K20D or GX-20?

Aaron1971 · 09-23-2008, 01:17 PM

Okay, as a newbie I am trying to learn all I can, I also am in the market for another camera. I was looking at the K20D and stumbled onto the Samsung GX-20. They appear to be the same camera and even accept the Pentax lenses. My question is why? Why would somebody buy the Samsung instead of the Pentax? The price difference isn't huge, as a matter of fact at some places there is NO difference. I am just curious.

toddaton · 09-23-2008, 02:01 PM

I just asked the same thing not too long ago about the K10D and GX-10. Here's my take. Nikon and Canon are everywhere. Pentax is a great system offering great value compared to Nikon and Canon but not as many people know it. Samsung is simply a rebranded Pentax and even fewer people know it. That means that it's more likely that you can get K20D functionality with a Samsung label at a discount because people simply don't know. If you watch eBay for a couple of weeks, the Samsung prices are generally lower.

I went with the GX-10 for that very reason and was able to get the functionality I wanted at a discount.

The only problem is explaining to the Nikon and Canon crowd the value proposition of the Samsung label!

mhertel · 09-23-2008, 02:03 PM

As far as I know the Pentax and Samsung systems also use different firmware, so there can be slight differences in functionality between the models..

nulla · 09-23-2008, 02:04 PM

I have the Samsung GX20

I got it for near $300 less than the Pentax in the same store that was also on special

JonPB · 09-24-2008, 05:43 PM

My guess is that the Samsung/Pentax branding has more to do with different markets than to do with marketing in North America--the Samsung brand has a lot of cachet in Korea, while Pentax has a better brand in the U.S. Both companies contributed a lot to the final product, so both of them market their own version. For an end user, I don't think there is any meaningful difference between the two. Personal opinions as to aesthetics--the grips are different, as are the buttons, lettering, and menu design--probably play the largest role. Also, at least with the GX-10, there was no OS X software in the box.

qksilver · 09-25-2008, 02:14 AM

word on the street is that the Samsung menus are better. I have a K20 so i dont know. but I saw a review that compared them and the samsung menus did look better than pentax's. I wouldnt hesitate to buy the samsung if i were purchasing now. its a K20 with different firmware

Big Dave · 09-25-2008, 02:27 PM

Aaron,

Sooner or later you will sell it and buy a newer model. I think that you will get more for a used Pentax then a Samsung. So if the price difference isn't very great, I would buy the Pentax.

Dave

Originally posted by Aaron1971

Okay, as a newbie I am trying to learn all I can, I also am in the market for another camera. I was looking at the K20D and stumbled onto the Samsung GX-20. They appear to be the same camera and even accept the Pentax lenses. My question is why? Why would somebody buy the Samsung instead of the Pentax? The price difference isn't huge, as a matter of fact at some places there is NO difference. I am just curious.

simonkit · 09-25-2008, 02:46 PM

Buy the one you get the best deal on, as you say they're pretty much identical. If you intend keeping it any longer than 18 months/2 years I wouldn't worry about resale value either, as with all technology both will be worth next to nothing

simon

Big Dave · 09-27-2008, 09:33 AM

Simon,
I wish that I could find one of those two year old K10D's for next to nothing. Even three year old istD's are selling for two to three hundred dollars in the USA. I don't think that you can lump DSLR's into the same catagory as cell phones and the like.

Dave

Originally posted by simonkit

Buy the one you get the best deal on, as you say they're pretty much identical. If you intend keeping it any longer than 18 months/2 years I wouldn't worry about resale value either, as with all technology both will be worth next to nothing

simon

hltx7 · 09-30-2008, 08:10 AM

Hi Aaron, I too was undecided between the K20D and the GX20 but I had a look at them both and decided upon the Pentax. There are differences between the two. As you stated the menu system on the Samsung is slightly better but the Samsung lacks the Extended Dynamic Range feature of the Pentax, this is worth about 1 stop of highlight detail and I find it very useful. Also the Samsung has a slightly different colour profile which I think is slightly inferior to the Pentax and finally the Samsung does not have the interval timer for taking a number of shots over a set period of time. I own the GX10 as well as the K20D and the GX10 & the K10D were almost identical but this is not as true with the GX20 & the K20D. Hope this helps.

