Kx preview on DPR and IR

Marbuel · Sep 16, 2009

here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09091702pentaxKXhandson.asp

here:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/KX/KXA.HTM

Looks good

I wish K7 had the same sensor ... My guess is that it is going to be better than the Samsung sensor in K7. I wonder whether shutter of Kx is as silent as of K7? Price seems to be pretty good, although I see no body only price... Would be quite nice backup body, but I am not buying it together with the kit lens ...

Marek

viking79 · Sep 16, 2009

Marbuel said:
here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09091702pentaxKXhandson.asp

here:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/KX/KXA.HTM

Looks good I wish K7 had the same sensor ... My guess is that it is going to be better than the Samsung sensor in K7. I wonder whether shutter of Kx is as silent as of K7? Price seems to be pretty good, although I see no body only price... Would be quite nice backup body, but I am not buying it together with the kit lens ...

Marek

The kit lens is pretty good, light weight and optically the same as the DA II kit lens. You are basically getting the lens free. If you want, you could even sell it for $60 or something and get back a little of the money.

The price of $600 US is absolutely amazing. That is a superb camera for that price. Poor Europeans have to pay 600 EUR which works out to be nearly 900 USD.

Eric

--
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be what it may - light, shade, and perspective will always make it
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See my Blog at: http://viking79.blogspot.com/ (9/9/09)
Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28177041@N03/ (updated daily)
See my PPG Shots: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/erictastad (8/31/09)

lol101 · Sep 16, 2009

This is surely a step back from the K200...

Where has gone Pentax's touted strategy of producing smallish cameras for outdoor photographers??

--
http://lol-photoblog.blogspot.com/

yana36 · Sep 16, 2009

Need new firmware to make

AF in-focus indicators in the optical viewfinder to show which AF point or points are selected.

PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

lol101 · Sep 16, 2009

If Pentax didn't include the red leds in the VF, no firmware update will ever put them back in.

--
http://lol-photoblog.blogspot.com/

Marbuel · Sep 16, 2009

I know it is a good lens ... but anyway I don't need it.

There is one major thing that will be annoying about Kx:

no indication of AF point - quite strange - you can select it but you don't see it in VF

other differences to K7 are quite understandable:
no weather sealing
low res LCD

no rotation compensation in SR - although who knows whether that is field relevant?
no new dust removal system
AF system does not have an extra sensor for light color
inferior VF
less buttons, more plastic build
no cable release, no HDMI output

There are some advantages to K7 too:
big one is: most likely better sensor with lower noise and higher DR
AA batteries ... can be handy!

if shutter is as quiet as K7's I think I will buy it eventually as a backup for K7.

Marek

Marbuel · Sep 16, 2009

There will most likely be a K200 replacement later ... spring next year?
Marek

LightBug · Sep 16, 2009

I guess the tilt/swivel LCD didn't make it in this time. Still, nice set of specs, I especially like the 4.7 frames continuous shooting rate.

Joey

lol101 · Sep 16, 2009

Oh, I thought the K-x was the K200 "replacement" just as the K-7 was the K20 "replacement".

Still, where has the "small, rugged outdoor oriented cameras" strategy gone? I thought that was a very smart positioning from Pentax and I am puzzled that they didn't follow through with the K-x.

--
http://lol-photoblog.blogspot.com/

Makinations · Sep 16, 2009

I've no need of another camera brand but when I have some cash I WILL be buying that red camera and lens. Just too cool.

Marbuel said:
here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09091702pentaxKXhandson.asp

here:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/KX/KXA.HTM

Looks good I wish K7 had the same sensor ... My guess is that it is going to be better than the Samsung sensor in K7. I wonder whether shutter of Kx is as silent as of K7? Price seems to be pretty good, although I see no body only price... Would be quite nice backup body, but I am not buying it together with the kit lens ...

Marek

tkbslc · Sep 16, 2009

$850 for a dual lens kit with the awesome 55-300, 720p, 11 AF points, 5fps, in camera HDR and they they go and kill it with a stupid cost saving measure.....

I was all ready to put in my pre-order and trade in my Canon Rebel XS until I read about the lack of AF point indicators. MAJOR deal breaker. How can you ever use fast glass in this camera without knowing where the lens has focused. It would have to be center point only or full auto point selection and pray it picked the right one.

I think Pentax just limited this camera to the P&S crowd.

eruditass · Sep 16, 2009

Now that I think about it, I don't mind not having indicators. I will only be doing center point or select the specific point I want to focus on (when doing action shots and attempting to frame) because I do want full control, and I don't want the camera to pick one for me. If anything, this makes it worse for the P&S crowd, and of course everyone that reviews it.

tkbslc said:
$850 for a dual lens kit with the awesome 55-300, 720p, 11 AF points, 5fps, in camera HDR and they they go and kill it with a stupid cost saving measure.....

