Pentax K20D

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K20D Prices

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The Pentax K20D has a pentaprism optical viewfinder that Pentax claims has 95-percent coverage (when measured with a 50mm lens). The 95-percent accuracy is on the low end of normal DSLR viewfinders; most have between 96- and 98-percent accuracy and a few have 100-percent accuracy. The view in the finder can be adjusted to fit your eyeglass prescriptions. The viewfinder has a diopter adjustment dial that has a range from -2.5 to +1.5. The adjustment dial is really a sharply serrated control on the top of the viewfinder that glides along when pushed. It is not comfortable to adjust but shouldn’t need adjustment often.

 

The viewfinder component itself is comfortable with its cushy rubber eyecup surrounding the window. The top of the cushion is especially plush and the bottom is barely there to allow some space for the nose.

 

The window of the optical viewfinder has a Natural Bright Matte II screen, but its view isn’t very natural or bright. It is a little darker than normal and the screen looks like it has a grainy film over it. The viewfinder’s magnification is rated at 0.95x (with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity).

 

In addition to the optical viewfinder, there is a brand new live view available on the K20D that wasn’t on the earlier K10D and won’t be found on the companion K200D, either. The K20D is currently Pentax’s only DSLR with live view.

 

Overall, the viewfinder isn’t impressive because of its graininess, but it is the only way to capture shots on the fly. The live view on the LCD slows down the shooting process. The optical viewfinder can access the autofocus system more quickly and with an uninterrupted view.

 

The Pentax K20D’s LCD screen makes huge improvements over the older model. The new LCD measures 2.7 inches while the old one was 2.5 inches. The new LCD has 230,000 pixels and the old one has only 210,000 pixels. The biggest change is that the K20D now offers a live view - a trend many DSLRs are picking up now that point-and-shooters are buying into the DSLR market and looking for familiar features.

 

The live view on the LCD is made possible directly from the 14.6-megapixel CMOS sensor; it's accessed by pushing the power switch beyond “on” toward a circular icon. The view is beamed up until you want to access the autofocus system. You push the AF button on the back to focus in the live view and the LCD goes black for a moment while it focuses. You can snap the shutter release while the screen is black and hope you get the shot – or you can wait until the view appears and then frame your shot. You are either shooting blind or taking forever to take the picture. Bottom line: the live view isn’t as seamless as on a compact digital camera. The break for the autofocus takes too long and may cause missed opportunities. However, it is worth remembering that this is a pre-production unit and that Pentax may be able to lessen this time when the camera is released. Another disadvantage of the live view LCD is that no shooting info can be displayed at the same time.

The screen can be viewed from wide angles of up to 160 degrees in both horizontal and vertical directions. The brightness and color of the LCD screen can be changed in the Setup menu. Of note is the smaller monochrome LCD on the top of the camera that shows exposure information.

 

Overall, the LCD’s size and resolution are great, but the live view feature isn’t worth the high price of the camera. Point-and-shooters who move up may be disappointed by its slowness.

 

The Pentax K20D has a pop-up flash that only appears when the button on the left side of the camera is pushed. According to the manufacturer, the flash has a guide number of 13 at ISO 100. The sync speed maxes out at 1/180 of a second.

 

The built-in flash’s modes can be found by pushing the function button and scrolling down. On, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync + Red-Eye, Trailing Curtain Sync, and Wireless flash options are available.

 

The flash coverage is not impressive. It looks significantly brighter in the center than around the edges and was not flattering in most of the pictures I took on the show floor. Flash exposure compensation from -2 to +1 EV is available in half steps in the Custom menu. It’s hard to find, but it’s there.

 

For photographers who want to use studio lighting, the K20D comes with an “X” on the mode dial for X-sync. The K10D also has this. There is also a dedicated hot shoe atop the camera that accepts Pentax flash accessories. All in all, the built-in flash looks like something to be avoided, but there are lots of options for studio and other flash accessories.

 

Like its predecessors, the Pentax K20D accepts all old and new Pentax lenses – all 24 million manufactured, according to the company. The K20D has a KAF2 bayonet stainless steel mount that accepts KAF2, KAF, and KA lenses. It also accepts K-mount 35mm screwmount and 645/67 medium format lenses with an adapter and some restrictions.

 

The camera body hosts a shake reduction system that shifts the image sensor when the camera shakes; this helps reduce blur in images. The system is built into the camera body so it doesn’t have to be built into every lens, which keeps the cost of the lens down. Several manufacturers like Sony and Olympus have similar image stabilization systems into their DSLRs. Canon and Nikon build the technology into their lenses. Pentax claims that their shake reduction system compensates for 2.5-4 shutter speed stops.

 

The Pentax K20D does not come with a kit lens in the United States, but company reps said it may be sold with a kit lens elsewhere.