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June 25, 2009
[REVIEW—PENTAX K-m DSLR]
Price: $900 with Pentax 18–55mm lens
A real photographic tool
The low-down: This 10.2 megapixel single lens reflex camera is fitted with a Pentax zoom lens with a 18–55mm range (approximately 27–82mm film equivalent). The camera/lens combination is small and light for a DSLR and well made. The lens is mechanically smooth with just the right friction in the zoom and focus rings. Image stabilisation is in-body by sensor shift. There is also dust reduction by sensor shake. The camera uses AA batteries and memory is by SD card. There is no body-top function display but the LCD layout is clear and easy to use. Some settings are also displayed in the viewfinder. There is no illuminated focus spot, which is a curious omission.
Like: The camera continues the Pentax style of no-nonsense SLRs. There are no gimmicky concessions to customers moving up from compact cameras. Every function is a genuine photographic tool. The Pentax kit lens is particularly fine. Image quality is exceptionally good, with one caveat.
Dislike: The camera has one serious flaw. JPEG images straight from the camera are unimpressive both in sharpness and in colour. We are at a loss to understand this because the RAW images are excellent. JPEG and RAW can be recorded simultaneously so in one sense it is not an issue, but it does mean that to get the best from the K-m you must be prepared to work with RAW files. If you use a Mac and iPhoto this will not even be a nuisance, but PC users will have to come to terms with RAW.
Verdict: If you can live with the RAW file system – and that, after all, is the way to get better images with any camera – then the Pentax is a fine camera. And the supplied Silkypix RAW converter is excellent. This is a low cost entry into the serious photographic world of the DSLR. It's a lot of camera for the money.
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Posted by terry at June 25, 2009 06:33 PM
Worth Checking Out
Digital Cameras SydneyComments
Hey there dpexpert
Are you able to compare (like, do you remember) the JPEG output of the K-m with the K200D?
Thanks.
Posted by: happnndude at June 26, 2009 04:33 PM
I don't recall any problems with JPEGs from the K200D. I thought that both the K100 and the K200 produced very good images after a little tweaking of the default saturation/contrast/sharpness settings. They are all too high by default. But apart from that I found the JPEGs good and the RAW images excellent.
Posted by: dpexpert at June 26, 2009 04:49 PM
Thanks for the review.
Any news on the K-7? Love to see a review.
Posted by: Oliver at July 8, 2009 04:45 PM