Go out and use the camera. If you like the pictures, then the camera is working.
I guess you could take some underexposed shots, or shots of brick walls, but why? If your normal shots don't look right, then dig further. Otherwise, why go looking to make yourself unhappy? You've got probably a 99% (or greater) chance that everything will be fine. The other 1% will mainly be a DOA camera, which should be pretty obvious.
I don't know why everyone is suddenly worried about the K20D. The camera has been out for a year and the only identified problem (some esoteric hot pixel problem that affected a very small minority of users) was fixed in firmware. When I (in a moment of weakness) tried to recreate the problem using the exact "recipe" published, I still couldn't make my camera fail.
Sorry for the rant, but I think people get too wound up worrying about things that are very very unlikely.
----Edit-----
Okay, sorry to sound like a grumpy old a$$. If I was dropping big money on a camera, I'd want to make sure it's okay as well. The way I do it is to go out and take a wide variety of pictures in many different situations (having fun in the meantime) and see if it performs like I expect. If not, then I'd move on to the more in-depth methods that test specific aspects of the camera.
I guess I was just reacting to the general theme I see creeping into the forum that the K20D is somehow a "flawed" camera, and I just disagree with that. It certainly has limitations like all cameras do, but I'd say it's the best of 4 different models of Pentax cameras I've owned and used. Plus, I think it's head and shoulders above any other brand at the same price. You'll have to spend much more (50% or more) to begin equaling the feature set that the K20D has. I think we (as a group) somehow forget that in our worries about this specific function, or that specific omission.
Anyway, Brian, I'm sure you'll love your K20D. I know I love mine, and I'm still amazed at what it can do, even after owning it for a year.
Last edited by rfortson; 02-15-2009 at 09:17 PM.
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