Pentax K2000

	Introduction
The Pentax K2000 delivers a lot of photographic power at a low $599.99 price including lens and external flash. It's a fine choice for those stepping up from point-and-shoot cameras to their first SLR, but there's also surprising customizability for aspiring photographers.
		Page 1 of 18	Product Tour

 

Section		The Good	The Bad
	Product Tour	Compact body with solid construction; low price for complete package	Plastic material not as rugged as more expensive SLRs
	Color	Solid resolution and image noise test results	Poor color accuracy, slow burst mode
	Noise	Handled noise well in both bright and dim illumination	Confusing noise reduction level labeling
	Resolution	Impressive overall, with good sharpness and minimal distortion	Sharpness suffers noticeably at small aperture settings
	White Balance	Automatic white balance very accurate for fluorescent and daylight illumination	Auto WB doesn't handle incandescent lighting well
	Playback	Good selection of image display options; extensive filter selection for in-camera editing	Screen slightly small and low-res for image review purposes
	Hardware	Well built, substantial camera; good control panel function on LCD; external flash provided as part of kit	No Live View; plastic mount on kit lens; external flash lacks bounce or swivel capability
	Controls	Digital Preview interactively shows results of settings changes; extensive scene mode selection; finely adjustable shooting modes	No depth of field preview; no way to cover viewfinder for tripod shooting
	Design & Handling	Lightweight and highly portable; decent rubberized grip; built-in help system	Slightly small for large-handed shooters; menu system sometimes confusing
	Speed & Timing	Fast start-up	Mediocre burst mode

[page title="Product Tour"]

	Product Tour Summary
• Strong value proposition with kit lens and external flash at $600 • Solid construction with substantial feel for an inexpensive SLR • Uncluttered button design and placement
	Introduction	Page 2 of 18	Color

Priced at just $599.95 including a Pentax DA L 18-55mm lens and the AF-200FG external flash unit, or $649.95 in a two-lens kit with an additional 50-200mm zoom, the Pentax K2000 is an inexpensive SLR, but it doesn't feel like one. The body is compact but feels substantial in your hands, and the build quality is solid, with a plastic body over a stainless steel frame. We worked with the basic black model, but the K2000 also comes in a distinctive white body (dubbed the Stormtrooper camera by fans), available in the two-lens configuration for $679.95.

Front

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		Shutter button placed conveniently on sloping platform
	Self-timer lamp / IR remote control receiver			Lens release button

 

Back

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Pop-up flash

Viewfinder

e-dial (the fancy Pentax term for a control dial)

AF button

Card access lamp

4-way controller offers direct access to (from top, clockwise) self-timer, ISO setting, flash mode and white balance control

2.7-inch 230,000-dot LCD

Playback mode

Menu

Delete

INFO button

 

Sides

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Door to SD card compartment slides back, pops out

Focus mode switch

USB / AV connector

Removable tab for power cord access when using optional AC adapter

Bottom

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	Battery compartment takes 4 AA cells		Metal tripod socket centered under lens

Top

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Exposure compensation, or aperture value setting when shooting in manual mode

Power switch

Shutter

Hot shoe

Mode dial

Power lamp

Help button

Size Comparisons

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Front
Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Price: $599.95 (w/ 18-55mm  lens,flash)	Price: $999 (body only)	Price: $1399 (body only)	Price: $599.99 (w/ 18-55mm lens)	Price: $1299 (body only)
Back
Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Width: 4.8in/122mm	Width: 5.8 in/147mm	Width: 5.7in/145.5mm	Width: 4.96 in/126.1mm	Width: 5.6 in/141.5mm
Top
Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Depth: 2.7 in/67 mm	Depth: 3 in/77mm	Depth: 2.9 in/73.5mm	Depth: 2.4 in/ 61.9mm	Depth: 2.95 in/75 mm
Left
Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Height: 3.6 in/91mm	Height: 4.1 in/103mm	Height: 4.2 in/107.8mm	Height: 3.8 in/97.5mm	Height: 4.23 in/107.5mm
Right
Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Weight: 18.5 oz/ 524g	Weight: 22 oz./620g	Weight: 25.7 oz./730g	Weight: 15.9 oz./ 450g	Weight: 23.1 oz/655g
Bottom
Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30

In the Box

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• Camera body with body mount cover attached
• 18-55mm lens with rear cover attached
• Camera strap
• USB data cable
• 4 lithium batteries
• USB data cable
• Software CD
• Quick Guide
• Operating manual

[page title="Color"]

	Color Summary
• Below average scores for color accuracy • Practical selection of six color modes • Acceptable but not exceptional long exposure performance
	Product Tour	Page 3 of 18	Noise

Color Accuracy (12.86)

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The Pentax K2000 reproduced color less accurately than the other cameras in our comparison group, but the results still fall within an acceptable range. Our test images were slightly oversaturated, and while flesh tone reproduction was very good, blue shades were noticeably off-color, with yellows and oranges also problematic.

