By Jinsoo Kim ("Excellent entry level DSLR", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I received Pentax K-x last Friday. I had 2 full days to take great shots with this camera. I purchased two bundle kit, which comes with 18-55mm lens as well as 50-200mm lens. I have another manual focus lens, which is A50.7.

One of the most asked questions about Pentax K-x is AF speed. Yes, AF is pretty quick. To test AF speed, I sometimes turn focus ring to opposite direction and checked the time it takes to set the focus. It was usually less than 0.4s. Even in low light situation, it worked fine. I took many shots with only one small table light in the living room so, ISO was 6400 and shutter speed was 1/4. Pentax K-x doesn't seem to have any problem for AF. Nice thing as a entry level camera is that it supports up to 11 AF point and you can choose your AF point. Some may say, it lacks super impose. However, simply touching 'ok' button reveals current AF point in the LCD screen. So, that's not a problem. AF is sharp and accurate. In MF mode, camera indicates the right focus in two ways both sound and indicator. So, there's no problem using manual focus lens. in Liveview mode, Camera magnifies focus point to assist you, which is very useful since viewfinder is very small.

High ISO support. This is the best part I like about Pentax K-x. It supports up to 6400, and can be expanded to 12800. I took several shots outside around 6:00 PM. My friends used flash but my Pentax K-x didn't require flash. with 3200 or 6400 ISO, it still gave me clean bright pictures. Pentax did a great job reducing noise, especially color noise. It's hard to find the noise from the pictures. Now, 3200 is something you can use everyday. Actually, scene mode for the kids uses very high ISO to get 1/1000s or faster shutter speed. Thanks to that, pictures for my kids are all sharp and crispy.

User interface is very intuitive and simple. Since this camera is small, most of the buttons are within reach of your thumb and index fingers. Though it's small, grip is ergonomically designed so that camera is very stable in your hand. It has one auxiliary button (green button), which you can assign other functions. It has drive mode, ISO, White balance, aperture and flash buttons. It also has dial to navigate menu faster.

It uses 4 AA batteries and this is really nice. You can use your Ni-MH batteries or Lithium-ION batteries. It your camera is run out of juice, you can go nearby stores and buy one quickly. I took about 250 shots and I didn't need to recharge yet. Camera recognizes battery type automatically and optimizes the operation.

with all the bells and whistles, I think Pentax K-x is super buy for the beginners. Not only it has all the features needed, it outperforms higher grade DSLRs in certain area like low noise. Thanks to great compatibility for the mount, even 30 years old lens can be used for this fresh new DSLR. It was quite fun to look at postings to sell old, student film camera kit at bargain price and you can use lens out of it. I also got 50mm fast lens which is excellent to take portrait shot from used market.

A few updates.

1. Some folks reported battery compatibility issue. Below is the blog of Pentax USA President. He recommended user to put batteries and wait for a few seconds so that Camera recognizes the type of batteries.

[...]

2. It also reveals a few problems related to Shake reduction. First, it produces noise from magnet handling CMOS censor. Bad thing is, this noise is recorded in movie mode. K-7 also has same issue but it supports external microphone. Pentax K-x doesn't allow that so, this can be one issue.

3. It also shows color overflow problem under low light situation, especially red and blue. When there's bright light, for example traffic signal, red color or blue color spread around as if it overflows.

A few users reported above problems to Pentax R&D and they are supposed to return by 11/9. I hope firmware upgrade will fix those problems.

By Enche Tjin ("Little Wonder", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

Pentax Kx is Pentax digital SLR for beginner and enthusiast. Pentax Kx replaces Pentax KM / K2000. There are many improvements from KM, such as three stops higher ISO setting, video recording, faster continuous shooting, 11 selectable auto focus points and 12.3 megapixel image resolution (compare to 10 mp). Kx shares same body as Km, so it is still very compact but not weather-sealed like Pentax k200, k20d or k7. It also use four AA batteries instead of lithium batteries.

BODY & HANDLING

Pentax Kx weights 581g, and its dimension is 122 x 92 x 69 mm. It is one of the smallest DSLR camera around, but not the lightest because of body material and 4X AA batteries.

Using batteries has been always been debated, some people like to have lithium battery with their camera, especially those who does not or concern about reliability of rechargeable batteries. Some might prefer the universal AA batteries because they are available everywhere and the rechargeable one is relatively cheaper compare to lithium one.

Built quality of this camera is generally good for beginner digital SLR, sturdy and substantial. Ergonomic is not the best especially for people that has big hand or finger, but it is good in general.

Like KM, the camera interface has been simplified yet very accessible. It has one thumb dial which you will use this a lot to change setting values. There are dedicated trash button, AF/AE-L, exposure compensation button, customizabe green button, live view button, info button, four way buttons which are shared with ISO, WB, Flash, self timer. These are basically what you will need and expect from a good digital SLR camera.

There is also a shooting mode dial, where you can find manual and semi automatic control. There are also some popular scenes mode and video mode. Unique to Pentax, there is Sv (sensitivity mode), which allow you to set preferred ISO and let the camera decide on aperture and shutter speed value.

Changing setting is fast and easy because of availability of many dedicated buttons. Main LCD screen could be activated by turning the camera to ON position or pressing INFO button. Pressing INFO button twice, you will get 12 squares representing popular settings such as auto HDR, image size, shake reduction, etc.

