Pentax K2000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DA L and 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lenses

by Pentax

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001GAPHPG
• Item model number: K2000 w/ 18-55mm and 50-200mm Lens
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,266 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 1, 2009

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

The Pentax K2000 offers uncomplicated operation for new digital SLR users and family photographers seeking high-quality digital SLR photography for the first time. Combining Pentax-developed, easy-to-use Auto Picture modes as well as powerful learning functions all housed in one of the smallest, lightest camera bodies in its class, the Pentax K2000 system is ideal for digital SLR beginners. Additional features on teh newest digital K2000 SLR body include a 10.2-megapixel CCD, a 2.7-inch wide-view LCD panel and an ultra-compact design that facilitates one-handed operation. The body also features the same Pentax-developed Shake Reduction technology found on more advanced K-series digital SLRs. Pentax Shake Reduction is compatible with more than 25 million Pentax lenses, and delivers sharp images even when hand-held at slower shutter speeds. The K2000 also features the powerful, Pentax-developed Auto Picture Mode, which selects from Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, and Night Portrait modes to tailor the camera settings to guide and teach you about digital SLR photography.

Pentax K2000 Digital SLR Highlights

Compact, lightweight body for enhanced portability and maneuverability
Despite the large image sensor (23.5mm by 15.7mm), the Pentax K2000 offers a compact, lightweight body to assure remarkable portability and maneuverability. The design incorporates a high-rigidity stainless-steel chassis, a more compact Shake Reduction mechanism and circuit boards, and the latest in high-density body component assembly to ensure efficient positioning and layout of various parts, including the repositioning of the battery compartment, to maximize ergonomics. The camera grip has also been redesigned for a firm, comfortable hold of the camera body.

Simplified ergonomics with dedicated Help button
The Pentax K2000 features a newly designed control system that positions most of the buttons and dials on the camera’s grip side making it easier to operate the camera with one hand. Additionally, a dedicated reprogrammable Help button displays camera functions on the camera’s LCD screen. This built-in user’s manual is ideal for those who are unfamiliar with digital SLR cameras.

Pentax original Shake Reduction mechanism for sharp, blur-free images
The Pentax K2000 comes equipped with the Pentax developed Shake Reduction (SR)* mechanism to reduce camera shake for sharp, blur-free images even under demanding shooting conditions - such as with telephoto lenses, in low light, at night without supplementary flash illumination and for extended exposures in sunset scenes. This innovative SR mechanism shifts the position of the image sensor vertically and horizontally at high speed using magnetic force, while adjusting the shifting speed in exact proportion to the amount of camera shake detected by a built-in sensor. SR offers an outstanding compensation effect up to the equivalent of approximately four shutter steps. As a result, the body does not require special anti-shake lenses and may be used with almost all existing Pentax interchangeable lenses.
_{* Lenses compatible with this mechanism are: the Pentax K-, KA-, KAF-, KAF2-, and KAF3-mount lenses; screw-mount lenses (with an adapter); and 645- and 67-system lenses (with an adapter). Some functions may not be applicable with certain lenses.}

Comprehensive Dust Detection and Removal system
The Pentax K2000 features the user-friendly Dust Removal (DR) system to prevent dust from appearing on images. Applied to the CCD image sensor low pass filter surface through the vapor deposition process of a fluorine compound, the Pentax developed original SP (Super Protect) coating effectively prevents dust from sticking to the sensor. For any stubborn dust that still remains on the surface, the SR system shifts the image sensor at high speed to shake off these particles. Finally, the dust that is shaken off the image sensor falls onto an adhesive sheet positioned at the bottom of the SR unit, eliminating any possibility of it returning to the image sensor surface. This DR system also offers a Dust Alert function, which allows the user to detect any placement of dust on the sensor in advance of cleaning operations.