What we're testing here is color accuracy, not color attractiveness. The K2000, like many SLRs, offers a variety of color modes to let the user match color reproduction to the tones he or she finds most pleasing. For our lab testing purposes, though, we shoot the standard X-Rite ColorChecker chart and use Imatest to determine which of these modes produces the least color error. That's the one we use all of our color accuracy testing. For more information on our color testing procedures, see the How We Test section here.

For the Pentax, there are five color modes plus monochrome, and the one called Natural produced the best results, with a mean color error of 2.88 and a mean saturation of nearly 108%. It's interesting to note that Natural is not the default setting for the camera. It's set to shoot in Bright mode out of the box, which produces even more intense shades.

It's important to note here that the group of cameras chosen for comparison here is based on the models we've tested under the updated review procedures we instituted in January 2009. For this reason, several inexpensive cameras which compete directly with the Pentax K2000 aren't included.

Color Chart Comparisons
Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Natural	Neutral	Faithful	Faithful	Muted

In the chart below are actual-size crops of the patches from the X-Rite ColorChecker chart as shot in the most accurate color mode of five SLRs, along with patches in the ideal color value as specified by X-Rite. The labels on the left are the official names for each patch.

	Camera Color Comparisons
	Ideal	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Dark Skin
Light Skin
Blue Sky
	Ideal	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Foliage
Blue Flower
Bluish Green
	Ideal	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Orange
Purplish Blue
Moderate Red
	Ideal	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Purple
Yellow Green
Orange Yellow
	Ideal	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Blue
Green
Red
	Ideal	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

The K2000 comes up short of the competition here, but not so much that it poses a significant problem. It's interesting to note that camera price and color accuracy don't go hand in hand. The Rebel XS, which sells for roughly the same price as the Pentax, beats the far more expensive Nikon D90 and its brandmate Canon 50D here.

Color Score Comparisons

Color Modes (4.00)

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The Pentax K2000 provides six Image Finishing Tones, which are roughly equivalent to choosing different film stocks in the old days to provide the color and image quality characteristics you're after for a given subject. The available settings are Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant and Monochrome. Each of these settings can be fine-tuned for saturation, hue, contrast and sharpness, as explained in the Picture Effects section below. For the purposes of color comparison, we shot the X-Rite ColorChecker chart in all five color modes and grabbed actual-size crops for each patch, which are presented below.

	Color Mode Comparisons
	Ideal Color: The actual color as displayed on the X-Rite ColorChecker chart.	Natural: The most accurate color mode based on our tests.	Bright: The default image finishing tone setting.	Portrait: Designed to produce pleasing photos of faces.	Landscape: Designed to enhance outdoor shots.	Vibrant: Boosts colors to "pop" more.
Dark Skin
Light Skin
Blue Sky
	Ideal	Natural	Bright	Portrait	Landscape	Vibrant
Foliage
Blue Flower
Bluish Green
	Ideal	Natural	Bright	Portrait	Landscape	Vibrant
Orange
Purplish Blue
Moderate Red
	Ideal	Natural	Bright	Portrait	Landscape	Vibrant
Purple
Yellow Green
Orange Yellow
	Ideal	Natural	Bright	Portrait	Landscape	Vibrant
Blue
Green
Red
	Ideal	Natural	Bright	Portrait	Landscape	Vibrant
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

While it's clearly targeted at a consumer-level audience, the K2000 supports both the sRGB color space used by most shooters and the AdobeRGB color space which is used primarily for commercial printing.

Long Exposure (8.44)

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Our long exposure test combines two significant factors when shooting in low-light environments at slow shutter speeds: color accuracy and image noise. Based on its so-so performance on our color test conducted under bright lights, it comes as no surprise that the K2000 lagged the competition in this aspect of our long-exposure test as welll. When it comes to image noise, though, the Pentax did very well here, maintaining image noise well below 1.5% across all five shutter speeds we test: 1 second, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds and 30 seconds. For more information on our long exposure testing process, read the How We Test section here.

In the chart below, a shorter bar indicates a superior result, since it's an indication of color error. We shoot our test chart twice for each shutter speed, once with the long exposure noise reduction system on, and once with it off. Hence, the two results for each shutter speed.

Pentax K2000 Long Exposure Color Error

Here again,a shorter bar indicates better performance: in this case, lower image noise. As we often find, long exposure noise reduction proved ineffective, and even slightly harmful, in our tests. Noise is inherently random, but long exposure noise reduction systems are designed to take two consecutive shots and remove the noise patterns found in the second (taken with the shutter closed) from the first. With random patterns, this approach is understandably ineffective.

Pentax K2000 Long Exposure Noise

As with our core color accuracy testing, the Canon Rebel XS leads even its more expensive rivals in our long exposure testing, though the Pentax delivered respectable performance.

Long Exposure Score Comparison

[page title="Noise"]

	Noise Summary
• Handles image noise well under both bright and dim lighting • Noise reduction settings work effectively, though naming is strange • ISO range from 100 to 3200 • Dynamic range boost system with on-off control only (i.e., no levels settings)
	Color	Page 4 of 18	Resolution

Noise (6.50)

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The Pentax K2000 fared very well in our image noise testing, producing nice clean photos with minimal speckling and imperfections, even at high magnification. This test is conducted with a brightly illuminated color chart, but the strong noise performance is echoed in our long exposure tests, which were shot under dim 20 lux lighting. For more information about our image noise testing process, see the How We Test section here.