This small control panel is a great help and better than Nikon's info screen, but it is not better than Olympus super control panel.

LCD SCREEN & VIEWFINDER

LCD screen is basic, plain 2.7" , 230k. Compared to recent years DSLR, this screen is a bit outdated but it is not bad. Viewfinder is relatively big compare to beginner DSLR camera. Only Canon 500d and 450D can match the size of the viewfinder.

AUTO FOCUS PERFORMANCE

Auto focus (used with 18-55 kit lens) is surprisingly fast in bright light or low light situation. You will get AF confirmation in the viewfinder (hexagonal green dot) but there is no indicator where the active focus point is. For who that rely on automatic 5 points, 11 points or central point AF, it might not be a problem, but for those who usually use other individual AF point, it might be a bit of inconvenience.

IMAGE QUALITY AND ISO

Pentax Kx images in natural setting are not bright and saturated like competitor like Canon DSLR, but they are more muted and a bit cold. It is similar to Nikon DSLR such as Nikon D90. Nikon and Pentax Kx uses Sony sensor, and that might explain the similarity.

But don't too worry if you don't like muted color, because you can always set higher saturation in Pentax custom setting or deal with it later in your favorite photo editing program. But off course it won't match Canon color when you both set the saturation setting to the max.

The sensor strength is on high ISO setting. It matches Nikon D90 and even slightly better. Combined with built in shake reduction, this camera is very good in low light photography such as night scene or indoor performance. This performance might be the best for crop sensor camera up to date and only to be beaten by expensive full frame camera such as Nikon D700 12.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) or Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

OTHER FACTS & FINDINGS

* Pentax Kx is available in 100 colors combination in Japan
* Built-in photo processing like auto HDR is slow (takes approx. 10 sec to process and to make a good HDR, you need tripod). It also drain batteries power quickly. Live view, movie recording is very basic for DSLR standard and it also drain batteries. Prepare plenty of rechargeable AA batteries if you keen on using these features.
* The kit lens 18-55mm is generally an OK kit lens, but to get better image quality especially sharpness and image acuity, I recommend you to look for some better lenses such as Pentax 16-45 f4 or 17-70mm f4.

COMPETITOR

Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens Price: $750
is a leading beginner cameras with 3" hi-res LCD and 15 megapixel image resolution. The most important maybe the access to Canon extensive lenses. But this camera is more expensive and slower in continuous burst (only 3.5 fps), no built-in image stabilization, and image is not as clean as Pentax Kx' image in high ISO setting.

Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens and 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD Price: $700
D5000 is also a great low light performer like its brother Nikon D90, but the problem with this camera is lack of built-in auto focus motor. This limit your lens selection. There is no built-in image stabilization either. Like Canon and Pentax beginner DSLR cameras, D5000 has live view and movie mode, plus swivel screen.

Olympus Evolt E620 12.3MP Live MOS Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch Swivel LCD w/ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Lens Price: $700
The E-620 is very small and compact because of smaller image sensor (which is actually a disadvantage). E-620 has swivel LCD screen and built-in image stabilization. Click the camera name for review.

CONCLUSION

Pentax Kx is a small wonder. It is great camera for low light condition, very portable (especially combined with Pentax pancake lenses), and the design is very user-friendly. It has two problems that prevent this camera to be the perfect beginner/enthusiasts camera: the active auto focus indicator is absent , and battery life is short when you use photo retouching features and record movie often. However, with the current price point, this camera gives you a better value than its competitors.

Subjective Rating - Relative to entry level DSLR cameras 2009
Image Quality : 5/5
Features : 5/5
Performance : 5/5
Body and Handling : 4/5
Value for Money : 5/5

By jackmaddy "jackmaddy" ("Wow! What a great Camera!", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

This is only a preview and I will post a revised review in a few days.

This is my first SLR camera so I have no frame of referrence other than my visits to camera shops to try a few out. I was torn between the Canon T1I and the PENTAX K-X. I took a look at the T1I and felt it was a bit on the cheap side. It was also a bit more expensive with less features and lens are very expensive. Also I think the 1080P at 20 frames is a gimmick as is the whole HD video feature in SLR camera's.

I have only had the Pentax K-X camera for 24 hours but cant get over the build quality. It takes fantastic pictures and has more options and tweaks than you could ever want. Its very easy to use right out of the box even for my wife, yet if you want to tweak your photos and get into it everything SLR offers, the options are there and then some.

A few comments about the fact the camera does not come with rechargeable batteries and battery life in general:

As for Battery life, I am using the supplied Lithium AA's I have used the camera for several hours, taking video and a couple hundred pictures, the battery is still showing as full! As for no included rechargeables, this to me is a non issue. 1. You can keep a spare set of batteries either alkaline or Lithium or even rechargeable which is what I plan to do. I think this offers a ton of flexiblity and ensures you will never run out of juice!

Also, the camera I purchased was a kit with both the 18-55mm and also 50-200mm lenses. these lenses are great build and have excellent image results.

Again, this is only a preview but what I have seen so far I am so glad I went with the Pentax over the Canon T1I! More to come soon.

By W. Struth ("Wonderful little camera", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I purchased the Pentax K-X with the two lens kit with the 18-55 lens and the 55-300 lens.

