Is the K200D a Pentaxes Sleeper Camera ?

patrickhh · 08-08-2009, 06:08 AM

I downgraded from K20D to K200D because of the annoying darkframe bug, the IMHO slightly better low-ISO and long exposure performance of the CCD sensor, and because the K20D body was too large for my taste and I didn't need all the additional control buttons.

I'm very happy so far and I think the K200D is somewhat underrated.

wll · 08-08-2009, 06:31 AM

B&H price is now at $555.95 and they are out of stock. I bought mine for $507.95 a little while ago. Maybe the price of new stock has gone up from Hoya (the camera is discontinued but their are stock piles in distribution centers for a while I would think).

I think maybe folks are just realizing how good this camera is and dealers are rising the prices a bit. The K200D is truly a fine little camera.

wll

**cdurfor** · 08-08-2009, 06:59 AM

As an owner of a K200D (and previously a K100D, but not K20D or K10D) I can only suggest that the IQ is quite good with fine glass. One aspect of the K20D that I wish were a part of my camera is the software option to adjust for back and front focusing. Because this option is not on my camera I recently had to send both the camera and a 40mm Limited Lens back to Pentax for software adjustment.

opiedog · 08-08-2009, 11:08 AM

the k200 is a fine camera. my wife has one. i was about to get another one for myself, but decided on the k2000.
IMHO, the only advantage of the k2000 over the k200 is the improved AF speed in low light.
i'm waiting for the K200d's successor hopefully will see that this fall

JETninja · 08-08-2009, 05:41 PM

I'm very happy with my K200D. Added the KM53 (IIRC) Eye Cup Magnifier, Battery Grip and it's a nice stable platform, I take everywhere and it always performs. I keep Enelope type batteries in the body, some Sony 2850Mah in the Grip.

My oldest Son bought the White K2000....and he loves it.

Biro · 08-08-2009, 08:04 PM

As usual, I'm joining this string late. But most K200D owners are in on a little secret that much of the photography world doesn't realize. It's a gem of a camera that is better in the real world than it appears to be in camera tests. I love mine and plan to keep it if I get around to buying a K-7, either for Christmas or my birthday next year.

When I first bought my K200D, I didn't pay much attention to the scene modes, preferring to do my own image tuning. But while on vacation recently, I found I didn't have much time to take a careful, considered approach to shooting and gave the scene modes a try. I must say I was impressed. Even the Auto mode turned out to be more intelligent than I thought it would be... it's actually a form of so-called "Intelligent Auto" that actually selects one of the scene modes depending on what the camera sees. Now, I don't use scene modes all that much, but even experienced photographers will find they're handy in a pinch. And if one is a bit less experienced, they're a great place to start.

Recently, I was considering buying a superzoom point-and-shoot like the Panasonic FZ28 for vacation use. That's until a friend loaned me his Pentax 18-250mm lens for use at a MLB game. It worked out so well that I bought the lens from him at a very friendly price - and I no longer need a superzoom point-and-shoot. My DSLR vacation kit is now comprised of the K200D with 18-250 lens, an extra memory card, an extra set of Lithium-Ion AA batteries, a lens-cleaning cloth and a lens-cleaning pen/brush. I carry it all in a tidy Tamrac #515 bag. Comfortable and convenient enough for all-day use.

Some people talk about noise issues at high ISOs. I think that's a personal thing. Noise either really bothers you or it doesn't. And, as others have said, you can aggressively attack chromatic noise while taking it easy on luminance noise and get great results. ISO 1000-1250 is just fine and I've used ISO 1600 plenty of times. Some people might find a bit too much noise in those images but it really doesn't bother me. But, then again, I started in the bad, old film days. Grain came with anything above ISO/ASA 100.

Yes, the K200D could use a larger cache and a faster burst mode. And, yes, it's true that auto focus could be a bit faster. But, having said that, I can't think of a time when I actually missed a shot because of it. I've shot baseball games and auto racing without much, if any, problem. This is one example of what I mean when I say it's a better camera in the real world than in lab tests.

