Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

View Poll Results: K-7 or K20D
K-7 8861.54%
K20D 5538.46%
Voters: 143. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
08-23-2009, 06:28 AM   #1
Senior Member
Ben Hunt's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Sydney
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 147
stuck between K7 or K20?

Hi guys,

Currently my main camera is a K200D w/, and don't get me wrong it's a great camera but...it's got a few flaws and I’ve got to the point where the it's really holding me back.

My main problems with the K200D


Buffer, it's horrible and get even worse at any iso higher than 400
One e-dial
Frame rate
No Kelvin WB adjustments
FF RF calibrations
It's a small camera even with grip on it feel like it could be bigger, plus the grip is a bit lacking
I find myself waiting for the buffer to clear out and as a result i end up missing photos


I cannot choose between the K-7 or K20, Currently i can get a K20+grip for $1250AUD and a K-7 for $1400AUD

I've had a bit of a play with the K-7 and 20 and have found that the K-7 is small in my hands and i would need a grip but there are no K-7 grips in Australia currently and I have no idea when CR-Kennedy will start shipping them in...

K20 Feels a bit more comfortable for me not only it's size/grip but it's layout, ( I may be the only person that likes the Fn button) plus i can get one with a grip...

Guys I’m lost here and need your help, I just can’t deicide here, I hear problems with the 7 and don't want to by a camera just because of the novelty of having HD video

Hope you guys can help me out....I guess i just need to talk this all out with someone...

thanks
Ben

08-23-2009, 06:40 AM   #2
Senior Member




Join Date: May 2009
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 110
K20s are 1/2 the price of a K7 here in the U.S., so the K20 was a no-brainer for me. Have a battery grip en route to me right now. (as if the K20 isn't large enough!) I suppose I'd get the K7, if the prices were comparable, but there have been more threads on this forum about K7 problems, eg., sticky sd cards, etc., than with the K20.
08-23-2009, 06:56 AM   #3
Senior Member




Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 239
I went from K200D to K-7 skipping K20D as i like a smaller/lighter body and K20D wasn't it. Glad I grabbed K-7 and happy as pig in mud

Grip size probably personal preference. When i grip K-7 my little pinky is off the body grip side and tucked slightly under the body bottom and have no issues with that. It's like gripping a tennis ball with my thumb and first 3 fingers and pinky on the side.

Sir Bazz i think got his K-7 grip from vanbar.com.au
08-23-2009, 07:00 AM   #4
Ash
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Ash's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 23,920
Ben, you mentioned frame rate as a K200D downer.
Then K20D won't make you much happier in this department.
For everything else, though, the K20D more than suffices.
So if for the frame rate, you'll be after the K-7... but don't be overly concerned about the 'problems' - most would be user-related...
D-BG4 can be found if you look hard enough, and then there's always B&H...

08-23-2009, 08:42 AM   #5
Junior Member




Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Peterborough UK
Posts: 37
Camera size and grip are very personal preferences. I have average size hands and find the K-7 very much nicer in handling than the K20D. It is also much faster, quicker more accurate focusing, very responsive shutter release, better WB especially in tungsten lighting quite apart from its other advanced features.
I would not consider adding a grip as I really like the small size. It is also a very discreet camera when fitted with a pancake lens.
As regards the layout of controls, they are different but I found I adjusted to them within a week.

It is difficult to assess a new camera on the basis of playing with it for a few minutes in a shop. I do not think any dealers offer the chance of a trial run with a camera for a few days - it would be a good selling point if they did.
08-23-2009, 10:32 AM   #6
Veteran Member
nostatic's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: socal
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,575
K7 with ltd primes - winner

K20 with bigger lenses - winner

This is my personal take. IQ is a wash, K7 AF performance is better but I really can't complain too much about the K20d in that regard. The K20d fits my hands better, but I am still pondering a K7 with a couple of ltds. I don't like the balance of the K7 with 50-135*.

I think the K20d is *the* deal going right now on pretty much any camera. And in fact I'm thinking of ditching my new E-P1 because I love the K20d/FAltd combo. For small/good file I'm thinking K7/43 as a walkaround. That lens (and the DA ltd primes) is small/light enough that the balance is good on the K7 (to me) and I can hold with only three fingers comfortably.
08-23-2009, 10:57 AM   #7
Veteran Member
Otis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis Fan
Rupert's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Texas
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 25,123
Pentax went wrong....

When they made the K20D they made a camera that was very fine for most shooters, so fine that many shooters find little need to go to the K7. I think the K7 is going to prove to be a fine camera too...but my K20D is already proven and video is not what I shoot. Even after over a year of being out, the K20D is still one of the most problem free cameras of any brand on the market.
Regards
Rupert

08-23-2009, 01:48 PM   #8
Senior Member




Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Copenhagen
Posts: 258
I'm not sure about the K7 yet, so I got a Mamiya RZ67 instead. Next year when prices are lower...
08-23-2009, 02:25 PM   #9
Senior Member




Join Date: May 2009
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 110
So, here's an elementary question. What is it about Pentax's design that prohibits faster frame rates? The paltry 3fps on the K20 is just the fly in the ointment of an otherwise-fine camera. I was looking at a Canon 40D with 6.5fps. Why can't Pentax just jump up to the 6fps range and get it over with? What's the problem?
08-23-2009, 06:24 PM   #10
Senior Member
Ben Hunt's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Sydney
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 147
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Ash Quote
Ben, you mentioned frame rate as a K200D downer.
Then K20D won't make you much happier in this department.
For everything else, though, the K20D more than suffices.
So if for the frame rate, you'll be after the K-7... but don't be overly concerned about the 'problems' - most would be user-related...
D-BG4 can be found if you look hard enough, and then there's always B&H...
True D-BG4's can be found if i look hard enough and a huge pro for the K-7 is the 5.1 FPS but i think i'm just trying to justify the price of the K-7 with features that i most probably not use (LV,HD Video) over the more stable/larger K20?

i guess i'm still at square one....Have you used the K20 and 7? what are your thoughs on both?

thanks mate for your reply...