This is a wonderful little camera; the autofocus is fast and accurate, the menus are clear and easy to use, the picture modes let you play with your creativity or you can use it for just point and shoot, and it has manual control when you are ready to use it. I went with the long lens because I take a lot of detail shots and this lens does the trick for me. I haven't yet found a situation where I needed to zoom in closer, and when I do I can always buy a longer lens. Back to size it's a great one handed camera to use, I find the camera comfortable to handle and it feels well made.

I've taken about an hour of video so far; it can shoot up to 25 minutes of video at a time. Pentax K-X is not a video camera but when you want to take a video spontaneously it works great. For me the video is just icing on the cake. The photos are what I bought Pentax K-X for. I use mostly the aperture priority (to manipulate the depth of field or get low light shots) and the auto picture settings. And they come out consistently crisp and accurate. Sometimes you will have to manipulate the white balance settings especially when you use the low light capabilities of this camera without a flash, as with any DSLR. The camera has lots of digital filters to process your pictures with, and they are fun to use. What I love most is being able to use the high ISO settings and not need a flash indoors and still get great quality shots.

I use rechargeable batteries in the Pentax K-X and have now downloaded the new firmware so the Pentax K-X recognizes them faster. This is a must do because before I had to turn the camera on and off and turn the live view on and off for it to recognize new batteries. I played with a few sets of batteries to make sure they would work. I'm saving the supplied lithium batteries to be a back up set when the rechargeable batteries get depleted.

The in Pentax K-X shake reduction works with all my lenses including my old manual lenses from 30 years ago. The neat thing about using manual focus lenses (and wearing glasses like I do) with Pentax K-X is that you can set the camera to beep when you have focused the lens correctly, and there is also a visual indicator when you look thru the viewfinder. And every Pentax mount lens you buy will work with Pentax K-X.

By 2eXceL "LL" ("Initial Impressions", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I just received and unpacked the Pentax K-x. The Pentax K-x feels solid and quality built, this is great for the class and has features that many more expensive cameras lack. I shot a few pictures and they are looking awesome... I will need more time to do a complete review, but overall the Pentax K-x looks great. I think this Camera has tremendous Value and will push more consumers to look at Pentax for dSLR. Many ppl forget or don't know the great Film Pentax's of the past.

A few notes:
1. Yes Pentax K-x comes without a SDHC Card, but Camera's lack this anyway. (I purchased a 16GB Class 6 SDHC ~$32). 2. Pentax K-x comes with Lithium AA Batteries, but you can use Ni-MH Rechargeable AA also.
3. Included Kit lens 18-55mm is sharp and takes great pictures...
4. You can use many film/dSLR Pentax Lenses going back about 50 years, this mount is compatible.

I will update my review after some good photo work. The Pentax K-x does lack HDMI connection (only USB) so you can't playback from the Camera the 780p Video to a TV with USB. I will have to load my SDHC Card into my PS3 or Laptop for viewing/editing in 780p. It depends how much Video you will shoot and if you will record to DVD, in which case this is not an issue.

By Waldo ("Simply Awesome Camera", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I bought this for my daughter, and she had it working and taking pictures in less than 3 minutes after the initial configuration. Low light, bright light, macro and even stopping the blades of a helicopter with the 1/6000 of a second shutter speed make Pentax K-x one with the specifications of a high end model, at an entry-level price. Oh, and it takes HD movies as well. The rest of the cameras in this price range will be trying hard to catch up to the Pentax K-x.

By Mark BALCHER "Digital Doctor/ Tech Titan" ("Digital SLR, Love my Pentax K-x", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I recently got the Pentax K-x in Black from Amazon. It arrived in only a few days, and Amazon provided me with a way to track my package, so I could see exactly where it was. I can't say enough about this wonderful camera. I've been shooting with SLRs for 25 years now, and this is the finest one I have ever used. It is such a pleasure to hold and use. You feel like you are holding something very special, as the build quality is top notch. The HD video feature is awesome, too. I've been tinkering around with HD video on my PC for a couple of years now, so I know all about the formats of HD. You are going to need a computer with a bit of muscle under the hood to be able to play your HD videos. I recommend a dual core processor. That should be enough to handle, playing your HD captures. It shoots video in the .avi format. And if you like to upload to YouTube, it works just fine. YouTube actually recognizes the video as being HD, and thus allows it to be played in their HD player. The other thing I love about Pentax K-x, is the RAW format. It lets you choose between the Pentax RAW (PEF), or the highly used .DNG (Digital Negative) format, which is so very versatile. I like shooting in .dng, since it's non proprietary, and Adobe Photoshop has no problem with it. As for the picture quality, and camera settings, they are what you would expect to be with any DSLR. I've always been a Canon guy, but couldn't resist this little gem. I'm so glad I opted for the Pentax, and have no regrets.

