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Pentax 12.4 Megapixels K-x with 24fps HD Video Review by SteveHuff

2010-07-24 07:11 | Tag:  Pentax  Video  Megapixels  Review  SteveHuff  | Source
Average Camera Review Rating [8 reviews]
On September 19 2009, Pentax announced the K-x DSLR camera, which combines a variety of advanced features and user-friendly functions in a compact, lightweight body. The K-x replaces last year's K2000 model (aka K-m) in the company's lineup. The camera takes some of the impressive features from the K-7, and places them in a more consumer-friendly body whose design is almost unchanged from that of the K2000. The main changes are the 12.4 Megapixels new CMOS sensor, PRIME II imaging engine, Pentax's 11-point SAFOX VIII AF module, the addition of both live view and 24fps high-definition video capability, and increased maximum shutter speed at 1/6000, ISO sensitivity up to a boosted ISO 12,800 and 4.7fps burst-shooting capabilities.

The Pentax K-x digital SLR comes in three different kit versions, and two body colors - either black or white. The most affordable kit version will include an smc Pentax DA L 18-55mm zoom lens is currently selling at around $557. As with the previously announced DA L lenses, the new lens is a variant of an existing lens with certain alterations made to reduce weight and cost, such as the use of a plastic lens mount. The camera was ranked at #5 in the top sales ranking in Japan 3 months ago. Here is the summary of a recent review of the camera by SteveHuff:

"The Pentax Kx has great image quality, and even better high ISO than the Pentax K7 and for the under $500 price point it is fantastic. I can not think of another DSLR for under $500 that gives you as much as  the Kx does. The Canon Rebel is nice but if I were starting fresh, I think I would take a Pentax Kx over a Rebel. Just personal pref. 

Well, if you are looking for a SMALL DSLR that can give you great results, easily, then this little guy is one to be considered. It will give you better image quality than most smaller cameras, and has the advantage of mounting some of those killer Pentax lenses like the 31 f1.8 Limited and 77 Limited f/1.8. For about $500 you get a well made, super cool little SLR. Me, if I were to buy one, I would buy it with the 31 Limited and call it a day. The 200 f/2.8 is stellar for a 200 but personally, I am not a telephoto guy. If I was, this lens would be on my list as well. The Kx may not have the last word in detail, sharpness and dynamic range but its VERY GOOD for its price point. As a matter of fact, I have yet to see a $500 camera give me better results. B&H has the black kit in stock with 18-55 for $529 - Yep, $529 WITH a lens, and the lens is not bad at all. Better than most kit zooms I have seen and the same one that ships with the K7.

Overall this one sits in a weird area for me. I didnt get really excited by it, but I did not dislike it. It is what it is, and that is a great "bang for the buck" camera. I had no major complaints with the Kx, it performed as advertised. Still, if given a choice I would buy the K7 over the Kx, for me. I just preferred the body, the weather sealing, the feel and even the shutter. Can't go wrong with either though, both are superb for the money. I cant wait to see what Pentax brings out as a replacement to the K7. Should be interesting."

Photo Album: Pentax 12.4 Megapixels K-x With 24fps HD Video Entry-Level DSLR Camera



