Pentax K2000 Digital Camera Review

Pentax K2000

Digital Camera Review

4.3 The Pentax K2000 (dubbed the K-M outside of the USA) joins the already saturated entry-level SLR market. The K2000 distinguishes itself by providing a generous amount of help to new users; a simple and clear control system; and a bevy of image presets and filters. Pentax has also included an external flash unit to the body-and-lens kit, providing more bang for your 700 bucks. In our brief stint using a pre-release version of the camera at the Photokina show, the focus felt very fast, and the camera was light without feeling fragile. The K2000 kit will debut in November 2008 for $699.99 with a DA L 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL lens and AF200FG flash. The body  will be released separately in early 2009 for an unannounced price.
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Pentax K2000

Viewfinder
The viewfinder offers 96% field of view at 0.85x magnification. The diopter adjustment runs from -2.5 to 1.5 and is altered by a sliding bar at the top of the viewfinder. There is a depth of field preview function, which can be bound to the Help button.


The diopter adjuster is above the viewfinder

LCD Screen
The LCD is 2.7-inch and has 230,000 pixels. During our brief hands-on period, the screen seemed bright and colorful. However, this was under the ample fluorescent lighting of a conference center, so we reserve final judgment until we try shooting under more challenging conditions.


The LCD is bright and clear
Flash
The built-in flash struck as being very bright and quick to charge. Interestingly, the K2000 kit ships with an included external flash, the AF200FG, which retails for $150. It's a fixed flash, so you won't be able to aim it at the ceiling to bounce the light, but it's still a very nice inclusion in a standard kit. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to try out this flash, so we cannot comment on its effectiveness.


The relatively high flash position helps minimize red-eye.


Lens Mount
The K200 has a Pentax KAF3 mount, which is compatible with all Pentax lenses. The auto focus motor is housed in the body of the camera, which makes for cheaper lenses, and the ability to use auto focus with most of them.

The bundled kit lens is DA L 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL lens.

While shooting, we found that the shutter felt cheap and insubstantial. This was a pre-production model, though, so this flaw may be corrected in the final camera.


The bundled kit lens

Connections
The K2000 has a single, proprietary USB/Video out port, protected by a firm rubber cover.



The only available port

The K2000 takes 4 AA batteries (included), which is a boon for travelers, as AAs can be found in any part of the world. Using the included set of lithium batteries, Pentax states that you can take 1650 shots, an impressive claim. An optional adapter can be purchased which mimics the shape of the four AAs , with a slender cord that plugs into a power source.
 
Four AA batteries make it easy to find replacements
Memory
The Pentax K2000 can use either SD or SDHC cards, which are easily found and affordable.


The memory card slot was glued shut, so we can't show it to you.


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