By MattB ("Really nice", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

Pentax K-x is the best value in DSLRs on the market today.
I got it to replace an Olympus e-510 which is a fine camera, but the Pentax K-x blows it away.
My favorite features are the high ISO performance which allows for shooting without a flash in lower light, and using faster shutter speeds with the relatively slow kit lens, the quick auto focus, and it's small size and low weight.
I like to get out into the wilderness on my skis and bike but love to bring a good SLR with me. The Pentax K-x now makes that easier than ever. Also, being compatible with every Pentax lens made in the last 50 years is a huge plus. I picked up an inexpensive 50mm f1.7 prime on eBay and have been having fun shooting with that too. Much sharper (when stopped down) and faster (when opened up) than the kit lens which is ok but not fantastic.
Shooting around the house without having the use a flash is also a huge advantage. The shots just look more natural and when shooting it's less intrusive for my subjects to not have the flash going off all the time.
The two things I would add to this would be the weather seals found in the higher Pentax models and AF illumination (the rod spot that tells you what point is focused).
I haven't had any problems due to lack of seals yet, but the peace of mind would be nice while taking it out into the elements.
Video is ok but not great. That's a nice feature that I probably will not use a whole lot but it's nice to know I have the capability if the right opportunity arises.
Be sure to upgrade the firmware to 1.01 if your Pentax K-x doesn't already have that version. It fixes some problem the original fw had with the battery meter and different kinds of batteries. Without it battery performance is not very good when using rechargeables.

By J. Fortt "Technophile" ("Excellent SLR, especially for the money", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I'm using my Pentax K-x for stills and video, mostly portraits and product shots. It's my first DSLR but after reading up a bit on its capabilities I was good to go. For the price, this is simply an amazing camera. I had considered entry-level models from Canon and Nikon, but after reading a bunch of online reviews I decided that the K-x was a better bet. Indeed, the sensor quality and features (it shoots great 720p video) are unbeatable in its segment.

A few likes and dislikes:

Likes:

I shoot from the viewfinder. I'm not sure if this is because the LCD isn't big enough or because I just like shooting from the viewfinder better - probably the latter. I like to use a manual focus when the situation allows, and I can just see a lot more using my naked eye instead of live view.

The video feature is great for casual shooting. I used it on Christmas morning to capture my 18 month old opening gifts.

Since I rarely use live view, rarely use a flash and set up my shots before turning Pentax K-x on, the original batteries have lasted me about two weeks. Can't complain about that. I bought 8 Eneloop AAA rechargeables for when the originals run out, but haven't had to swap them out yet.

Low light performance is amazing. Check out the reviews. It's as good as cameras that cost twice as much.

Dislikes:
The audio is mono on the Pentax K-x, and there's no audio input. So if you want to shoot something with sound, i.e. an interview, you'll have to use a separate recorder and sync the audio later. That's probably too much of a hassle for a project with a lot of cuts, but if it's something simple it's workable. I managed to sync some audio in iMovie that looks/sounds really good.

The shutter is on the loud side. I haven't yet found this to be a real problem for me, but some reviewers have been annoyed by it.

It's rare for me to get a decent-looking picture using the internal flash. Some of that is probably just the nature of internal flash, but I'm guessing some of it owes to the implementation in the K-x. Fortunately, images still look good at ISO 1600 and usable at ISO 3200, so it's possible to get up to a high enough shutter speed to take photos of a toddler indoors during the day.

By Engi_Nerd ("Could not be happier", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

After several agonizing months of research and forum crawling, I found myself firmly stuck between the Canon T1i and the Pentax K-x. [...] analysis of the Pentax ultimately sealed the deal for me, promising a compact and responsive starter DSLR with lots of headroom to grow in to (and for hundreds less than the canon). Having had the camera for a few days now (and promptly updating the firmware to avoid the nefarious battery issue)I can honestly say I could not be happier. The kit lens has proven more than sufficient for me to cut my teeth on and can definitely produce sharp, vibrant pictures, provided you're not relying on the idiot setting. The button and menu layout is concise and accessible, allowing you to learn the Pentax K-x inside and out in only a day's time. The Pentax K-x itself is extremely compact but still manages to have a very solid and comfortable feel. And as so many have noted, the high-iso capabilities allow you to shoot in available light with fantastic results. And while hardcore photographers complain they're pointless, the in-camera filters and cross processing abilities give great results with minimal effort and absolutely add value to the Pentax K-x. My only gripes thus far are the lack of focus points in the viewfinder (which i wouldn't actually use but feel i should get for spending 6 bills) and the AA batteries, which were easily remedied with a set of Eneloops. All in all though a FANTASTIC camera and ridiculous bargain. If you're reading this you want the Pentax K-x but are probably worried about going non-Canikon. My two cents: Buy Pentax K-x and don't look back.

By waiehu92 ("Big punch packed in a small body!", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

Okay, my review's not going to rattle off all the specs and info you can find everywhere else on the 'net. Here's my two cents on actual experience with Pentax K-x...

