Pentax K-x (introduced in 2009) is a compact, beginner-friendly DSLR from Pentax. With a one-handed shooting design that is extremely compact, lightweight, and easy-to-use, the very affordable Pentax K-x is perfect for users stepping up from a point-and-shoot digital camera to their first digital SLR. Some people believe that Pentax K-x borrows its compact build from the Pentax K-m while sharing some of the features of their pro K-7. Anyway, Pentax K-x has some pretty standard features like a 12.4 megapixel APS-C sized CMOS image sensor, 11-point auto focus, 1280×720 HD video capture (at 24 fps, which is the standard speed for cinema motion picture capture), live view and an in-body image stabilization system…  Another feature unique to the K-x is that it comes in four different colors, including black, white, and the harder to find navy and red. It certainly seems to have all the ingredients for a great camera.

Here are my conclusions about Pentax K-x, these conclusions are based on my own, real-world experience, and were not conducted as exacting laboratory tests to come up with an in-depth review of the camera.

Pentax K-x Pros:

• Good build quality, compact and lightweight with very affordable price.
• Auto picture mode – automatically selects the best preset mode for the photo you’re trying to take, ideal for newbie
• 120 built in digital filters for interesting shots without the need for post processing
• 11-point auto-focus, fast 4.7FPS continuous shooting (17 images)
• Able to do 720p HD video (at 24fps) make Pentax K-x a good back up to a camcorder, although you do have to get used to manual focusing to get good results.
• The kit lens is very sharp! As an added bonus you can use any K mount lens ever made which opens up a huge opportunity to try some Legacy lenses.
• HDR shooting mode
• Live view mode
• Can store images in RAW format
• Accepts AA Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries

Pentax K-x cons:

• Viewfinder doesn’t show selected auto-focus points
• More unique colors are Japan Exclusives only

With Pentax K-x, I think Pentax offers the best value – good quality, superb features at a reasonable price – compared to Canon or Nikon.

Click here to know more about Pentax K-x specs or buy cheap Pentax K-x

Pentax K-7 is newest and the best Pentax Digital SLR Camera until now ( Jan 2010 ) with 14.6MP CMOS sensor, 3-inch LCD, a weather and dust resistant body, built-in shake reduction, Face Detection, Live View mode with contrast AF, optional histogram, grid, bright/dark area display… and especially 720p HD Video.

Here are my conclusions about Pentax K-7, these conclusions are based on my own experience, and were not conducted as exacting laboratory tests to come up with an in-depth review of the camera.

Pentax K-7 Pros:

• Lightweight and compact for a weather sealed, magnesium semi-pro body.
• Bright, 100% coverage viewfinder.
• Improved Shake Reduction and Dust Reduction.
• Great AF speed improvement (and slight accuracy improvement) in AF-S mode, quieter shutter.
• Pentax K-7 gives us excellent image quality at low ISO (shooting RAW and developing with Capture One Pro) and very good image quality at high ISO even at 3200(again, shooting RAW with NR turned off and using Capture One Pro for development). Noise visible even at base ISO, but has a very film-like, unobtrusive look.
• Decent Video Mode (aperture control), but perfectible.
• Pentax K-7 has lots of very useful features (horizon level indicator, copyright embedding, etc.). Number of settings and custom functions almost equal to that of a fully professional DSLR.
• Excellent control over noise reduction level and improved metering.
• Auto white balance improved under incandescent light.
• Improved menu layout and ergonomics (buttons for ISO and WB).
• New grip make Pentax K-7 very comfortable (for my small hands).

Pentax K-7 Cons:

• AF speed and accuracy still poor in AF-C mode, way behind competitors with similar specifications or price tag.
• Video Mode still needs improvement: jelly-cam effect, artifacts, jittery behavior at times.
• D-Range results in pretty noisy shadows.
• No user-selectable ISO in Video Mode.
• Dynamic range improved by about a stop (over K10D), but still a bit limited.
• Live view still behind competition (no magnification, slow AF).

More info about Pentax K-7 specs and price comparison

Announced in January 24 2008, the Pentax K20D digital SLR offers advanced photo enthusiasts an array of exciting Pentax innovations. The CMOS image sensor brings out optimum performance of Pentax interchangeable lenses. Featuring 14.6 effective megapixels and noise-reduction technology, the sensor assures superb image quality. This SLR will cause you to feel in control with its Live View function that enables 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 Custom Image function to select / adjust finishing touches to an image. A better Dust Reduction system features prevention, removal and alerting devices. Combine these innovations with the renowned Pentax-developed Shake Reduction (SR) system, Pentax Real Image Engine (PRIME) and incorporate them in a dependable dust-proof, weather-resistant body – you’ve now got a superb camera that allow photographers to shoot anytime, anywhere, even in dusty or rainy environments.