Auto Picture and creative Scene modes
The Pentax-developed Auto Picture mode is programmed to automatically select the most appropriate shooting mode such as Portrait, Landscape, Action, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, and Macro for a given subject. Since all camera settings, including aperture, shutter speed, white balance, saturation, contrast and sharpness are then automatically adjusted by the camera for optimum results, users can concentrate on image composition rather than mode selection. For more unconventional subjects and environments, Pentax also includes 10 creative scene modes. Combined, the K2000’s automatic modes offer users great flexibility as they explore digital SLR photography.

High-quality image
The Pentax K2000 combines a large, 10.2-megapixel sensor with the sophisticated Pentax Real Image Engine (PRIME) as the imaging engine. This combination produces beautiful, detailed images with subtle gradations. The K2000 also features a Custom Image function, which offers a choice of six processing presets to give photographers high quality image processing flexibility.

High-speed continuous shooting at 3.5 frames per second
The Pentax K2000 allows users to shoot images up to approximately 3.5 frames per second (in the JPEG recording format), allowing photographers to capture fast action sequences with ease.

High-precision 5-point AF system
The Pentax K2000 incorporates a five-point, wide-area AF system (SAFOX VIII with five cross-type sensors) for dependable, high-precision autofocusing. Using the five sensors positioned in a cross pattern over the image field, this system automatically selects the optimum focus sensor for a given subject. Additionally, Center Focusing allows the photographer to enable only the centermost focus sensor. Pentax engineers were also able to improve the focus speed under poor lighting conditions for improved autofocus performance overall.

Auto sensitivity control up to ISO 3200
The Pentax K2000’s auto sensitivity control function automatically sets the optimum sensitivity between ISO 100 and ISO 3200, based on such data as the subject brightness level and lens focal length. Since this allows the user to take advantage of faster shutter speeds in poor lighting situations (such as indoor sports events and night scenes), it helps the photographer to effectively reduce blur due to camera shake and subject movement.

Enhanced Dynamic Range and Shadow Adjustment Mode
The K2000’s Enhanced Dynamic Range function allows the user to extend the dynamic range to prevent clipping in the highlight areas of the image. Additionally, Shadow Adjustment mode brings out detail in the darkest parts of the image. Combined, these functions help the user to produce beautiful, detailed images when shooting highcontrast subjects.

Large, easy-to-view 2.7-inch LCD monitor
The Pentax K2000 features a large 2.7-inch color LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots of resolution. This monitor’s wide-view design allows the photographer to check the on-screen image from approximately 160 degrees both vertically and horizontally and offers digital zooming of playback images up to 16X for easy confirmation of the image’s focus and subject details.

Bright, clear viewfinder
With a lightweight penta-mirror prism and the acclaimed Natural-Bright-Matte focusing screen, the Pentax K2000’s viewfinder delivers a large, bright image with an approximately 96 percent field of view and approximately 0.85X magnification.

Digital filters for unique visual expressions
The Pentax K2000’s built-in digital filters allow users to effortlessly add creative and artistic touches to recorded images without the use of a PC. Users may select one of 14 different digital filters including the new Toy Camera and Retro filters to create the desired visual effect.

Additional Features

• Energy-efficient power supply, recording approximately 1,650 images with four AA-size lithium batteries (included)
• Status screen, displaying camera settings on the LCD monitor for at-a-glance confirmation
• Index function, for five different types of display and printing modes
• Choice of 16-segment multi-pattern metering, center-weighted metering and spot metering to accommodate various photographic applications
• Simultaneous recording of RAW and JPEG format images
• Compatibility with SD and SDHC memory cards
• In-body development of RAW images
• Compatibility with SDM autofocus lenses for quiet, smooth focus operation
• Pentax PHOTO Laboratory 3 RAW data processing software and Pentax PHOTO Browser 3 browser software included

Product Description

For those new to the world of digital SLR photography, PENTAX provides a rich learning experience in a lightweight, ergonomic package. Discover the DSLR. Welcome the K2000. Shake Reduction system, featuring a 10.2 megapixel CCD, is compatible with any PENTAX lens ever made, and minimizes the effect of camera shake even at slower shutter speeds.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lot of Camera in a Small Light Package, April 7, 2009

By 

Lawson Stone (Wilmore, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pentax K2000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DA L and 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lenses (Electronics)

I have owned and used both the Pentax K10D and K20D, not to mention the old Pentax film bodies. I've also played around with Nikon D40, D50, and D300 (family members owned these). Great cameras all.