Low light shots are amazing! No need for flash with Pentax K-x...I've compared shots with/without flash...just wayyy better without flash...up to ISO 6400 is very, very usable. I took the Pentax K-x for a shoot down Waikiki at night with very good results. You'll be amazed how many of your shots come out well with Pentax K-x, even running the auto setting! Auto focus is quite fast, and despite what some may say about the kit lenses (i got the kit with the 18-55mm and 55-300mm), the image quality is very sharp and clear, and the zoom and focus dials are really smooth. You get an actual manual focus ring unlike other entry level DSLRs. The layout of buttons on the Pentax K-x to adjust f-stop and shutter speed is set up to be really user friendly. After a few shots, you don't even have to think about where the buttons are...they just make sense. I'm learning the manual settings and am getting to know the different effects the Pentax K-x is capable of...but really, you'll be surprised how good night photos are, and how different shots are without flash, which gives a really artificial looking light. As far as video, I've taken good video with good natural light (daylight), but had video with lots of noise and grain with night shots. I've seen really great footage with f1.4-1.7 old lenses, and have a f1.7 on order and on the way. Do a "Pentax K-x" search on Vimeo or Youtube and check out the footage...you'll be amazed at what's capable with wide open aperture and this camera for video. As far as how the Pentax K-x feels in the hand, I'd say I have average size hands and it really feels solid for its size. The build quality, while not weatherproofed etc. like DSLRs that cost twice as much, has a quality feel all around. Battery life...I took roughly 1000 photos and about 10 minute or so videos, and the original lithium batteries are still at full. I bought an 8pk of Eneloops but didn't get a chance to use them yet!

Pentax K-x got me hooked on taking photos, can't wait to take it out on my next outing!!

Hope this was helpful to someone-

By Photographer ("Best value and superb low light performance", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

This is my third Pentax dSLR, the others are Ds and K10. I was not really planning on getting a Pentax K-x, especially after I bought a Panasonic LX3 just 2 months ago. The published reviews suggested that it is too good to pass up; the price may go up as a result of the reviews. So I jumped. For the rest of this review, I will be comparing the Pentax K-x to my K10.

AF performance is significantly improved. Even though I did not really feel that it was much faster, focus is dead on even in very poor light. There is no difference in AF speed for SDM lenses. Some people reported that they sometimes had problems with the Pentax K-x / Tamron 17-50 combination, I have yet seen that. I have to say that improvement in AF alone is enough to justify the upgrade for anyone with a Pentax older than K20.

Noise performance is another area that Pentax K-x just left K10 in the dust. When both were set to ISO200 and at 400% magnification, darker areas remained smooth for Pentax K-x while the K10 was visibly noisy. With the limited experience at ISO6400, I am so far very pleased with Pentax K-x noise performance.

I like a real optical view finder but I love LV for macro. I don't have any problem with the penta-mirror viewfinder. It might be a tad darker but you will hardly notice.

Some people have reported that Pentax K-x has a larger dynamic range than K10; however, I cannot confirm that yet. I am hoping that this is indeed the case. It is safe to say that it is at least as good as K10.

Before I placed the order, I was actually quite concerned with the lack of AF point indicators in the viewfinder. I think I am OK with this arrangement. It is obviously not as easy as K10 but not a deal breaker. As for the lack of a 2nd e-dial, it is again not a deal breaker since I also have a Ds which does not have a 2nd e-dial either. Weather sealing, not a deal breaker. I cannot justify spending another $500 just to get these features.

There are plenty of significant improvements over the K10 to make Pentax K-x a keeper. There are just a few minor issues.

Shutter/mirror is just as noisy as K10. I prefer the K7 but cannot justify the price difference. Again, it is not a deal breaker.

I have relatively large hands and hope that someone will market a battery grip for Pentax K-x. I have a battery grip for K10.

In summary, I can confirm the findings of many published reviews. Pentax K-x is a very capable camera and perhaps the best value in its market segment. It certainly took sales away from K7 but I think Pentax will increase market share at the expense of competition. BTW, it is also the cheaper dSLR in my collection. Great job Pentax.

By Up North Guy ("This camera 'shines' in the dark", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I chose the Pentax K-x over the K7 because of its low light performance(being half the price helps as well). I have read reveiws that state the K7 performs slightly worse than the k20 at high ISO levels. Being an owner of a k20, I can state that the Pentax K-x far out performs the k20 at ISO 1600. Pentax K-x is perfect for shooting pictures of people and settings where a flash would be considered intrusive. Its relatively fast focus speeds and hd video make this camera the perfect tool for capturing those special moments with my friends and family. I think you can get more candid shots when you don't have a flash announcing that a camera is present. I still prefer my k20 for more formal photograpy where a "hands on" approach is desired, but for everyday use, and at this price, I think the Pentax K-x is hard to beat.

By Neildo ("Fun camera but prefer my S90 for indoor shots", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I recently had a kid so I wanted a camera for taking indoor, low-light shots. I bought both the Canon S90 and the Pentax K-x because both are top-rated for low-light shots. I was surprised that the S90 takes better indoor snapshots than the Pentax K-x. S90 is easier to snap off pictures and I honestly believe the photo quality is better for indoor. The Pentax K-x is still very respectful but it takes much more tweaking to get a comparable shot. AWB on Pentax K-x performs better though. With a better lens I'm sure the Pentax K-x could beat the S90 indoors, but a decent F/2.8 zoom lens is a few hundred dollars. Sorry to go off on S90, but a pocketable camera that takes slr quality shots is amazing.

Don't get me wrong, the Pentax K-x is a good camera. In most other areas its superior to my S90. It's a lot more fun than my S90. I haven't even played around with all the settings yet.

