by Peter Zack

In the 2nd section we had a more detailed look at the features and performance of the Pentax K-x. In this final part, we’ll offer some conclusions about the camera. I’d like to mention that if you use one of the affiliate links at the bottom of the article to purchase from one of our site supporters, it helps us keep the site running and we greatly appreciate your help. There’s no cost to you!

I waited a bit to post this section because I really wanted to use the camera a lot before giving some final thoughts. I’ve used it for fun and for some weddings, shooting over 5000 frames. I wouldn’t use this as a primary camera in that roll but it served a purpose. It clearly can track a moving object in low light (or any light) better than previous models. It also offers much better images at ISO 1600 and 3200 in poor light. ISO 6400 is decent and usable for less critical photos but maybe not for photos that will be enlarged a lot or sold. I will say though in reasonable to good light, the images are quite clean and even ISO 12,800 is very usable. Overall there’s no banding and chroma noise is fairly well controlled. Luminescence noise is fairly fine grained and not too objectionable.

We often measure image results at high ISO’s in poor light. You may want to use your camera in good light for greater DoF (small apertures), say for macro shooting. Or to capture fast action shots. In light like this, ISO 6400 is very good and ISO 12,800 is also very usable.

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Pentax K-x High ISO Test Images

ISO 12,800	ISO 6400

Below are links to several additional test images.
This set of test images are in good diffused sunlight.

ISO 100
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12,800

This set of test images are in darker conditions.
ISO 100
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12,800

Exposure:

Is generally very good. The camera does have a tendency to clip highlights in bright scenes and high contrast situations. With many cameras I’ve tested or shot with, this seems to be the normal metering setup when the manufacturer wants to promote good high ISO abilities. A slightly overexposed image in low light at ISO1600 > will have a lot less noise. So consider a scene with someone wearing a white shirt and black pants in direct sun. If you used multi-point metering, the shirt is going to loose some detail and be partly blown out. In situations where this could happen, I found setting the Ev comp at -1/3 was a good way to go. Otherwise I found the metering to be very good and gave results that need very little adjusting.

Nit Picks:

Overall my only complaints are the SR (anti-shake). This is a minor one and mostly just getting used to the camera. It seems to lock on slower and you have to watch the icon in the display more. Once engaged, it works well with some limits. It’s not as good as other Pentax models, so don’t count on getting motion free shots at very slow shutter speeds. I first thought there was something wrong with the camera I had. I was getting the occasional soft or blurry image. It’s more a combination of the 2 items, not waiting long enough and expecting the 3-4 stops a body like the K-7 or K20D can offer. It’s more like 2 stops in my opinion.

Personal note: The comment above begs a comment on anti shake systems though. Even though I know better, I’ve gotten lazy with how I shoot and handle a camera, pushing shots to shutter speeds that are too slow. Not using a tripod or camera support when it’s really required, not holding the camera in a good technical way. They are great assistants but not a panacea. Good shooting techniques will always improve your (and mine) shots. So getting used to this camera’s slightly different SR was a good reminder to be more careful.

My other complaint is the memory card, Format feature in the menu. As a matter of routine, I’ll download anything on the memory cards after each shoot. Then return the card to the camera. Double check the card in the camera for files and the new images that were put on the storage hard drive. Once done, I’ll format the card in the camera for the next shoot. To me the format feature is important to avoid corrupted files. It should not be done with the computer but with the camera. It takes 12 button pushes or turns of the e-dial to complete this process. Format is on the 4th page of the 3rd menu and the 5th item on that page. This is a setting that should not be buried in the menus. Otherwise the menu layout is good and well laid out.

Video:

I never really talked about video. It records at 1280×720 pixels at a cinematic 24 frames per second. Limited to a max of 4GB clips at 5.8 MB/sec (720p), 1.7 MB/sec (VGA). I assume they limited the length (approx 11 minutes) to avoid the sensor heating up too much. I took several videos of varying length and had no issues with sensor heat. It does a fine job and produces a good ‘consumer quality’ HD video. The microphone is very sensitive and you have to be careful when handling the body, you’ll pick up clicks and bumps when moving the body around. otherwise the sound quality is fairly good for a small in camera mic. I do wish there was some way to plug in even a mono mic. I think that’s a missing feature that should have been added. Then again, this is an entry level camera even if it can play well against the big boys.

