Pentax K2000

While price isn’t a factor in our testing procedures, that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate a solid value when we see one, and that’s very much the case with the Pentax K2000. It incorporates ease-of-use features such as sophisticated autoexposure systems and lots of scene presets with enough manual-control and customization options to please more sophisticated shooters. There was no performance test that fell below the level of acceptable image quality. The only area where we’d hesitate to shoot with the K2000 would be fast action, given the relatively slow burst rate and so-so autofocus speed. We were pleasantly surprised at how well the body is built, especially after working with the relatively insubstantial (though photographically fine) Canon Rebel XS, which is priced about the same as the Pentax. If you value Live View shooting, this is not your camera, but given the slow focus performance of Live View on most SLRs, we rarely use it anyway outside of still life shots. And while there are more lenses out there for Canon and Nikon bodies, you certainly won’t have any problem finding a variety of good choices for the Pentax if and when you want to expand your shooting arsenal. Bottom line: a fine camera, with solid fundamentals at a pleasingly affordable price.

Performance

The Pentax K2000 proved itself competitive in key image quality areas against several more expensive cameras, particularly when it comes to image noise and dynamic range. Color accuracy was lower than we’d like, but this is a measure of accuracy, not beauty, and the images we shot in the field, under a variety of lighting conditions, came out well.

Hardware

The quality of the camera construction impressed us, with the exception of a plastic mount on the kit lens (yes, other inexpensive lenses have plastic mounts too, but the bayonet design of the Pentax mount makes us more sensitive to its durability). The LCD and optical viewfinder are both adequate, though nothing special. As for the use of AA batteries when most of the SLR world goes with lithium ion rechargeables, we found a set of inexpensive nickel metal hydride rechargeables held out for long shooting sessions, and if we ran out of juice, finding a fresh power source was a lot easier than trying to charge a lithium ion battery on the go.

Controls

The button and dial layout are straightforward and uncluttered, though we would have liked the buttons to stick out further from the camera body; it’s difficult to feel your way around the controls without looking, or if you’re shooting at night. The white balance system works well, and allows fine-tuning with an interactive preview to display the effect of settings changes. We would like to have seen a depth of field preview function, but the intended audience probably won’t know it’s missing.

Sample Photos

In the following sample images, clicking on the larger image will download the full resolution original. Each photo is accompanied by four actual-size crops.

Landscape Sample
				Focal length: 35mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/250 ISO: 100 This scenic shot in Brightwaters, NY was taken, appropriately enough, using the Landscape image tone setting, with automatic white balance and center-weighted metering. The effect of the Landscape setting is most notable in the postcard-blue sky and slightly boosted contrast; we find the effect pleasing here.

Close-up Sample
				Focal length: 42.5mm Aperture: f/11 Shutter: 1/80 ISO: 100 This was shot handheld in bright sunlight, with the camera set to the default Bright image tone, using multi-segment metering and shutter priority exposure. There’s some softness and color aberration in the lower left corner, but overall the details come through nicely and the colors look right.

Wildlife Sample
				Focal length: 55mm Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter: 1/640 ISO: 400 This photo of Grace was taken in aperture priority mode, with the Bight image tone setting, using automatic white balance and multi-segment metering. What pleases us here is the accurate texture reproduction, from the dog’s fine hairs to the sunshine on the leaves and grass and the detail in the plastic chew toy.

Night Scene Sample
				Focal length: 35mm Aperture: f/4.5 Shutter: 1/6 ISO: 1600 This was taken in the dead of night using center-weighted metering in Program mode. The image tone is set to Natural. We experimented with the high ISO noise reduction setting, and finally went with ‘weak,’ which is actually the middle setting. With noise reduction off the blotchiness in the very dark sections was much worse and the white in the bench was less clear; the higher setting wiped out detail in the shutter.

Vibrant Color Mode Sample
				Focal length:50mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/160 ISO: 100 This culinary mecca on the south shore of Long Island was shot on a grey, overcast day. In the default mode it looked relatively lifeless, so we went with Vibrant image tone, which made the brightly colored highlights pop (though the red on the garbage can and metal poles may be too pronounced). Color intensity is raised here but the hues remain accurate.

Signage Sample
				Focal length: 35.7mm Aperture: f/8 Shutter: 1/160 ISO: 100 On the same overcast day as the photo above, this was shot using Natural image tone and multi-segment metering, with the camera set to Program exposure mode. The edges are clear, with no visible fringing even at the extremes, and the level of detail is very good.

Pentax K2000 Specs
Type	Compact SLR / System
Focal Length Minimum	18.0 mm
Focal Length Maximum	55.0 mm
Still Pixel Count (gross)	10.75 megapixels
Still Pixel Count (effective)	10.2 megapixels
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Type - New	CCD
Aspect Ratios	3:2
Original Price	699.99 $
Height	91.44 mm
Width	121.92 mm
Depth	68.58 mm
Weight	589.68 g
Model Colors	black
Display Type	LCD
Display Size	2.7 in.
Display Resolution	230,000 pixels
Viewfinder Type	optical
Viewfinder Magnification	0.85 x
Viewfinder Coverage	96.0 % coverage
Diopter Adjustment - New	-2.5 to +1.5m^-1
Media New	SD, SDHC
Connectivity Options	USB, A/V, hot accessory shoe
Battery Type	AA
Mirror Technology (Interchangeable Lens)	DSLR
Waterproof	No
Manual Controls	manual focus, aperture priority mode, shutter priority mode, full manual exposure, custom white balance, ISO control
ISO Options	100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Minimum ISO	100
Maximum ISO	3200