By Mac Geek "Mike" ("Great camera for the price!!!", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I have the Pentax K2000 which is a NO nonsense No frills DSLR camera. It takes outstanding photos!!!!...That's what it was made for!...No video...Just photos!!!...I made the upgrade to the new Pentax KX about a month ago & couldn't be more pleased!!!...This DOES do video!!!...720p High definition!...This has Live View & Orientation Sensor!...Still....like my K2000...it does what it actually made for....It takes EXCELLENT photos!!!!....I always am sort of skeptical when a camera has too many "Bells & Whistles"....I always think of that as a gimmick & that it will take away from the ability to shoot good photos. That's why I originally bought my K2000 last year. Because it was designed to be a VERY nice DSLR camera made for taking photos...Which it does VERY well...After reading a LOT a reviews...I decided to buy my Pentax K-x...AGAIN...I am very PLEASED....I am more concerned about quality photos than anything else on a digital camera & it takes very nice photos!...Of course, if you are a "novice", you will have to learn about different settings on a DSLR to get different results...I never really used the video on any of my cameras....I have a camcorder for that...but....I must say that I am impressed by the video on the Pentax K-x also...I've tried other "Name Brand" cameras costing up to $250.00 more. I am VERY glad that I stuck with Pentax!!!!!!

By P. Nina ("Just one word 'awesome'", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

After lot of research and deliberation, I got the Pentax K-x for my trip to London. I am an amateur in dSLR cameras, so I am not going to go over the technical details. But, what I would like to share is my experience with this little gem for over a period of 10 days in London. I took over 1000 pictures, most of them in auto mode. The pictures were shot from top of moving buses, in boat cruises, dimly light museums and many indoor places. I was amazed to see that almost all of them were clean images. There was hardly any blurry image and the pictures were beautiful with stunning details. The battery that came with the Pentax K-x lasted the entire trip (over 1000 pictures and few videos) and is still running. Earlier, I had few apprehensions about the battery life in Pentax K-x, but I don't think it is an issue (I updated the firmware!). Interestingly, the prize of Pentax K-x in UK is comparable to rebel T1i and NikonD5000. So folks, I think we are very lucky to get it much cheaper in US. If you are a first time buyer of dSLR, I would strongly recommend you to buy Pentax K-x. You will never go wrong. For 720$ with 2 lenses (18 - 55 and 55 - 300), it is a steal.

By Concerned Cit "Concerned Cit." ("Surprising High ISO pics and JPEG engine", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

from Dpreview linked here at amazon.com on the Pentax K-x: "Its high ISO JPEGs are possibly the best of all current DSLRs with an APS-C size sensor; they certainly beat any of its direct competitors."

"With this performance the Pentax K-x easily beats most other APS-C cameras when
shooting JPEGs, including much more expensive models. If you need better low light performance than this, going full-frame is pretty much your only option."

Of course full frame entails bigger, heavier and more expensive cameras and lenses.

BTW, new firmware update resolves any battery issues :-)

By Timothy G. "musicluvr" ("Picture Request", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I am seriously considering this Pentax K-x. I am thankful for all of the people that took the time to review Pentax K-x. I hope that some of the proud owners of this camera will post more pictures so that I can get a look at your handy work.
More pictures on here would give me an idea of what this fine camera is capable of. Thank You all in advance.

By ZeAndroid ("", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

levels of details, image quality, noise, features - I love everything about this little gem - Pentax K-x. Video is good too and my only complaint is that it needed a lithium-ion rechargeable battery to support more battery life when using movie\live mode. Its enough when using 4 AA lithium batteries - it lasts for at least a 1000s shots plus some occasional live mode and movie usage. Ive read about Sanyo eneloop rechargeables (these should last longer) but havent tried them yet. But with regular rechargeables it doesnt last that long enough.

I love the low noise and amount of details I can get shooting up to 1600 ISO - night shots (no flash), aquarium or theater images now look beautiful and I dont have to use a flash. All shot with 1600 ISO gives me enough shutter speed to get great sharp and detailed images.

UPDATE: 12/15/2009
Pentax released a firmware update for Pentax K-x dSLR that fixes battery problem.
[...]

I have installed the firmware and it looks like it does fixes the problem. Now it doesnt give me half-battery orange indicator when I use my lithiums (its still green).
I havent tried it with rechargeables because I dont have any yet (still using my lithiums).

By D. Dimov "DD" ("Overall Great Value", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

After looking through a lot of options Pentax K-x seems to offer the best combination of price performance.
Some first impressions are:
1. Good Hi Iso Performance with little noise. (Much better then Canon Xt then I used to own that only had 1600 max iso.)
2. Able to do HD Video (720p).
Video quality is ok, I compared it to my sony SR-12 HD camcoder its definitely not the same quality but it does have a unique movie type look to it, in low light its very grainy but in good light it does fine. Its a good back up to a camcoder, although you do have to get used to manual focusing to get good results. If you shoot a lot of movies get a bigger memory card, I have a 4 gig card and it only holds around 15 minutes of video in highest quality due to recording format.
3. First thing to do when you get the Pentax K-x make sure you update the firmware to 1.01 that will solve the battery issue that many people been having. You can check which firmware you have by pressing the menu button and then turning the camera on.
So far a I took about 900 pictures and about 45 minutes of video on lithium batteries that came with the Pentax K-x and only now the battery indicator shows orange.
4. As with any DSLR auto mode will not give you the best results, and every camera has its own "favorite" settings where it gets most consistent results. So far Im still figuring out what works best with this particular camera.
5. No camera is perfect but to me Good Hi Iso performance, Hd video option and price. Make it 5 stars for Pentax K-x.

