Pentax K20D : Specifications and Opinions

Reviews

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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.

Joseph64

sent on 03 Giugno 2024

Pros: Robust, reliable, usable with optics even from the 70s

Cons: High ISO performance, a bit slow in focusing... but if compared to age.... nothing

Opinion: I have been using the K20d for 14 years with great satisfaction... Bought used without lenses because I initially used (and still use...) the lenses of my analog P30N.... Of course, it is not comparable in performance to the most modern ASP-C, FF or ML, but in terms of robustness and ease of use it still gives you a hard time. Used on the boat during the regattas I was able to appreciate the tropicalization and between rain and splashes, even if associated with a 18-200 optic not exactly of quality (the so-called "bottom of the bottle"), I was able to take home a series of shots of remarkable quality in peace. With high ISO it is not usable, the noise is high already starting from 800, but for the use for which I intended it, (battle where you don't want to put expensive equipment at risk, experimentation with optics, filters, duplicators and triple focal lengths, adapter rings and inversion rings, and so on and so forth...) it is perfect. You can find it at modest prices and you can have fun....

Edec

sent on 27 Febbraio 2024

Pros: Professional body, every button is in the right place, excellent viewfinder, ergonomics and a photographic performance that exceeds all expectations, better than many much newer cameras.

Cons: Rather slow flurry for sporting events, but more than enough in family or ceremonial settings.

Opinion: Aesthetically beautiful, it weighs just the right amount, it is watertight, all the necessary information is visible in the display, in the viewfinder and in the LCD, to keep every parameter under control. It has a sensor that, especially at low iso, is of exemplary pleasantness and fidelity. At high iso it has a nice grain that does not disturb up to 1600 iso. If used in RAW, with a little patience you can go even further, otherwise just use the flash. The JPG has a sharper sharpness than other machines with a much higher cost. Accurate and fast autofocus in good light, in low light conditions the flash pre-flash can be triggered. Excellent for use with manual or vintage lenses, it does not make you regret film cameras, it provides optimal exposure even in manual. The viewfinder is bright and accurate, allowing for perfect MAF. A machine that will always be valid even in many years. Those who have it, keep it dearly! I've also had a K-r, K7, K5 and K30, but the most balanced, I won't say the best, is the k20. It's also a great camera to learn at compact prices.

Edec

sent on 27 Febbraio 2024

Pros: Professional body, every button is in the right place, excellent viewfinder, ergonomics and a photographic performance that exceeds all expectations, better than many much more reverent cameras.

Cons: Rather slow flurry for sporting events, but more than enough in family or ceremonial settings.

Opinion: Aesthetically beautiful, it weighs just the right amount, it is watertight, all the necessary information is visible in the display, in the viewfinder and in the LCD, to keep every parameter under control. It has a sensor that, especially at low iso, is of exemplary pleasantness and fidelity. At high iso it has a nice grain that does not disturb up to 1600 iso. If used in RAW, with a little patience you can go even further, otherwise just use the flash. The JPG has a sharper sharpness than other machines with a much higher cost. Accurate and fast autofocus in good light, in low light conditions the flash pre-flash can be triggered. Excellent for use with manual or vintage lenses, it does not make you regret film cameras, it provides optimal exposure even in manual. The viewfinder is bright and accurate, allowing for perfect MAF. A machine that will always be valid even in many years. Those who have it, keep it dearly! I've also had a K-r, K7, K5 and K30, but the most balanced, I won't say the best, is the k20. It's also a great camera to learn at compact prices.

Samuel Melchiori

sent on 21 Novembre 2023

Pros: Double ring, pentaprism viewfinder (and despite what is reported in the card with 100% coverage), tropicalized body, sensor stabilization, image quality as long as you stay at low ISO and do not open the shadows.

Cons: Autofocus, definitely obsolete in terms of high ISO and the ability to open shadows, can't control the apertures of the new electronic aperture lenses (but I don't think anyone aims to buy this camera to spend little and then go and buy one of these lenses).

