Pentax gets top score in Aussie computer mag.

[G M Fude]

The July issue (available in May, WTF?) of Australian PC User magazine features a review of digital SLR cameras. Top marks of 90% and a Best Buy recommendation went to the Pentax K200D. The K20D came fourth.

Here's the list in the order it was printed, along with their brief summary comments:

• 90% Pentax K200D "The most feature-rich DSLR under $900."
• 85% Canon EOS 450D "A good camera missing a few options."
• 85% Nikon D40X "Arguably one of the best buys on the market." (Yep, I'm sure we at Pentaxforums could argue that! )
• 80% Pentax K20D "High quality camera with excellent features."
• 80% Canon EOS 40D "A solid, well-built DSLR, but not that far ahead of the entry-level models."
• 80% Canon EOS 400D "Now superseded, but still good value given its features."
• 75% Nikon D40 "The cheapest DSLR on the market."
• 80% Nikon D60 "Only auto-cleaning makes this different from the D40X."
• 80% Nikon D80 "An aging model that lacks auto-cleaning, but has excellent image quality."
• 70% Olympus E-410 "The first live preview DSLR now under $1,000."

It is probably a little unfair of me to post only the summary comments as some appear contradictory or slightly odd, but to post much more detail probably steps over the copyright laws. The full test did explain more about why the cameras were ranked the way they were, and it made sense. I should add that the prices are Aussie dollars (pretty much parity with US dollars), but remember we get royally screwed on price by vendors here.

The thing that surprised me was that I thought I'd always detected a bit of Nikon bias in the magazine when they'd conducted previous tests... but there you go. Also, pleased not only to see a Pentax take out the win, but that the brand has been pushed into the public eye by PC User -- it's Australia's top-selling technology magazine.

[Arpe]

Hmmm... maybe those Ausses aren't so silly after all

[fula6]

Originally Posted by Arpe

Hmmm... maybe those Aussies aren't so silly after all

Cause we're not - well not always I'll have to get that mag and have a good look. Thanks for the heads up Steve.