But the Pentax KM/K2000 is an amazing package. Slimmed down from the K20D size, it still have a solid feel despite the light weight. The interface has been redesigned to make good use of a bright, clear rear display giving immediate access to 12 vital features of the camera's operation as well as exposure information. If you want, you can just set it to "Green Mode" and shoot automatically. Or you can venture a bit into scene modes, but the easy availability of Program Auto Mode, Shutter, Aperture, and and Manual exposure modes is appealing. Stepping up from point-and-shoot is easy, with gentle steps leading you to full control over the shot. Stepping "down" from the K20D gives you the same solid camera, same beautiful Pentax color, same availability of great Pentax glass from as far back as the 1960's, in a smaller, lighter package. To top it off, the new kit lens, the DA 18-55 MkII, is repackaged here in an even lighter form as the DAL 18-55. Same great optics in a lighter weight. This is the best kit lens I've ever used. The DAL 50-200 zoom is also a very fine lens, and this outfit will be all that many photographers ever need. Add a prime or two and you are well equipped.

Limitations exist: if you insist on selecting your own focus point, the KM/K2000 is not your camera. You can choose center point or let the camera select, but you can't select from the focus points as you can with the K10D and K20D. Auto orientation detection is missing, but I don't find that an issue. Some will welcome AA batteries, others prefer the proprietary battery. If you do not buy the kit with both lenses, I have not seen where you could purchase the DAL 50-200 separately, though the optically identical DA 50-200 (slightly heavier) is available. The DAL's are bundled and hard to find separately.

Overall, as a Pentax K20D user, I find the K2000 a wonderful back-up body, or a great body to take when the kit needs to be light and compact, but still have all the functionality of a solid DSLR.

Oh yes....this specific one is white. Storm-trooper white. It's an acquired taste, but a lot of fun. The regular, black KM/K2000 is optically and mechanically identical. I have played with both, though the black one is what I have.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great camera, May 30, 2009

By 

Marc - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pentax K2000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DA L and 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lenses (Electronics)

I bought both the Pentax K2000 and the Nikon D60 to do a true "side-by-side" comparison and after a couple of days taking a bunch of different pictures with both, I determined that the pictures were a little crisper with the Pentax. I used the exact settings on both cameras and took pictures of the same thing at the same distance and if you look at the final product closely, you will probably come to the same conclusion I did. Don't get me wrong, the Nikon took really good pictures. If I would have not bought the Pentax and just bought the Nikon, I would say the Nikon takes fantastic pictures, but when you compare the two side-by-side the Pentax takes a little better picture. The Nikon went back to the store and I'm now a proud owner of the K2000.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pentax K2000, June 23, 2009

By 

Red Dog "shutter hobbyist" (Utah) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pentax K2000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DA L and 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lenses (Electronics)

This is exactly the camera I've been waiting for. I was Pentax fan when I used 35mm film and switched to digital several years and several cameras ago. My last camera was a Nikon Coolpix 8700. Great camera but I missed the versatility and speed of an SLR. I wanted a Pentax so I could use some of my old lenses. As it turned out, that wasn't all that important. The kit lenses are adequate for my hobbyist purposes and the guaranteed match of features to the DSLR camera body made it a great package. I have taken over a hundred pictures just to get the feel of the camera and I'm very pleased with the results. It is an easy camera to get to know, at least on an adequate beginning mode and then to expand as your picture taking demands get more sophisticated. I recommend it highly for any beginning to intermediate digital camera user. Unbeatable combination of capability and price.