Originally posted by wlachan Upgrade? Downgrade? If Pentax rebuilt the K-x with magnesium alloy body and shuffled all the buttons and dials for $300 extra but otherwise identical, would it be considered an upgrade?
For me? Yes. The K7 body is very nice, quieter shutter, actually has auto focus points in the viewfinder, TAv mode, better ergonomics for longer shooting, weather sealing, and a pentaprism. When you consider that a used one will only run around 500 dollars right now (maybe just a little less), it is a deal for those who can't afford a K5.
Understand as well, that the sensor in the K7 isn't terrible either. High iso score is 540-ish per dxo mark, while kx is in the 830-ish range. That's about a half stop different. Can you see the difference? Sure, but it isn't as huge as some people make it out to be. Dynamic range at low iso is the biggest difference and is a couple of stops...