Pentax would only expand weather-sealing in its lens lineup down from the top-tier DA* offerings to something a little more proletarian, users looking for an affordable fully weather-sealed system would be all set."

If they can break mold and introduce inexpensive weather resistent bodies, why not some lenses? The 16-45mm would be ideal for this.
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'I cried because I had no E-3. Then I met a man with no E-510'

Olympus E-510, E-410, E-330, Pentax K10D, 42 lenses of various types