By fgm2001 "fgm2001" ("Great little DSLR Penatx got it right with this one!", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I am an advanced amateur and have been shooting with an SLR since the early 70's.
I bought my first digital in 1999, a Nikon 900s, and fell in love with the technology.
I've owned many many DSLR's since Canon introduced the first affordable (it was $3k)EOS D30 many years back.
I've since owned or shot with Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Fuji, Panasonic and others I can't remember.
I have always wanted a small DSLR that could replace my Canon mid range models. Most recently the 40D.
The Rebel series was never comfortable for my large hands.
I bought this Pentax K-x on a whim as it was really inexpensive, offered a lot of features and promised very good high ISO results.
It has met or exceeded all my expectations!
I haven't been this impressed with a new camera since my 1st DSLR, that $3000 Canon D30!
It is small but comfortable to use, even in my big hands, and the pictures at ISO 1600 look like ISO 400 on other brands,
Even ISO 3200 is very usable!
The kit lens is very sharp!
As an added bonus you can use most any Pentax lens ever made which opens up a huge opportunity to try some Legacy lenses.
I have sold my Canon gear and this little Pentax does everything better and in a much more compact form.
It even shoots decent HD video.
I even was able to get a smaller camera bag.
Pentax K-x - Very Highly recommended!!

By JR Sampul ("A few additions to the 5star reviews", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

This is my first DSLR purchase since I was tired of the limitations of most P&S cameras - slow and poor in low level lighting. My Canon 3mp from 2002 made excellent prints up to 8x10 and had manual features but was bound to break or wear out - it did.

Image quality, handling, build quality, etc all good as mentioned in the 5 star reviews. I bought this when the price finally hit my buy point (under $500) with one of those pre Christmas coupons (they needed to move the white and red models). At the $600 price level I was going to wait for the next version. Got it and am happy with it for the price.

My main interest in Pentax K-x (color option was not of much concern) was to be able to reuse some manual focus aperture priority lens that I used with my 70s model Pentax ME film camera. They work and make awesome pictures but the camera does not read the manually set aperture selection as on the ME - does not get recorded with the picture and you have to look at the lens (or get good counting clicks) to know your setting. The manual focus was easier to view on the ME but at least you can use the live view zoom focus or listen for beeping or look for the focus indicator. It will set the shutter for you if in auto mode or P or A mode just like the ME but with the auto ISO selection to further fine tune the picture.

HD movie mode was also of interest but assumed it would be secondary - it is. Even with shake reduction off, it still records every tiny noise the Pentax K-x makes. The mic is very sensitive. It will come in handy from time to time but would not base a purchase on that feature.

Some people complain of the autofocus point not being visible in the viewfinder - I tend to use point focus and am still experimenting with auto exposure options. Not quite excellent but can't really complain - yet.

The Pentax K-x buttons I guess are typical for a DSLR and are so nice to have compared to most P&S. The Green button looks like it will come in handy once I get used to having it - quick reset of some overrides.

The auto mode makes this DSLR handle like a P&S only faster. The autofocus in low light tends to search a bit more than my Canon P&S especially in low light but manual override is easy. Once in auto, I could hand this camera to most anyone to take decent pictures.

I recommend to get this Pentax K-x at a lower price (<$500) or wait for the next version. If you are not planning to use more lenses than this kit lens you probably will be better off with the newer Canon or Panasonic "low light" P&S cameras currently priced around $400 or less.

By Sung M. Choi ("Wow - What a Steal", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

If its your first DSLR I highly recommend Pentax K-x, the battery problem was all fixed up with newest revision patch. The noise level at high ISO in this thing is out of this world. It's awesome. Better then cameras that costs twice as much. Too many functions to list. I fell in love with the white and was glad to find out all the myriad reviews matched its beauty. Go read the reviews for yourselves.

ps - Pentax K-x was 550 when I first saw it, when I ordered it an hour later it was 600... still that's a better price than most.

By earful ("great camera in a small package", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

the Pentax K-x is the camera i've been waiting for. it delivers exceptionally well in low-light situations. it offers the user many choices, ranging from full auto mode to manual mode. it is possible to record in raw and jpeg at the same time. for those who are more advanced and demanding, one can choose from among options such as no noise reduction, digital filters, iso range from 100 to 12800, etc.

the Pentax K-x's battery issue was non-existent for me. the batteries shipped with the camera worked immediately. when they were finally exhausted, four duracell alkalines worked fine - but it is important to let the camera sit for a minute or two first after changing batteries.

my other cameras include a panasonic fz-18, a leica d-lux-4, and a ricoh cx-1, among others. i also have an *ist ds. i continue to use them all off and on, but the k-x has become the one i reach for when i hope for the most flexibility and the best results. i will never be a serious photographer, but i will enjoy photography much more with the Pentax K-x. definitely an excellent value.

By Rocket scientist ("A DSLR with excellent value", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I replaced my Minolta digital P&S (given as a gift nearly 10 yrs ago) with a Pentax K-x white just before the holidays. I went with Pentax because I was very happy with my past Pentax cameras (all manual K1000 ages ago and more recently a PZ-1) and I wanted to keep using a couple of good zoom lenses I had for the PZ-1. Two additional requirements were the DSLR be capable of movie recording and be no more than $750, preferably around $500. The Pentax K-x met all the requirements and I couldn't pass it up when Amazon offered it for $520!!! I think Pentax offers the best value - good quality, superb features at a reasonable price - compared to Canon or Nikon.