09-23-2008, 01:17 PM	#1
Aaron1971 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Yokosuka, Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 162	K20D or GX-20? Okay, as a newbie I am trying to learn all I can, I also am in the market for another camera. I was looking at the K20D and stumbled onto the Samsung GX-20. They appear to be the same camera and even accept the Pentax lenses. My question is why? Why would somebody buy the Samsung instead of the Pentax? The price difference isn't huge, as a matter of fact at some places there is NO difference. I am just curious.

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09-23-2008, 02:01 PM	#2
toddaton Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Washington, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 19	I just asked the same thing not too long ago about the K10D and GX-10. Here's my take. Nikon and Canon are everywhere. Pentax is a great system offering great value compared to Nikon and Canon but not as many people know it. Samsung is simply a rebranded Pentax and even fewer people know it. That means that it's more likely that you can get K20D functionality with a Samsung label at a discount because people simply don't know. If you watch eBay for a couple of weeks, the Samsung prices are generally lower. I went with the GX-10 for that very reason and was able to get the functionality I wanted at a discount. The only problem is explaining to the Nikon and Canon crowd the value proposition of the Samsung label!

09-23-2008, 02:03 PM	#3
mhertel Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Vernon, BC Photos: Gallery Posts: 274	As far as I know the Pentax and Samsung systems also use different firmware, so there can be slight differences in functionality between the models..

09-23-2008, 02:04 PM	#4
nulla Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 1,560	I have the Samsung GX20 I got it for near $300 less than the Pentax in the same store that was also on special

09-24-2008, 05:43 PM	#5
JonPB Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Portland, OR, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 430	My guess is that the Samsung/Pentax branding has more to do with different markets than to do with marketing in North America--the Samsung brand has a lot of cachet in Korea, while Pentax has a better brand in the U.S. Both companies contributed a lot to the final product, so both of them market their own version. For an end user, I don't think there is any meaningful difference between the two. Personal opinions as to aesthetics--the grips are different, as are the buttons, lettering, and menu design--probably play the largest role. Also, at least with the GX-10, there was no OS X software in the box.

09-25-2008, 02:14 AM	#6
qksilver Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Northern Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 131	word on the street is that the Samsung menus are better. I have a K20 so i dont know. but I saw a review that compared them and the samsung menus did look better than pentax's. I wouldnt hesitate to buy the samsung if i were purchasing now. its a K20 with different firmware

09-25-2008, 02:27 PM	#7
Big Dave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 547	Aaron, Sooner or later you will sell it and buy a newer model. I think that you will get more for a used Pentax then a Samsung. So if the price difference isn't very great, I would buy the Pentax. Dave Originally posted by Aaron1971 Okay, as a newbie I am trying to learn all I can, I also am in the market for another camera. I was looking at the K20D and stumbled onto the Samsung GX-20. They appear to be the same camera and even accept the Pentax lenses. My question is why? Why would somebody buy the Samsung instead of the Pentax? The price difference isn't huge, as a matter of fact at some places there is NO difference. I am just curious.

09-25-2008, 02:46 PM	#8
simonkit Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: North Wales, UK Posts: 645	Buy the one you get the best deal on, as you say they're pretty much identical. If you intend keeping it any longer than 18 months/2 years I wouldn't worry about resale value either, as with all technology both will be worth next to nothing simon

09-27-2008, 09:33 AM	#9
Big Dave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 547	Simon, I wish that I could find one of those two year old K10D's for next to nothing. Even three year old istD's are selling for two to three hundred dollars in the USA. I don't think that you can lump DSLR's into the same catagory as cell phones and the like. Dave Originally posted by simonkit Buy the one you get the best deal on, as you say they're pretty much identical. If you intend keeping it any longer than 18 months/2 years I wouldn't worry about resale value either, as with all technology both will be worth next to nothing simon

09-30-2008, 08:10 AM	#10
hltx7 New Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Rossendale, UK Posts: 2	Hi Aaron, I too was undecided between the K20D and the GX20 but I had a look at them both and decided upon the Pentax. There are differences between the two. As you stated the menu system on the Samsung is slightly better but the Samsung lacks the Extended Dynamic Range feature of the Pentax, this is worth about 1 stop of highlight detail and I find it very useful. Also the Samsung has a slightly different colour profile which I think is slightly inferior to the Pentax and finally the Samsung does not have the interval timer for taking a number of shots over a set period of time. I own the GX10 as well as the K20D and the GX10 & the K10D were almost identical but this is not as true with the GX20 & the K20D. Hope this helps.