The Pentax K2000 offers four levels of High ISO noise reduction: off, weakest, weak and strong. This is a very strange naming convention, and potentially confusing since "weak" is actually a fairly strong setting. We shot at each, and graphed the results below.

Noise Reduction Level Comparison

It doesn't take an engineering degree to figure out the point at which the camera design team decided to enable noise reduction. The three noise reduction settings are arranged in a useful pattern, allowing the careful photographer to effectively balance the lowering of noise with the inevitable resulting loss of image detail.

Color & Luma Noise

The noise patterns are very consistent across all five component parts, red, green, blue, yellow and luma (gray), which is good: a spike in any individual area would be more visible than a tightly clustered color pattern.

Noise Reduction Off Comparison

With the noise reduction system turned off to maintain maximum image detail, the K2000 stays essentially even with three of the other cameras tested, spiking a bit higher at ISO 400 but coming in lower than the others at ISO 3200, where it maintained a very respectable noise level of just 1.75% average color noise and nearly the same in luma. The outlier here is the Olympus E-30, which proved disturbingly noisy in our lab tests.

Noise Reduction Maximum Comparison

With the noise reduction cranked up to maximum levels, the spike at ISO 400 which we saw with noise reduction off is more pronounced than with the other cameras in our testing, but overall image noise remains well under control. As seen in the chart below, the Pentax K2000 holds its own against the competition here.

Noise Score Comparison

ISO (5.50)

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The Pentax K2000 offers an ISO range from 100 to 3200. The Auto ISO mode is a bit more sophisticated than most. Users can specify the upper limit of acceptable ISO settings in Auto ISO mode, which can be set as low as ISO 125 or as high as ISO 3200. By default, the camera shoots in Auto ISO mode with an upper limit of ISO 800.

The chart below provides full-size crops of the same still life photo shot with five cameras at all available ISO settings.

	ISO Examples
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 100
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 200
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 400
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 800
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 1600
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 3200				Not Available
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 6400	Not Available			Not Available
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 12800	Not Available			Not Available

[page title="Resolution"]

	Resolution Summary
• Maximum resolution 10.2 megapixels • Surprisingly high scores for all three aspects of our testing with inexpensive kit lens • Inconsequential chromatic aberration and distortion • Sharpness impressive at most settings, falls off at very small apertures • Dynamic range comparable to higher-priced SLRs • Image stabilization helpful only at slow shutter speeds
	Noise	Page 5 of 18	White Balance

Resolution (10.28)

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The Pentax K2000 delivers 10.2-megapixel resolution, a fairly modest figure by today's SLR standards. What we're most concerned about, though, isn't the number of dots but the bottom-line quality of the photo taken, which combines the effects of the image sensor itself, the lens optics and the image processing that takes place. In this testing, the K2000 did exceptionally well, especially for a $600 camera with a kit lens. We found very little distortion, minimal chromatic aberration and image sharpness with many strengths and only a few trouble spots.

We test the three aspects of overall resolution performance mentioned above, but based the scoring for SLRs on only chromatic aberration and sharpness, since the distortion performance will vary widely depending on the lens used. Shooting is done under bright studio lighting at three focal lengths (maximum, minimum and midpoint), and at three aperture settings for each focal length (again, the largest, smallest and the one in the middle). For details on our resolution testing process, see the How We Test section here.

Distortion
Overall the Pentax K2000 performed very well in our distortion tests. The only significant problem occurred at the 18mm focal length, where we found an average barrel distortion of 2.08%. Moving out to 35mm there was only a trace amount of pincusion distortion, at 0.48%. And at the maximium focal length, pincushion distortion rose to 0.90%, still a very impressive performance from the kit lens on an inexpensive camera.

Chromatic Aberration (8.02)
Here again, the Pentax K2000 more than held its own. achieving a higher score for chromatic aberration than the Sony A900 we tested using a 24-105mm lens that costs as much as the entire K2000 kit. As seen in the images below, the most notable flaws occurred at the 18mm focal length, where there is significant horizontal chromatic aberration from the midpoint to the edges of the image. This flaw largely corrected itself by the time we zoomed out to 35mm, to the point where it wouldn't cause visible problems even at substantial magnification. With this single exception, chromatic aberration is well controlled across the lens.

Sharpness (11.25)
We found the sweet spot for the 18-55mm kit lens when shooting at the 35mm focal length at f/11, where the lens delivered 1638 lw/ph horizontally and 2098 vertically.

In the charts below, we show actual-size crops taken from the test chart photos at each focal length. As you can see, at 18mm, there's some noticeable chromatic aberration at the edges of the image, and the image softens noticeably across the board when the lens is stopped down to f/22, but the center is tack-sharp until that point.

	Image Sharpness
	f/3.5			f/9.0			f/22
18mm

Shooting at 35mm, chromatic aberration is less of a problem, even at the extremes, and the center looks even better than the already solid results taken at the wide angle setting above. Only the f/32 shots show noticeable softness.

