K200D/K2000 Viewfinder vs others

shuttervox · 02-19-2009, 06:49 PM

First off, am I right to assume that the viewfinders of the K200d and the K-m/K2000
are the same pentamirror?

I was trying out a Nikon D40 in the store the other day, and I found the viewfinder
to be quite "tunnelly". The D40 has a magnification factor of .80, where as the
K200d and K2000 are .85

I haven't found a Pentax in-store yet- Is this really enough to make a difference?

I suppose I could get used to the small viewfinder, but it felt kind of claustrophobic.

The K20d Pentaprisim is .95, and I assume this is closer to what I am used to on
film SLRs?

[kurt]

Ole · 02-19-2009, 07:05 PM

Yes, the .95x would be closer but is still smaller than the viewfinder size of a typical film SLR since the ground glass is just 16 x 24 mm against film's 24 x 36 mm. To match the size you would need a magnification above 1x.

Pentax offers an optional viewfinder accessory which provides additional 1.2x maginifation. If you do not wear glasses this might be a good option.

http://www.pentaximaging.com/accessories/Viewfinder_Loupe_0-ME53/

RiceHigh · 02-19-2009, 07:15 PM

Originally posted by shuttervox

First off, am I right to assume that the viewfinders of the K200d and the K-m/K2000
are the same pentamirror?

Yes.

Quote:

I was trying out a Nikon D40 in the store the other day, and I found the viewfinder
to be quite "tunnelly". The D40 has a magnification factor of .80, where as the
K200d and K2000 are .85

I haven't found a Pentax in-store yet- Is this really enough to make a difference?

Yes.

Quote:

I suppose I could get used to the small viewfinder, but it felt kind of claustrophobic.

I think so too.

Quote:

The K20d Pentaprisim is .95, and I assume this is closer to what I am used to on
film SLRs?

Nope. You have to divide 0.95 by 1.5 as the same image at the same focal is cropped. So, if you have to compare for the same Field/Angle of View, the true magnification is 0.63X only (by far less than what you can get with a film SLR, typically around 0.8X for Pentax SLRs)

02-19-2009, 06:49 PM	#1
shuttervox Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canandaigua NY Posts: 74	K200D/K2000 Viewfinder vs others First off, am I right to assume that the viewfinders of the K200d and the K-m/K2000 are the same pentamirror? I was trying out a Nikon D40 in the store the other day, and I found the viewfinder to be quite "tunnelly". The D40 has a magnification factor of .80, where as the K200d and K2000 are .85 I haven't found a Pentax in-store yet- Is this really enough to make a difference? I suppose I could get used to the small viewfinder, but it felt kind of claustrophobic. The K20d Pentaprisim is .95, and I assume this is closer to what I am used to on film SLRs? [kurt]

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
K200D viewfinder problem	snofox	Pentax DSLR Discussion	8	01-26-2010 07:48 AM
K2000 vs. K200D	tcerveny	Pentax DSLR Discussion	2	09-27-2009 12:07 PM
K200D viewfinder + Katzeye VS. K20D viewfinder	dugrant153	Pentax DSLR Discussion	3	07-24-2009 11:36 AM
K2000 or K200D	jdg	Pentax DSLR Discussion	1	06-08-2009 03:30 PM
K200D Viewfinder vs K20D Viewfinder	cputeq	Pentax DSLR Discussion	7	06-15-2008 11:57 PM

02-19-2009, 07:05 PM	#2
Ole Administrator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,409	Yes, the .95x would be closer but is still smaller than the viewfinder size of a typical film SLR since the ground glass is just 16 x 24 mm against film's 24 x 36 mm. To match the size you would need a magnification above 1x. Pentax offers an optional viewfinder accessory which provides additional 1.2x maginifation. If you do not wear glasses this might be a good option. http://www.pentaximaging.com/accessories/Viewfinder_Loupe_0-ME53/

02-19-2009, 07:15 PM	#3
RiceHigh Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 1,934	Originally posted by shuttervox First off, am I right to assume that the viewfinders of the K200d and the K-m/K2000 are the same pentamirror? Yes. Quote: I was trying out a Nikon D40 in the store the other day, and I found the viewfinder to be quite "tunnelly". The D40 has a magnification factor of .80, where as the K200d and K2000 are .85 I haven't found a Pentax in-store yet- Is this really enough to make a difference? Yes. Quote: I suppose I could get used to the small viewfinder, but it felt kind of claustrophobic. I think so too. Quote: The K20d Pentaprisim is .95, and I assume this is closer to what I am used to on film SLRs? Nope. You have to divide 0.95 by 1.5 as the same image at the same focal is cropped. So, if you have to compare for the same Field/Angle of View, the true magnification is 0.63X only (by far less than what you can get with a film SLR, typically around 0.8X for Pentax SLRs)