Pentax K20D or K200D?

lilmommalilmomma Registered Users Posts: 1,060 Major grins
edited July 10, 2009 in Cameras
Asking this for a friend, as I'm a Nikon girl...

She has an 800 dollar limit and is looking at either the K200d or K20d and doesn't know which one to get. This will be her first digital SLR, but she messed around with film years ago. She has a Pentax lens already from the film slr which is why she's sticking with the brand.

Can you offer a comparison of the two? I know nothing about pentax so I don't know what to tell her. Advice appreciated, thanks!!

Comments

  • MarkRMarkR Registered Users Posts: 2,099 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2009
    lilmomma wrote:
    Asking this for a friend, as I'm a Nikon girl...

    She has an 800 dollar limit and is looking at either the K200d or K20d and doesn't know which one to get. This will be her first digital SLR, but she messed around with film years ago. She has a Pentax lens already from the film slr which is why she's sticking with the brand.

    Can you offer a comparison of the two? I know nothing about pentax so I don't know what to tell her. Advice appreciated, thanks!!

    They are both excellent cameras, but the K20d has more "room to grow." And at the current prices, the K20d is an absolute steal. I just ordered mine yesterday. deal.gif (For about what I paid for a K100D two years ago. eek7.gif )

    These have both been reviewed by dpreview.com in more thoroughness than I could go into. You can see a quick comparison here

    I'm really looking forward to the brighter pentaprism, and not rooting around in menus to change things like metering mode and autofocus method.
  • kini62kini62 Registered Users Posts: 441 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2009
    K20D hands down. Much better value.
    lilmomma wrote:
    Asking this for a friend, as I'm a Nikon girl...

    She has an 800 dollar limit and is looking at either the K200d or K20d and doesn't know which one to get. This will be her first digital SLR, but she messed around with film years ago. She has a Pentax lens already from the film slr which is why she's sticking with the brand.

    Can you offer a comparison of the two? I know nothing about pentax so I don't know what to tell her. Advice appreciated, thanks!!
  • GrainbeltGrainbelt Registered Users Posts: 478 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2009
    Depends, a bit. I bought a K200D with kit lens for 600 last fall. Your friend probably has a fast 50mm prime from film days. It will work (and meter wonderfully) on either camera.

    A couple hundred bucks left over gets a decent older macro lens or a flash, both of which can be great photographic tools, especially depending on the subject matter.

    I say this as I secretly plan to buy the new K7 soon and keep the K200D as a second body. :D
  • dragiloresdragilores Registered Users Posts: 38 Big grins
    edited July 8, 2009
    I don't know much about Pentax, but K20D was on sale at Walmart.com.
    Body only was $599, but it is now OOS (out-of-stock).
    Check it back often to see if they get more in stock or not.

    http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=10058775&sourceid=15054478042561374520
  • lilmommalilmomma Registered Users Posts: 1,060 Major grins
    edited July 9, 2009
    Thanks for the advice guys! After mulling over it all day, even considering nikon or canon, she decided to go with the 20d. I did some more research and found that it's comparable to the nikon D90 and for 800 obviously the best deal. She has a 70-300 promaster pentax-mount which is why she was considering pentax originally, then after I found out she has a pentax 30-80 f/1.0-5.6 (i think 1.0, maybe it was 1.8?) also I told her no question stick with pentax and go with the upgraded camera. Anyway not sure why I felt the need to share all this info but an any case we appreciate the advice!
  • MarkRMarkR Registered Users Posts: 2,099 Major grins
    edited July 9, 2009
    lilmomma wrote:
    Thanks for the advice guys! After mulling over it all day, even considering nikon or canon, she decided to go with the 20d. I did some more research and found that it's comparable to the nikon D90 and for 800 obviously the best deal. She has a 70-300 promaster pentax-mount which is why she was considering pentax originally, then after I found out she has a pentax 30-80 f/1.0-5.6 (i think 1.0, maybe it was 1.8?) also I told her no question stick with pentax and go with the upgraded camera. Anyway not sure why I felt the need to share all this info but an any case we appreciate the advice!