	Image Sharpness
	f/4.5			f/11			f/32
35mm

The pattern holds at 55mm, where stopping down to f/40 results in significantly fuzzy edges, but chromatic aberration is negligible and the images shot at f/5.6 and f/16 look nice and crisp from corner to corner.

	Image Sharpness
	f/5.6			f/16			f/40
55mm

When compared to the other cameras in our test group, the Pentax holds a significant advantage over the Canon Rebel XS in the same price range, and does well in a head-to-head comparison with the $1000 Nikon D90. The Olympus E-30 is again the outlier in the group, lowest in image noise by a hefty margin but posting superb resolution scores.

Resolution Score Comparison

Picture Quality & Size Options (8.65)

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The number of available file sizes is limited to just three:

Image Size Options
10 megapixels	3872 x 2592
6 megapixels	3008 x 2000
2 megapixels	1824 x 1216

There are three JPEG quality settings, Best, Better and Good. When shooting uncompressed RAW files there is a choice of two file formats, Pentax's own PEF files or the standard DNG RAW file format. RAW images can be saved on their own, or with a simultaneous JPEG copy.

Dynamic Range (8.62)

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The Pentax 2000 performed well in our dynamic range testing. Four out of five cameras in our comparison suite scored within a hair's breadth of one another in this test and, while the Pentax was statistically the lowest of these four, the difference is inconsequential in real-world effect.

Our tests for dynamic range are conducted by shooting a standard 20-patch Kodak Gray Scale chart under controlled 3000-lux illumination, shooting at each available ISO at a range of aperture settings. The resulting images are analyzed using Imatest software to determine how well the tested camera can maintain detail in dark areas and reproduce highlights without blowing them out. For further details about our dynamic range testing process, read the How We Test section here.

Dynamic Range

Dynamic range inevitably decreases as ISO settings increase, but for the K2000 the effect is smooth and gradual. The camera starts out at ISO 100 with over seven stops of dynamic range, barely dips below 6 stops at ISO 400 and still produces a respectable result into the noisy realm of ISO 3200 shooting.

Dynamic Range Comparison

The chart above shows the relative dynamic range results for our five comparison cameras shooting at ISO 200. Aside from the Olympus, the others all display very similar dynamic range performance here.

The Olympus had noise problems across the board, and at extreme ISOs produced photos which were simply unusable, which explains its poor performance. The scores each camera received in each section are shown below; a longer bar indicates a higher score.

Dynamic Range Score Comparison

Image Stabilization (4.64)

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The Pentax K2000, like Olympus and Sony SLRs, has image stabilization built in to the body of the camera. This contrasts with the approach taken by Nikon and Canon, who build image stabilization into individual lenses, which are more expensive than similar lenses without stabilization. The benefit of the Pentax approach is that any lens you mount on the camera can take advantage of image stabilization... when there is an advantage. In our lab testing, we discovered that the Pentax system offers modest improvement where it counts the most, when shooting at shutter speeds of 1/30 second or lower. At higher shutter speeds, though, the results are hit-and-miss. In many instances, engaging the image stabilization system produced blurrier photos than turning it off.

Our image stabilization testing is conducted using a custom-made rig that precisely shakes the camera in a pre-determined pattern, under computer control. With the test subject mounted in the device, we shoot at two different levels of shake, taking multiple images at all shutter speeds between 1/500 and 1/8 second. Horizontal and vertical shake are tested separately. The resulting photos are processed using Imatest to determine image sharpness, and these results statistically analzyed to determine the effectiveness of the image stabilization system. For details on our image stabilization testing process, see the How We Test section here.

When subjected to a modest level of shake -- roughly what we'd expect from an individual when holding the camera steady with two hands -- we found that horizontal shake improvement was negligible at shutter speeds below 1/30 second. In the vertical direction, image stabilization offered an improvement at the fastest 1/500 second speed tested, but caused a loss of sharpness for the remaining range until we reach 1/15 second, where some advantage kicks in.

Pentax K2000 Image Stabilization: Low Shake
Horizontal: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed	Vertical: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed
Horizontal: Sharpness improvement with IS on	Vertical: Sharpness improvement with IS on

The second phase of our test increases the level of shake until it represents what you'd experience when trying to grab a shot one-handed, or when walking. Here we see a similar pattern to our low-shake test. At the highest shutter speed the sharpness is better with image stabilization turned on, but from that point on it's causing a dip in image quality until we get to the 1/30 second level.

Pentax K2000 Image Stabilization: High Shake
Horizontal: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed	Vertical: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed
Horizontal: Sharpness improvement with IS on	Vertical: Sharpness improvement with IS on

Bottom line, the Pentax K2000 image stabilization system is consistently inconsistent: that is, it sometimes improves sharpness, sometimes detracts from it, but in roughly the same pattern whether you are fairly steady or moving around quite a bit, and on both the horizontal and vertical axes. Our recommendation: turn the system on if you're shooting indoors without flash or at night, but leave it off otherwise.

The following table shows actual-size crops from photos taken for testing, chosen to demonstrate the relative effect of the image stabilization system  at different shutter speeds and shake levels.

