Pentax K2000

	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)

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)

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)

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)

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.

Resolution	Page 6 of 18		Sample Photos
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