[Cedar]

Happy! Happy! Happy!

"Gold Box" offer today from Amazon.com (not marketplace, so will also visit registerme.com for 30-day 'price watch):

Pentax K20D (Body Only): $1078.24, free shipping.

Joy! Joy! Joy!

Now to go tell the wife...

Actually I think I'll wait until morning.

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Last edited by Cedar; 04-10-2008 at 02:52 AM. Reason: Clarification that I'm not pixel happy. :-)

[shutterpuppy]

Happy! Happy! Happy!

"Gold Box" offer today from Amazon.com (not marketplace, so will also visit registerme.com for 30-day 'price watch):

Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only)

$1078.24, free shipping.

Joy! Joy! Joy!

Now to go tell the wife...

Actually I think I'll wait until morning.

LOL, and they call me a pixel peeper (whew, 14 MP). Good luck with the wife, hope you like sleeping on sofas

[Cedar]

LOL, and they call me a pixel peeper (whew, 14 MP). Good luck with the wife, hope you like sleeping on sofas

Pixels? Pixels? Pixels?

Thanks for pointing out that my OP made me look pixel-happy / pixel-maniacal? Ha.

I simply copied & pasted Amazon's "title" of "Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only)", which I've now truncated on my post to a somewhat more sedate "Pentax K20D (Body Only)". :-)

Guess I'm too excited to read my own posts. :-)

But just to be clear... I certainly don't "mind" moving up from my K100d's 6MP to 14MP (as it means I can crop yet even more from my poorly framed shots), but I'm much more excited about the better IQ, AF, AWB and usable ISO range.

ISO 100, where have you been?

And our guest bed is more comfortable anyway. If this doesn't "work" I may need to buy a lens or two. Just kidding hon.

Maybe.

[shutterpuppy]

Pixels? Pixels? Pixels?

Thanks for pointing out that my OP made me look pixel-happy / pixel-maniacal? Ha.

I simply copied & pasted Amazon's "title" of "Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only)", which I've now truncated on my post to a somewhat more sedate "Pentax K20D (Body Only)". :-)

Guess I'm too excited to read my own posts. :-)

But just to be clear... I certainly don't "mind" moving up from my K100d's 6MP to 14MP (as it means I can crop yet even more from my poorly framed shots), but I'm much more excited about the better IQ, AWB and usable ISO range.

ISO 100, where have you been?

And our guest bed is more comfortable anyway. If this doesn't "work" I may need to buy a lens or two. Just kidding hon.

Maybe.

Cedar,
Were pretty much alike except you went with the K20 and I went with the K200, I'm always afraid a 12MP or higher camera might produce more noise, never used my k100d long enough to find out if my new baby K200 noise levels will be the same or if I'll miss the 3200 ISO setting. Doesn't the K20 go up to 6400? I want to see some shots of yours at that setting, I am glad the k200 has 100, My Fuji bridgecam had 6400, pics looked like your glasses were covered in sand.

Barry

[Cedar]

We're pretty much alike except you went with the K20 and I went with the K200

Ha. I was thinking that the K200D, a remarkable camera by all reviews, was going to be my upgrade path as well.

My K100D takes great pictures. And it's a better camera than I am photographer.

And while I've been very happy with the results of my K100D, lately I've been increasingly frustrated at missing shots while "digging thru menus" and "working the camera". I want something more "natural", or at least more quickly accessible.

So for their extra controls I started looking at the K10Ds and K20Ds.

But liking the reviews of the K20Ds improved IQ, ISO, AF, AWB, etc, etc, etc, I prepared to wait thru summer to see if the K20Ds would drop below $1000...

But temptation and that darn/wonderful/evil/sublime 'gold box' had other plans for me.

Not that I'm complaining. :-) Moments and photographs are precious, and I can always eat Ramen noodles.

Besides, this way I have a 'new' camera to point at my kids all summer long.

[Cedar]

Doesn't the K20 go up to 6400? I want to see some shots of yours at that setting, I am glad the k200 has 100, My Fuji bridgecam had 6400, pics looked like your glasses were covered in sand.

Yep. I wouldn't have even looked at the K200D if it had not included ISO 100.

As part of my 'getting acquainted' my K20D I was playing with some ambient light portrait tests after all my real live subjects have gone to bed.

Sounds stranger than it is... I think.

Anyway, I remembered your request for some ISO 6400 images from the K20D.

All PP free (of course), they're the four 'blue series' near the bottom of: Lens Check, Lens Check, 123 - a set on Flickr

And be sure to checkout the ISO 1600 images jsherman999 posted here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/25315-lenses-r...atch-k20d.html

[shutterpuppy]

Ha. I was thinking that the K200D, a remarkable camera by all reviews, was going to be my upgrade path as well.

