I am an amateur photographer who's always used point-and-shoot cameras. Finally, I got up the nerve (and cash) to get myself a DSLR.I started doing lots of reading and reviewing the various reviews/features of different cameras, eventually settling on the Pentax K200D.
I have never owned anything made by Pentax/Canon/Nikon/Olympus/Sony before, so I didn't have any sort of brand loyalty ties. I took long, hard looks at the features and performance and went from there.
There are several reasons why I chose the Pentax K200D over similar models from other manufacturers:
1) Weather sealing -Pentax claims their camera is the only environmentally sealed camera in its class ("starting DSLR"). Nice to know it's there, even if I don't plan on intentionally testing it out!
2) Saving High quality JPEG and RAW at the same time (RAW+). Some of the other models I was considering didn't allow RAW + High JPEG, only medium JPEG.
3) Very high build quality. This thing feels like it's built like a tank. After reading literally hundreds of user reviews from Canon owners, Nikon, etc. the general consensus was their bodies (and cheap lenses) felt a little flimsy. I must admit, I went to the stores and tried out their cameras (the entry DSLR) and I felt the same way.
Popular Photography's preview of the K200D said it best: "Mate a tank with a SLR body..." or something to that effect.
4) AA batteries. I know some people consider this a downside, but decent 2500mha AAs are extremely cheap and work great. If I ever run out of juice, I know I can hit up practically any store for a recharge.
5) You can mount any lens Pentax has ever made on this camera. Of course, you may not get all the features, but the consistency of the lens mounting was a plus for me.
6) In-body stabilization A real biggy for me, as this translates to any lens you buy for the system! It has already saved several of my shots.
7) It's an APS-C sensor -this discounted the Olympus line immediately.
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So how do I like the camera? So far it's great!
I've only owned it a few days, but I've been doing lots of testing with the kit lens (which, according to "the net", isn't as horrible in quality as some other kit lenses).
Autofocus is fairly quick, though low light seems to be throwing it off sometimes (duh!)
Light metering seems to be very consistent -I'm not getting surprise too dark or too light shots unless I intentionally screw the shot up (like forgetting to reset EV , doh).
Burst rate is a bit low at 4 JPEG or RAWs but I don't plan on doing too many sports shots so hopefully this won't be a limiting factor. I'm awaiting some Sandisk Ultra II SD cards to come in before I see how much this low rate limits me -hopefully the fast card will allow a quick buffer flush.
The grip is confortable for me, a 6-foot tall male with large/medium hands. So far I haven't accidentally hit a button while operating the camera, etc. I haven't done prolonged shooting yet.
The menu options are pretty self-explanatory, and I like the manual they give you (though it's huge) -They do a pretty good job explaining what various functions do, etc.
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So, the verdict? If you're moving from a point and shoot digital camera (I had a Kodak Easyshare Z612 6MP), this thing is going to blow it away!
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. The kit lens isn't total garbage, the menu functions are easy to access and the camera performs admirably.
The only thing I miss moving from my PNS camera is the zoom.
My next purchase will probably be the fast 50mm prime lens for portraits.
I've been shooting in low-light situations (my house tonight) and so far it's doing great.
I've also taken it outdoors on a sunny day for some pretty good looking shots. I can't wait to upgrade to a good zoom to catch more wildlife.
Overall an excellent upgrade from the K100D, and a bargain compared to the K10D from which it gets its CCD. I highly recommend it for prosumers and entry-level professional photographers.
Buy Pentax K200D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Now
I am not sure why my first review didn't end up getting posted . So I am writing it again.I have had this camera for about a month, purchased from Amazon, which got it to me less than 48 hours after I clicked "order" with the free shipping amazing.
This is my first DSLR. I owned two digicams before, a 2000 Olympus C3030Z 3 MP, and a 2006 Nikon Coolpix L1 6 MP.
Price wise, the K200D is a steal, especially with the rebate deals going on this summer about $550 after rebate with the DA 18-55 AL II kit lens. Compared to other DSLRs, the only other comparable model feature-wise in this price range is the Olympus E-510.
I can't believe what I have been missing ! The colors with the K200D are just vibrant and nothing like the digicams. Right out of the box, with kit lens (DA 18-55 AL II), the pictures are sharp. The extra megapixels don't hurt either. I wish I had this camera years ago on my previous trip. Most of my old digicam pictures looked washed out to me now, especially with the older Olympus :(
The ability to attach filters to the lens, such as a polarizer for outdoor use, greatly helps in the ability to enhance the picture and get incredible blue skies. That alone is worth getting a DSLR over a digicam.
The shake reduction is great. It is basically impossible to get a blurry picture with this camera in daylight, except if you move it on purpose like crazy. At night time, it can still occur occasionally. And what's even better, since the SR is in the body, it works with all lenses that you attach to it, even 40 year old Pentax lenses made for 35mm film cameras ! The only other manufacturer to have in-body SR is Olympus, in some models.
The camera is very fast. I verified that I can indeed take 2.8 pictures per second as advertised in continuous mode. There is never any noticeable waiting to save a 10 MP shot in JPEG mode, that is to say less than 1/3 of a sec. My Nikon could take several seconds to save a 6 MP JPEG onto SD, and my Olympus 30s for a 3 MP TIFF onto SmartMedia !
