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Reviewed by
malibru
, Expert
Price Paid
$499.00
Photography Experience
21+ years
, Outdoor
Summary
The K-x is perfect for someone intimated by manual controls... there are enough digital filters, scene modes, custom options, and "intelligent" exposure settings to keep someone busy for days. But for those of us who prefer to shoot manually, it's not the world's most friendly camera, and for one simple reason: only one thumb dial to change both exposure and shutter speed. Big pain, and something I didn't really consider when I purchased the camera. My bad.
Color rendition is generally accurate, sometimes impressively so. But in tricky light: dappled sunlight in clouds (which is generally one of the great times to get beautiful color shots), it can be a little temperamental. Being able to adjust the color palette in the various WB modes is helpful, albeit a little time-consuming. Highlights in tricky light are usually blown, unless you use the HDR function (which takes 3 pics in a row of different exposures then makes a single custom picture from them), but that requires, in most instances, the use of a tripod. Otherwise, you've got a well-exposed, blurry picture. Speaking of blurry pictures, I'm not terribly impressed with the focus capacity of this camera. Yes, it has 11-point autofocus if you want it, but good luck figuring out which of the 11 points it's focused on... it doesn't tell you. As a result, I usually put it on center focus, but even then with moving objects...
I like the hand grip; makes for easy handling with one hand. The flash exposures are better than most, at least in practice (though daylight flash isn't perfect). The menu settings are okay... at least Pentax decided to go horizontal rather than vertical, so you never have to wonder what options are below the 'fold.' There aren't any.
The playback is fun, but when you use the digital filters in conjuction, the operation can be less than intuitive ~ you'll see what I mean when you try it. Who would know that you save a filtered pic with the "Info" button? Huh?? But this kind of unintuitive button function really isn't particular to Pentax; more and more cameras that try to be all things to all people suffer from this. I call it gadget creep. Cameras are increasingly feeling like they have to compete with i-Phones. Yikes. Frankly, I could give a rat's ass about movie capture... but maybe that's just me.
Overall I'm impressed with the camera's rendering of colors, it's usefulness as a glorified point and shoot, and its multi-layered capabilities. But if you're from the Old School and just want a box to capture light that isn't encumbered by too many options, I'm not entirely sure the K-x is your best bet.
Strengths
Color rendering
Hand grip
plethora of filter/exposure options
size
two kinds of RAW
long battery life (honestly, this camera is like the energizer bunny)
low-light capacity
useful first layer customization
Weaknesses
limited dynamic range (highlight are often clipped)
limited focusing consistency (due to focus point guessing game)
too many options that make the photographic experience a nuisance
not the most intuitive playback operation
Similar Products Used
Pentax k10d
Olympus e-510
Panasonic G1
Olympus e-P1
Customer Service
No need.
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