DPReview finally do an excellent Pentax test!

Just read the Pentax K-x test on DPreview. I can say excellent!

All I can say is that it wallops the Canon 500D Nikon D5000 and Olympus E-620 into submission.

It's Hi ISO performance is to be admired.

Only question is, for Hi-ISO, does it beat the K-7. I think it might. hmmmmm

link

Still an excellent review, and those who have one, I am jealous.
Maybe it is afterall my replacement for the Ds even though it only has a pentamirror.

IMO yes and that was enough for me to put off buying a new Pentax body until the next high end model is announced. To be honest I just can't understand why Pentax would offer better ISO performance on a mid entry camera when compared to their high spec body. It may not put some people off buying the K-7 but I think it matters enough that it has had a significant effect on K-7 purchases.

It's probably the only thing the K-x does better than the K-7 but it's important enough to make a lot of people stop and think.

I think you might be right Mike.
However, it is great that Pentax have enough in their R&D to bring out a model to beat, sorry, stun the opposition.
Personally, I would have both the K-7 and K-x for different reasons.
The K-7 to replace my K10d/K20D combo as my main camera, mainly due to its overall performance, weathersealing, build etc etc. and for Studio and landscape work I do a lot of.
The K-x to replace my DS as my second body which would, and is, used for walk around, travel, cities, candids, etc, where a bigger body would be not suitable and a Hi ISO performance is needed more.

But if you only need one body, at least you have two options for a change.

It's put me into a bit of a quandry. I was thinking of getting a new body, but I'm a bit put off both now.
The lack of weather sealing and a top LCD puts me off the K-x.
Knowing that the K-x offers better low light performance puts me off the K-7.

After playing around with a friends, dare I say it, D700, I've realised how useful good low light performance would be.

I think I'll be waiting for the next top end Pentax too, seeing as the K-7 is pretty new though, I'm guessing it's going to be a while....

I only need one body but the problem is, why should the lower priced option have such a major improvement over the more expensive. Surely the K-7 should be better in all areas over the cheaper model.

IMO to the person only needing one body this is actually a major stalling point.

The K-x is a newer model than the K-7, so Pentax had the opportunity to incorporate some new secret noise reduction cleverness - that perhaps simply wasn't ready, or thought desirable, for the K-7 - along with a very good sensor.

But remember that that sensor has fewer pixels than the K-7's. That partly (only partly) explains the lower noise as well. Downsize the K-7's images and apply some NR and you might get similar results.

As for waiting for Pentax to bring out a semi-professional model with relatively low noise: you can carry on waiting for ever for the next model. I say get a K-7 now and enjoy it - until you upgrade to the K-8 or whatever.

Its probably 99% down to the new Sony sensor used.

Anyway, no hurry .. I am happy to carry on using my (rather tired) K10D for the moment, wait a few months until the sun starts to shine again then see what occurs.

It's not so unusual. When the K10D was introduced, Pentax recommended the 6MP alternatives for those to whom low noise was the priority. It's inevitable that lower resolution sensors will be less noisy.

There's more to any DSLR than any one parameter in isolation - it's the balance of properties and features overall.

...and some say the camera isn't any good?

This is the first review I've seen that actually places the K-x against the EOS500 and not the cheaper EOS1000, and done by an independent body who's not on the advertising payroll of the big three.

Very encouraging.

Probably the deal with Samsung is the problem, the K-x also has a very new type of sensor with a new build up that makes it very effective in low light, problem is though at lower iso it creates some artefacts, with the k7 that's less.

Yes, there is very not a big difference in resolution between the two sensors in question, so there's more to it than that. I strongly suspect that Pentax has incorporated some secret noise reduction (even at the RAW level), as well as using a sensor that's good in the first place.

Re dpreview, I think they have always been very fair to Pentax, in fact I went with my first Pentax DSLR on the strength of a positive dpreview write up. My K200D got a 'Highly Recommended' from them and I believe the K-7 also won praise. Yes they point out flaws - but that is their job!

DPReview have overly criticised Pentax's JPEG quality in the past, amongst other things, and this has put some potential buyers off. Fortunately, they seem to generally like the K-7 and K-x.

However, they are obsessed by the lack of in-viewfinder focus point confirmation - and this may again disuade some people. In reality this is no big deal if you have manually selected the focus point.

It may not be a big deal to seasoned DSLR users but as the K-x is basically Pentax's entry level offering now I would have thought it is quite an important omission considering its target market.:

The feature was omitted to make the camera smaller - and a small camera is attractive to the target market. Apparently, it's not possible to have superimposed lights in the viewfinder with a mirror box of that size.

It should be no big deal to anyone who selects their focus point manually because then you can remember which point you selected. The user doesn't have to be experienced to do that, just brave enough to think for themselves rather than ridiculously let the camera decide what to focus on. Personally, I selected manual focus point selection right from when I picked up my first AF camera (*ist DS).

The camera does have the beep and green hexagon to indicate in-focus. It just lacks in-viewfinder indication of which point has been focused on.