April 2009 Popular Photo. has GREAT review of K2000

philbaum · 03-28-2009, 03:18 PM

Written by Philip Ryan, its one of Popular Photography's full 4 page reviews.

"Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a first DSLR, the K2000 shouldn't disappoint. It handles well and can produce beautiful images in moderate and bright light. (Low-light shooters may want to think twice before buying, however)

Add to that Pentax's wide array of relatively inexpensive curent lenses, plus the availability of low cost legacy lenses, and the fact that this kit comes with the AF... flash, and you've got yourself one sweet deal"

They compare the K2000 to Canon EOS Rebel XS and say the 2000 is the winner. They also compare it to the Sony Alpha 200 and call it a draw. The article goes into more detail in its body about the great availability of lenses in the Pentax line, compared to the legacy lenses in most other camera lines which are not interchageable to this degree - or something to that effect.

This same magazine has an article on the available full frame cameras and concludes:

"for most serious amateurs, and many pros, there is no compelling reason for going to a full-frame DSLR,"

Of course the article contains a lot of discussion to back up that conclusion.

Just looking at what the buzz is in this one magazine, I would say that Pentax's future camera for this summer (if those 200 extra Phillipine workers are applied) will be an advanced version of the K2000 (because that is where the market excitement is). I would also speculate that the 2 most important camera lines to Pentax's future are the K2000, K20D, and to a much lesser degree the K645D. I doubt there is going to be a K200 successor anytime soon given the state of today's economy.

(putting on Kevlar suit now :-)) - incoming!

Phil

sorksoft · 03-28-2009, 03:49 PM

Great news, thanks for letting us know!

So the camo version is not a bad idea at all IMHO.

I think they even might get away with a Hello Kitty model, at least in Japan

falconeye · 03-28-2009, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by philbaum

Just looking at what the buzz is in this one magazine, I would say that Pentax's future camera for this summer (if those 200 extra Phillipine workers are applied) will be an advanced version of the K2000 (because that is where the market excitement is).

May well be the case.

I remember Pentax Digital really taking off was with the *istDS, not *istD.

MSM · 03-28-2009, 06:40 PM

@Phil: I would agree with you. I think the entry level and mid range is where the action is going to be. I saw the Pop review. I have to say that the remarks were as good as I have seen from them. I almost felt that it hurt them to publish that it was better than the Rebel.

OT: I noticed that the last canon release they added a kit lens with IS built in. Now they have released a new rebel with a kit flash. Interesting. Maybe Pentax is not behind in everything.

octavmandru · 03-28-2009, 06:42 PM

remember the comments when the white K2000 appeared?
I didn't hear anything bad about the olive version (is quite appealing, I'd say)

I think you're right, the small brother is the real selling point here.

ftpaddict · 03-31-2009, 12:27 AM

It's strange how everybody thinks the K2000 is a very good camera. All except dpreview, that is.

philbaum · 03-31-2009, 12:46 AM

Originally posted by ftpaddict

It's strange how everybody thinks the K2000 is a very good camera. All except dpreview, that is.

I don't subscribe to any camera magazines, just pick them up when i see something to ponder. I thought it was pretty neat of Pop photo. to print the nice review about the Pentax K2000 (and make a remark about a (budget DSLR on the cover page), and also contain an article about Nikon, Canon and Sony full frame cameras which says that they're really not needed by most photographers. Whether everybody agrees or not, i appreciate the a honesty of the magazine to do more than pander to advertisers.

Jodokast96 · 03-31-2009, 04:43 AM

But on the other hand, when has PopPhoto slammed anything?

gazonk · 03-31-2009, 05:21 AM

Pentax K-m DSLR Review - Digital Camera Reviews - TrustedReviews

"Verdict

The Pentax K-m is a good first camera. It has better build quality than most of its rivals, it handles and performs well, and is capable of producing excellent results even in the hands of a novice, while still having enough features and custom options to satisfy more experienced photographers. The only real problem is the annoying lack of AF target points in the viewfinder, which is both confusing and inconvenient. "

Cliff is much more sensible than dpreview wrt. image quality:

"In its default “Bright” setting, the JPEG mode is quite over-saturated, presumably to produce images more like those of a compact camera. Fortunately the menu includes a very good colour customisation system, and simply switching to the second pre-set “Natural” colour mode produces much better results. "

The lack of AF target points is my main gripe with this camera too. I hope they, in typical Pentax style, release a K-m Super which fixes this. Many buyers of the camera will never notice anyway, but it's the single lack of feature for this camera which doesn't make it quite the camera "to grow up with" that e.g. the K100D was.

mattdm · 03-31-2009, 06:40 PM

Originally posted by gazonk

The lack of AF target points is my main gripe with this camera too. I hope they, in typical Pentax style, release a K-m Super which fixes this. Many buyers of the camera will never notice anyway, but it's the single lack of feature for this camera which doesn't make it quite the camera "to grow up with" that e.g. the K100D was.

The K10D, of course, has selectable focus points with red indicator dots, but I have so much better luck using the center point only and recomposing that I have given up using them — and don't really miss it. If there were hundreds of poitns, it'd be a problem, but it's rare the 11 (or 5, for the K2000) would be where I want them anyway.