    Oh, wait til she discovers the joy of LBA (Lens buying addiction), and rooting around in online forums for 30 year old lenses to use to use with her camera. deal.gif
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,132 moderator
    edited July 9, 2009
    lilmomma wrote:
    ... I found out she has a pentax 30-80 f/1.0-5.6 (i think 1.0, maybe it was 1.8?) ...

    Since you mention 80mm and f5.6 I suspect it is the Pentax 28-80mm, f3.5-f5.6 FA J AL, which is the newest of the Pentax 28-80mm series of standard zooms (and the only one to have an f5.6 designation for the long end).
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • GrainbeltGrainbelt Registered Users Posts: 478 Major grins
    edited July 10, 2009
    MarkR wrote:
    Oh, wait til she discovers the joy of LBA (Lens buying addiction), and rooting around in online forums for 30 year old lenses to use to use with her camera. deal.gif

    lol3.gif

    I have a 30mm 2.8, 50mm 1.7, 100mm 2.8, all manual focus and take gorgeous pictures. On film or digital. :D

    I'm waiting for the 85. 1.4...
  • lilmommalilmomma Registered Users Posts: 1,060 Major grins
    edited July 10, 2009
    ziggy53 wrote:
    Since you mention 80mm and f5.6 I suspect it is the Pentax 28-80mm, f3.5-f5.6 FA J AL, which is the newest of the Pentax 28-80mm series of standard zooms (and the only one to have an f5.6 designation for the long end).

    I haven't seen it so I can't verify what it is yet but I think i'm going to ask her again. I could've sworn she said 30-80, and I thought it was strange but I'm still fairly new to the dslr world so I thought no further about it. I do know that it was variable aperture and that the max was in the 1.(something) range. I think I'm going to ask her to show it to me. I also know that it is older from film days, and she may have said it was the kit lens that came with the old pentax she had. Now i'm curious...I'll let you know.

    MarkR wrote:
    Oh, wait til she discovers the joy of LBA (Lens buying addiction)....

    Yeah i know right? I have only bought one additional lens as of yet but I sure do have a list and am very much working on it! but I only bought my first dslr in Feb. and since am HOOKED. I already upgraded b/c i outgrew the d40 so quickly! but she hasn't a clue about the digital world and hasn't messed with an slr in a looong time. I have forwarned her that it is addicting and expensive :Drolleyes1.gif
  • MarkRMarkR Registered Users Posts: 2,099 Major grins
    edited July 10, 2009
    lilmomma wrote:
    I haven't seen it so I can't verify what it is yet but I think i'm going to ask her again. I could've sworn she said 30-80, and I thought it was strange but I'm still fairly new to the dslr world so I thought no further about it. I do know that it was variable aperture and that the max was in the 1.(something) range. I think I'm going to ask her to show it to me. I also know that it is older from film days, and she may have said it was the kit lens that came with the old pentax she had. Now i'm curious...I'll let you know.




    Yeah i know right? I have only bought one additional lens as of yet but I sure do have a list and am very much working on it! but I only bought my first dslr in Feb. and since am HOOKED. I already upgraded b/c i outgrew the d40 so quickly! but she hasn't a clue about the digital world and hasn't messed with an slr in a looong time. I have forwarned her that it is addicting and expensive :Drolleyes1.gif


    Well, the nice thing about Pentax is that they have 30+ years of backward compatibility. You can pick up some awfully nice manual primes (as Grainbelt can attest) for cheap. My K20d should be arriving any hour now ...
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,132 moderator
    edited July 10, 2009
    MarkR wrote:
    Well, the nice thing about Pentax is that they have 30+ years of backward compatibility. You can pick up some awfully nice manual primes (as Grainbelt can attest) ...

    Me too (I can also attest):

    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=34881
    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=38398
    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=27214

    All of the above are Pentax screw mount/M42/Universal screw mount lenses.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • MarkRMarkR Registered Users Posts: 2,099 Major grins
    edited July 10, 2009
    ziggy53 wrote:
    Me too (I can also attest):

    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=34881
    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=38398
    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=27214

    All of the above are Pentax screw mount/M42/Universal screw mount lenses.

    Ok, Ziggy can attest to it too ... :D

    Some very nice lenses out there.
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