Have a good one!
08-23-2009, 08:50 PM   #11
Veteran Member
Pentaxor's Avatar

Join Date: May 2009
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,513
problems with the K-7

1. back-focus/front-focus problems - culprit: lenses, not the K-7.
2. out of focus shots - culprit : user error, not the K-7.
3. clanking noise inside of the K-7 - culprit: SR system, perfectly normal in the K-7.
4. more noisy than the K20D - culprit: define useable detail noise from chroma noise. not really a problem in the K-7. get an FF camera if you complain too much about this issue.
5. slower AF-C shooting speed - culprit: K-7 processor. try shooting under LV mode instead.
6. blown-up highlights - culprit: still undetermined, but most likely user error but also possible with unpredictable metering. use green button, AE mode.
7. vertical banding during LV mode - culprit: sensor overheating or bad K-7 copy (small percent). get a new copy. you got warranty
8. sensor overheating during movie recording - culprit: cpu and sensor for such camera isn't perfected yet. sam.e with other brands.
9. SDHC card compartment too tight - culprit: design flaw. could be annoying but can live with it.
10. noisy at lower ISOs - culprit: custom image mode set too high. user-error.
11. movie recording stops after a few seconds/ minutes or even before the card is full - possible culprit: slow/fake SD cards.
12. noise handling is not good at high ISO (3200). culprit: APS-C sensor and K-7design.


just learn the K-7 system thoroughly and you'll be very happy. don't complain or blame the camera if you are an idiot.

* possible future firmware updates/corrections for the K-7.

- much faster AF-C during OVF mode.
- more custom image functions.
- HDR increased to 5-9 frames.
- lessen overheating of sensor.
- improved noise handling at 3200.
08-23-2009, 09:01 PM   #12
Senior Member




Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 123
QuoteOriginally posted by Pentaxor Quote
problems with the K-7

4. more noisy than the K20D - culprit: define useable detail noise from chroma noise. not really a problem in the K-7. get an FF camera if you complain too much about this issue.
5. slower AF-C shooting speed - culprit: K-7 processor. try shooting under LV mode instead.
6. blown-up highlights - culprit: still undetermined, but most likely user error but also possible with unpredictable metering. use green button, AE mode.
4. K-7 is as clean asn the K20D - K20D has more NR switched on than the K-7.
5. I don't find AF-C slow. K-7 processor is quite a bit faster than K20D's. Maybe someone can elaborate.
6. unpredictable metering was only a problem with K10D and K20D. K-7's metering is very predictable - if you don't like blowing out, EV -0.3, -0.5 or -0.7 will consistently take care of it.
08-23-2009, 09:05 PM   #13
Veteran Member
nostatic's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: socal
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,575
QuoteOriginally posted by wolfier Quote
6. unpredictable metering was only a problem with K10D and K20D. K-7's metering is very predictable - if you don't like blowing out, EV -0.3, -0.5 or -0.7 will consistently take care of it.
I actually had an odd white balance issue with the K7 when shooting early evening - strong magenta shift. I never saw it during the day or under tungsten light. And I found that -0.3 or -0.7 was "about right" compared to the K20d.

Most of the other performance aspects on the K7 are superior to the K20d. As for the "noise", I found that detail on the K7 is great - I'd rather have noise and detail than "low noise" and smears.
08-23-2009, 09:15 PM   #14
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 923
QuoteOriginally posted by Pentaxor Quote
problems with the K-7

4. more noisy than the K20D - culprit: define useable detail noise from chroma noise. not really a problem in the K-7. get an FF camera if you complain too much about this issue.
I just want to add, its fully under user control in RAW.
After playing around with the camera JPEG output for ISO1600 vs. RAW , I realised that even on Medium NR setting, the K-7 applied Zero Luminance Noise Reduction to the JPEGs (Medium Chroma Noise Reduction only).
Plenty of details still in the RAW file, YOU have full control over how much noise/details you want to keep in the picture.

You can get a K-7 RAW output exactly to the K20D look.
Hey, if you prefer the "Smooth Plastic" Canon High-ISO look, you can have it too.
08-23-2009, 09:37 PM   #15
Veteran Member
Pentaxor's Avatar

Join Date: May 2009
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,513
QuoteOriginally posted by wolfier Quote
5. I don't find AF-C slow. K-7 processor is quite a bit faster than K20D's. Maybe someone can elaborate.
this is not in comparison with the K20D, but rather in comparison with the K-7's AF-S speed versus it's AF-C speed. I mention this because some sensible people and a few trolls would complain about it.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
bit, buffer, camera, dslr, grip, guys, k-7, k20, k200d, photography
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Machinery K20 on K20 love (car related) ga-hing Post Your Photos! 8 09-03-2010 04:58 PM
Uh Oh! My lens is stuck!! Kathryn30223 Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 15 09-01-2009 09:59 PM
Stuck filter, help please! jadem Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 5 05-06-2009 07:29 AM
Have to map stuck pixels on your new K20? Igilligan Pentax DSLR Discussion 13 12-23-2008 10:47 PM
Stuck! fula6 Post Your Photos! 5 05-29-2008 05:49 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:18 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top