My K100D takes great pictures. And it's a better camera than I am photographer.

And while I've been very happy with the results of my K100D, lately I've been increasingly frustrated at missing shots while "digging thru menus" and "working the camera". I want something more "natural", or at least more quickly accessible.

So for their extra controls I started looking at the K10Ds and K20Ds.

But liking the reviews of the K20Ds improved IQ, ISO, AF, AWB, etc, etc, etc, I prepared to wait thru summer to see if the K20Ds would drop below $1000...

But temptation and that darn/wonderful/evil/sublime 'gold box' had other plans for me.

Not that I'm complaining. :-) Moments and photographs are precious, and I can always eat Ramen noodles.

Besides, this way I have a 'new' camera to point at my kids all summer long.

Hey Cedar aka Fellow Texan
My k200d may not have 14 MP but who really needs THAT many unless your mega cropping or making 20x30 posters. Both cameras have SR and dust removal systems along with weather sealing, nobody says you [I]have[I] to use the scene modes. The ISO may go up to 6400 but I keep saying to myself "how often would I use that setting or 3200 for that matter, I love detail and the 10 MP along with the 100 ISO setting is good enough for mw for what I shoot, I can use the extra bucks I'll save for filters,another lens and a nice bag to keep it all in and still have money left over.

My .02 cents
Barry

[Cedar]

So for their extra controls I started looking at the K10Ds and K20Ds.

But liking the reviews of the K20Ds improved IQ, ISO, AF, AWB, etc, etc, etc...

Hey Cedar aka Fellow Texan
My k200d may not have 14 MP...

Howdy Partner (we're required by law to say that),

Why is it that all you Texans ever talk about is SIZE? :-)

Actually there is an interesting thread on whether the megapixels matter here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/25315-lenses-r...atch-k20d.html

My reason for choosing the K20D over the K200D was for the additional controls.

It's not just one extra dial. It's all the extra controls (AF mode 3-way/AF-Point 3-way/Metering 3-way/AF Button/Bracketing Button/User Mode) - the improved user interface makes this camera much more intuitive and speedy than my otherwise excellent K100D.

Less digging thru menus to change basic settings (AF mode/AF Point/and Metering in particular), coupled with the extra control dial, mean less frustration and more shots captured. This alone was worth the $405 price bump for me.

Multi-Exposure has already proved itself worthwhile, and I image Interval Shooting will be useful as well. Compared to my K100D the viewfinder is noticeably brighter, and it fits my (BIG) hands better.

The K20D is also supposed to have better SR/AF/NR/IQ, but I can't quantify those without a K200D to compare with. Which if I had a K200D, I'd be quite willing to do.

And while I certainly did not buy the K20D over the K200D for the MP increase or for the ISO 6400, I probably would have in hindsight. The larger (quality) image size has already let me crop useful photos that would have merely been 'tiny blips and blobs' before.

So... it was worth the $405 price difference for me. Your mileage may vary and I respect that. Having shot the Pentax ME Super, K1000, *ist, K100D, K10D, and now K20D... I know that Pentax makes good cameras.

[Cedar]

Doesn't the K20 go up to 6400? I want to see some shots of yours at that setting, .. My Fuji bridgecam had 6400, pics looked like your glasses were covered in sand.

What did you think of the K20D's ISO 6400?

It's NOT why I bought it, but it's better than sand IMO.

And it's definately not pretty at 100%, but I think they're usable... at 5x7 anyway.

It's not like ISO 6400 is something you're likely to use if you have other options... and you asked for samples not art.

Some PP would probably help as well.

[shutterpuppy]

Cedar,
Certainly looks a lot better than my Fuji did at that ISO, your right, your almost expected to at least do some PP at 6400 unless your looking for a "grainy" effect in your shots, I wonder why Pentax decided to eliminate the 3200 ISO and add the 100 ISO instead (k100 vs k200) of having the best of both worlds? Only Pentax knows that answer. I just read a review of the
Nikon D3, it goes up to a whopping 25.000 ISO, will this megapixel and ISO war ever end?

Barry

P.S. It's "Pardner" not "Partner" LOL

What did you think of the K20D's ISO 6400?

It's NOT why I bought it, but it's better than sand IMO.

And it's definately not pretty at 100%, but I think they're usable... at 5x7 anyway.

It's not like ISO 6400 is something you're likely to use if you have other options... and you asked for samples not art.

Some PP would probably help as well.