Here are my conclusions about Pentax K20D, these conclusions are based on my own, real-world experience, and were not conducted as exacting laboratory tests to come up with an in-depth review of the camera.

Pentax K20D pros:

• Great build quality, very good ergonomics. Buttons are well placed and fall under the fingertips very naturally. Good menu structure, well organized and clear. Most camera settings can be accessed via external buttons, reducing the use of menus to a minimum.
• Analog LCD on top, the same as old film cameras used to have. Which means most image parameters can be easily visualized without using the main LCD.
• The GREEN button : this button can be used in every mode to make the camera perform a metering reading, and set the camera so exposure is accurate. It can give a good starting point in manual mode, reset settings in every modes, or perform a metering reading with manual lenses. That button is nicely positioned close to the shutter release.
• FULLY customizable camera. you can select what most buttons do. The two jog dials can be fully customized in each shooting mode.
• In P mode, the camera offers the chance to choose what will be optimized: sharpness, depth of field or shutter speed
• Hyper program – just like P mode except that by turning either jog dials you automatically switch to Av or Tv mode. Extremely convenient when you wish taking control.
• In-body Image stabilization : It really works and once you’ve tried it, it’s hard to let it go. Even my thirty years old K mount lenses have become stabilized.
• Bright viewfinder – it makes taking pictures in low light, manual focusing, and general use much easier and more enjoyable.
• Fine tuning – The camera allows you to fine-tune the color calibration of the main LCD, meaning that its color representation can be made as accurate as possible.
• Complete control over image parameters: sharpness, color balance, contrast, noise removal and other parameters can all be fine-tuned. White balance can also be fully tuned to your specific shooting situation, and the Pentax K20D shows you the effect of your settings on the last picture taken. For people who want to play with RAW (instead of JPEGs) the camera will even let you develop your RAW files in-camera.

Pentax K20D cons:

• You have to access a menu to be able to change the flash mode. The external flash button only lifts up the flash.
• The camera includes a DOF preview function like several DSLRs, however the button used for this is also the button used to access Live View, so you need to choose which feature will be associated with this button.
• The back LCD smears easily when I press my nose to it while taking pictures.
• You can’t change exposure settings while using Live View. That means Live View is essentially helpful for manual focus and composition at awkward angles.
• If the main LCD is lit, changing an exposure setting immediately blanks it. In some situations, it would be useful to use the main LCD instead of the top LCD to change image settings.
• Despite the fact that the menus are well structured, the “OK” button is used inconsistently. Sometimes you have to use arrows, sometimes OK, and even though the camera displays which buttons should be used, most users will naturally try to use OK to confirm selections.

Overall, the Pentax K20D is a very good camera for the price. Pentax users looking to step up should feel comfortable doing so. If you’re brand agnostic and looking for a solid midrange SLR, the Pentax K20D is a safe bet

The Pentax K10D was announced on September 13, 2006 and released in mid-November 2006. it combines a 10.2 effective megapixel CCD sensor, coupled with a 22-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a in-body shake reduction system which also provides a dust removal feature to keep dust off the sensor surface. The Pentax K10D comes with a new image processor called PRIME (Pentax Real Image Engine), which interfaces with DDR2 RAM, providing 800MB/s bandwidth. The K10D body is dust and weather-resistant featuring 72 seals throughout the camera. Images can be saved in JPG, Pentax raw image format (PEF) or standard DNG format. The Pentax K10D was one of the first digital cameras to support the DNG format natively.

Here are my conclusions about Pentax K10D, these conclusions are based on my own experience, and were not conducted as exacting laboratory tests to come up with an in-depth review of the camera.

Pentax K10D pros:

• Solid build – this can be a tough and quality-built camera body, feels very strong in your hands and is nowhere near as flimsy as the rest of the brands’ competitor models
• AF drive is much faster – accurate and speedy in modest lighting conditions with SDM supported ( this put the DA* lenses on the map )
• Excellent and effective shake reduction – slightly better than the K100D
• ISO adjustable in 1/2 and 1/3 steps as well as going down to 100 for versatility in taking longer exposures
• Improved 4-way selector on the back of the camera – simple to operate and very responsive
• 2 fully customizable e-dials – this was a superb feature addition that makes changing important settings such a breeze
• Bright and responsive 2.5in screen with fast instant review including histogram
• Faster burst mode with much bigger buffer and dump-to-card speed (9 RAW photos before buffer fills and unlimited JPEGs! – so you’d need a fast SD card, like 10Mb/sec write speed)

Pentax K10D cons:

• Noise control – ISO 800 is pushing the limits for good noise control even with noise reduction mode on
• TTL flash capability
• Better P-TTL exposures using external flashes needed – this is a considerable weak point when shooting in auto mode

For the price that it resells at these days, this is probably the best bang-for-you-buck camera for an enthusiast.