Opinion: Bought to replace the Ist DS which was an entry level model that lacked the double ring to control shutter speeds and apertures, the camera remained my main camera from 2009 to 2018 and it turned out to be much superior also for the image quality that being at 100-200 ISO is very good, the 14 megapixel sensor also allows discretely pushed crops (although obviously not in the same way as the new sensors from 24 megapixels without anti-aliasing filter), the autofous is poor and often risks making mistakes; when I bought it it certainly had various advantages especially for those who generally use manual focus for a not very high price then it was definitely outdated after not even that long (in Pentax it was the K5 came out not many years later that completely destroyed it for high ISO and aperture of the shadows), if you have it it can certainly still give satisfaction but if you want to buy it consider its limits and if it is not the case to spend something more for a more modern camera that has all other capabilities regarding ISO and the ability to open the shadows, if you want to try an old Pentax spending little (although more than for this one) I would say to forget the K20D and the K7 and focus on the K5.

user44306

sent on 05 Febbraio 2017

Pros: Body Tropicalised, menus and commands, color rendering

Cons: limited dynamic range, for use in afs

Opinion: Use this little old lady who looks back on nine years of technological advancement (almost 5 generations) is complex. Because you have to remember with what you are taking and how much we paid for it. rnal price of a fifty plasticky new fact I bought this camera that could easily be used in a storm or used to drive nails if you do not have a hammer available, more battery grip and a 18-55 tropical conditions. Despite his age and use (the previous owner had also spent some years in North Africa using it in harsh environmental conditions), the machine is perfect, no scratches it discoloration, except for the tires of the cap cover contacts for BG, as well as for the small screws on sight, partially oxidized (but not enough to ruin the apparent solidity) .rnPer regard to the image quality, I find it very good colors (very pentax) as well as the definition (in the limit of 14 mpx) to iso downs. Unfortunately the very limited dynamic range,that does not allow openings of high shadows and in those cases presents a vertical banding. But I stress that I am used to SLR with high dynamic range, from surveys of DxOMark this machine has almost the dynamic range of a 5D3 !!!

Phil3rd

sent on 15 Dicembre 2013

Pros: pro body, weather sealing, viewfinder, fine f, interval shooting, 14mpx with a superb performance (perhaps the best c-mos that I have tried to lower iso)

Cons: burst at 3fps now outdated.

Opinion: is a great machine, it can safely be said again his every command is there, where it should be, the sensor at low ISO is faithful in a fearful manner, the body is very solid and comfortable, pleasant to hold in high iso to mano.rnad 'age was among the best aps-c, usable without problems up to 1600 iso.rnl' af in low light limps, but also when the competitors do, so nothing eclatante.rnmolto comfortable 9-point cross. rnrngran machine, which now pays like a loaf of bread (unfairly), who takes it is definitely a bargain.

Pentax72

sent on 08 Ottobre 2013

Pros: Robust, reliable and quick menu in the settings.

Cons: shots slow and not suitable for sports photos.

Opinion: I use it for 3 years and they are certainly not a professional but I have had great satisfaction especially in landscape photography. I do not think to change it for an economic issue but if I did still take a Pentax. A K-3 :) maybe it is true that at high ISO makes noise, but for long exposure and landscapes do not use these settings then in my opinion the performance remains high, then if you match a good optical yield salt definitely.

Marcop

sent on 02 Aprile 2012

Pros: Ergonomic, sealing, long battery life thanks to the possibility to use two batteries (in the camera body and booster), strong body, excellent color rendering, stabilizer into the camera body.

Cons: Over 800 iso noise is evident, slow burst.

Opinion: The Pentax K20D SLR is a robust and very reliable, the advantage for me that I've always used Pentax, was to be able to use optical old production (FA or KA) on the K20D without losing any automation. The critical point is the noise at high ISO, forgivable when you consider that it is a reflex went into production in 2008, for the rest I think I will use the K20D still for some time.