Pentax K2000

	Controls Summary
• Auto setting attempts to match subject to one of five scene modes • Sensitivity Priority mode lets user control ISO, sets shutter speed and aperture automatically • Extensive array of scene modes, many of them actually useful • Six Custom Image settings with fine adjustments possible • Six Filter Effects, but we prefer using the same filters in playback mode
	Hardware	Page 10 of 18	Design & Handling

Shooting Modes (10.50)

In addition to the usual shooting modes, the Pentax K2000 provides a Sensitivity Priority mode based on user-selected ISO.

Shooting Modes
	Auto Picture The camera attempts to match the subject to one of five scene modes: Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Ojbect and Night Scene Portrait. The user can still set flash options, image size and quality, ISO and choose manual or auto focus.
	Program Auto Exposure Mode The camera sets shutter speed and aperture automatically, and leaves all other camera settings to the user. By default, program shift is turned off, but after changing a custom setting, the shutter speed/aperture settings can be shifted in tandem, maintaining the same overall exposure, but turning the e-dial.
	Sensitivity Priority This is basically Program mode with a settings adjustment difference. In Sensitivity Priority mode, turning the control dial changes ISO settings. The camera then sets aperture and shutter speed, as in program mode. You can also adjust ISO while in Program mode, but Sensitivity Priority makes changes much speedier than going through the menu system.
	Shutter Priority You choose the shutter speed using the control dial, the camera selects an appropriate aperture value for the shooting conditions. Tv stands for Time Value, BTW.
	Aperture Priority You choose the aperture value, the camera selects an appropriate shutter speed based on the shooting conditions.
	Manual Both aperture value and shutter speed are set manually. The control dial changes the shutter speed by default; holding the AV/+/- button while turning the dial adjusts aperture value.

There are five Scene Modes on the mode dial as well: portrait, landscape, macro, fast action and night portrait, which are discussed below. In addition, the final dial position turns off the flash and leaves the camera in Auto Pict mode. This can also be accomplished by pressing the flash button on the back of the camera  and adjusting the setting, but the mode dial option is faster, as long as you're happy shooting in Auto.

Live View (0.00)

The Pentax K2000 doesn't offer Live View. It does have a less useful feature called Digital Preview, available as a custom option of the Help button. There are two options for Digital Preview: a four-part histogram and a blinking display that highlights under- and over-exposed areas. With Digital Preview enabled, a press of the Help button takes a preview photo and displays it on the LCD with the functions you selected. However, you can't save that preview image, nor can you make interactive adjustments to try out different settings the way you can with the Sony A900's Intelligent Preview function, so we're not quite sure why you wouldn't simply press the shutter and review the shot in playback mode, where the same displays are available. 

 
The Digital Preview capability seems to lack purpose.

 Scene Modes (7.00) 

The Pentax K2000 offers a generous selection of scene modes for converts to SLR photography who want some hands-on control beyond automated settings, without having to grapple with the complexities of adjusting multiple settings to achieve a desired effect.

Scene Modes
	Portrait Optimal for portrait photography. On mode dial.
	Landscape Uses small aperture, emphasizes edges and boosts saturation of trees and sky, brightens image. On mode dial.
	Macro For closeups. On mode dial.
	Moving Object Designed for sports and other fast-moving subjects. On mode dial.
	Night Scene Portrait For shooting portraits at night or at dusk. Uses slow shutter speed and slow-speed flash sync. On mode dial.
	Night Scene For night photography; tripod recommended. Flash deactivated.
	Surf & Snow For shooting scenes with bright backgrounds, such as snowy mountains
	Food Boosts saturation to make food look more appealing
	Sunset Intensifies sunset or sunrise colors. Flash deactivated.
	Stage Lighting For capturing moving subjects in poorly lit environments. Resolution fixed at 2 megapixels. Flash deactivated.
	Kids For snapping moving children, emphasizes bright, healthy skin tone
	Pet For capturing moving pets
	Candlelight Designed for candlelit scenes. Flash deactivated.
	Museum For shooting where flash is prohibited.
	Night Snap For shooting in poorly lit areas. Resolution fixed at 2 megapixels.

Picture Effects (6.00)

Pentax offers six "Image Finishing Tone" styles, called Custom Image settings, which work more or less like choosing a particular type of film back in the old days. Each of the settings can be tweaked in various ways, as detailed below. There is no "neutral" mode (you have to choose a virtual film stock, right?), but we found that Natural produced the most accurate color reproduction. That isn't the default mode, though: that's set to Bright.

Custom Image Settings
Bright For capturing various scenes with rich gradation and beautiful colors.	Natural The saturation and contrast are heightened for capturing striking images of colorful scenes and subjects such as flowers, spring greenery, blue sky, or ocean views.	Portrait The saturation and sharpness are lowered for capturing images in a quiet tone. this is also suitable for capturing image material to be modified with a computer.
Landscape For capturing images in a clear tone with limpid colors in the highlighted area, suitable for captuirng radiant light.	Vibrant For capturing images with deep and dense color expressions, suited to captruing the solid presence of the subject.	Monochrome For capturing images with bright and uncomplicated color expressions, suited to capturing refreshingly light ambience.

Each of the Custom Image choices above can be further adjusted using the following parameters.

Custom Image Settings
	Saturation Controls vividness of color reproduction, adjustable in 9 steps.
	Hue / Toning Adjusts color tint, adjustable in 9 steps. When in monochrome mode, toning control adjusts the warmth of the image from sepia through cool blue, in 9 steps.
	Contrast Adjusts the difference between light and shadow values, adjustable in 9 steps
	Sharpness Determines edge reproduction, adjustable in 9 steps
	Filter Effect Available in Monochrome mode only, mimics the effect of using a color filter when shooting in black and white. Options include none, green, yellow, orange, red, magenta, blue, cyan and infrared color.
	Toning Available in monochrome mode only, adjusts the warmth of the image from sepia through cool blue, in 9 steps.