	Image Stabilization Comparison Table
	Low Shake IS Off	Low Shake IS On	High Shake IS Off	High Shake IS On
1/500
1/250
1/125
1/60
1/30
1/15
1/8

[page title="White Balance"]

	White Balance Summary
• Automatic white balance handled fluorescent and daylight illumination particularly well • Auto WB had difficulties with incandescent illumination, but not appreciably more than other SLRs we've tested • Custom white balance system performed well, though not quite as precisely as higher-priced cameras • Presets include three settings for different fluorescent light colors, plus options to fine-tune settings • On-screen preview image shows effects of potential setting adjustments
	Resolution	Page 6 of 18	Sample Photos

Automatic White Balance (17.18)

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We tested the Pentax K2000 white balance performance in three of its preset modes and also by taking a manual white balance reading, and overall the results were quite good. We test white balance using a Judge II light box from X-Rite, which produces carefully calibrated illumination recreating the color temperature of a variety of light sources. The resulting images are analyzed using Imatest. For additional information about our white balance testing process, see the How We Test section here.

In the four comparison charts that follow, shorter lines indicate less color error, a desirable result.

Auto White Balance

The automatic white balance system did an excellent job compensating for color shifts caused by fluorescent and daylight illumination. Like most of the SLRs we test, it was common incandescent fixtures that gave the K2000 trouble, producing an unnaturally warm result. At least there's a potential environmental benefit to this effect, since it will encourage Pentax owners to make the shift to compact fluorescents.

Auto Daylight White Balance Performance Comparison

Looking at our group of test cameras, we see the automatic white balance system on the K2000 handled daylight illumination nicely, producing inconsequentially cooler results than the ideal.

Auto Incandescent White Balance Performance Comparison

U
Under that demanding incandescent lighting, everybody shifted toward the warm side, with the Pentax falling in the middle of the pack.

Auto Fluorescent White Balance Performance Comparison

Between the flicker and the greenish tinge, fluorescent bulbs can be troublesome for an automatic white balance system (witness the Olympus E-30 and Nikon D90 above), but the K2000 produced only minimal color shift.

Custom White Balance (10.47)

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We expect a high level of precision from the manual white balance system in a digital SLR, and rarely find serious flaws in this area. The Pentax K2000 is no exception, producing minimal levels of color error under each tested source of illumination.

Pentax K2000 Custom White Balance

White Balance (13.83)

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The overall white balance score combines the results of our preset and custom white balance testing. The K2000 showed some significant muscle here, outperforming both the Nikon D90 and Olympus E-30 to a significant degree, and bested only by the exceptionally accurate Canon 50D.

White Balance Score Comparison

White Balance Settings (8.75)

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The K2000 offers ten white balance options in all:

White Balance Types
Display	Mode	Color Temperature
	Auto	about 4000 to 8000K
	Daylight	about 5200K
	Shade	about 8000K
	Cloudy	about 6000K
	Fluorescent light: D	Daylight bulbs, about 6500K
	Fluorescent light: N	Neutral white bulbs, about 5000K
	Fluorescent light: W	White bulbs, about 4200K
	Tungsten light	about 2850K
	Flash	about 5400K
	Manual	user setting

The procedure for setting a manual white balance is a bit unusual. After selecting the custom setting, you take a photo of a whtie surface under available light. The image you shoot is displayed, and you can choose whether to base the custom reading on the entire image area, or just the spot metering area. And if you choose the spot metering area, it can be moved around the image using the four-way controller). It's a slightly slower system than the usual one-step process, but it does let you base the white balance reading on a section of the scene in front of you, in case you don't have a handy white surface to hold in front of the lens. 

A handy feature of the Pentax K2000 white balance system is the image preview displayed while choosing an exposure. When you bring up the white balance adjustment screen, the last photo you took is displayed in the background, and as you change the white balance settings, the effects are previewed using that image (no changes are made to the actual file). If what you're about to shoot is different from what you last shot, no problem: just press the exposure compensation button (there's a reminder of this non-standard button usage on screen) and the camera takes a temporary shot you can use for preview purposes.

White balance settings, both presets and manual, can be fine-tuned along the green-magenta and blue-amber axes, each in 15 steps. This capability is turned off by default, but can be enabled through the custom settings menu. What makes this genuinely useful for demanding applications is the ability to see the effect of your adjustments on-screen as you make them.

When shooting in Auto Pict mode, the Auto white balance setting is used, and can't be changed.

[page title="Sample Photos"]

	Sample Photos Summary
• Image tone settings effective for managing color reproduction • Details and textures captured nicely • Handsome result in difficult night shooting situation
	White Balance	Page 7 of 18	Playback

Sample Photos

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The following photos were taken with the Pentax K2000 in a variety of shooting conditions. Each full-size image can be clicked to download the original 10-megapixel image file, though of course those with slow Internet connections should take loading times into account. 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.

 

Still Life Examples

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Shown below are samples of our still life setup taken with each camera at all available ISO settings, including extended range choices where available. Clicking on these images will download the full-res versions, albeit slowly if you have a pokey Internet connection.

	Still Life Comparisons
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200				Not Available
ISO 6400	Not Available			Not Available
ISO 12800	Not Available

The Olympus E-30 shoots in 4:3 aspect ratio, which explains the slight variation in image size above.