If I actually buy the K-7, my K200D will continue to get a good deal of use - and likely remain my vacation go-to camera.

jimboberella · 08-09-2009, 09:37 PM

Another k200d owner and lover here. I do admit I suffer some bouts of feature envy when a new model comes out but in reality the k200d is all I require and has way more photographic features than the competition even now. I deal with the feature envy by going into the custom menu and having a play

I too would like a better burst mode but apart from that I think it is definitely a gem that was often overlooked. Many people have missed out on a great camera.

Pentaxor · 08-09-2009, 09:43 PM

the K200d is another underrated camera, IMO. it is a generation better than the K10D. I also believe it is better than the K-m. I dunno why they have to discontinue it considering it's capability.

ytterbium · 08-10-2009, 03:45 AM

Yes and its image quality and resolution is top.
It resolves much better than my k100ds did but produces no moire, bayer or other artefacts k100ds had.

K100ds:

k200d:

TourDeForce · 10-19-2009, 06:10 PM

One of my co-workers returned his D60 after we compared pictures from the same scene. He since purchased a K2000 and will likely return it as well. Now that he's not quite happy with the K2000, he also purchased a Canon 500D. The low light performance is superb, but the 15 megapixel IQ is not up to par with the 10 megapixel K200D - kit lens to kit lens.

He's having trouble finding a K200, so he's considering a Nikon D5000 now; skipping over the D90 because the published pictures he's seen thus far have been 'unimpressive' compared to what he/I can get out of my k200.

Pentaxor · 10-19-2009, 06:33 PM

Originally posted by TourDeForce

One of my co-workers returned his D60 after we compared pictures from the same scene. He since purchased a K2000 and will likely return it as well. Now that he's not quite happy with the K2000, he also purchased a Canon 500D. The low light performance is superb, but the 15 megapixel IQ is not up to par with the 10 megapixel K200D - kit lens to kit lens.

He's having trouble finding a K200, so he's considering a Nikon D5000 now; skipping over the D90 because the published pictures he's seen thus far have been 'unimpressive' compared to what he/I can get out of my k200.

his name doesn't happen to be Brosen is it?

kittykat46 · 10-20-2009, 01:44 AM

Originally posted by TourDeForce

One of my co-workers returned his D60 after we compared pictures from the same scene. He since purchased a K2000 and will likely return it as well. Now that he's not quite happy with the K2000, he also purchased a Canon 500D. The low light performance is superb, but the 15 megapixel IQ is not up to par with the 10 megapixel K200D - kit lens to kit lens.

He's having trouble finding a K200, so he's considering a Nikon D5000 now; skipping over the D90 because the published pictures he's seen thus far have been 'unimpressive' compared to what he/I can get out of my k200.

OMG

As far as I know, Any one of the cameras mentioned can take very decent photos.
Its the person using the camera who matters most....

TourDeForce · 10-21-2009, 07:01 PM

Originally posted by Pentaxor

his name doesn't happen to be Brosen is it?

No, his name is Favre.

Originally posted by kittykat46

OMG

As far as I know, Any one of the cameras mentioned can take very decent photos.
Its the person using the camera who matters most....

I keep telling him that he can be happy with just about any of the cameras he's considered, but he's always finding some feature or detail that suddenly disqualifies the camera currently under consideration.

The D60 however, I couldn't have lived with. Strange artifacts, heavy cool cast... There may have been something wrong with that particular sample.

VaSA · 10-23-2009, 09:17 PM

I think somebody already mentioned this, that part of the reason K200D was overlooked is that it is not small/light enough to be a back-up/entry-level camera, and it's lacking some features to be a semi-pro, so that's why it ended up right between K20D and K2000. But I got mine off eBay for 440$ with a kit lens last December, and I am extremely satisfied with this camera. I think I've already gotten a few people jealous with the results I get from K200D and a $50 Takumar compared to their way more expensive Canons with newer AF lenses.

bobore · 10-27-2009, 10:24 AM

Another positive vote for the K200d. It simply oozes build quality, feels great in your hands, and operates with straightforward logic. A definite keeper.

