I am just starting to familiarize myself with the K-x. My thoughts in this review are preliminary. I will compare the K-x to the Pentax *istDL, which I purchased in February 2006 and use regularly for my job (photo journalist). I have not used other Pentax digital cameras, nor have I owned other brands of digital SLRs, although I have looked them over.
The K-x and *istDL are remarkably similar in size, shape, feel in the hand, and weight (K-x is 45 grams heavier). I consider the *istDL a great entry-level digital camera. The K-x is more sophisticated and has many refinements compared to the *istDL, so I don’t consider them in the same class, although the price is about the same ($630 with lens). Technology does not stand still and in four years we’re going to see changes in just about any electronic device, usually for the better.
The most obvious difference in the exterior is the lack of a liquid crystal display on the right top of the K-x. The information displayed here (battery life, shutter speed, aperture, image capacity, flash setting, has been moved to the rear display. All it takes to preview the information is a light tap on the shutter trigger. I don’t mind this change. The new display uses color to highlight; overall, losing the display is no big deal. Another item that has changed is the AE-L button. It now has four possible settings, which are accessible in the Menu, C Section, #10. I prefer to just use it for AE-L and nothing more, so I changed it to setup 4.
The Mode dial on the K-x is like the *istDL with one important exception. The K-x has Scene mode (SCN), with settings for night, surf & snow, food, sunset, stage lighting, kids, pets, candlelight, museum, and night snap. Settings are tweaked to the anticipated situation. For example, food photos will have increased color saturation.
Shutter sound
While I don’t know that it makes much difference, the shutter sound is about the same for both cameras. If that’s all you care about in a camera, I recommend a Nikon. They’re quieter, in my opinion.
Both cameras use 4 AA batteries. I have had good results with quality lithium ion batteries. You can always find AA batteries in a pinch and that’s why I like to see cameras made this way. However, my *istDL has refused to work with some rechargeable batteries, even when they’re fully charged.
The K-x has a mysterious green button. It is supposed to allow you to switch between two different settings, for example, JPEG to RAW. There are other settings you can have. My issue is, how do you remember which setting it’s on? I prefer to leave it in the default mode. I don’t see much use for the green button right now.
Menu buttons
Overall, the menu and rear buttons are the same for both cameras, although the K-x now has LV, Live View. A nice feature of Live View is the real-time histogram. Otherwise, I will continue using the viewfinder. Note that Live View can make the camera hot, so it’s probably a good not to use it in most situations.
The K-x has shake reduction, which the *istDL lacks. However, shake reduction increases ISO, so you may notice more noise, if there’s a need for significant shake reduction.
An interesting feature for the K-x is Dynamic Range. On this setting the camera basically take three photos in quick succession at different aperture settings to compensate for dark and light areas. It’s great for scenery shots where there is no movement.
Video
The K-x is the first Pentax camera in this price range offering video. I have used it a few times sparingly and the results have been OK, but this is not going to be a feature you should come to rely on. You will get equally good results and more utility using a less expensive camera, such as the fixed-lens Canon SX10 or Canon SD850 IS. Note that these are not digital SLR cameras.
That’s not to say the Pentax video is broken. A digital SLR is not the ideal platform for video. The most disturbing aspect is the sound of lens movement when zooming, which obviously requires manually turning the lens. The video itself is fine. In order to reduce file size, be sure to change the default setting. I recommend 630x416 with two stars.
Camera requirements
Everyone comes at photography from a different perspective, so the camera that’s right for you may not be right for someone else. As a photojournalist, I need a camera that works well in low light and has a basic menu. I don’t want to be fiddling with the menu when I’m under pressure trying to take photos in a business setting. That’s why I find the Pentax brand so satisfying. Their menus are far and away more intuitive and less cluttered than Nikon and Canon.
The K-x retains fundamentally the same button arrangement as the *istDL. It has more features, but those don’t get in the way of the most important buttons I use all the time – lighting, ISO, and flash.
That said, I took some photos in low light and compared them. I noticed markedly better results with the K-x body and lens. Most importantly, the K-x easily beats the *istDL for noise at high ISO. This is critical because in a business setting the flash should be used sparingly.
I noticed that the new kit lens 18-55 shows better results than the older 18-55, which surprised me. I didn’t expect to see a difference there.
Conclusion
The *istDL is still a viable camera for a photojournalist, especially for someone who is new to digital SLRs. It’s still available. In comparison, the K-x has many refinements and improvements, including better results in low light, a 2X higher frame rate, higher low-noise ISO, and video that could be useful in some situations. I would recommend the K-x to any photojournalist who is interested a newer camera with more refinements.
Photo tests are located on my
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