Noise Examples

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Shown below are full-size crops taken from our still life setup at each available ISO, with noise reduction set to "off" for all cameras.

	Noise Comparison Table
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 100
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 200
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 400
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 800
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 1600
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 3200				Not Available
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 6400	Not Available			Not Available
	Pentax K2000	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Olympus E-30
ISO 12800	Not Available			Not Available

[page title="Playback"]

	Playback Summary
• Well designed on-screen displays for image playback • Magnification up to 16x for checking details and focus • Useful side by side image display for comparison purposes • Handy index print creation tool • Adequate image browser, poorly organized RAW file development software
	Sample Photos	Page 8 of 18	Hardware

Playback Mode (10.25)

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There are four available screen layouts during playback mode, each available in turn by pressing the INFO button. These include a completely clean screen, a display of image format and file name, shutter speed and aperture, another display with a thumbnail of the image, the image with file format, file name and a histogram overlaid in the bottom section, and a view with a thumbnail version of the photo in the top left and a very complete image data readout taking up the rest of the screen. Histogram fans can switch from a single luminance graph to a full RGB display plus luminance by pressing the top button in the four-way controller.

 

During playback, photos can be enlarged up to 16x by turning the e-dial, which is plenty for judging image sharpness. Pressing the OK button while zoomed in jumps instantly to standard full-screen display, a handy shortcut compared to manually spinning the dial. There's also a quick zoom function, which can be enabled through the playback menu, that jumps instantly to 2x, 4x, 8x or 16x zoom with a single dial click.

Turning the dial in the opposite direction takes you to a navigable folder-by-folder thumbnail display. By default this shows nine images at once, but it's customizable to 4 or 16 images via the playback menu.

 

Another click brings up a nicely designed calendar view. You can also bring up a folder display from this view, by pressing the INFO button. Entire folders of images can be deleted in this view by simply pressing the erase button and confirming, a handy shortcut. (You can also choose up to 100 individual image for mass deletion using the thumbnail display, or choose Delete All from the playback menu to wipe out all your stored photos.)

You have the option to have underexposed areas blink yellow and overexposed areas blink red during playback if you like. This will encourage users to maintain proper exposure, since the psychedelic blinking is incredibly annoying. 

There's a slideshow utility, which allows selection of interval and between-picture effects (but no audio background) and a useful side-by-side image display capability. You choose two photos, each of which appears on one side of the screen. The images can be enlarged up to 16x, either individually or together. You can scroll the displays individually or in sync, making this a very handy tool for comparing shots in the field.

In-Camera Editing (5.25)

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There's a generous assortment of filters to fiddle with, including six that are also available as filter effects while shooting. Up to 20 filters can be applied to a single image, and either JPEG or RAW files can be altered.

Creative Styles
Toy Camera Intentionally adds imperfection to a shot. Three parameters can be set: Shading Level (+1, +2 or +3), Blurring (+1, +2, +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. You can adjust the number of light sources (small, medium or large), size of the star bursts generated (short, medium, long) and even the angle (0, 30, 45 or 60), but you can't stop them from looking cheesy.	Retro Recreates the look of old-time photos, complete with a white frame border and odd coloration. You can set the toning on a blue-amber scale to -2, -1, Off, +1 or +2, and set the white frame to thin, medium or thick.	Extract Color Removes all the colors from the photo except for the one you specify. Available color choices include red, magenta, cyan, blue, green and yellow.
Illustration Transforms the photo into a simulated painting.	HDR Mimics the look of a high dynamic range image.	B&W Changes image to black and white.
Sepia Changes to sepia tone. Adjustable with weak, standard and strong settings.	Color Simulates the effect of a color filter. Available color choices include red, magenta, cyan, blue, green and yellow, each with three gradation settings: pale, standard and dark.	Slim Stretch or compress the image horizontally and vertically, with 17 levels of adjustment.
	Brightness Adjusts image brightness, in 17 steps.

 

You can also create your own custom filter effect if you like. Adjustable parameters include Color Intensity (Off, +1, +2, +3); Color (Red, Magenta, Cyan, Blue, Green, Yellow); High Contrast (Off, +1, +2, +3), Soft Focus (Off, +1, +2, +3), Outline Highlight (-3 to +3), Tone Break (Off, Red, Green, Blue); Shading Level (-3 to +3); and Shading Type (6 types).

The Index Print capability is surprisingly robust. You can choose from five different layouts, ranging from a standard rectangular grid to some artsy collages. Set the background to white or black, choose from 12, 24 or 36 images, and select images to include either one at at time or by the folder-full. The resulting compilation can be saved as a new file as is, or reshuffled if you want to try a different image layout. The resulting images are saved as 6-megapixel files, which is plenty to make a reasonable-size print.

JPEG images can be resized to 10MP, 6MP, 2MP or 640x480 resolution, at any of the three available compression settings (you can't choose a size larger than the one you shot at, of course). There's a simple cropping utility, with seven image size options, the choice of horizontal or vertical orientation, and the ability to move the cropping rectangle around the image.