One of my favorite cost-saving features is the AA battery support. This is what made my decision to buy the K200D over the Olympus E-510. With the K200D, there is no need to buy expensive proprietary batteries, that can only be used in one device, and will be obsolete for the next camera, or to carry another charger when traveling. Olympus also makes you purchase a quick charger. They only bundle a slow charger with the camera. Once you factor the extra charger and at least one spare battery, the 2 cameras are no longer in the same price range. AA batteries are available everywhere, and cheap NiMH rechargeables work great. I can use the same AA battery type for my flash and my DSLR and only have one charger. I was able to take 1600 pictures on a single set of 4 AA NiMH 2500 mAh batteries in continuous mode, including 100 with the built-in flash. That's way more than Pentax says I could (they claim only 700 with NiMH). This may be because I wasn't using the LCD due to the continuous mode. Even after that, I kept shooting with the same batteries for another week. They were not depleted. But the 1600 pics filled up all my cards so I thought it was time to stop the test.
This camera is not perfect.
It is heavier and larger than most of the competition. It will not fit in your pocket like a digicam, but then no DSLR with a lens attached will, either. The size and weight are somewhat mitigated by the fact this unit seems better built than others, and is weather-sealed, which means it will probably last longer.
It doesn't have Live view. At this price, only Olympus has it, with the E-510. I won't miss this feature much. Actually, I missed the viewfinder in my Nikon Coolpix L1 digicam far more than I miss Live view on the K200D. It was difficult to compose shots on the L1 LCD in daylight without a viewfinder. So, I am very glad to have a viewfinder back now in the K200D. Live view would help a bit when using the tripod upwards, such as for moonshots with a big zoom lens. However, I have found the camera does very well handheld with the SR for those. And for tripod use, if the camera is in an awkward position, you can use a right angle finder admittedly an extra expense and accessory to carry.
Compared to other brands, it is also difficult to find new accessories, such as lenses and flashes, for this Pentax camera locally at stores, because many of them (I tried Ritz camera and Fry's electronics) do not carry anything Pentax. If you want new, then you have to order online. On the other hand, you don't have to buy new when there are plenty of used old lenses to go around on craigslist and ebay, that work perfectly fine, many of them manual mode, and some autofocus. I say the compatibility with old lenses means it's an environmentally friendly camera. :)
If I had to choose again, I would make the same choice in a heartbeat.For over five years I used 3.2MP Olympus D-540 camera.
It still works fine. But I decided to step up for some more megapixels.
I purchased Panasonic Lumix LZ7... It was ok, but I didn't get "wow effect" as I expected...
Then I purchased Olympus FE-340, same absence of "wow".
Then I got Fujifilm Finepix S700... I still felt that my old Olympus was getting better shots.
Then I decided to get a real camera... After a lot of research I decided to go with Pentax K200D. After I saw the first shot with it, I got that "wow effect" I expected. Really sharp photo and real colors.
And this camera still makes me wow each time I make a shot. Like another reviewer said: "you really can not make a bad shot".
It's my first DSRL camera, so I can not compare it to any else. But some things that convinced me to get it were:
-Weather resistant build. It even has seals in memory slot, USB port and battery port.
-Hardware shake reduction function. Still didn't get any blurred image, and I believe my hands are not "shake-free".
-Accessible AA batteries (you can get it in every shop)
-Really fast Autofocus (according to one review 1.2 seconds compared to Rebels 3 seconds)
The only bad thing I found (or may better to say: I didn't expect) is that you are obliged to see thru viewfinder to make a shot... Something I didn't expect from a digital camera. But I'm used to it, because I still remember how to use my father's old Zenith 35mm camera.
Other than that it's a great camera that takes sharp photos with life-bright colors.
Want Pentax K200D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Discount?
I have had the K200 for 2 days now...I got the K200 instead of the K10 for several reasons. (1) I wanted a DSLR(tired of my "point-n-shoot" and out grew it), (2) My wife needed to be able to use it for her business. Probably more me than her. I had been admiring the K10 for a while and played with it at the store, really wanting it. When the K200 and K20 came out the K10 only remained for sale on line, at least in my area. I drove my wife crazy for weeks reading reviews and even downloading the manuals from the Pentax website as well as other brands. I didn't want to spend this kind of money without actually holding the camera(it's not in the stores yet). Almost all the stores never even heard of the K2oo because the K20 takes top billing..14 mega pixels. Long story short...the advertisement on the K200 is as far as I can see very accurate. Its for those graduating to DSLR and still need some AUTO features. I am not going to try to fool you with a lot of professional sounding lingo. Lets just say I would have preferred the K10 but love this camera. You cannot shoot a bad picture...REALLY! If you can skip through the technical talk in the manual, it tells you everything you need to know. The camera still has plenty of room to play for those of us learning more about how to manipulate shots how we want them plus the auto features for those who aren't. I really like the way Pentax feels like a REAL camera, not cheap plastic like others. My brother owns a popular Cannon. See for yourself, go to a store and hold any of the Pentax late models(K10,K200,K20). I am still fixated on the more advanced K20 but that's for the near future. Then my wife can have this one back.
By the way, Thanks Amazon!!! You sent me a message saying my shipment might be delayed but you upgraded the shipping so I still received it on time...You ROCK. I will continue to use you.
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