Pentax K-x Sample Photos on Flickr



Pentax K-x Camera Reviews Roundup

AlphaMountWorld: "Personally, I think the SR blur issue you may have seen on the internet forums is due to having the K-x too secure during exposure (simulating the same kind of blur you'd get if you had the K-x on a tripod with SR on), but that's just me. I've not experienced any blurring in images shot last night or this morning with varying focal lengths from shutter speeds ranging 1/25th of a second to 1/100th of a second. This i..." - May 10 2010 More »
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infoSync: "For a shooter's first DSLR, the Pentax K-x is packed to the brim with a decent set of shooting features. Various Digital Filters axed the need to drop a significant chunk of change on Photoshop, and the included Pentax image software provided just enough to get the DSLR newbie up and running. Color options were bountiful, thanks to extensive White Balance and Hue/Saturation/Sharpness options. We could also apply eff..." - Mar 21 2010 More »
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CNET: "For the most part, the K-x is very fast. It takes 0.7 seconds to turn on and shoot, which is quite slow but not too bad. The time taken to focus and shoot in good light is a zippy 0.3 seconds, increasing to only 0.5 seconds in low light. Two sequential JPEGs run at 0.4 seconds, with a slight bump to 0.6 seconds for raw. The camera's 1.2-second shot-to-shot time with flash is the only real cloud in the K-x's speed sk..." - Mar 20 2010 More »
DigitalCameraResourcePage: "Camera performance was very good. The K-x is ready to go as soon as you flip the power switch. If you're shooting with the viewfinder, you won't wait long for the camera to lock focus, courtesy of the K-x's 11-point AF system. Things change dramatically if you're using live view, most notably with the two modes that use contrast detect AF. Instead of a half a second delay with phase difference AF, the contrast detec..." - Mar 07 2010 More »
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NeutralDay: "Image quality is where the K-x really shows its value. Given its low cost and ample feature-set, the fact that the Pentax K-x also happens to take some of the best pictures you'll find in any APS-C sensor DSLR camera, regardless of cost, really impressed me. The 12.4 megapixel sensor is very similar to that found in the Nikon D5000, D300s, and D90, and image quality is well up to those standards. The K-x offers plen..." - Feb 20 2010 More »
RiceHigh: "Indeed, the K-x is a very good camera with very high Image Quality (characteristics of low noise and high details and accurate colour rendition, too.). I can say as long as IQ is concerned, it exceeds much both the K-m and K-7 and is just unbeatable, especially considered that it is just an APS-C DSLR with smaller sensor size than 135 Full Frame. But in fact, it is not much worse than my full frame 5D and I am reall..." - Jan 24 2010 More »
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DCI: "This is not a camera for image-quality sticklers. In our lab testing for both stills and video, it came in behind the competition in most areas, with a wide dynamic range and relatively fast 4.2 shot-per-second burst rate notable exceptions. At the same time, there was nothing in our testing that was awful. We expect  the consumer-oriented target audience will be satisfied in this area. And when features could..." - Jan 01 2010 More »
dpreview: "In most shooting situations the K-x is capable of producing high quality image output. At base ISO JPEG images show very good detail and natural colors out of the box. The Pentax JPEG engine is doing a very good job at squeezing all captured detail into the camera's JPEG files and therefore shooting RAW does not produce a great amount of extra detail. While the image quality at base ISO is generally very good,..." - Dec 24 2009 More »
Photocrati: "The manual that comes with the Pentax K-x is 300+ pages long. So you can see that there is a lot of functionality built in. No, not every feature was to my liking -- especially the part about requiring four AA cells, since the camera does not come with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery pack. Granted, the single-use lithiums that came with the camera do last a long time, but these batteries are costly to replace. Al..." - Nov 17 2009 More »
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DigitalCameraReview: "Image quality at default settings is very faithful to what the eye sees. There is also a cool manual tool for changing the image processing called Custom Image, which allows you to use sliders to change the saturation, hue, high/low key adjustment, contrast and sharpness of your image. Among these preset options with sliders are Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Muted, and Monochrome. Other in-came..." - Nov 17 2009 More »
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PhotoReview: "Pictures taken with the test camera were similar to the shots we took with the K-m. Contrast and saturation were restrained; out-of-camera sharpness was acceptable and colours were natural-looking. Autofocusing was acceptably fast and metering was accurate across a wide variety of subjects and with all metering modes. The body-integrated image stabiliser enabled us to use shutter speeds approximately two f-stop..." - Nov 09 2009 More »
PhotographyBLOG: "K-x's image quality is excellent. The K-x creates noise-free JPEG images from ISO 100-800, only starting to become apparent at ISO 1600, with progressively more noise and colour desaturation at the highest settings of 3200, 6400 and the attention grabbing 12,800 setting. Although the top speeds don't produce very usable results, the K-x certainly holds its own against the main competition from 100-3200. Exposur..." - Oct 29 2009 More »
TechRadar: "We liked: The K-x's image quality really stands out, and the kit lens is superb. We also like the build quality, which feels tough, and the ergonomics. And, while its video capabilities are a little hit and miss, the ability to fire off a 720p video with such gorgeous colours and depth of field makes the K-x versatile. The screen is bright and sharp, and easily visible in Live View mode. We also like the l..." - Oct 15 2009 More »
ePhotoZine: "Portrait mode looks pretty good although I think it could be warmer. However, this could be down to the white balance interfering with the program as I selected a custom setting. There's plenty of detail in the hair and the exposure is pretty good. Adding flash has filled in the darker areas, added attractive catchlights and balanced out the tone. Getting on to the fun stuff and the Pentax K-x has had the digit..." - Oct 13 2009 More »


Pentax K-x Camera Recent User Reviews

Outstanding Entry Level DSLR !, avsroy - Aug 28 2010
After many years of Point and Shoot compacts (Minolta S414, Canon S400, S410, Fuji F10, F30) and Ultra Zooms (Panasonic FZ18) I finally bit the bullet and bought the Pentax K-x Dual lens kit DLSR from Amazon. After a couple of weeks of wait, it was delivered much ahead of the original 1 month delivery period and at a great price too! Initially I was using the camera on the Auto mode a...


It's Loud., C.J.Mac - Aug 26 2010
I have had my Kx for about 3 weeks now and taken about 200 shots. As most reviewers have stated for the money it's a great value. The one and only flaw that was a shocker are the sounds it makes when in "auto foucs" and shutter noise. If you can live with manual focus or the noise isn't an issue this camera is a great buy. I am realy impressed with the low light pictures. Re...


Outstanding camera the quality minded at a low price., Lloyd W. Hayes - Aug 25 2010
This K-x was a no-brainer for me. I have Pentax cameras and lenses going back over 30 years. I also have Nikons, Canons, Minoltas, Mamiyas, and some others. Pentax makes an extremely good product for the price and is my favorite because of this. The Pentax lenses can be compared to any other top quality lens. The camera can easily be setup for professional photography with optional wi...


Great dSLR for the money, D. Connally "Connada" - Aug 24 2010
I've been using the K-x for about 3 months now, and it's been a sweet little camera. I'm not a pro, don't care about the whole Nikon vs Canon debate, I just want a good camera I can operate that takes great photos, and I can afford. So far, this camera has done it all. I've got no compliants, I'd buy it again. Live view is slow, but I prefer using the view finder anyway. That'd...


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