[ChristianRock]

This is my first DSLR. I have used a couple of Canons (my friend's 1DMkII and my brother in law's EOS 7D), and had my other brother in law's D7000 for a month. Those experiences made me want a DSLR but being on a budget I figured I would have to settle for an entry level one... but I got a great deal that was too good to pass on a K20D with the 18-55mm AL II lens, plus 3 other lenses that will keep me busy learning to shoot. Especially a couple of totally manual ones - the ubiquitous 50mm 1:2 and a Takumar 70-200. Also, a Sigma 70-200 that feels pretty good in my hands.

My objective is mainly to get good pictures of my young family. The P&S just wasn't cutting it anymore... I took good pics with it but it was too slow and too hit and miss.

[Basie]

This is my first DSLR. I have used a couple of Canons (my friend's 1DMkII and my brother in law's EOS 7D), and had my other brother in law's D7000 for a month. Those experiences made me want a DSLR but being on a budget I figured I would have to settle for an entry level one... but I got a great deal that was too good to pass on a K20D with the 18-55mm AL II lens, plus 3 other lenses that will keep me busy learning to shoot. Especially a couple of totally manual ones - the ubiquitous 50mm 1:2 and a Takumar 70-200. Also, a Sigma 70-200 that feels pretty good in my hands.

My objective is mainly to get good pictures of my young family. The P&S just wasn't cutting it anymore... I took good pics with it but it was too slow and too hit and miss.

Welcome! The K20 is much more than the entry level DSLR you were looking for and should give you a lot of pleasure. This forum has the most amazing depth of knowledge and you will enjoy it. Also, enjoy your growing family

[kenafein]

Welcome to the forums, the K20D is a great camera, especially outdoors or with good lighting. We have a Forum member that shoots with one, professionally, for the film like qualities of the rendering. If you are going to focus on manual glass, you might consider installing a focusing screen.

Haute Couture Marlena Szoka Benjamin Kanarek bonus images Harpers BAZAAR | Benjamin Kanarek Blog

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome to the forum, the K20D can be so much camera, I still shoot professionally with a couple.

[Rondec]

Welcome. The K20 is a great camera with awesome ergonomics -- very comfortable with or without the grip.

[Arjay Bee]

Welcome - just did an athletics sports meet today with a K20D - still quite capable and as with all equipment learn its limits and work within them.

[audiobomber]

We have a Forum member that shoots with one, professionally, for the film like qualities of the rendering.

Does Benjamin still use the K20D? I thought he'd switched to a K-5. I remember him saying he preferred the K20D's skin tones to the K-7 and his Canon full-frames.

I have a K20D, K-x and K-01. The K20 is my main camera. The other bodies have more dynamic range and up to a full stop better ISO performance, and the K-x focusses better in dim lighting, but the K20D murders the other two for handling and features. DR is not a problem for me, I like the K20D's conservative exposure. I usually prefer flash to natural light in really dim light. Noise is better controlled with a newer body, but in low ambient light, you're still left struggling with shallow DOF and low shutter speeds.

I was surprised to find that the K20D does birds in flight better than the K-x. With AF-C and auto-select, the K20D will nail some shots on a passing bird. Regardless of whether I set the K-x for 5 or 11-point AF, it prefers to focus on the the background in anything other than a clear sky. BIF is hopeless with the K-01.

Shot one afternoon, K20D BIF:

[kenafein]

Does Benjamin still use the K20D? I thought he'd switched to a K-5.

He has both, he's said he decides which to use based on the shoot. I was just trying to show the OP that the camera is still good and relevant.

Excellent shots by the way. Especially the 1st and 3rd, where the light was on your side.

[ChristianRock]

Thank you guys! The camaraderie in this forum seems fantastic.

Indeed the Pentax world seems fun.

The K20D is so well built, it actually surprised me. I was expecting D7000 level of quality but I think the build of this is clearly superior. Not just because of the WR - just pressing down the flash shows the care that was put into every moving component. It feels like a German car to me - does that make sense to anyone?

The one thing that is a bit of a letdown is the automatic settings being so conservative that they end up erring on the dark side. I think my wife much prefers the D7000 that we no longer have at our disposal. I personally think the K20D has a bit more potential when it comes to taking portraits - we just have to avoid darkness, that's all...

The K-01 is mighty tempting in that regard for a future upgrade for her, since it has the same great light sensitivity as the K-5, at least on paper. I of course would love to get a K-5 IIs in the next year or two, after I have a better idea of what I'm doing.

Tomorrow I'm buying a tripod... I thought I could live without one since this has SR, but I guess my hands just aren't that firm when using my 70-200 zoom lenses.

[ChristianRock]

Just as a quick update, as of a week ago I had no idea how to take pictures other than pressing click on a point and shoot. Now I'm learning to use those 70s manual lenses...

