Digital-Camera - Pentax K-x 12.4 MP Digital SLR with 2.7-inch LCD and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL and 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED Lenses (Black)
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List Price: $849.95
Our Price: Too low to display
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Pentax
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Electronics
Brand: Pentax
Display Size: 2.7
EAN: 0027075159464
Feature: 12.4-megapixel CMOS sensor with Pentax Shake Reduction; HDR image capture
Floppy Disk Drive Description: None
Has Red Eye Reduction: 1
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: Pentax
Legal Disclaimer: We do not in any way represent that any part we sell is legal to possess in your jurisdiction. Check with you local authorities to ensure it is legal for you to possess before buying!
Manufacturer: Pentax
Maximum Focal Length: 55
Maximum Resolution: 12.4
Minimum Focal Length: 18
Model: K-x 18-55mm & 55-300mm Kit
Optical Zoom: 3
Publisher: Pentax
Studio: Pentax
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Features
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12.4-megapixel CMOS sensor with Pentax Shake Reduction; HDR image capture
Kit includes 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL and 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED lenses
Capture widescreen HD 720p video at 24fps; 2.7-inch LCD with autofocus and Face Detection Live View
4.7fps capture rate with 1/6000 sec max shutter speed; 11-point wide-angle autofocus
Powered by AA lithium batteries; capture images and video to SD/SDHC memory (not included)
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Editorial Reviews:
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The K-x combines a variety of advanced features and user-friendly functions to ensure an outstanding level of photographic performance within a compact, lightweight body.The K-x design is based on the award winning Pentax K-m, an entry-class digital SLR camera launched in October 2008 that gained popularity for its compact, lightweight body and simple, user-friendly operation. The K-x features a high performance CMOS image sensor and an upgraded filter function. It also features a whole host of advanced features and such as live view shooting and movie recording, approximately 12.4 megapixels and high-speed continuous shooting. The K-x is the perfect camera for first-time digital SLR camera users, as well as an ideal backup camera for more experienced photographers.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Hits sweet spot in price/performance/features
Comment: This is my first DSLR; my experience includes years of shooting film SLRs and digital point-and-shoots. After a month of shooting a few hundred photos I'm pleased with the K-x. The kit (body + 18-55mm and 50-300mm DA lenses) is a great package for under $700. The automatic and preprogrammed modes are sufficient for those graduating from point-and-shoot cameras to take good photos immediately. The kit lenses are surprisingly good, and at the bundled price they are a no-brainer.
I immediately upgraded the firmware to v1.01 and was happy to discover that the installer included a Mac OS X version, which worked like a charm. I've seen no evidence of the early reported battery problems; I'm using the Sanyo Eneloop 2000 mAh and have not recharged yet.
Nothing is perfect, and the K-x does lag a bit in image stabilization in low light, but I suspect others do, too. Since I had experience with different brands of digital cameras I haven't had much difficulty with the interface and layout, but if you're a long-time user of another DSLR brand you'll probably need to practice more.
I was originally considering the Micro 4/3 format cameras, but after reading others' reviews of the K-x I decided to go the DSLR route. The K-x is comparatively light and compact, but feels solid, and the performance and features at this price are unmatched.
Photo quality has been good to excellent, the most challenging shots I've experienced were macro shots outdoors in the shade, in which a tripod is an absolute necessity. Focus distance with the 18-55mm is close and lens is fast enough for decent work of this type.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great camera - Great camera
Comment: I am getting amazingly strong action photos at little league games. The focus is solid. The images are outstanding. One of my photographers shoots with a Nikon D5000 with a 75/300 VR lens. The photos off the Pentax are as strong if not stronger. You get everything for about $700. The 55/300 Pentax lens is sold by itself for $300. Very few pics are out of focus when shooting at 4.7 fps. Enjoy the camera.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good but with bugs
Comment: I did a lot of research before buying the Pentax k-m (bought 2/5/10, with 2 extra lens) and found that this camera was highly recommended across the internet. Now that I've bought the camera and a lot of accessories for the camera (i.e. ext. flash, remote and etc.), I am now wondering if it was the right decision or not, because now I find several web sites are reporting a "mirror slap" problem (i.e. blurred images) with some Pentax k-m's. Some people report that they have exchanged the camera for a new one only to find that the new one has the same problem and some report that the camera appears to be fine, but the problem only shows up here and there (i.e. not a consistent problem, so it appears that buying this camera is a crap shoot). My camera appears to be fine at the moment, but I am wondering when the problem will show up and will Pentax be able to fix the problem without a lot of hassle (BTW Pentax has not admitted that there is a problem). I usually wait a year or two before buying big ticket items, so that the bugs are all worked out, but today it seems like the new models are replacing the old model on everything so fast that there is no time to work the bugs, so everything is becoming a crap shoot. I vote for working old models rather than hit and miss new models with new features that I could live without (or probably will never use) as long as the item worked as it should!!!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A picky review
Comment: The first one Amazon sent me had some coatings missing on the smaller lens. Both lenses in the second kit looked used (judging by the threading in the back of the lens), but at this point I did not care as long as the camera worked. Amazon returns are great!
