Pentax K20D Review

In case you haven't been paying close attention to the digital SLR market lately, there's been a shift toward CMOS sensors. Though Pentax has stuck with CCD for its entry-level K200D SLR, they have moved to a 14.6-megapixel CMOS chip in their new flagship K20D. That puts it ahead of some more expensive models in terms of pixel count. Notably, Canon's similarly priced EOS 40D sports a 10.1MP sensor, Sony's Alpha DSLR-A700 includes a 12.24MP chip, and even Nikon's pricier D300 checks in at 12.3 megapixels. As I always say, megapixels aren't everything, so let's see what else Pentax's K20D has going on.

The overall body design is essentially the same as the K10D's. In fact, they both use the same vertical grip. Pentax did upgrade the LCD to a 2.7-inch screen from a 2.5-inch display. The only other change to the body design is the addition of a PC terminal, which lets you connect the camera to a studio strobe. I was surprised that the K10D didn't have one, so it's nice to see it here, though I'm not sure how many people will really take advantage of it.

The similarity between the two bodies is a good thing. I always liked the K10D's design. It's on the small side compared with a lot of midlevel SLRs, making it easier to carry with you. There are two wheels--one near your thumb and one near your forefinger--to adjust shutter speed and aperture in manual exposure mode. This is much more convenient than the single-shell-plus-button-press system employed by most entry-level dSLRs. Pentax also includes plenty of switch and button controls for various functions, so you don't have to delve into the menus to change most of the functions you use while shooting. I came to really like the AF switch, which is on the left front of the body just behind the lens mount. It's a three-way switch with manual focus on the bottom and single-shot AF on top, which made it easy to change to manual focus when I wanted to override autofocus in favor of a more artistic, selective focus. A handful of controls are hidden in the function menu, but with the four-way rocker, these are still only a few button presses away.

Philip Ryan

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