Upon arrival, the first think I did was put in the batteries that came with it and upgraded the firmware with an old 1 GB SD card (from the minolta). That went without a glitch. I took a hanfdul of shots around the home to test it. The picture quality was great. The camera was easy to use, i.e. navigating the menus was intuitive. It was compatible with my two old lenses. It worked fine with my Sanyo eneloop rechargeables, though I had to recharge them every other day after heavy use (the manual does hint at this). I got a 8GB SanDisk Class 4 SD card, and that too worked fine. Connecting to the PC and transferring the images using Picasa was straightforward and there really was no need to install the SW that came with the camera. After couple of weeks of heavy use on my vacation, I amy very satisfied with my purchase.

Though the Pentax K-x has liveview mode and movie capability, I found these features to be rather "clumsy" - sort of expected that based on other reviews. The features worked well in limted cases. In some cases, the focus search algorithm was horribly slow. I think this applies to other DSLRs too. If these features are important in a DSLR, I recommend you wait a couple of iterations.

By Alex ("Great camera - looks good in white", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I had/have many digital cameras but for the short time I tried this one, it is a keeper. The settings and menues are nice - the low light quality is great. Even the lens is great - especially for being a "kit" lens. The color (I have the white one) is great - very different and makes it look smaller and less scary than regular DSLR. It is light, small, fits well in hand, controls are at the right positions, it has live view and sensor image stabilization that works well. A great, great camera - Pentax K-x - especially for people new to DSLR.

By Nad1370 ("First time DSLR owner----Very Happy !!", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

Bought this Baby in white back in Nov.12. All I can say is Wow! Very easy to use and the menus are straight forward. Buttons are well placed out. Pentax K-x was very compact (for a DSLR) compared to the ones I was comparing to (nikon d5000, Sony A330). I can actually just use one hand to set my settings.
Fast auto focus. Good picture quality. Tons of shooting modes available.
Never really had any problems with the battery issue even before I upgraded the firmware 1.01.
18-55 kit lens did a good job on our last Cruise vacation. I was averaging 280-320 shots on Eneloops 50% flash before the batt. meter turned orange with some cropping.
I recenty acquired a Prime lens D-XENOGON 35mm F2(ebay new) which is an actual clone of the famed and now discontinued Pentax 35mm f2. I thought my pictures were sharp with the lens kit but I recently shot this lens on my brothers wedding and OHhhh man, what a difference in picture sharpness and very outstanding color contrast. It just has that POP on every picture I've taken with this lens. Oh yeah...Took 752 shots, 98% with Flash that day before it shut down with Eneloops of course.
All in all. I'm very impressed with my Pentax K-x. Now paired up with my Prime, it's an unbeatable combo (for now).
Sony, Canon, Nikon---watch out.

By vagrant10 "mh" ("Pentax k-x: great little camera / camcorder", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

Pentax K-x is a Great little camera! Kit lens is very good for a kit lens with sharp images and good colors. Not as good as say my Tamron 18-75 f2.8, but the kit is quite a bit lighter and smaller in size. Pentax K-x focuses fast (much faster than my k20d) and accurately and with the 40mm f2.8 limited lens, it's even quicker. Video quality is excellent. Very nice to have image stabilization to steady my vids. The real revelation of the k-x: shooting with high ISO is just amazing at how clean the images are with good detail.

I thought that going from a semi-pro cam (the k20d) to the Pentax K-x would be a big step back, but the controls are intuitive and well laid out, so no problems at all. Having both cameras will be amazing... the k20 will be for landscape and outdoor shots while the k-x will provide another focal length and allow me to capture more opportunities in higher iso situations or where I need a higher frame rate.

Pentax K-x is an Excellent camera that deserves all the accolades it's getting from the critics.

By J. Farr ("Good Value / High Quality", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

I've owned this Pentax K-x for over a month and I am pleased with the images and quality. The quality of the Pentax K-x is exceptional and the image results are exceptional. However I have has problems with dust on the sensor and have had to clean it already. In addition it goes through battery very quickly. Lithium-Ion batteries are really the only choice. I've gotten about 700 pics on Lithium, 200 on Alkaline and it didn't work at all with rechargeable. But I still prefer the convenience of AA batteries over camera specific rechargeable. I would assume these battery results will improve in the summer. I've been shooting outside in sub freezing temperatures. Cold weather reduces battery performance. For most users the lens it comes with will be more than acceptable. But if you are more discriminating buy the body only and buy a high end lens separately.

By Richard Malley "Gator" ("5 Stars !!!", from amazon.com pentax k-x reviews)

Pentax K-x is everything i hoped for & more. The new magnesium body is much more durable then the plastic, and its scatch resistent. The ability to hold it & access menu options with one hand is another great feature. It takes pretty good HD video as well. I've had no battery issues yet but ive only had it for a few weeks (I Heard They Fixed That Problem That Other Reviews Have Stated). Overall Pentax K-x is an amazing dslr for beginner to intermediate photographers.5 stars !!!!!