Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

Bought a k10 in '08 and just loved it.Was asked to shoot a neighbors wedding in Aug '08 and needed a second-shooter, so I picked up a K200. It was everything I expected and more.I'm really impressed by the quality of both cameras.I literally don't leave home in the morning without at least one of them.

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

Still learning a lot with this camera and I am very happy with it. The weight of the camera might bother some people but I do not have a problem with it myself. Previously, I used a Pentax 7Z SLR film camera for the past 8 years and enjoyed the quality of work. Looking forward to how the product will be with my new camera. Highly recommended for those going from file to digital with a smaller budget.

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

Love the weather seals.
Couldn't be better, got it for my wife.
Only gripe is it's better than my istDs.

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

A good camera for fire sevice photography.
weather seals and stainless frame work well on an emergency scenes.
I have had the camera for about 3 month and shot a lot emergency scenes.
one bad thing is the auto focus will not work when emergency lights are on the fire apparatus.

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

Clear pictures with beautiful colors. I use this camera mostly to photograph my roses. I also use it to take landscape pictures and at various sporting events. The only downside I have with the camera is that it's a little on the heavy side compared to some other camera's I've purchased. But still would highly recommend this camera.

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

I will start by saying that I love this camera. It is with me most of the time. I was a huge fan of my old K1000 film camera because it was easy to use, tough as nails, and takes great pictures. The K200D continues this legacy perfectly. The chasis is weather and dust sealed and very easy to handle. The K200D takes beautiful pictures (select "Natural" for best results).[@]

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

Takes great photos! & is very easy to use. I love the scene settings - allows me to take better pictures.

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

I like that this camera seems to be sturdy and weather resistant. I want a really good digital camera and am willing to spend a lot of money for a good one. I need one like this one because it's simple and for a person like me who is beginning to get into photography.

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

The camera is rugged and tough. It can be used outdoors in inclement weather without fear of damage but you must also have a weatherproofed lens. The kits lens is NOT one.

The camera feels strong and it is heavier than the rest but you get great value for you money. However there are some limitations. To get the most out of the camera I recommend you shoot in the RAW format and not JPEG. The default JPEG settings are too vivid. They have a nice wow factor but you'll quickly tire of them. Shooting in RAW means computer work so in effect the more effort you put in to your photography, the more this camera will give you. I would say that this is a camera for someone who has a 35mm SLR and is looking to replace it with a digital. This type of person may not be a professional photographer but they at least know their way around an SLR. Do not get this camera for your mom - get it for yourself. Get her a Nikon D40 instead and you'll both be happy!

Pentax has some of the best prime lenses around. (Prime meaning it's not a zoom) So if you're into macro (extreme closeups of flowers or bugs) or into portraits, you will be hard pressed to buy better glass than Pentax.

Lastly one final caveat - always handle and look through each of the cameras you are considering to buy. Some fit peoples hands better than others. Also the view finders are different. In some you may feel as if you're looking through a pinhole while others not. The fact is that the more you pay, the better the viewfinder and to me that's 90% of photography. If you can't see it, you can't shoot it!

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

Very easy to use, durable & compact

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

I like to use it the old Pentax film SLR lenses !

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

I bought my Pentax for several reasons, mainly as a backup camera for my work. I use it for travel and some event work. I love the results I get from this camera, the pictures are clear and the colors match like they should. I did purchase two prime lenses and the results are excellent! Although this camera is a step above mid-range, it still produces quality work! The best part is I can still use my K-mount lenses from my film days!

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

I took an intro to Digital photography course with this camera and it was impressive. Very user friendly and definitely great value. Has every otion you could need and then some. It is a heavy camera though compared to the others due to solid construction, but small price to pay for durability.

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

I bought the Pentax K200D to replace my old Pentax ZX-10 35mm (film) SLR, and to get better low-light performance than I could get with my pocket digital (a Canon, which I really like). This camera is simply outstanding - I am SO glad I stayed with Pentax, rather than the other models I was looking at. The Pentax allows me to use all my old Pentax lenses with the camera's built-in shake reduction. Competitors offer this feature via shake reduction lenses, which are costly.

After 4 months of use, I'm still getting used-to some of the more advanced features, like shutter priority, apperature priority, etc., as well as the selectable "scenes" (used to help with difficult lighting conditions). It has worked-out very well for me in this time, and has helped me take some really great photos. The automatic modes are a breeze to use - so easy that my 9-year-old has even taken some great photos with it.

One thing I'm having trouble with, is that digital SLR's "see" through lenses differently. By this, I mean they magnify images more than standard SLR's through the same lens. For example - I have an older 28-200 pentax lens, which works fine on the K200D. However, it does not give me the full 28mm wide-angle that I get from my film SLR. Instead, it magnifies the image a bit (or so I've been told by the folks at my local Ritz Camera). Therefore, the K200D "sees" through my old 28-200 as if it were something like a 35-250. The bundled lens (18-55) is more like the old-school 28-70 lens. Over time, I might have to invest in a new digital-compatible lens (or two) to compensate for the lack of wide-zoom capability I used to get with my ZX-10 and my 28-200 lens.

All in all, I really love this camera. I only wish I could get all these features in a camera body the size and weight of my old ZX-10, which seems tiny compared to the K200D (hhmmm...maybe someday...).

=)

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

The style is very good!

Comments about Pentax Pentax K200D Digital SLR Camera w/18-55mm Lens:

I purchased the K200D to upgrade from my older 5mp digital that had limited options for lenses. I like the fact that there is a wide variety of lenses available. I'm looking forward to using this on my vacation to Colorado this spring. One of the things I really enjoy is that I can use the auto settings(scene selection, shooting modes, etc.) and also practice using the manual settings. So far only downside is finding a photo editing software that will support RAW files.