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05-23-2009, 09:24 PM   #1
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Ole's Avatar

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Pentax K-m/K2000

Pentax K-x, K-m and K200D Compared - PentaxForums.com

Pentax K-m/K2000
Year introduced
2009
Availability
Discontinued
Mount
KAF2 (exposure mode limitations with M and K series lenses)
Meter range
0 to 21 EV
Meter pattern
m (16 segments) c s
ISO range (expanded)
100 - 3200
Expanded dynamic range
Yes
Exposure modes
AutoPict, SCN, P, Sv, Av, Tv, M, B
Exposure compensation
+/-3 EV
Exposure lock
Yes
Shutter speeds (auto)
30s - 1/4000s (stepless)
Shutter speeds (manual)
B, 30s - 1/4000s
Self timer
Yes
Mirror lock-up
Yes
Continuous shooting
Hi: 3.5 fps up to 5 frames (JPG), 4 frames (RAW)
Lo: 1.1 fps until card is full (JPG), up to 7 frames (RAW)
Auto bracketing
Yes
HDR mode
No
Multiple exposures
No
Built-in flash
Yes, GN 11 (ISO 100)
TTL flash
No
P-TTL flash
Yes
Sync speed
1/180s
Flash exposure comp
-2 to 1 EV
Autofocus
Yes (5 points)
Autofocus sensitivity
-1 to 18 EV
Autofocus with SDM
Yes
AF Assist
Yes, stroboscopic flash
Front/Back focus corr
No
Power zoom
No
Lens correction
No
Viewfinder
0.85x, 96%
Viewfinder type
Pentamirror
Diopter adjustment
-2.5 to +1.5
AF Points in viewfinder
No
Exchangeable screen
No
Depth of field preview
No
Digital preview
Yes
Live view
No
Video/Movie Mode
No
Camera controls
1 control wheel. Most functions accessed through menus
Custom Functions
21
Shake reduction
Yes
Dust removal / alert
Yes / Yes
Pixel mapping
Yes
Image size
16 x 24 mm
Sensor
10.2 MP CCD
File format
DNG, PEF, JPG
Memory card type
SD, SDHC
Tethering
No
Back LCD
2.7 in. 230,000 pix
Top LCD
No
Weather resistant
No
Battery
4 x AA
Battery grip
No
Size (W x H x D)
122.5 x 91.5 x 67.5 mm
Weight
525 g



Comment
Program modes: Normal, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Night-scene portrait. 10 scene modes

Extra flash functions: Wireless, High-speed, Contrast control.

Exposure modes with M and K lenses: Restricted to Av (with aperture always wide open) and M.


Attached Images
   

Last edited by Ole; 10-09-2010 at 07:19 PM.
06-03-2009, 04:13 AM   #2
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Location: Newbury, Ontario
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My Pentax K=m

I just bought my K-m about 4 weeks ago. I liked it's simple design set-up. It reminds of my old ME-Super, at least in terms of weight and feel. I had the auto winder on my old ME-Super.

The set-up of the controls work well for me. I like the lack of LCD panal on the top of the camera. I am finding the camera works well. I have some nice images that look good.

Lawn Statue on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Stratford City Hall on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Since I am a long time user of Pentax cameras, I have some older M and F series lenses from my film based Pentax cameras. After reading the manual, I went into cameras menu to set the camera up for using older aperture based lenses. I also have a Tokina F-8 500mm mirror lens. I just love this lens. It works great on the K-m. Here are some sample images using this lens on the K-m.

Angel on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Downtown Glencoe, Ontario. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Pentax did a great job on this camera. I always have liked the entry level cameras models. I just like how it gots you back the the basics of picture taking.

Steve Robson

Last edited by stevbike; 06-03-2009 at 04:22 AM.
06-08-2009, 12:32 PM   #3
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I've had the Pentax K2000 for 4 days now, after 17 months with the K100D. I bought the K2000 kit from Beach Camera (via Amazon) for $539, free shipping. This kit contains the 18-55 & 50-200 lenses, but not the AF200 flash.

A few thoughts on the camera:

- despite a weight difference of only a couple ounces, the K2000 feels noticeably lighter in my hand than the K100D.

- I miss the top panel LCD.

- I miss the red focus point indicator in the VF.

- AF is noticeably faster than the K100D. Not only that, but all of the camera's operation feel more spry.

- focus in dim light is much quicker.

- the shutter is a bit quieter and "smoother" sounding.

