Pentax K200d Digital SLR Camera Review
January 16, 2009 by Eastmon Admin
Filed under Digital Camera Reviews, Pentax Digital Cameras
I picked up the Pentax K200d with some reservation as I prepared for my trip away. At first it feels just a little too heavy, particularly when compared to the competition, however what comes with that is the feeling of a substantial camera and not some mickey mouse camera that feels like it’s all plastic.
First Impression
At first impression the camera feels quite good and well balanced in the hand with fingers and thumbs falling comfortably into the correct position. A quick look over the controls and you can see the heritage bought forward from the very successful Pentax MZ series of film SLR’s with the speed selection dial on the top left and the always present LCD screen on the left, which at a glance lets you know the current settings you have selected.
The Pentax K200d I was taking was fitted with a Sigma 18-200mm lens which certainly added to the overall weight of the camera, but the benefit was I didn’t have to carry a second lens as space was an important consideration for my trip. Drop a 4GB SDHC card in the camera, a set of AA batteries (Pentax claim up to an amazing 1000 images with AA Lithium batteries) and it’s up and ready to go. It’s probably worthwhile pausing at this point to discuss the AA battery issue Vs a Lithium Ion battery. For many the argument is what is best AA battery or Lithium Ion, from my perspective it is a case of the right horse for the right course. In my case I was going to be on the road a lot and I didn’t want the hassle of charging batteries on my trip. This can also be the case for people that do a lot of hiking, camping or other outdoor activities where power becomes a problem, having said that Lithium Ion probably suits the majority of most peoples photographic activity.
Camera Controls and Features
Speed Dial
A quick survey round the Pentax K200d camera shows a number of controls that aren’t that dissimilar to a compact digital camera, very reassuring for any looking to move up to a DSLR. On the back, bottom right hand corner is the shake reduction switch, which I left turned on for most of the trip. Pentax claim an impressive 2.5 to 4 shutter speeds of benefit and as it is built into the camera body all lenses, regardless of brand have the benefit of image stabilisation, something I wish Pentax’s major competitors would do.
Another feature exclusive to the Pentax K200d and K20d is the unique hermetically sealed all weather body with 60 seals on the body ensuring it remains water resistant, dust and sand proof, something to be considered for the conditions I would be using it in. Of course the true benefit of the all weather body is gained when you use Pentax’s matching hermetically sealed lenses, that said it is better than Pentax’s more expensive competitors offer.
The Pentax K200d has a full array of fully automatic scene modes, some of the more common ones directly accessible from the speed dial as well as a larger selection of some of the more obscure modes selectable through SCN on the speed dial. More advanced modes such as Program, AV, TV and Manual as well as another Pentax first SV are also selectable using the same dial. First time users of a DSLR will love the technology of the Auto Picture mode as the camera can independently recognise the conditions and situation your shooting in and automatically select the best mode.
Using the camera
This to me was the real surprise as the camera is a joy to use straight out of the box. The more I experimented with the different settings the more impressed I became. The 11 point auto focusing was quick, accurate and produced very sharp images.Colour rendition, saturation and exposure was also very impressive, again without making any specific changes or setting from standard.
Recordable Digital Preview
The Pentax K200d, unlike it’s big brother the K20d does not have live view, although I’m not a big fan of live-view it can be useful for some situations. Pentax have tackled it differently on the K200d using a Recordable Digital Preview whereby you can preview the image on the very bright 2.7″ LCD and experiment with various different settings while watching the effect on the screen. You can alter white balance, saturation, contrast and tone to name a few and you can then save the previewed image with the new effects. This was very handy on my trip allowing me to test some settings prior to shooting more.
A very useful mode on my trip was the Sensitivity Value(SV) mode, another Pentax exclusive, that was used to great benefit when an opportunity came up for us to explore a working mine. As soon as I climbed down the shaft and saw the lighting on offer I immediately switched to the SV mode. The benefit of this mode is you can control the ISO sensitivity in low lighting, the objective being that you can use the thumbwheel on the back to shift the ISO while keeping an eye on the shutter speed and apeture. For years people professionals would have to rewind film to use higher speed film or carry mutiple cameras to accomodate different lighting. Old film photographers and advanced photgraphers will love this feature.
Taken using SV mode and setting the white balance using Recordable Digital Preview
During my trip I took several hundred pictures in many different modes, lighting conditions and dusty, rattling, poor camera conditions. Sometimes I took several photos of the same thing and deleted them, but all the intentional shots were just superb. The various modes you can use with the built in flash cater for nearly any situation and it was tested in some funny situations and always came up trumps.
Conclusion
At the time of writing this is Pentax’s entry level camera and competing with some very high profile competition. But all you can go on is how did the camera perform? What were the results like? Is it easy to use? Who is it suitable for? How would I rate it?
How did the camera perform?
Hand held at 1/30th sec
It was a real surprise! It performed faultlessly during my whole trip. I can’t remember ever being frustrated because the camera would not autofocus or the exposure was hopelessly out. The Sigma 18-200mm lens was a pleasure to use and let me capture some great shots I would have missed had I been fumbling around changing lenses.
What were the results like?
I was really impressed with the colour saturation and sharpness of the images, some of this relates to the Sigma 18-200mm lens and the Pentax Prime image processor used in the camera. At least one of the images will be blown up to a large canvas print to take pride of place on my wall.
Who is it suitable for?
The camera is aimed primarily at the person changing up from a compact digital camera and wanting to explore and grow their photography. Previous Pentax film SLR owner will feel very much at home with this camera and a lot of their old lenses will fit this camera, an important consideration for anyone thinking of upgrading to their first Digital SLR.
Selftimer shot on my trip
How would I rate it?
I am a convert after using this camera, when you compare it feature for feature against it’s main competitors it stacks up better without any doubt. I would rate it one of the best value for money introductory DSLR’s on the market.
My Rating, 8.5 stars out of 10
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If anyone was wondering how tough these new Digital SLRs are I just saw a customers Pentax K100D that has been on an overseas trip where it had been dropped and smashed the standard lens on it into many pieces. The camera though scratched and marked works fine. All had to do was replace the lens.
you are right its the lens that works. I have two da* lens that do not work on auto settings of the camera. Have you found that. The pics are always out of focus if the lighting conditions are not right.