Pentax K-x Digital SLR with 2.7-inch LCD and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL Lens (Black)
Customer Reviews
I received this camera last Friday. I had 2 full days to take great shots with this camera. I purchased two bundle kit, which comes with 18-55mm lens as well as 50-200mm lens. I have another manual focus lens, which is A50.7.
One of the most asked questions about this camera is AF speed. Yes, AF is pretty quick. To test AF speed, I sometimes turn focus ring to opposite direction and checked the time it takes to set the focus. It was usually less than 0.4s. Even in low light situation, it worked fine. I took many shots with only one small table light in the living room so, ISO was 6400 and shutter speed was 1/4. Camera doesn't seem to have any problem for AF. Nice thing as a entry level camera is that it supports up to 11 AF point and you can choose your AF point. Some may say, it lacks super impose. However, simply touching 'ok' button reveals current AF point in the LCD screen. So, that's not a problem. AF is sharp and accurate. In MF mode, camera indicates the right focus in two ways both sound and indicator. So, there's no problem using manual focus lens. in Liveview mode, Camera magnifies focus point to assist you, which is very useful since viewfinder is very small.
High ISO support. This is the best part I like about this camera. It supports up to 6400, and can be expanded to 12800. I took several shots outside around 6:00 PM. My friends used flash but my K-x didn't require flash. with 3200 or 6400 ISO, it still gave me clean bright pictures. Pentax did a great job reducing noise, especially color noise. It's hard to find the noise from the pictures. Now, 3200 is something you can use everyday. Actually, scene mode for the kids uses very high ISO to get 1/1000s or faster shutter speed. Thanks to that, pictures for my kids are all sharp and crispy.
User interface is very intuitive and simple. Since this camera is small, most of the buttons are within reach of your thumb and index fingers. Though it's small, grip is ergonomically designed so that camera is very stable in your hand. It has one auxiliary button (green button), which you can assign other functions. It has drive mode, ISO, White balance, aperture and flash buttons. It also has dial to navigate menu faster.
It uses 4 AA batteries and this is really nice. You can use your Ni-MH batteries or Lithium-ION batteries. It your camera is run out of juice, you can go nearby stores and buy one quickly. I took about 250 shots and I didn't need to recharge yet. Camera recognizes battery type automatically and optimizes the operation.
with all the bells and whistles, I think Pentax K-x is super buy for the beginners. Not only it has all the features needed, it outperforms higher grade DSLRs in certain area like low noise. Thanks to great compatibility for the mount, even 30 years old lens can be used for this fresh new DSLR. It was quite fun to look at postings to sell old, student film camera kit at bargain price and you can use lens out of it. I also got 50mm fast lens which is excellent to take portrait shot from used market.
A few updates.
1. Some folks reported battery compatibility issue. Below is the blog of Pentax USA President. He recommended user to put batteries and wait for a few seconds so that Camera recognizes the type of batteries.
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2. It also reveals a few problems related to Shake reduction. First, it produces noise from magnet handling CMOS censor. Bad thing is, this noise is recorded in movie mode. K-7 also has same issue but it supports external microphone. K-x doesn't allow that so, this can be one issue.
3. It also shows color overflow problem under low light situation, especially red and blue. When there's bright light, for example traffic signal, red color or blue color spread around as if it overflows.
A few users reported above problems to Pentax R;D and they are supposed to return by 11/9. I hope firmware upgrade will fix those problems.
I purchased the K-X with the two lens kit with the 18-55 lens and the 55-300 lens.
This is a wonderful little camera; the autofocus is fast and accurate, the menus are clear and easy to use, the picture modes let you play with your creativity or you can use it for just point and shoot, and it has manual control when you are ready to use it. I went with the long lens because I take a lot of detail shots and this lens does the trick for me. I haven't yet found a situation where I needed to zoom in closer, and when I do I can always buy a longer lens. Back to size it's a great one handed camera to use, I find the camera comfortable to handle and it feels well made.
I've taken about an hour of video so far; it can shoot up to 25 minutes of video at a time. It's not a video camera but when you want to take a video spontaneously it works great. For me the video is just icing on the cake. The photos are what I bought the camera for. I use mostly the aperture priority (to manipulate the depth of field or get low light shots) and the auto picture settings. And they come out consistently crisp and accurate. Sometimes you will have to manipulate the white balance settings especially when you use the low light capabilities of this camera without a flash, as with any DSLR. The camera has lots of digital filters to process your pictures with, and they are fun to use. What I love most is being able to use the high ISO settings and not need a flash indoors and still get great quality shots.
I use rechargeable batteries in the camera and have now downloaded the new firmware so the camera recognizes them faster. This is a must do because before I had to turn the camera on and off and turn the live view on and off for it to recognize new batteries. I played with a few sets of batteries to make sure they would work. I'm saving the supplied lithium batteries to be a back up set when the rechargeable batteries get depleted.
The in camera shake reduction works with all my lenses including my old manual lenses from 30 years ago. The neat thing about using manual focus lenses (and wearing glasses like I do) with this camera is that you can set the camera to beep when you have focused the lens correctly, and there is also a visual indicator when you look thru the viewfinder. And every Pentax mount lens you buy will work with this camera.
Product Description
From the Manufacturer
Choose a camera that redefines the entry-level digital SLR category. The Pentax K-x offers high-end features including Live View, HD video and photographic performance that challenges higher class models. Since there’s no rule that SLR cameras must come in one color, try the K-x in a choice of white or black, as well as special, limited edition red and navy. With a one-handed shooting design that is extremely compact, lightweight, and easy-to-use, the very affordable K-x is perfect for users stepping up from a point-and-shoot digital camera to their first digital SLR. Pentax K-x Features ; Highlights High-resolution 12.4-megapixel CMOS image sensor features sensor-shift Shake Reduction for stabilized image and video capture up to 4 stops max. Large 2.7-inch LCD features Live View with contrast, phase difference, and Face Detection autofocus (up to 16 faces). Capture widescreen HD video in full 720p resolution (1280x720) at 24fps cinematic framerate, using any Pentax 35mm lens. Highly compact DSLR body design allows for 1 handed operation and comfort when travelling. Powerful automatic modes, including Pentax Auto Picture and scene modes, ensure the perfect shot in any situation, while helping new photographers learn DSLR photography. Creative processing and filter modes produce high quality finished images, while offering the ability to explore artistic freedom through unique special effects. True HDR image capture blends 3 bracketed images into a single picture with outstanding shadow, highlight, and midrange detail. Fast 4.7fps capture speed and 1/6000 second maximum shutter speeds are possible with the Pentax PRIME II image processing engine. Responsive 11-point wide-angle SAFOX VIII autofocus system focuses quickly and accurately, and can easily track moving subjects. Capture up to 1900 shots with universally available, easy-to-find AA lithium batteries (also compatible with AA NiMH rechargeable and alkaline batteries). Expanded ISO range covers sensitivities from 100-12800 for extreme low light photography. What's in the Box
- USB Cable I-USB7
- Strap O-ST53
- Hotshoe Cover FK
- Eyecup FQ
- Body Mount Cover
- Software CD-ROM S-SW99
- AA Lithium Batteries (x4)
Pentax K-x Digital SLR Camera - Black 16301 31
Product Details
- Product Dimensions: 4.8 x 3.6 x 2.7 inches ; 1.3 pounds
- Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
- Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
- ASIN: B002OEBTC8
- Item model number: K-x 18-55mm Black Kit