I was all ready to put in my pre-order and trade in my Canon Rebel XS until I read about the lack of AF point indicators. MAJOR deal breaker. How can you ever use fast glass in this camera without knowing where the lens has focused. It would have to be center point only or full auto point selection and pray it picked the right one.

I think Pentax just limited this camera to the P&S crowd.

tkbslc · Sep 16, 2009

IR says "it is hampered inexplicably by the lack of an AF-point overlay in the optical viewfinder"

That sounds like it doesn't even show where the AF point are. If it at least shows you where they are, then I guess I could work around it, but it is still super lame that it doesn't light up for confirmation. What if you forget to change back from an edge point for the next shoot? You will be misfocusing all day long without knowing it.

This is a terrible move by Pentax to save a few buck on the camera. Hurry and add them back in and add $50 to the price if that's what it takes.

johnnyz86 said:
Now that I think about it, I don't mind not having indicators. I will only be doing center point or select the specific point I want to focus on (when doing action shots and attempting to frame) because I do want full control, and I don't want the camera to pick one for me. If anything, this makes it worse for the P&S crowd, and of course everyone that reviews it.

tkbslc said:

$850 for a dual lens kit with the awesome 55-300, 720p, 11 AF points, 5fps, in camera HDR and they they go and kill it with a stupid cost saving measure.....

I was all ready to put in my pre-order and trade in my Canon Rebel XS until I read about the lack of AF point indicators. MAJOR deal breaker. How can you ever use fast glass in this camera without knowing where the lens has focused. It would have to be center point only or full auto point selection and pray it picked the right one.

I think Pentax just limited this camera to the P&S crowd.

Click to expand...

nigbat · Sep 16, 2009

Looks good. Can't wait to see what of of performance they get out of the sensor.

Of course there is stuff left out that would be nice to have, but it is an entry level body.

sung nee · Sep 16, 2009

12.4m X 1.5 (APS crop factor) = 18.6m, almost exactly the same as the full frame Leica M9 (18.5). This is going to be the resolution of the full frame Pentax digital SLR.

K1D, finally!

lol101 · Sep 17, 2009

... even though I don't understand it!! ;-)

--
http://lol-photoblog.blogspot.com/

eclipsevv · Sep 17, 2009

tkbslc said:
That sounds like it doesn't even show where the AF point are.

From the brief hands-on: "although you can now at least select the active AF-point, it's still not displayed in the viewfinder."; so it probably seems you have to select the focus point looking at the rear LCD?

I really cannot understand this choice: every entry level DSLR has AF-point indication in viewfinder. This basically means the 11-point AF system is basically useless!!

*isteve · Sep 17, 2009

eclipsevv said:
tkbslc said:

That sounds like it doesn't even show where the AF point are.

Click to expand...

From the brief hands-on: "although you can now at least select the active AF-point, it's still not displayed in the viewfinder."; so it probably seems you have to select the focus point looking at the rear LCD?

I really cannot understand this choice: every entry level DSLR has AF-point indication in viewfinder. This basically means the 11-point AF system is basically useless!!

Sure looks that way.
--
Steve

Any fool can take a picture OF something. Its much harder to take a picture ABOUT something.

nothsafoto · Sep 17, 2009

That logic is interesting when you look at the new Canon 7D.....18MP in a 1.6x crop body so the next 1DS will have 29MP or so???????

Ooops......did I just say that the 7D has 18MP?? So it's possible the next model from Pentax (lets call it a K30d) could be 18MP but still a 1.5x crop......

I'm not expecting a Pentax FF body anytime soon.

Robbie
--
Canon Can...Can you??

jackbw · Sep 17, 2009

eclipsevv said:
tkbslc said:

That sounds like it doesn't even show where the AF point are.

Click to expand...

From the brief hands-on: "although you can now at least select the active AF-point, it's still not displayed in the viewfinder."; so it probably seems you have to select the focus point looking at the rear LCD?

I really cannot understand this choice: every entry level DSLR has AF-point indication in viewfinder. This basically means the 11-point AF system is basically useless!!

If the procedure for changing the AF point is similar to the K-7, you have to push the Ok button then the arrow buttons. By then, you're likely to be looking at the back of the camera anyway. So if they display it on the LCD, at least the AF selection part is easy to use. The AF confirmation part is where it could potentially pose a problem if you forget where you set it. But if you remember where you set it, I can't consider it useless. You could probably use the Info button to quickly see where it is set. It's not as convenient as seeing the AF points in the VF, but I think it's usable.

Kx preview on DPR and IR

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