On the other hand, leaving off the rotation sensor, as trivial as that may seem, is a deal-breaker for me. When I upgraded to the K10D from my K100D, I quickly decided that just removing that irritating step from my workflow was totally worth the price difference.

**Hannican** · 03-31-2009, 09:50 PM

Wait a second- my K10D doesn't seem to rotate pictures... when I just dump my image files onto my hard drive, I still have to rotate all the vertical shots. Do I need to enable this feature somehow?

gazonk · 03-31-2009, 10:33 PM

Originally posted by mattdm

The K10D, of course, has selectable focus points with red indicator dots, but I have so much better luck using the center point only and recomposing that I have given up using them — and don't really miss it. If there were hundreds of poitns, it'd be a problem, but it's rare the 11 (or 5, for the K2000) would be where I want them anyway.

On the other hand, leaving off the rotation sensor, as trivial as that may seem, is a deal-breaker for me. When I upgraded to the K10D from my K100D, I quickly decided that just removing that irritating step from my workflow was totally worth the price difference.

I guess this just shows that YMMV. I think the placement of the 11 focus points is excellent, the border points of the central 9 are just where you want them for different variants of "rule of thirds" compositions. I think I use these almost more than the centre point. The orientation sensor is very good to have, but I could have managed well without that. I always do small edits to each (always RAW) image anyway, and then the rotation is just one extra click.

Bophoto · 03-31-2009, 11:50 PM

Originally posted by Hannican

Wait a second- my K10D doesn't seem to rotate pictures... when I just dump my image files onto my hard drive, I still have to rotate all the vertical shots. Do I need to enable this feature somehow?

My picture don´t rotate in K10D, so i have "full frame" of every pic.
But then i upload to harddrive they rotate to the right view, it´s only a menu thing.

Bophoto · 04-01-2009, 12:11 AM

Pentax Pentax K2000 - Camera Reviews from Photography Experts

Popphoto says Nikon and Canon are better in low light, strange, Swedish Kamera&Bild say that K-m/K2000 don´t have problem as Nikon/Canon have in low light....

GerryL · 04-01-2009, 08:52 AM

And someone with a K10D won first place in their "best shot" contest.
I think her name is Angela Vincent.

03-28-2009, 03:18 PM	#1
philbaum Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Port Townsend, Washington State, USA Posts: 3,659	April 2009 Popular Photo. has GREAT review of K2000 Written by Philip Ryan, its one of Popular Photography's full 4 page reviews. "Bottom Line: If you're looking for a first DSLR, the K2000 shouldn't disappoint. It handles well and can produce beautiful images in moderate and bright light. (Low-light shooters may want to think twice before buying, however) Add to that Pentax's wide array of relatively inexpensive curent lenses, plus the availability of low cost legacy lenses, and the fact that this kit comes with the AF... flash, and you've got yourself one sweet deal" They compare the K2000 to Canon EOS Rebel XS and say the 2000 is the winner. They also compare it to the Sony Alpha 200 and call it a draw. The article goes into more detail in its body about the great availability of lenses in the Pentax line, compared to the legacy lenses in most other camera lines which are not interchageable to this degree - or something to that effect. This same magazine has an article on the available full frame cameras and concludes: "for most serious amateurs, and many pros, there is no compelling reason for going to a full-frame DSLR," Of course the article contains a lot of discussion to back up that conclusion. Just looking at what the buzz is in this one magazine, I would say that Pentax's future camera for this summer (if those 200 extra Phillipine workers are applied) will be an advanced version of the K2000 (because that is where the market excitement is). I would also speculate that the 2 most important camera lines to Pentax's future are the K2000, K20D, and to a much lesser degree the K645D. I doubt there is going to be a K200 successor anytime soon given the state of today's economy. (putting on Kevlar suit now :-)) - incoming! Phil

03-31-2009, 05:21 AM	#9
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	trustedreviews.com has a very positive review too! Pentax K-m DSLR Review - Digital Camera Reviews - TrustedReviews "Verdict The Pentax K-m is a good first camera. It has better build quality than most of its rivals, it handles and performs well, and is capable of producing excellent results even in the hands of a novice, while still having enough features and custom options to satisfy more experienced photographers. The only real problem is the annoying lack of AF target points in the viewfinder, which is both confusing and inconvenient. " Cliff is much more sensible than dpreview wrt. image quality: "In its default “Bright” setting, the JPEG mode is quite over-saturated, presumably to produce images more like those of a compact camera. Fortunately the menu includes a very good colour customisation system, and simply switching to the second pre-set “Natural” colour mode produces much better results. " The lack of AF target points is my main gripe with this camera too. I hope they, in typical Pentax style, release a K-m Super which fixes this. Many buyers of the camera will never notice anyway, but it's the single lack of feature for this camera which doesn't make it quite the camera "to grow up with" that e.g. the K100D was.