This is my f2.0 SMC Pentax-M 50mm lens on the K20D. 1/2000 f2.0 on this shot:



This one is f4.0 1/500. Not quite as creamy but also not that much sharper:



Is this el-cheapo lens always this sharp at f2.0 or did I luck into a really good one?

No processing of any kind was done to these pictures. They were taken with a Bower UV filter.

[joe_c]

It feels like a German car to me - does that make sense to anyone?

Yeah, although I drive a japanese car in Germany ;-)

The one thing that is a bit of a letdown is the automatic settings being so conservative that they end up erring on the dark side.

That can be easily changed by pressing the black/white +/- button on the rear and turning the front wheely simultaneously.

And, although I own a K-5 meanwhile, I'm still in love with my K20D, that camera got me really hooked.

[benjikan]

Does Benjamin still use the K20D? I thought he'd switched to a K-5. I remember him saying he preferred the K20D's skin tones to the K-7 and his Canon full-frames.

I have a K20D, K-x and K-01. The K20 is my main camera. The other bodies have more dynamic range and up to a full stop better ISO performance, and the K-x focusses better in dim lighting, but the K20D murders the other two for handling and features. DR is not a problem for me, I like the K20D's conservative exposure. I usually prefer flash to natural light in really dim light. Noise is better controlled with a newer body, but in low ambient light, you're still left struggling with shallow DOF and low shutter speeds.

I was surprised to find that the K20D does birds in flight better than the K-x. With AF-C and auto-select, the K20D will nail some shots on a passing bird. Regardless of whether I set the K-x for 5 or 11-point AF, it prefers to focus on the the background in anything other than a clear sky. BIF is hopeless with the K-01.

Shot one afternoon, K20D BIF:

I have my K20's still but I am using the K5's for now. It does have a certain quality I like and can use just like using different film types. The sensors are very different thus the different renditions. Waiting for the next generation to move up to.

[TenZ.NL]

Welkom Christian!
Yes, the K20d is still a good camera. I kept mine as a backup to the K5 and for some things I still prefer the good old K20d (esp. the viewfinder for MF macro).
It is also one though cookie, as I dropped it once from 1,5 meter onto a tilefloor...it still worked flawlessly.

[audiobomber]

I have my K20's still but I am using the K5's for now. It does have a certain quality I like and can use just like using different film types. The sensors are very different thus the different renditions. Waiting for the next generation to move up to.

Thanks for clarifying Benjamin. I remember The Online Photographer going gaga for the K20D's film-like rendering. They did a four part review, lavishing praise on the K20D, comparing it to Canon and Nikon FF's. I found this old thread interesting:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/43007-pentax-k20d-vs-n...tographer.html

In your business, I imagine 24mp would be preferred to 16, so you can print large. I recall a few years ago, you were worried that 10mp might not be enough for some large posters.

I am also waiting for the next generation APS-C flagship. I bought a K-5, but it front-focussed severely in tungsten light, so I returned it. I would be OK with a K-5 II, but 24mp is more interesting, and I'm not in a hurry. In the meantime I've decided to sell my K-x and K-01 buy a K-50. Even after I have the flagship Pentax and K-50, I will keep the K20D. My wife needs a camera and I often carry two.

[ChristianRock]

That can be easily changed by pressing the black/white +/- button on the rear and turning the front wheely simultaneously.

And, although I own a K-5 meanwhile, I'm still in love with my K20D, that camera got me really hooked.

Thanks. Yeah to the auto mode shortcomings aren't an issue because I don't use it. I shoot mostly in Av mode (sometimes manual just for the sake of making mistakes and learning from them).

But one of the objectives of buying the camera was that my wife wants to take pics as well, and telling her to do anything other than pressing the shutter button doesn't work But I think she's starting to get used to it. I took some pics of her with our baby and the Pentax colors are winning her over (the backdrop was a blue curtain and we all know about Pentax blue!!!)

When we were done I took some pics of our other kids interacting with the baby. I'm particularly fond of this one shot that I turned black and white in the camera itself:



Taking that kind of shots was why I wanted a DSLR so I'm glad I got that one and I'm happy with the K20D. Of course, that doesn't keep me from jonesing over a K-5 II and the better sensor and AF... but like most here I think I will wait to see what the next flagship will be. When I do get a newer camera I think I will still keep this one - considering how little they are selling for, it would probably be best to keep it. I can't believe Nikon D3100s sell for more in the used market.

Oh and I already got me another manual lens... couldn't pass on a 50mm f1.7 that was going cheap. Supposedly better than the 50mm f2.0 that I have, and I think I need another 50mm because as I said earlier, my f2.0 works well but there's problems. The aperture ring is pretty lose.so it's too easy to touch it and move it out of position while I'm focusing.

Edit: apologies for the size of the file! Resized.