RAW files can be processed in-camera by choosing RAW Development in the playback menu. Many of the image parameters available as JPEG file settings can be applied to the RAW image file, including resolution and quality settings, custom image setting, white balance, ISO, high ISO noise reduction, color space and shadow compensation.

Software (4.00)

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The K2000 ships with a CD containing two programs, each available for the PC and Mac. Pentax Photo Browser, as the name implies, is an image viewing program tailored to display Pentax image data details, while Pentax Photo Laboratory is used for processing RAW files in both formats the camera supports, PEF (the proprietary Olympus format) and DNG, an industry-standard RAW file. Neither program offers much in the way of JPEG image editing.

Software
	Pentax Photo Browser 3 This is the tool to use if you want to see at a glance all the settings in effect when you took a photo with your Pentax camera. Choosing an image in the browser window reveals every detail about it in the lower pane. There is also a useful synchronized view feature, which matches zoom level and scrolling across up to four open windows. Print capabilities are well thought out, including the option to print pages of small photos with their image properties listed. Editing tools are minimal, though -- just crop, auto fix and rotate.
	Pentax Photo Laboratory 3 This RAW image processing application is one of the ugliest pieces of software we've seen, a mishmash of separate resizable windows, each with a different function, arrayed with no rhyme or reason. The editing capabilities are actually fairly strong, including not only the same setting options you'd find in the camera itself but also lens distortion correction. Working with the program, though, is a chore.

Direct Print Options (2.75)

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The Pentax K2000 supports direct printing via USB to PictBridge-compatible printers, and the creation of DPOF data to be used by professional photo processors when you hand them your SD card for output services.

Direct Print Options
	PictBridge The PictBridge utility provides access to a range of settings, inluding paper size, paper type, print quality and bordererd or full-page printing and number of prints. The process of choosing images to print is tedious, though: you can choose every photo on the SD card or choose photos individually, but can't print all the images in a particular folder, or taken on a specified date. There is also no way to create an index print here (you can use the index print utility in the playback menu, save the results and then print them, but this one-sheet-at-a-time process is less practical than an automatic index print output option.
	DPOF The DPOF printing utility is surprisingly barebones given the level of depth in so many other camera features. You can choose a single image at a time or all images, but can't manually choose a group of photos and apply the same settings to them all, nor can you choose all photos in a folder. Printing options are limited to number of copies to be printed and whether or not the date should be imprinted.

[page title="Hardware"]

	Hardware Summary
• Viewfinder reasonably comfortable, but lacks a cover for tripod shooting • LCD is acceptable but unexciting at 2.7 inches and 230,000-dot resolution • Built-in flash provides decent illumination, external flash far brighter but lacks bounce-flash capability • Compatibility with both current Pentax lenses and older models via adapters • Kit lens slow at maximum f/3.5 aperture; has plastic lens mount • Unusual use of AA batteries in an SLR has its pros and cons
	Playback	Page 9 of 18	Controls

Sensor (2.75)

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The image sensor features a dust-resistant coating, along with a dust removal system that shakes the CCD to remove errant particles.You can choose whether or not to have the dust removal system triggered automatically each time you start up the camera. There's also an interesting Dust Alert function that displays any spots it detects on the sensor. This will prove useful if the automatic dust removal system doesn't fully solve the problem and you're left to clean the sensor manually.

Viewfinder (6.75)

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The viewfinder encompasses approximately 96% field of view, with 0.85 magnification, a reasonable spec for an entry-level SLR. There's a rather prominent diopter adjustment tab inset into a slot on top of the viewfinder (with a -2.5 to +1.5m^-1 range). It takes fingernails and patience to adjust accurately (or, if necessary, you can remove the eyecup to get more purchase on the control), yet we managed to change the setting accidentally more than once when the camera brushed against our clothes -- all in all, not the perfect control. One missing element is a cover to close the viewfinder when shooting on a tripod; leaving it open can let light leak in from behind and throw the meter reading off.

LCD (4.40)

 

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The LCD is a bit scrawny by current standards, measuring 2.7 inches with 230,000-dot resolution, though this is not the worst area for cost-cutting. At least the screen is bright and displays colors accurately. The viewing angle is fairly limited, but with no Live View mode, you're not going to be looking at the LCD from odd angles while shooting anyway.

Both the brightness and the color reproduction of the LCD can be adjusted through the menu system. There are 15 possible brightness levels, with a black-to-white gradient displayed on the setting screen so you can judge the effect of your adjustment. As for tuning the color, you can tweak the screen along the green-magenta and/or blue-amber axes, with 15 available settings on each.

When shooting, the LCD displays a full-screen settings summary, as shown below. It's a decent screen layout, though we would have preferred to see the individual settings appear larger, even if that meant shrinking the top section (with shooting mode, shutter speed, aperture, remaining exposures and battery life). If you prefer not to have this screen displayed, it can be toggled off by pressing the INFO button (the LCD can be annoyingly bright when you hold the camera up to your eye, and there's no automatic sensor to turn it off as you'll find on some SLRs). The camera is kind of stubborn about this display, though: every time you depress and release the shutter button (even if it's only to focus, without taknig a shot), the screen will turn on again.