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03-28-2009, 03:49 PM	#2
sorksoft New Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Malmoe, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 24	Great news, thanks for letting us know! So the camo version is not a bad idea at all IMHO. I think they even might get away with a Hello Kitty model, at least in Japan

03-28-2009, 06:34 PM	#3
falconeye Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Munich, Alps, Germany Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,871	Originally posted by philbaum Just looking at what the buzz is in this one magazine, I would say that Pentax's future camera for this summer (if those 200 extra Phillipine workers are applied) will be an advanced version of the K2000 (because that is where the market excitement is). May well be the case. I remember Pentax Digital really taking off was with the istDS, not istD.

03-28-2009, 06:40 PM	#4
MSM Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alabama Photos: Gallery Posts: 994	@Phil: I would agree with you. I think the entry level and mid range is where the action is going to be. I saw the Pop review. I have to say that the remarks were as good as I have seen from them. I almost felt that it hurt them to publish that it was better than the Rebel. OT: I noticed that the last canon release they added a kit lens with IS built in. Now they have released a new rebel with a kit flash. Interesting. Maybe Pentax is not behind in everything.

03-28-2009, 06:42 PM	#5
octavmandru Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: somewhere around Posts: 615	remember the comments when the white K2000 appeared? I didn't hear anything bad about the olive version (is quite appealing, I'd say) I think you're right, the small brother is the real selling point here.

03-31-2009, 12:27 AM	#6
ftpaddict Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Yurp Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,666	It's strange how everybody thinks the K2000 is a very good camera. All except dpreview, that is.

03-31-2009, 12:46 AM	#7
philbaum Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Port Townsend, Washington State, USA Posts: 3,659 Original Poster	Originally posted by ftpaddict It's strange how everybody thinks the K2000 is a very good camera. All except dpreview, that is. I don't subscribe to any camera magazines, just pick them up when i see something to ponder. I thought it was pretty neat of Pop photo. to print the nice review about the Pentax K2000 (and make a remark about a (budget DSLR on the cover page), and also contain an article about Nikon, Canon and Sony full frame cameras which says that they're really not needed by most photographers. Whether everybody agrees or not, i appreciate the a honesty of the magazine to do more than pander to advertisers.

03-31-2009, 04:43 AM	#8
Jodokast96 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Erial, NJ USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,134	But on the other hand, when has PopPhoto slammed anything?

03-31-2009, 06:40 PM	#10
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	Originally posted by gazonk The lack of AF target points is my main gripe with this camera too. I hope they, in typical Pentax style, release a K-m Super which fixes this. Many buyers of the camera will never notice anyway, but it's the single lack of feature for this camera which doesn't make it quite the camera "to grow up with" that e.g. the K100D was. The K10D, of course, has selectable focus points with red indicator dots, but I have so much better luck using the center point only and recomposing that I have given up using them — and don't really miss it. If there were hundreds of poitns, it'd be a problem, but it's rare the 11 (or 5, for the K2000) would be where I want them anyway. On the other hand, leaving off the rotation sensor, as trivial as that may seem, is a deal-breaker for me. When I upgraded to the K10D from my K100D, I quickly decided that just removing that irritating step from my workflow was totally worth the price difference.

03-31-2009, 09:50 PM	#11
Hannican Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Irvine, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 485	Wait a second- my K10D doesn't seem to rotate pictures... when I just dump my image files onto my hard drive, I still have to rotate all the vertical shots. Do I need to enable this feature somehow?

03-31-2009, 10:33 PM	#12
gazonk Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Oslo area, Norway Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,746	Originally posted by mattdm The K10D, of course, has selectable focus points with red indicator dots, but I have so much better luck using the center point only and recomposing that I have given up using them — and don't really miss it. If there were hundreds of poitns, it'd be a problem, but it's rare the 11 (or 5, for the K2000) would be where I want them anyway. On the other hand, leaving off the rotation sensor, as trivial as that may seem, is a deal-breaker for me. When I upgraded to the K10D from my K100D, I quickly decided that just removing that irritating step from my workflow was totally worth the price difference. I guess this just shows that YMMV. I think the placement of the 11 focus points is excellent, the border points of the central 9 are just where you want them for different variants of "rule of thirds" compositions. I think I use these almost more than the centre point. The orientation sensor is very good to have, but I could have managed well without that. I always do small edits to each (always RAW) image anyway, and then the rotation is just one extra click.

03-31-2009, 11:50 PM	#13
Bophoto Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 429	Originally posted by Hannican Wait a second- my K10D doesn't seem to rotate pictures... when I just dump my image files onto my hard drive, I still have to rotate all the vertical shots. Do I need to enable this feature somehow? My picture don´t rotate in K10D, so i have "full frame" of every pic. But then i upload to harddrive they rotate to the right view, it´s only a menu thing.

04-01-2009, 12:11 AM	#14
Bophoto Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 429	Pentax Pentax K2000 - Camera Reviews from Photography Experts Popphoto says Nikon and Canon are better in low light, strange, Swedish Kamera&Bild say that K-m/K2000 don´t have problem as Nikon/Canon have in low light....

04-01-2009, 08:52 AM	#15
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	And someone with a K10D won first place in their "best shot" contest. I think her name is Angela Vincent.