Starting the video mode is a bit ‘clunky’ (normal with DSLR’s) with the camera focusing the scene and flipping the mirror up and down, then up again ready to shoot. It takes about 3-4 seconds to get started the first time. Having aperture control is nice on a DSLR for video though. using a wide angled lens and stopped down a bit, you may not need to focus manually much. Focusing with the screen isn’t second nature but possible. It exposes well but a touch slow to adjust when transitioning from a bright to darker situation. SR is a great addition to DSLR video and I found it really made a difference when walking around. Not quite a steady-cam but with good technique, you can move around and get nice jitter free results. Overall a fun feature and well implemented.

Bulb Setting:

One other note that is a little quirky. When you look at the mode dial (seen in part 1 of this review), there is no “B” setting. At first I thought this was a strange oversight. Maybe they just didn’t have enough room on the dial for the extra setting but it’s there. Put the camera in manual mode and turn the shutter speed down past 30 seconds. A great big “Bulb” will show up on the rear LCD. You will also notice that the ISO stops at 1600. They have limited the bulb setting to a max of ISO1600. It’s not an issue because most people that will use this setting will most likely put the camera at ISO100 for the cleanest images. You certainly don’t want noise in your star trails.

Conclusions:

I compared the camera to other Pentax models and a Nikon D40. It’s a very capable camera. Much better high ISO ability than the D40 and faster focus. Much easier menus and faster to make adjustments to common critical settings. In fact I’ve come to like the fast access to the settings found with the Info button. You can very quickly change things like focus tracking, etc. The control pad buttons allow nearly instant changes to ISO, AF points etc.

If you read comments on this body, the most common complaint seems to be the lack of AF points. As described earlier, the screen scribe marks to show you where the AF points are in a general way. I found that this worked just fine. It was easy to use both the center point and the other side points. I found that I rarely missed the focus. The only time this might be tough to use is in very dimly lit conditions where even seeing the scribe marks on the screen will be tough to see, because they are fine and black. I don’t think this is a serious issue but would have liked to have at least the center AF point light up in the viewfinder.

Given the price point, this camera deserves the high praise and “class leading” designation most reviews have stated. Image quality is very good with well metered and exposed images. Good dynamic range and naturally rendered colour. Very fast focus lock that tracks well. Video quality is very good and a nice additional feature. Having the various scene settings, allows the point and shoot users to easily move up with familiar features. Then plenty of choices for creative control mode settings. Very good detail at high ISO’s to 3200. Quite usable at 6400 and even 12,800.

It’s a nicely constructed body with a good solid feel and a very small size. For it’s very small size, it has just the right number of ‘hard’ buttons, a good LCD and an impressive feature set. Ergonomics are generally good and with the exception of missing the DOF as a hard button and the green button being a little awkward for a larger hand, it’s easy to hold and adjust the controls. The viewfinder is nice and bright. Overall the camera responds quickly. Also with 4.7 Fps and good tracking AF, you can capture most fast moving situations quite easily. At the price point and feature set, this is probably the camera to beat against it’s competition and should be given serious consideration in the sub $700 price range.

Pros and Cons

Cons:

• Green Button difficult to activate for bigger hands.
• No AF LED’s in veiwfinder.
• Menu resets to first page on exit and should reopen on last page viewed.
• SD Card format feature buried too deep in the menu.
• Should have accessory grip available as an option even if only for spares storage.
• Bright or direct sun makes viewing VF data difficult. Data display could be brighter
• Mode dial detents need to be more defined or add K-7 lock to avoid accidental changes
• Optical preview should be seperate button and not menu driven
• AF in Live View a bit slow and not well suited for faster moving subjects.(but they all are)
• ISO limits in video may result in underexposed videos
• High contrast scenes may show some blown portions (clipping)
• Auto White Balance good but not always accurate in mixed light.
• No HDMI-connector

  

Pros:

• Very good and easily understood manual. Although it could use a better index.
• Easy user interface and menus
• Simple and straightforward button layout
• Fast shutter mechanism and excellent Fps.
• Very good AF in most light sources.
• AWB is greatly improved over previous models. Very good adjustments with indoor light
• Good detail and color in still images. Good quality 720p video output.
• Good image quality in low light, very good retention of fine detail at high ISOs
• Solid feel and build quality, quick and responsive operation
• 11-point AF system with flexible AF-point selection
• Improved and reliable flash exposure
• Very good battery life with quality batteries
• Good viewfinder and easily readable LCD in most light (except noted above).
• Good white balance options and wide adjustability.
• Distortion and chromatic aberration correction for selected DA lenses.
• Choice of Raw formats (DNG, PEF)
• Digital filters, in-camera editing and HDR
• In body anti-shake that works with legacy lenses (although not to the level of K-7)
• Value for the bargain price.

Cheers and good shooting. –Peter Zack

  

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Pentax K-x @ testfreaks.com

  

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