08-08-2009, 06:31 AM	#32
wll Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mission Hills, CA Posts: 773 Original Poster	Are K200D Prices Going Up ? B&H price is now at $555.95 and they are out of stock. I bought mine for $507.95 a little while ago. Maybe the price of new stock has gone up from Hoya (the camera is discontinued but their are stock piles in distribution centers for a while I would think). I think maybe folks are just realizing how good this camera is and dealers are rising the prices a bit. The K200D is truly a fine little camera. wll

08-10-2009, 03:45 AM	#39
ytterbium Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,076	Yes and its image quality and resolution is top. It resolves much better than my k100ds did but produces no moire, bayer or other artefacts k100ds had. K100ds: k200d: Last edited by ytterbium; 08-10-2009 at 04:26 AM.

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08-08-2009, 06:08 AM	#31
patrickhh Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hamburg Posts: 70	I downgraded from K20D to K200D because of the annoying darkframe bug, the IMHO slightly better low-ISO and long exposure performance of the CCD sensor, and because the K20D body was too large for my taste and I didn't need all the additional control buttons. I'm very happy so far and I think the K200D is somewhat underrated.

08-08-2009, 06:59 AM	#33
cdurfor Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Washington, DC Photos: Gallery Posts: 581	As an owner of a K200D (and previously a K100D, but not K20D or K10D) I can only suggest that the IQ is quite good with fine glass. One aspect of the K20D that I wish were a part of my camera is the software option to adjust for back and front focusing. Because this option is not on my camera I recently had to send both the camera and a 40mm Limited Lens back to Pentax for software adjustment.

08-08-2009, 11:08 AM	#34
opiedog Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NC Posts: 787	the k200 is a fine camera. my wife has one. i was about to get another one for myself, but decided on the k2000. IMHO, the only advantage of the k2000 over the k200 is the improved AF speed in low light. i'm waiting for the K200d's successor hopefully will see that this fall

08-08-2009, 05:41 PM	#35
JETninja Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sammamish, WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 161	I'm very happy with my K200D. Added the KM53 (IIRC) Eye Cup Magnifier, Battery Grip and it's a nice stable platform, I take everywhere and it always performs. I keep Enelope type batteries in the body, some Sony 2850Mah in the Grip. My oldest Son bought the White K2000....and he loves it.

08-08-2009, 08:04 PM	#36
Biro Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,200	As usual, I'm joining this string late. But most K200D owners are in on a little secret that much of the photography world doesn't realize. It's a gem of a camera that is better in the real world than it appears to be in camera tests. I love mine and plan to keep it if I get around to buying a K-7, either for Christmas or my birthday next year. When I first bought my K200D, I didn't pay much attention to the scene modes, preferring to do my own image tuning. But while on vacation recently, I found I didn't have much time to take a careful, considered approach to shooting and gave the scene modes a try. I must say I was impressed. Even the Auto mode turned out to be more intelligent than I thought it would be... it's actually a form of so-called "Intelligent Auto" that actually selects one of the scene modes depending on what the camera sees. Now, I don't use scene modes all that much, but even experienced photographers will find they're handy in a pinch. And if one is a bit less experienced, they're a great place to start. Recently, I was considering buying a superzoom point-and-shoot like the Panasonic FZ28 for vacation use. That's until a friend loaned me his Pentax 18-250mm lens for use at a MLB game. It worked out so well that I bought the lens from him at a very friendly price - and I no longer need a superzoom point-and-shoot. My DSLR vacation kit is now comprised of the K200D with 18-250 lens, an extra memory card, an extra set of Lithium-Ion AA batteries, a lens-cleaning cloth and a lens-cleaning pen/brush. I carry it all in a tidy Tamrac #515 bag. Comfortable and convenient enough for all-day use. Some people talk about noise issues at high ISOs. I think that's a personal thing. Noise either really bothers you or it doesn't. And, as others have said, you can aggressively attack chromatic noise while taking it easy on luminance noise and get great results. ISO 1000-1250 is just fine and I've used ISO 1600 plenty of times. Some people might find a bit too much noise in those images but it really doesn't bother me. But, then again, I started in the bad, old film days. Grain came with anything above ISO/ASA 100. Yes, the K200D could use a larger cache and a faster burst mode. And, yes, it's true that auto focus could be a bit faster. But, having said that, I can't think of a time when I actually missed a shot because of it. I've shot baseball games and auto racing without much, if any, problem. This is one example of what I mean when I say it's a better camera in the real world than in lab tests. If I actually buy the K-7, my K200D will continue to get a good deal of use - and likely remain my vacation go-to camera.

