Pentax K200D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

I've had the K200D 4 about two weeks now & have no regrets. This is the best camera out there 4 the money. If you have any interest at all in learning 2 take better pictures this camera will be ready as you learn more, but it's also good 4 the true beginner with lots of auto modes 2 help you.
I think the things that make this better than the competition are 1) shake reduction in the body. When you start buying lenses you don't have 2 keep paying 4 that feature in every single lens (nikon VR?) 2)very durable body construction & weather/dust sealed. Any DA lenses you attach are as well. This is only available in cameras 4 the pros normally. 3)all pentax lenses 4 the last 3 or 4 decades can be used, some older manual ones need a $10 adapter--but you can buy tons of used awesome old lenses on ebay 4 very cheap. 4)this kit lens is the best kit lens out there. I've read alot of reviews & all the experts agree this is the best. It was made 4 the camera that is one step up from this model--but it's included with the K200D as well. 5)Pentax has an awesome PRIME lens 4 under $200 (amazon) that everyone raves about. I got it & I agree. FA 50mm F1.4 Get it. You won't be sorry. 5)the RAW button on the side is quite a nice perk. You can program it 2 suit your needs & it saves you from going into menus 2 make changes on the fly.6)Takes great pictures--gorgeous colors--makes me look good!7) the menus are clear & easy 2 understand. There are even some interesting ways 2 edit your photos right on the camera. I also like the HDR feature which gives more detail in the shadows than would normally be picked up. Thats alot of bells & whistles 4 an "entry level" DSLR.

I recently purchased the Pentax K200D with the 18-55mm lens after much comparison of all the popular entry level dSLRs. I chose the Pentax based on actually "feeling" the camera at a local camera store. It was comfortable & feels very well built. I used the camera on a recent trip 2 the Smoky Mountains & took many picts in automatic with the bracketing mode turned on. The pictures were fantastic. I would recommend this camera 2 anyone wanting 2 make the leap from "point & shoot" 2 dSLRs & wants a bit more than most entry level cameras & the weather resistent well built camera body. This camera really met all my expectations & then some.

I've researched almost all beginner/advanced DSLRs on the market, preparing the move from digital compacts 2 DSLR (I'm familiar with film SLRs however).
Anyway, exhausted from the fact that the perfect DSLR still has not been produced (every single model has something really bad about it: Canon 450D's grip & build quality, Olympus E-520's tiny viewfinder, Nikon D60's very basic metering, & none of these models has a live view implementation that would really make me use it), I decided 2 go 4 Pentax which has good performance on the above issues. Looking initially into the K20D, I decided 2 get the cheaper body of the K200D & invest in better lenses instead. The K200D felt very good in my hands, & its large & bright viewfinder is the best in its class. The availability of high quality & still affordable lenses with shake reduction built into the camera body was also a deal maker. Amazon & Adorama delivered in 2 days as promised.
A couple of weeks after purchase I have a collection of some very nice shots, but still I'm a bit disappointed. Autofocus is unpredictable: sometimes the camera shoots lightning fast, even in burst mode, at other times is struggles 2 focus with no apparent reason, even with the prime 50mm f1,4 & the new 17-70 f4 zoom. This means that I miss some nice shots while the camera is focussing. When the camera finally does take a shot, I'd say 1 out of 3 shots is out of focus. I end up taking lots of photos hoping one of them will be right.
TO be fair, when the K200D gets the focussing right, the results are very good. Colors are very natural, the exposure is always spot-on, & wireless flash (got the 360FGZ) works very well, too. The viewfinder is wonderful 2 work with.
All in all, I'm not sure what 2 expect 4 this price. The K200D's speed is unstable compared 2 all other cameras I've used (digital & film). Too bad, but perhaps I'm just expeting too much.

I bought my Pentax K200d through Amazon at the end of July 08, & recently returned from a 47 day trip 2 the great American West. I took nearly 2,600 photos under a wide variety of conditions: dust, rain, surf, museums, near freezing mountain camping, bright sun & twilight. I am still on my second set of lithium batteries. The original batteries that came with the camera were good 4 over 1400 exposures (with very little flash usage). The results are amazing with superb color saturation & definition. And the camera is tough, much tougher than I expected. It feels good 2 hold.

I am principally familiar with less expensive Nikon DSLRs, the D40, D50, D60 & D70. The Pentax is far above these fine cameras. I am not talking about the K20d, which I understand is even more remarkable. At under $600 including a quality 18-55 kit lens, it is, 2 say the least, a bargain compared 2 other offerings in a very competitive field.

I have been slow 2 break away from the world of 35mm. However, digital has more than caught up in terms of image quality, & it has surpassed film in terms of convenience & cost. With that in mind, I set aside my Nikon FM2 & lenses & after considerable soul searching, turned 2 Pentax. In 1975, I had owned a screw mount body & later a Pentax ME, which I loved but lost 2 a camera snatcher. In the `80s, I turned 2 Nikon, & still believe that, overall, they provide excellent products. So I have a hand full of Pentax K & Nikon A1 lenses, which I hoped 2 be able 2 use.

I was considering an upgrade 2 a Nikon D80, & checked it out. The D80 was a fine camera back in 2006, but it seems a bit dated now. The Pentax K200d feels better in my hands, much better. The Pentax has both shake reduction in the body & a dust management system, both of which are lacking in the Nikon, & Pentax offers some marvelous new prime lenses, including a 50mm f1.4, made 4 dslr bodies. My old Pentax K-mount lenses work wonderfully well & provide & inexpensive alternative. [In the K200, you just have 2 go 2 Custom Menu, item 23 2 enable the older lenses.] After some initial experimentation, however, I stuck mostly with the 18-55 kit lens, quick, versatile & also dust & weather resistant. Moreover, with the shake reduction, I have been able 2 hand hold with good results at 1/15th of a second or even less depending on the focal length. Perhaps soon I will add the 50-200, or a nice prime lens.

You can't go wrong with this camera.

.....whatever needs 2 be said has already been said by the 68 odd reviewers before me. :-) I just came here 2 give it the 5 stars it deserves.

The PENTAX K200D, perfect 4 developing digital SLR users, offers an easy-to-use interface & incorporates award winning PENTAX imaging technology. With 10.2 megapixels, this DSLR features many of the advancements that are incorporated in the PENTAX K20D, including a LCD monitor, Custom Image functions 4 perfect control over how images are developed, & the Expanded Dynamic Range function. Compatible with any PENTAX lens ever produced & featuring Shake Reduction, the PENTAX K200D offers a high quality image sensor with the sophisticated PRIME (PENTAX Real Image Engine), a user-friendly Dust Removal system including the dust alert feature, 11-point SAFOX VIII auto focus system, sophisticated 16-segment multi-pattern metering & auto sensitivity control up 2 ISO 1600, all in a weather & dust resistant body.