- having ISO & WB buttons on the K2000 body is faster and more convenient than nested in menus, as is the case with the K100D.

- jpeg quality is too compressed. Things like hair detail get a bit smeared, moreso than the K100D.

A few thoughts on the DA L 18-55 and DA L 50-200 lenses:

- neither lens comes with a hood. I bought the appropriate hoods on fleabay for a total of ~ $20/shipped.

- the 18-55 has a little falloff of sharpness wide open at 18mm & 55mm. Edge sharpness is better than my old 18-55, and vignetting is less severe, also.

- the 18-55 has only slight corner softening @ f8.

- the 50-200 exposes about 1/3 stop brighter than the 18-55.

- the edge sharpness properties of the 50-200 are very similar to the 18-55, although the left edge is softer wide open.

Last edited by flippedgazelle; 06-10-2009 at 09:51 AM.
07-13-2009, 03:19 AM   #4
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The Pentax K-M/K2000 is my very first DSLR camera that I have bought. It is called the K2000 in the US and the K-M in different places of the world.

At first I was worried about limitations and was afraid that the K-M/K2000 would limit my learning ability because it is the most basic DSLR model from Pentax. I soon found out that just because the K2000 is Pentax's most basic DSLR does not mean that the camera itself is basic. The sensor is very advanced and it is the same one used in the more expensive K200D. I was surprised by the amount of things I had to learn from jumping to a DSLR from point-and-shoot, even with the entry-level DSLR from Pentax. The K2000's easy to navigate and use interface is helpful for a newbie like me. I was considering about the K20D and K200D but ultimately decided on the K-M/K2000 to save money as well as it being my first DSLR. Sure the K20D might pack more power but the K-M/K2000 still works like any other DSLR and still requires the same knowledge and technique to work like the K20D.

After playing with my new toy for quite awhile, I realized that there is much more to learn than just the camera itself and any DSLR limits itself based on how you limit your learning. Every DSLR works the same as stated, you'll have to learn F-stops, shutter speed, and ISO. The only true limitation is in the camera body from having less features, but those features have nothing to do with YOU and your knowledge on how to expose and compose the image you want. Every DSLR has the capability to produce a beautiful picture based on your knowledge and your technique. The picture quality also depends heavily on the lenses you use, so it's wise to spend less on a body and invest more on a lens if you're on a budget or if this is your first DSLR. After all, the Pentax K2000 will fit any K-mount lenses. It will fit the same lenses the K20D and K200D will.

The Pentax K-M/K2000 is the lightest Pentax DSLR camera and is non noticeably smaller than the Nikon D40. I was questioning it's size at first because I heard that this is a tiny camera and is smallest in the Pentax line-up. It is small but it's not "tiny", it will fit in my hands fine and I have long fingers. The camera is the lightest from Pentax and is one of the lightest DSLRs out there, but it is slightly heavier than the Rebel XS and the Nikon D60. The body of the K-M/K2000 feels very sturdy. The first time I held this camera I first noticed the quality of this DSLR, it is strong and well made.

The picture quality of the camera is good for a entry-level DSLR, the only problem is the noise levels at higher ISO settings, I never use 3200 because of the noise it produces at that ISO. I have my noise reduction set to weak and shoot only in RAW DNG. I try not to go over 800 ISO but sometimes I will have to go to 1600 ISO to keep the shutter speeds higher at night. 1600 ISO is still acceptable for this camera but I question if they should even add 3200 in the first place.

The kit lens that came with this camera is the Pentax SMC DA L 18-55mm AL. L after AD stands for light because it is light due to the plastic mount. The Pentax K-M/K2000 is the only Pentax DSLR at the moment to come with these "light" kit lenses. Yes it is plastic, but it is better than the original more expensive Pentax SMC DA 18-55mm AL that uses a metal mount. It's better because it uses the same optics as the SMC DA 18-55mm AL II, so it will produce the same image quality as the AL II but without the metal mount. The kit lens also does not come with the lens hood so you would need to buy it if you want some extra glare blocking.

