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Review of the Pentax K20D

Pentax K20D

Pentax K20D
Review by Jamie Harrison

I get a split personality when it comes to high-resolution sensors. I want a camera with a high resolution because clients often demand it. Stock agencies require 30MB or higher images, art editors need at least that for an A4 page, while advertising clients usually want larger if the ad is a double page spread or poster.

So I got excited by the almost 15MP count of the new Pentax K20D, and yet cautiously expected the noise levels to be disappointing, with so many pixels crammed onto an APS-C sensor. For a struggling photographer without the £5,000 budget required for a Canon, an affordable high-resolution camera seems like a godsend. So is Pentax playing the generous God, or is it just a devilish ploy?


Specification

Price £799 (body only). £849 (with kit lens). Comes With 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Sensor 15.07MP total/ 14.6MP eff CMOS, APS-C
Output size 4672 x 3104 pixels
Focal length mag 1.5x
Lens mount Pentax KAF2
File format PEF, DNG, JPEG, Raw+JPEG
Compression Premium, best, better, good
Colour space Adobe RGB, sRGB
Shutter type Vertical Focal Plane
Shutter speeds 30-1/4000sec
Flash sync speed 1/180sec
Built-in image stabilisation Yes
Dust reduction Yes
ISO Range 100-6400
Exposure modes PASM
Metering system TTL 16 segment, Evaluative, CW, Spot
Exposure comp ±3EV
White balance Auto, Day, Shade, 3x Fluorescent, Tungsten, Flash
White balance bracket Yes
Colour temp control Yes
Drive mode Single, Continuous 3fps, 14 Raw, 38 Jpeg
Live View Yes
LCD 2.7in TFT, 230k dots
Viewfinder type Pentaprism, interchangeable focus screen
Field of view 95%
Dioptre adjustment Yes
Focusing modes Single, Continuous, Manual
AF points 11 point, 9 cross sensor
DoF preview Yes
PC socket Yes
Built-in flash Yes
Cable release Remote
Memory card SD, SDHC
Power Li-Ion
Connectivity USB 2.0
Weight 800g
Dimensions 141.5 x 101 x 70mm