Coming from a point and shoot with a virtually silent shutter, this shutter sounds awfully loud. Even in comparison to the Nikon F2, the shutter sound is much louder. Maybe it was because the F2 was used more heavily, it maybe that Pentax is louder in general.
The Auto Focus is very slow with Live View. It focuses out, then in, then finds the correct focus. I tried the Auto Focus with on the Sony Alpha a500 at Best Buy with Live View and the K-X is downright sluggish in comparison. With Live View off, it is just as fast as any other entry level dslr.
I bought this because I did not want to lug around a camera and video camera. As of February 2010, this is the only dslr that runs on batteries that can take HD (720p) video. The sound is monaural, but the videos are clear and smooth. When Live View is on, there is a hissing/clicking noise that the video picks up. However, this is not loud enough to disrupt video at your usual family gatherings. Also, Auto Focus is not available during video recording, you must use Manual Focus.
A note about the kit lens: the kit lenses do not have the Quick Shift Focus and the distance scale that are on the stand alone lenses.
With all that said, this camera takes clear pictures in the dark. The 30 second and bulb exposure can almost capture everything your eyes can see in the dark. This camera can see infrared, so with the infrared filter, you can take some neat and eerie pictures.
The menu and user interface is intuitive and easy to understand. This is a very ergonomical camera. I have been trying to get lens flares in my pictures, but have yet to succeed. The coating on the lens do a great job of inhibiting lens flares.
In the end, first and foremost this is a camera that takes beautiful pictures and good videos. This will not replace your video camera, but is handy to have both features in a small package.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Mine was defective...could possibly be a design flaw
Comment: Between speeds of 1/60s to 1/120s (and others, though not as visible) my sample could not take sharp images. It would take mostly sharp images at 1/30s, and sharp images at 1/250s. I also noticed demosaicing artifacts in images as well, although I think that's just the way the camera is.
Whether the shake problem is wide-spread, a limited defect, or a design flaw, doesn't matter to me. I don't want to spend countless hours with Pentax on fixing the problem...if it can be fixed at all. I just want a camera that can take sharp pictures. But at this moment, my Canon compact takes sharper images than this K-x.
I also decided that optical IS is better than sensor based IS. With optical IS you get the benefit of the IS system through the viewfinder. That also means that the autofocus is more accurate, and spot metering in complex lighting is also more accurate. So I returned my broken K-x and will likely get a Nikon instead.
UPDATE 2/28/10
A member of the DPReview forum had sent his K-x back to Pentax for this problem. They replaced the mirror box and did a few other things. However, he still has the problem. This is exactly the situation that I didn't want to have to deal with. The question is now being raised of this possibly being a design flaw. Another member is now awaiting the return of his K-x.
A poll at PentaxForums indicates 24 out of 68 K-x owners have noticed blurred/double images with their K-x...just over 35%. (updated 3/16/10)
3/17/10 - Imaging Resource now has a full review of the K-x, and they were able to reproduce the shake problem. They're result was that 1 in 10 shots at 1/100 had the problem.
I now have a Nikon D90 that takes equally sharp images at 1/80 as it does at 1/250. I also noticed that the D90 images aren't quite as sharp as the high-shutter speed K-x images. I was actually expecting this. The K-x appears to have either a very weak low-pass filter, or maybe it performs this function in software. The result is sharper images, but greater chance of false color. The effect is quite blatant in the Imaging Resource samples for the K-x. The Samuel Smith label in the still-life sample exhibits false color artifacts in the words "Pure Brewed" and "Lager Beer" due to the minimal low-pass filtering. Also, the Nikon D90 actually has a lossy RAW format. So both these factors combine to create a small, but very real difference in sharpness between the cameras.
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