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Looking for a great kit to get
you started with DSLRs? Pentax's latest,
the K2000, will ship with a 18-55mm
f/3.5-5.6 (27-78mm equivalent) kit
lens and a hot-shoe flash, all for $700
(estimated street). And from its features,
it could turn out to be a top choice of
budding photographers, just as the
Pentax K1000 was back in film days.
The K2000's 10.2MP CCD sensor offers
enough resolution to allow for decentsized
prints, even after cropping. Its pixel
count is in line with the competition, such
as the Canon EOS Rebel XS, Nikon D60,
Olympus E-420, and Sony Alpha 200. The
K2000's ISO range of 100-3200 offers 1
stop more than Pentax's K200D ($600,
body only; $635 with the same kit lens).
And while the 2.7-inch 230,000-dot LCD
isn't extravagant, it's big enough to check
your framing and change settings.
Pentax increased the burst speed to
3.5 frames per second for up to 4 JPEG
or RAW shots, up from the K200D's 2.8
fps. It includes the same Lo burst mode,
which chugs along at 1.1 fps but allows
unlimited JPEG capture up to the capacity
of your SD or SDHC memory card. RAW
capture stays capped at 4 frames.
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New & Noteworthy
• 10.2MP CCD sensor.
• Up to ISO 3200.
• 3.5 fps burst mode.
• Comes with hot-shoe flash.
Consider This If . . .
• You're a DSLR newbie who wants
an affordable entry into Pentax's
camera system, with its variety of
well-priced lenses and accessories.
• You're a budding photographer
who wants the power of a DSLR in
an easy-to-use kit, complete with an
accessory hot-shoe flash.
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What else has the K2000 inherited?
The eye-level pentamirror with 96 percent
coverage and 0.85X magnification, plus
the same 16-segment metering system,
including multisegment, centerweighted,
and spotmetering options.
Flash X-Sync speed remains at 1/180
second, though the built-in flash steps
down a bit in power: The K2000's has
a guide number of 36 (meaning that it
reaches a little past 10 feet at ISO 100
with an f/3.5 lens wide open), while the
K200D has a GN of 43, good for 12+ feet
with the same lens.
This shouldn't be much of a problem
though, since Pentax includes its compact
AF200FG (GN 66) hot-shoe flash in the
the K2000 kit. It covers the field of view
of a 28mm (equivalent) lens and has a
built-in flip-down diffuser to spread that
coverage to 24mm. It neither swivels nor
tilts for bounce, however, and it's an inch
shorter than Pentax's next-larger flash,
the AF360FGZ.
You won't find live-view shooting,
but the entry-level field is still split on this
feature. The Nikon D60 and Sony A200
also lack live view, while the Canon Rebel
XS and Olympus E-420 have it.
Image stabilization? It's in here, making
the K2000 the only entry-level DSLR
beside the Sony A200 (and the K200D) to
have it built into the body. (To be fair, both
the Canon and Nikon include kit lenses
with image stabilization.) Olympus makes
you step up to the E-520 for this.
For budget-minded shooters, in-body IS
tends to make more sense, since it works
with any lens. With a Pentax, you can use
a K-mount lens that predates autofocus
and handhold at slower shutter speeds.
One place the K2000 steps back from
the K200D: the number of AF points.
While the K200D has an 11-point AF
system, the new camera has just 5. That's
middle-of-the-pack of entry-level DSLRs:
Sony's A200 has 9, Canon's Rebel XS has
7, while the Nikon D60 and Olympus E-
420 both sport 3-point AF systems.
Overall, the K2000 stacks up strongly
against its competitors. We find the menubased
control system more intuitive than
some others -- just one of the details that
makes Pentax a favorite among savvy
photographers who watch what they
spend. The K2000 should help Pentax
hold onto its stellar reputation.
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