Pentax K20D

Pentax K20D[1]
Type	digital single-lens reflex camera
Sensor	CMOS active pixel sensor with a primary color filter
Maximum resolution	14.6 megapixels
Lens type	Interchangeable Pentax “crippled” KAF2 mount compatible with Pentax auto-aperture lenses; older lenses supported in stop-down metering mode.
Shutter speed range	1/4000 sec – 30 sec, Bulb
Exposure metering	TTL open-aperture metering with choice of: 16-segment, center-weighted & spot meter
Exposure modes	Program, Sensitivity Priority, Shutter-Speed Priority, Aperture Priority, Shutter-Speed and Aperture Priority, Manual, Bulb
ASA/ISO range	ISO Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, boosted: 6400
Rear LCD monitor	2.7″, 230,000 pixels
Storage	SD, SDHC
Battery	Rechargeable D-LI50 Lithium-ion battery, Optional AC adapter
Weight	715 g (25 oz) without battery, 790 g with battery
Made In	Philippines
Retail info

The Pentax K20D and its clone, Samsung GX-20 were 14.6 megapixel digital single-lens reflex cameras manufactured by Pentax, announced in January 24, 2008.^[2][3] The K20D was available in the U.S. market from February, 2008 until Autumn 2009.

The K20D and GX-20 bodies were developed by Pentax while CMOS sensor was manufactured by Samsung, which became Pentax’s partner since 2005. Although both cameras mostly share the same hardware, each camera has their own design, firmware and image processing algorithm. The K20D is the first Pentax DSLR with a CMOS image sensor co-developed by Pentax and Samsung. Their expertise in sensor design is seen as a major benefit to Pentax, which did not release its first DSLR until 2003, when other camera manufacturers had already become established in the growing market.

Until 2008, the K20D and GX-20 held the record for the highest resolution sensor in the APS-C image sensor format—14.6 megapixels.

Lastest firmware version 1.03 is available since April, 2009. This version improve Shake Reduction (SR) accuracy as well as autofocus performance in some conditions. Users can download the update program from the Pentax website^[4]

In 2009, Pentax announced the metal-built K-7; a new replacement of the K20D with an improved 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor, smaller design and a lot of new professional features including HD video recording. According to Pentax Japan website^[which?], the K20D has been discontinued in favour of the newcomer K7^{[verification needed]} but Pentax Imaging^[5] and Pentax’s English-language websites^[6] still show it as a current model.

A caveat of the K20D is the Noise Reduction [NR] system. This can cause problems with long exposures as the method of reducing noise from the sensor involves shooting a “dark frame” at the same shutter speed as the photo was taken. This means if you use bulb mode and shoot a 1 hour exposure, the K20D will then take a 1 hour dark frame exposure and thus the total time per exposure is 2× the original shutter speed. Unlike its predecessor, the K20D does not support turning off the NR feature. This makes the K20D less suitable for night photography.

Features

The K20D is the successor to the well-reviewed Pentax K10D prosumer DSLR. The K20D has been released alongside the Pentax K200D, a substantial upgrade of the entry-level Pentax K100D. Relative to its predecessor, the K20D offers:

• a CMOS image sensor with:
  • higher resolution (14.6 megapixels vs. 10 megapixels for the K10D)
  • higher sensitivity, up to ISO 6400 equivalent (vs. ISO 1600 for the K10D)
• a slightly larger, higher-resolution, main LCD screen with live view and which can be color-calibrated via custom settings
• a more versatile continuous shooting mode, offering a choice between 3 frame/s at full resolution and 21 frame/s at 1.6 megapixel resolution.
• the option to take a series of bracketed shots with one shutter press.
• an improved autofocus and shake reduction system
• a new Dust Alert feature, which scans the sensor for dust particles and highlights their locations for ease of removal
• dynamic range enhancement by 1 EV
• ability to adjust the AF offset to solve front/back focus problems for up to 20 individual lenses
• an X-sync socket for studio flash control
• a new higher-quality (and less-compressed) “★★★★” setting for JPEG images
• selectable levels of in-camera noise reduction
• a separate option for levels of edge sharpening in JPEG images, addressing a frequent complaint in reviews of the K10D
• Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, and Monochrome image tone settings in addition to Bright and Natural
• optional automatic fine adjustment of white balance even when the type of light source is manually selected
• Customizable filename prefixes, allowing one to easily distinguish between files from multiple K20Ds
• In-camera hot-pixel mapping
• A trap-focus feature which works with autofocus lenses
• Interval shooting option allows up to 99 images to be captured at chosen intervals and at a chosen start time.

As of August, 2009. The MSRP of the K20D body in the U.S market is $629 and with DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II lens kit is $699.

Samsung GX-20

Under a partnership between Pentax and Samsung Techwin, the K20D is also available as the Samsung GX-20. The two cameras are virtually identical with a few small differences. The text labels for buttons are different, using a slightly smaller font, and the buttons themselves are slightly different in shape and placement. In addition, the hand grip is a slightly different shape, meaning the battery grip for the K20D is incompatible—however, a GX-20 battery grip is available.

The firmware of the Samsung GX-20 is also different, using different menus and symbols, and lacks support for Pentax’s PEF raw image format. The JPEG image processing of the GX-20 is reportedly different from that of the K20D;^[7].

References

External links

This article's external links may not follow Wikipedia's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links. (September 2008)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pentax K20D

Official:

• Pentax Press Images of the K20D, K200D, and new lenses
• K20D product information

Unofficial:

• Pentax K20D Blog, following the camera’s development and release
• (Japanese) Marketing posters for the K20D, K200D, and new lenses
• (German) K20D brochure

Reviews:

• Pentax K20D Full-Review at Neocamera
• My 2500 word essay on the K20D, by a reviewer who beta-tested the K20D briefly
• Pentax K20D brief hands-on from DPReview.com
• Pentax Pentax K20D Review, June 2008, Richard Butler from DPReview.com
• Pentax K20D review from ProfessionalPhotographer.co.uk