k7 vs k20

turboseize · 06-04-2011, 12:02 PM

Hi all!

Yesterday, I managed to damage my k200 by banging it araound one time too much: the little plastic nose to keep the battery compartement shut is now no longer existent. Kamera still works somehow - duct tape is great.
However, it is becoming a little bit impractical.

A fellow Saab driver now offered me one of his Pentax bodies: either a k7 or a k20.

The K7 has a small scratch in the display but is otherwise fine, and has about 11.000 shutter releases.
K20 was has lead the slow-paced life of a backup body, is absolutely mint, and has less than 1000 releases.
Price would be 400€ for the k7 and 350€ for the k20.
I was looking for a k5 anyway (hello annemari!

), but the last repair bill for my car ate up the budget.

Which would you choose?

**bkpix** · 06-04-2011, 12:10 PM

The K-7 has significantly better autofocus. I own both, and understand why the K20D has been his backup camera. I shoot a lot in marginal light, and the K20D used to drive me crazy.

dlacouture · 06-04-2011, 12:42 PM

Well, except for the image quality (where they draw a match), the K7 is a better camera...

Even high iso was slightly better with my K7, as, although it was indeed a little noisier, it was free from banding and purple borders...

For everything else, the K7 is simply better:
- build quality
- shutter sound
- AF speed
- fps
- video

turboseize · 06-04-2011, 12:56 PM

The main things I don't like about my k200 are:

- viewfinder is too small and to dark - focusing manual lenses (which I use mostly) in less than optimal light is a pain. And if you can'tfocus manually because of the darkness, autofocus is also useless.
- dynamic range? What's that? Camera definitley never heard of something like that.

And, less important, but still:
- high iso noise.

As I understand, there's not too much differnce betwwen k7 and k20 in this field, except autofocus, right?
I have never used live vieuw, so I don't miss it. Likewise, I have never ever used video (but would find it interesting to try).

If I understand you guys right, you would choose the k7? Bear in mind the k20 is nearly virgin and the k7 has been used intensively.

turboseize · 06-04-2011, 01:01 PM

Forgot one thing: I mostly use m-series lenses. On the k200, exposure (using "green button" metering) often is a bit off and requires correction . How do k7 and k20 cope with m-series metering?

**Rondec** · 06-04-2011, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by turboseize

Forgot one thing: I mostly use m-series lenses. On the k200, exposure (using "green button" metering) often is a bit off and requires correction . How do k7 and k20 cope with m-series metering?

K7 is a little better. Also, viewfinder is a little better (100 percent coverage). I think image quality is pretty even between the two, but K7 is definitely more zippy in other areas.

Which feels better to you when you hold it? Some people really like the beefiness of the K10/K20 feel, while others like the slight smaller (but still solid) feel of the K7.

wll · 06-04-2011, 02:38 PM

Originally posted by turboseize

Hi all!

The K7 has a small scratch in the display but is otherwise fine, and has about 11.000 shutter releases.
K20 was has lead the slow-paced life of a backup body, is absolutely mint, and has less than 1000 releases.
Price would be 400€ for the k7 and 350€ for the k20.
I was looking for a k5 anyway (hello annemari!

), but the last repair bill for my car ate up the budget.

Which would you choose?

I could have gotten the K-7, but because I use that camera for images, not video I stuck with the K20D.

The are the same sensor size, but they tweaked the workings of the K-7 so it could do video, causing poorer image quality at higher ISO's.

It is for that reason I stuck with the K20D (also have a K-5, that camera is in a class by itself).

If it was me I would choose the almost new K20D. The battery grip is still available and the sensor is great. I can tell ya, if I had someone who offered me a K20D with under 1000 shutter activations at a $400.00 price I would buy another !

wll

dlacouture · 06-05-2011, 11:43 AM

For M-lenses, the K7 will fare a little better in stop-down metering... K20 is a real pain (with a huge variation in metering, from -1Ev around f/2 to +3Ev at f/8-11), but you can always change the stock focus screen for a LL-60, and you'll end with similar results.

If you're into manual focus and stop-down metering, I can only recommend getting yourself a Canon EE-S screen, for whatever body you end up with... It can show accurate DoF at f/1.4 (and this helps focusing quite a bit!), and is nearly perfectly linear in stop-down metering.