A more useful button-press is hitting the OK button, which turns the status screen into an interactive control panel. Move the cursor to highlight a setting in this mode and you can scroll through your options by turning the control dial. Or, if you prefer, press OK again and you're taken to a menu screen listing the available settings for the options at hand.

LCD Panel
As with most inexpensive SLRs, there's no monochrome LCD on the camera top to provide shooting information when viewed from above.

Flash (7.25)

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Pentax gives the optimal range of the built-in flash as 0.7m to 5m. When shooting in Auto Pict mode there are five available flash settings: auto, forced flash, auto or forced flash with red-eye reduction enabled, and wireless mode, which can synchronize a dedicated external flash (models AF540FGZ or AF360FGZ). In Auto Pict mode and auto flash setting, the camera will pop up the flash on its own if it figures conditions require it. In the more user-controlled modes (Program, Sensitivity Priority, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual), it's up to the user to hit the button and raise the flash, so the on-screen menu choices are cut to Flash On, Flash On with Red-eye and Wireless.

Flash intensity can be adjusted in a range from -2.0 to +1.0, in either 1/2 or 1/3 EV increments. There's no user-selectable slow sync option, but according to Pentax, the camera will automatically employ a slower shutter speed when shooting dark scenes in shutter-priority and Night Scene Portrait modes (useful for exposing both the foreground subject and background in poorly lit condtions). Maximum flash sync speed is 1/180 second.

The Pentax K2000 is sold in two kits, one of which (the one we used) includes the black camera body and 18-55mm lens plus the AF200FG external flash, which lists for $150 (Amazon has it priced at $89). This sounds a bit juicier than it is in practice, though, because the AF200FG has a fixed-position head. No swivel, no tilt, no bounce, not a lot of usefulness. While the AF200FG does provide additional light intensity and a higher firing position above the lens, you'll still have to invest in a more upscale model (the AF540FGZ or AF360FGZ) if you want high-speed flash sync or a true autofocus assist illuminator.

 By default, you can't take a photo while the flash is charging, though this can be overridden in the custom menu.

Lens Mount (7.75)

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The K2000 is fairly omnivorous when it comes to lens compatibility. With its bayonet mount, it will accept most K mount lenses and, with adapters, 35mm screw mount, and some medium format lenses as well. Of course, the variety of lenses available for Pentax cameras can't match the depth and breadth of the Canon and Nikon catalogs, but for the intended user, there are plenty of fine choices available.

The 18-55mm kit lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5 at its widest setting and f/5.6 at full zoom, making it fairly slow for low-light shooting. The camera made up for the optics, though, with good results in our long exposure tests, which are shot at shutter speeds between 1 and 30 seconds in dim 20 lux illumination. The mount on the lens is made of plastic, so it's not going to take a lot of abuse.

Lenses mounted on the K2000 have a magnification factor of 1.5x. In other words, the 18-55mm kit lens behaves like a 27-83mm lens on a 35mm camera. That still represents decent wide-angle coverage, and a useable medium telephoto on the flip side, particularly for shooting people without getting thisclose. Here are three shots to illustrate the zoom range, taken at the widest, midpoint and most telephoto end of the zoom range.

Zoom Ratio Examples
18mm	36mm	55mm

One more noteworthy point about the Pentax K2000: since image stabilization is built right into the camera body, any lens you mount takes advantage of this capability. Canon and Nikon owners have to purchase individiual image-stabilized lenses to achieve the same benefit.

Battery (5.00)

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The K2000 is powered by four AA batteries, unusual for an SLR (most of the AA-powered models we've seen lately have been point-and-shoot ultrazooms). The AA solution means you can leave the charger home when you take your camera on the road, find inexpensive replacements anywhere you wander, and pick up rechargeables for a modest sum if you like. Pentax says you'll get 1650 shots without flash per set of AA lithium batteries, 1100 with high-capacity NiMH batteries and 360 with alkalines. If you use the flash 50% of the time, those figures drop to 1000, 640 and 260 respectively. Considering the fact that most Lithium-ion rechargeables shipped with SLRs are good for about 800 shots on a good day, we're happy to go the NiMH route with a set of lithium AAs as a backup.

An optional AC adapter is available (K-AC84), but it isn't one of those elegant deals where there's a dedicated DC input port on the camera and you just plug it in. Instead, the power adapter has a connector shaped like two AA batteries, which gets inserted into the battery compartment, with a cable snaked out of the camera via a small hatch ordinarily covered by a removable rubber door. All things considered, we'll stick with rechargeables.

Memory (3.00)

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The K2000 relies on SD/SDHC cards to store your precious photographic moments.

Jacks, Ports & Plugs (1.50)

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There is a single port that serves for both USB computer connection and video output. The USB cable is included but, unlike most cameras we receive for review, the K2000 ships without a video out cable. It's available as an optional accessory (cable I-VC28) for $10. You can argue that the camera price is very low, and video output isn't used very frequently with a non-movie-enabled camera. Still, if Pentax can afford to toss the cable in the box for a $120 point-and-shoot, they should have included it here.

[page title="Controls"]

	Controls Summary