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05-03-2010, 10:41 PM   #1
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K200, K20 or K10

Here's the deal. My wife's birthday is coming up later this summer. She has taken a serious interest in photography and been taking pix with my Minolta and Pentax film cameras. Some decent shots btw. I have a K200d and she likes the way it handles.
I recently noticed she was looking into Nikon and Canon and I shudder. In the hope of keeping her from the dark side, I am thinking about getting her a used Pentax dslr camera so she can run with and we can be a happy Pentax family.
I have a K200d and, being a creature of habit and restricted with finances, I have been thinking about picking up another K200d. But some of the prices of a used
K20 or K10 I have seen lately are within the ballpark. Never have handled the latter two so I am undecided.
I've read the reviews and the many posts from those who own these cameras but I am just wondering.
Any suggestions. Thank you for your support, Jools.


Last edited by Jools; 05-03-2010 at 10:53 PM.
05-03-2010, 11:20 PM   #2
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they are both quite big cameras, why don't you hunt for an used K-x - lighter and smaller - better for female hands and more feature packed than K10 and K20. Plus the different colors...
05-03-2010, 11:43 PM   #3
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the ladies love the white k-x fyi
05-04-2010, 12:09 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by kytra Quote
they are both quite big cameras, why don't you hunt for an used K-x - lighter and smaller - better for female hands and more feature packed than K10 and K20. Plus the different colors...
It's not a bad option but finances are a concern. She handles the K200d with a battery grip well so I don't know if size makes much of difference.

QuoteOriginally posted by Eagle_Friends Quote
the ladies love the white k-x fyi
Yeah the colors are quite enticing but I don't want the wife to be a target in our future travels. Even if a K-X is part of the equation, I am keeping with the black.
Call me old school, but the color schemes are not for me. It's seems like I got a piece of candy hanging from my neck. That's just me.

05-04-2010, 12:40 AM   #5
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QuoteQuote:
Originally posted by kytra
they are both quite big cameras, why don't you hunt for an used K-x - lighter and smaller - better for female hands and more feature packed than K10 and K20. Plus the different colors...
It's not a bad option but finances are a concern. She handles the K200d with a battery grip well so I don't know if size makes much of difference.

Originally posted by Eagle_Friends
the ladies love the white k-x fyi
Yeah the colors are quite enticing but I don't want the wife to be a target in our future travels. Even if a K-X is part of the equation, I am keeping with the black.
Call me old school, but the color schemes are not for me. It's seems like I got a piece of candy hanging from my neck. That's just me.
If so, the K20 is a no brainer - there are quite small differences between K20 and K7 but a big difference between K10 and K20 - starting with the sensor and so on...
05-04-2010, 01:22 AM   #6
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Yes, the K20 is where I am leaning towards. It does have interesting features and some loyal following. I think it is going to come down to $$. Thanks for the input. Jools.
05-04-2010, 03:24 AM   #7
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When I found the K20D in the Marketplace for sale at $500 it was a no-brainer for me to pick it up. It feels alot like the K200D does and the extra features are a big step up. The AF thumb button is the biggest plus in my book. Waiting for the AF lock on the K200D while shooting geese in flight was frustrating at times.

I've not yet needed to recharge the battery, but the speed it gives the AF is a world above what the K200D's "AA" batteries give.

My most frustrating thing is that I just saw the K20D for sale on a one-day-deal site last week, with the 18-55 kit lens, for $590-ish, with shipping. NEW

05-04-2010, 04:06 AM   #8
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Go with the K20. My wife shoots with ours on a regular basis and it is not too big for her hands, even with the grip on. At the same time, it does add some extra buttons and a dial from the K200. You'll probably add about a stop of high iso shooting ability as well (this is from my experience shooting the K10 versus the K20).
05-04-2010, 04:09 AM   #9
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You can make a great cost benefit case for staying with Pentax in terms of lens sharing. By the same token, there are some advantages to having two of the same body but I think you should get her a K-x and pick up a used K20D for yourself.

Do not get a DA*50-135mm though--the custody battles may tear your "happy Pentax family' apart.
05-04-2010, 04:46 AM   #10
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From the list in your title I would choose the K20D for the simple reason that it offers AF finetuning (correcting back/front focus issues).
05-04-2010, 06:20 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by kytra Quote
they are both quite big cameras, why don't you hunt for an used K-x - lighter and smaller - better for female hands and more feature packed than K10 and K20. Plus the different colors...
QuoteOriginally posted by Eagle_Friends Quote
the ladies love the white k-x fyi
Can I call you all a bunch of sexist pigs? Please?

Jools - my advice as a female shooter is go for as much camera as your budget can allow for, especially if she's taking it seriously. I have a K-7, a K20D and a K10D that I wore out and is no longer working. The K20D has some definite advantages over the K10D which I'm sure you've learned from comparisons.

As for feature packing, I guess it would depend on how she shoots. I find that I have absolutely no use whatsoever for scene modes and other nifty "user-friendly" features. So before making your decision, maybe pay attention to what settings she's using when she shoots. Talk to her a little bit, being discrete, and find out what she would like in terms of features if she had her ideal camera. Go shopping and looking with her and see what it is about the Nikons and Canons she's eyeing that attracts her to them. Then use that information to make the final decision. Also, to talk her into Pentax, you can use the selling point of having more lenses between you instead of having to have two systems worth of lenses. More lenses.

My husband briefly toyed with playing around with photography a bit last summer and I'm sorry. The dude had no choice. It was Pentax.

Oh and FYI on the smaller camera thing, when at a shoot (performance, sports, whatnot) I shoot both cameras, both having grips. My delicate female hands have no trouble whatsoever handling that oh-so-great-big K20D with grip, often one handed.

Last edited by mel; 05-05-2010 at 03:21 AM.
05-04-2010, 04:52 PM   #12
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I currently have an K10 D and I absolutely love it, the K7s are nice but Im not to crazy about the colors. If your going used go for the K10 D Or K20
05-04-2010, 06:12 PM   #13
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You should get the K20D. If the wife (hopefully) starts to complain about the weight, you can offer to swap cameras with her. Win-win.
05-05-2010, 07:04 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by SpecialK Quote
You should get the K20D. If the wife (hopefully) starts to complain about the weight, you can offer to swap cameras with her. Win-win.
I could not agree more. K20D is an excellent camera. You keep her in the family and can share lenses. IMO the best scenario.
05-05-2010, 07:48 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by mel Quote
Also, to talk her into Pentax, you can use the selling point of having more lenses between you instead of having to have two systems worth of lenses. More lenses.
But what about when your partner is using the lens you want? Sometimes my wife uses my K-x and 18-250. Which means I can't carry it as a second body. I bought her a Fuji Superzoom but she constantly complains about it and wants the white camera. I don't blame her, the Fuji superzoom is pretty crappy. I wish she'd get her own dslr, but of course with all these cameras in the house she never will.

PS I was an only child for four years and never went to kindergarten. Maybe that explains why I don't like sharing my toys.
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