When adjusting the settings above, the camera displays the last photo taken and interactively demonstrates how the settings changes would affect the image. A color space diagram is also shown and updated to illustrate setting change effects.

Pentax wants you to have some fun with your K2000, so they've provided six digital filters for your amusement, each with a variety of customization options, as shown below

Filter Effects
Toy Camera Intentionally adds imperfections to a shot. Three parameters can be set: Shading Level (+1, +2 or +3), Blurring (+1, +2 or +3) and Tone Break (Red/Green/Blue).	High Contrast As the name implies, intentionally blows out the light areas. Three settings available: +1, +2 and +3.	Soft Adds a simulated soft-focus effect, with +1, +2 and +3 settings available.
Star Burst Creates star-shaped highlights around bright points of light in photos. Adjust the number of light sources (small,medium or large), size of star bursts (short, medium, long) and angle (0, 30, 45, 60).	Retro Recreates the look of old-time photos, complete with white border frame and odd coloration. Set the toning on a blue-amber scale from -2 to +2 and set the white frame to thin, medium or thick.	Extract Color Removes all the colors from the photo except the one you specify. Available color choices include red, magenta, cyan, blue, green and yellow.

These same six effects, though, along with several more, can also be applied to any photos you've shot, using the digital filter option in playback mode. Given that fact, we'd vote to shoot without the goofy touches, save the original image, then fiddle with it later if you like, knowing you'll always have an unedited version to fall back on.

Focus (10.25)

The K2000 uses a five-point autofocus system, which is less flexible than higher-end SLRs. When shooting, we found autofocus speed was a bit sluggish but adequate for most shooting situations. Shooting sports, though, could be a challenge.

The Pentax K2000 does not have a dedicated autofocus assist lamp. Instead, it uses a high-speed series of pulses from the built-in flash; very effective in helping the camera focus, but not perfect if you had some candid photography in mind, or pictures of a sleeping baby.

Autofocus Modes
	AF.S Single-shot mode: Focus locks when shutter button is depressed halfway. In this mode, you cannot take a picture if the subject is not in focus.
	AF.C Continuous mode: The focus updates continuously as the subject moves in the frame.
	AF.A The camera swtiches automatically between single-shot and continuous modes based on the subject's behavior.

There are two autofocus point settings. Wide allows the camera to choose the AF point from the five available, while Spot sets the AF point in the center of the screen. There is no option to select an autofocus point manually, as found on some SLRs, but of course you can always spot focus on the subject and maintain that reading by holding the shutter halfway down while recomposing your shot.

A switch just behind the lens mount on the left toggles between autofocus and manual focus. The focus indicator illuminates and beeps when focus is achieved. The kit lens has an extraordinarily loose feel when focusing manually, though, with practically no friction at all, making manual focus accuracy very difficult.

Exposure (4.00)

Exposure compensation is available in a ±2 EV range, in 1/2 or 1/3 EV increment. The AF button can be programmed to function as an auto exposure lock via the custom settings menu. Three-shot exposure bracketing is available. When set to 1/2 EV interval, the available bracket values are ±0.5, ±1.0, ±1.5 and ±2. When set to 1/3 EV increments, the available values are ±0.3, ±0.7, ±1.0, ±1.3, ±1.7 and ±2.0.

Pentax offers a stripped-down version of dynamic range expansion. It's a simple on/off toggle, with no level settings or adjustments, available by pressing the AV/+/- key while on the ISO setting screen. Turning on dynamic range expansion raises the lowest available ISO setting from 100 to 200.

Depth of Field Preview (0.5)

There is no depth of field preview capability on the K2000. It's a handy feature, which stops down the lens to match the current aperture setting to let you see how much of the scene will be in focus when you take the shot, but one that's often omitted from entry-level models. You can use the digital preview function to take a temporary shot and check focus that way, but there's really no advantage over simply taking a picture and reviewing it.

Metering (6.00)

The K2000 uses a sixteen-segment metering pattern.

The sixteen-segment metering pattern.

Metering Modes
	Multi-segment Reads each of the sixteen segments and sets an appropriate overall exposure.
	Center-weighted Reads the entire scene but emphasizes the center when setting the exposure.
	Spot Metering Reads only the center of the viewfinder to determine exposure.

Shutter Speed (10.00)

Available shutter speeds range from 1/4000 second to 30 seconds, plus bulb mode for extended exposures.

Self-Timer (3.00)

The K2000 supports two self-timer modes:

Self-Timer Modes
	12-Second Waits approximately 12 seconds, then takes the photo as usual.
	2-Second Used to minimize camera shake. Raises the mirror immediately after the shutter button is pressed, then takes the photo after a 2-second delay.

There is no way to shut the viewfinder when shooting with a self-timer; neither a manual cover nor a built-in iris system is provided. This is a problem, since light can leak in from behind during tripod shooting and alter the exposure reading. The manual suggests using AE lock, but we'd prefer a more elegant solution.

An optional remote control (Remote Control F, $32.95) can also be used to trip the shutter, either immediately after hitting the shutter release button or after a 3-second delay.

Hardware	Page 10 of 18		Design & Handling
Pentax K2000 Digital Camera Review Navigation
Intro	Product Tour	Color	Noise
Resolution	White Balance	Sample Photos	Playback
Hardware	Controls	Design & Handling	Speed & Timing
Nikon D90 Comparison	Canon 50D Comparison	Canon Rebel XS Comp	Olympus E30 Comparison
Conclusion	Specs & Ratings