Pentax K-7 14.6 MP Digital SLR with Shake Reduction and 720p HD Video (Body Only)
by Pentax
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: PentaxModel: K-7
Product features:
- High-resolution, 14.6-megapixel CMOS sensor; compact, magnesium alloy body
- Body only; lenses sold separately
- Weather resistant, dustproof, and coldproof (14 degrees F, -10 degrees C)
- Fast 5.2 fps shooting with the new PRIME II Image processing engine; top shutter speed of 1/8000 sec freezes even the fastest action in well-lit settings
- 3-inch LCD; Live View mode, with contrast AF, Face Detection, and optional histogram, grid, and bright/dark area display
- Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
- Pentax 17-70mm f/4 DA SMC AL IF SDM Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Cameras
- Pentax 21870 DA 50-200mm F/4-5.6 AL Weather Resistant Lens
- Joby GP2-D1EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras with Bubble Level
- Serif PhotoPlus X3
- Aperture 3
Digital camera reviews of Pentax K-7 14.6 MP Digital SLR with Shake Reduction and 720p HD Video (Body Only)
Digital camera Review: 90 percent of a K-5 at 60 percent of the price
Summary: 4 Stars
The K-7 is a great camera at a great price. I have worked as a journalistic photographer for about a decade. During that time, I have mainly used Nikon equipment (N90, F4s, D70, D90). I didn't expect to buy a Pentax when I started looking for a personal camera system.
Several factors won me over:
1. The K-7 is small, tough and weather-sealed. I take more pictures of more interesting things if I'm not either worried about hurting a fragile mechanism or environmental factors such as rain or temperature. I also take more pictures if my camera isn't so large that it is a pain to bring with me. The K-7 does very well on both of these fronts. It is significantly more compact than a D90 (much less a Canon 60D), and built a lot better as well.
2. The K-7 benefits from a great line of lenses. The new Pentax "Limited" lenses are small, beautifully constructed and take great images. The K-7 is also fully compatible with used SMC-A manual focus lenses (which Pentax made in the 70s and 80s). They are available at very reasonable prices on Ebay, greatly expanding your options of you are on a budget.
3. The K-7 has in-body image stabilization. This means that the photos you take with every lens (not just newly constructed "VR" lenses) benefit from the stabilization system. For me, this has meant sharp images at significantly slower shutter speeds.
4. The K-7 is cheap. At at least $300 less than a D7000 and $600(!) less than a K-5, this camera is a bargain right now. Use that money to buy a lens or two that you can still be taking pictures with decades from now.
This is not to say there isn't a trade-off
1. The K-7 should not be your first choice if you absolutely have to have the best quality images at ISOs over 800. While the K-7 still takes nicer images at 3200 than I could ever get on actual film (TMX 3200 for those that remember such things), there are a lot better choices out there for high ISO/low noise applications. ISO 100-400 is great, 800 is still pretty good. 1600 is usable, but starting to show some real noise, and the only place I would actually use 3200 at the moment is shooting a night sporting event for newsprint.
To put things in perspective, the K-7's sensor isn't great by contemporary standards, but still beats the pants off of a D70, or probably any camera produced before 2007. So, if your current DSLR is more than four years old, you'll probably be pleased so long as you're not the type that stays up nights worrying about the fact that somewhere, something technically better is out there.
All and all, I think this is a great value, with one trade-off. It's worked out well for me.
More Pentax K-7 14.6 MP Digital SLR with Shake Reduction and 720p HD Video (Body Only) reviews:
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Summary of Pentax K-7 14.6 MP Digital SLR with Shake Reduction and 720p HD Video (Body Only)
The Pentax K-7 features a rugged, yet compact new body design, a new 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor rebuilt from the ground up, and advanced features such as HD Movie Capture and new, unique-to-Pentax camera controls. Compatible with every Pentax lens ever made, the high-end K-7 features an abundance of long-anticipated new and improved features that are exclusive to the camera and combine to make it a tremendous photography tool.Digital SLRs
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