06-04-2011, 12:02 PM	#1
turboseize Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Autobahn Posts: 123	k7 vs k20 Hi all! Yesterday, I managed to damage my k200 by banging it araound one time too much: the little plastic nose to keep the battery compartement shut is now no longer existent. Kamera still works somehow - duct tape is great. However, it is becoming a little bit impractical. A fellow Saab driver now offered me one of his Pentax bodies: either a k7 or a k20. The K7 has a small scratch in the display but is otherwise fine, and has about 11.000 shutter releases. K20 was has lead the slow-paced life of a backup body, is absolutely mint, and has less than 1000 releases. Price would be 400€ for the k7 and 350€ for the k20. I was looking for a k5 anyway (hello annemari! ), but the last repair bill for my car ate up the budget. Which would you choose?

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06-04-2011, 12:10 PM	#2
bkpix Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Creswell, Oregon Photos: Albums Posts: 568	The K-7 has significantly better autofocus. I own both, and understand why the K20D has been his backup camera. I shoot a lot in marginal light, and the K20D used to drive me crazy.

06-04-2011, 12:42 PM	#3
dlacouture Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Var, South of France Photos: Albums Posts: 1,074	Well, except for the image quality (where they draw a match), the K7 is a better camera... Even high iso was slightly better with my K7, as, although it was indeed a little noisier, it was free from banding and purple borders... For everything else, the K7 is simply better: - build quality - shutter sound - AF speed - fps - video

06-04-2011, 12:56 PM	#4
turboseize Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Autobahn Posts: 123 Original Poster	The main things I don't like about my k200 are: - viewfinder is too small and to dark - focusing manual lenses (which I use mostly) in less than optimal light is a pain. And if you can'tfocus manually because of the darkness, autofocus is also useless. - dynamic range? What's that? Camera definitley never heard of something like that. And, less important, but still: - high iso noise. As I understand, there's not too much differnce betwwen k7 and k20 in this field, except autofocus, right? I have never used live vieuw, so I don't miss it. Likewise, I have never ever used video (but would find it interesting to try). If I understand you guys right, you would choose the k7? Bear in mind the k20 is nearly virgin and the k7 has been used intensively.

06-04-2011, 01:01 PM	#5
turboseize Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Autobahn Posts: 123 Original Poster	Forgot one thing: I mostly use m-series lenses. On the k200, exposure (using "green button" metering) often is a bit off and requires correction . How do k7 and k20 cope with m-series metering?

06-04-2011, 01:54 PM	#6
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	Originally posted by turboseize Forgot one thing: I mostly use m-series lenses. On the k200, exposure (using "green button" metering) often is a bit off and requires correction . How do k7 and k20 cope with m-series metering? K7 is a little better. Also, viewfinder is a little better (100 percent coverage). I think image quality is pretty even between the two, but K7 is definitely more zippy in other areas. Which feels better to you when you hold it? Some people really like the beefiness of the K10/K20 feel, while others like the slight smaller (but still solid) feel of the K7.

06-04-2011, 02:38 PM	#7
wll Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mission Hills, CA Posts: 773	Originally posted by turboseize Hi all! The K7 has a small scratch in the display but is otherwise fine, and has about 11.000 shutter releases. K20 was has lead the slow-paced life of a backup body, is absolutely mint, and has less than 1000 releases. Price would be 400€ for the k7 and 350€ for the k20. I was looking for a k5 anyway (hello annemari! ), but the last repair bill for my car ate up the budget. Which would you choose? I could have gotten the K-7, but because I use that camera for images, not video I stuck with the K20D. The are the same sensor size, but they tweaked the workings of the K-7 so it could do video, causing poorer image quality at higher ISO's. It is for that reason I stuck with the K20D (also have a K-5, that camera is in a class by itself). If it was me I would choose the almost new K20D. The battery grip is still available and the sensor is great. I can tell ya, if I had someone who offered me a K20D with under 1000 shutter activations at a $400.00 price I would buy another ! wll

06-05-2011, 11:43 AM	#8
dlacouture Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Var, South of France Photos: Albums Posts: 1,074	For M-lenses, the K7 will fare a little better in stop-down metering... K20 is a real pain (with a huge variation in metering, from -1Ev around f/2 to +3Ev at f/8-11), but you can always change the stock focus screen for a LL-60, and you'll end with similar results. If you're into manual focus and stop-down metering, I can only recommend getting yourself a Canon EE-S screen, for whatever body you end up with... It can show accurate DoF at f/1.4 (and this helps focusing quite a bit!), and is nearly perfectly linear in stop-down metering.