08-09-2009, 09:37 PM	#37
jimboberella New Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Queensland Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 8	Another k200d owner and lover here. I do admit I suffer some bouts of feature envy when a new model comes out but in reality the k200d is all I require and has way more photographic features than the competition even now. I deal with the feature envy by going into the custom menu and having a play I too would like a better burst mode but apart from that I think it is definitely a gem that was often overlooked. Many people have missed out on a great camera.

08-09-2009, 09:43 PM	#38
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	the K200d is another underrated camera, IMO. it is a generation better than the K10D. I also believe it is better than the K-m. I dunno why they have to discontinue it considering it's capability.

10-19-2009, 06:10 PM	#40
TourDeForce Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 514	One of my co-workers returned his D60 after we compared pictures from the same scene. He since purchased a K2000 and will likely return it as well. Now that he's not quite happy with the K2000, he also purchased a Canon 500D. The low light performance is superb, but the 15 megapixel IQ is not up to par with the 10 megapixel K200D - kit lens to kit lens. He's having trouble finding a K200, so he's considering a Nikon D5000 now; skipping over the D90 because the published pictures he's seen thus far have been 'unimpressive' compared to what he/I can get out of my k200.

10-19-2009, 06:33 PM	#41
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	Originally posted by TourDeForce One of my co-workers returned his D60 after we compared pictures from the same scene. He since purchased a K2000 and will likely return it as well. Now that he's not quite happy with the K2000, he also purchased a Canon 500D. The low light performance is superb, but the 15 megapixel IQ is not up to par with the 10 megapixel K200D - kit lens to kit lens. He's having trouble finding a K200, so he's considering a Nikon D5000 now; skipping over the D90 because the published pictures he's seen thus far have been 'unimpressive' compared to what he/I can get out of my k200. his name doesn't happen to be Brosen is it?

10-20-2009, 01:44 AM	#42
kittykat46 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 923	Originally posted by TourDeForce One of my co-workers returned his D60 after we compared pictures from the same scene. He since purchased a K2000 and will likely return it as well. Now that he's not quite happy with the K2000, he also purchased a Canon 500D. The low light performance is superb, but the 15 megapixel IQ is not up to par with the 10 megapixel K200D - kit lens to kit lens. He's having trouble finding a K200, so he's considering a Nikon D5000 now; skipping over the D90 because the published pictures he's seen thus far have been 'unimpressive' compared to what he/I can get out of my k200. OMG As far as I know, Any one of the cameras mentioned can take very decent photos. Its the person using the camera who matters most....

10-21-2009, 07:01 PM	#43
TourDeForce Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 514	Originally posted by Pentaxor his name doesn't happen to be Brosen is it? No, his name is Favre. Originally posted by kittykat46 OMG As far as I know, Any one of the cameras mentioned can take very decent photos. Its the person using the camera who matters most.... I keep telling him that he can be happy with just about any of the cameras he's considered, but he's always finding some feature or detail that suddenly disqualifies the camera currently under consideration. The D60 however, I couldn't have lived with. Strange artifacts, heavy cool cast... There may have been something wrong with that particular sample.

10-23-2009, 09:17 PM	#44
VaSA Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 173	I think somebody already mentioned this, that part of the reason K200D was overlooked is that it is not small/light enough to be a back-up/entry-level camera, and it's lacking some features to be a semi-pro, so that's why it ended up right between K20D and K2000. But I got mine off eBay for 440$ with a kit lens last December, and I am extremely satisfied with this camera. I think I've already gotten a few people jealous with the results I get from K200D and a $50 Takumar compared to their way more expensive Canons with newer AF lenses.

10-27-2009, 10:24 AM	#45
bobore Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: North Oregon Coast Posts: 162	Another positive vote for the K200d. It simply oozes build quality, feels great in your hands, and operates with straightforward logic. A definite keeper.