The camera packs a lot of options and has a lot of built-in features so you can post process the image in it, but I never use this so I can't really review it. I use Adobe Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS3 to process my pictures. The auto white balance on this camera works flawlessly and there is no need to adjust them, I just shoot in auto white balance mode for all of my pictures. The auto focus of this camera works fast, faster than the K20D and K200D which is a improvement. The auto focusing in low-light is also improved on this Pentax. The K-M/K2000 has a faster continuous shooting than the K200D, it fires at 3.5 compared to 2.8 in the K200D. Although there is some trade-offs such as 5 auto focus points and non-weather sealed body. The DA WR (weather-sealed) lenses from Pentax are expensive so I would buy the regular DA lenses instead. There's no point of a weather-sealed body if your lenses aren't weather-sealed with it. There is no need for more auto focus points because I found out the best is set to single point center-weighted. Lastly the K2000 has a in-body built in anti-shake so there won't be any need to buy a lens with a image stabilization. Although lenses with image stabilization will work better than the body's anti-shake, it's still good for using older lenses that do not have image stabilization.


Last edited by LeDave; 07-19-2009 at 11:40 PM.
11-15-2010, 10:15 PM   #5
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Pentax K-m/K2000 Camera Review

Pros Small, Quick Operations, Nice IQ
Cons High ISO Noise, No Illuminated Focus Indicator
Rating 9
Price (U.S. Dollars) 540
Years Owned 1

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
10 MP sensor, shake reduction, near flawless auto white balance, high quality build, 3.5 fps, quick auto focus, ISO priority, small and light, AA batteries

Camera Review
As an enthusiast, I find this is a very capable camera for it's position and price. Being my first DSLR, I don't have much experience with other equipment. I have shot with pro-level Canon bodies and lenses (big and heavy). My kit came with the DAL 18-55mm and AF 200 flash. Later, I picked up a couple of inexpensive manual primes - M 50mm 1.7 and 200mm F4 and got very nice shots. Later, I added the DAL 18-55mm II, FA 50 1.7, and DA 55-300mm and got even better shots. My goal was to have the ability to shoot almost any event. I'm about there and haven't spent a lot of money. Over the past year, I've covered weddings, family events, car shows, sports, festivals, and done professonal quality model portraits.

There is still a lot to learn and this is a great tool. But to get great shots you need great glass. Here are some sample shots taken with the auto lenses:

Drew.jpg - Windows Live

Warning: this body does not meter well with manual lenses. For old glass, you will want to shoot manual and use the preview button; it will slow you down. I also have my body set to center weight metering and spot focus since you can't see the auto focus points. Some shots have been missed due to this.

At this point, I have no need to upgrade the body; I work around it's few limitations. Next year, I plan to buy either a K20D or K7 for another setup to reduce lens changes. I could also use the increased image resolution for large prints - 20 x 30 and higher.

Last edited by pearsonbe; 11-15-2010 at 10:51 PM.
12-24-2010, 10:12 PM   #6
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Location: Baltimore
Posts: 2,542
Pentax K-m/K2000 Camera Review

Pros Lightweight and Value
Cons Noise at ISO over 640
Rating 8
Price (U.S. Dollars) $413 w/kit lens
Years Owned 18 months

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
Great all around dSLR

Camera Review
I hadn't used an SLR since college days but when I spied the price of this one, I jumped on it, at $413 new including kit lens, it was a no brainer!!!

In the 18 months, I have gotten to realize a few of the cameras weaknesses, mainly too much noise at higher ISO's, I've not even attempted to shot anything over 800 ISO. The highest acceptable ISO I've found is around 640. With that said, this usually didn't stop me from taking handheld lowlight photos. I found the in Body Image Stabilization helped tremendously in lowlight circumstances and I could usually pull it off.

The only other thing that I did not really care for is the "too compact" a size, it would be perfect for me balance wise if a battery grip were available. Instead, I found using a (cheap quick release type) tripod head mounted on the camera sufficient in allowing me to feel a bit better holding and balancing the camera. Without it, this camera is really small.

One last small gripe is the focusing screen, I use manual focus lenses, so a brighter viewfinder would have been appreciated. Even having the option to change the screen to a split prism type would be nice.

These things, High ISO noise, no battery grip option and viewfinder (when using manual lenses) are really minor considering what you get in return.
  • Being able to use every pentax k or m42 mount lens is just out of this world.
  • The option to either use DNG or PEF Raw is so way ahead of it's competition.
  • The built in flash is good to very good, quick to focus and jpeg out of camera are well done!
  • The LCD menu makes sense and easy to navigate
  • Metering to date seems right on the money and very consistent along with white balance.
  • I shoot with a lot of manual and manual zoom/tele lenses, I use spot focusing and usually with spot metering. So lack of focusing indicators was never an issue.
I've found if you know the nuances your camera and you understand the dynamics of light and photography, this camera can do it all... after that all you have to worry about is composition



I rated the k2000 an 8, I'm leaving room for my next Pentax!
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