Pentax K20D for K10D Users

Lalai and I just got a Pentax K20D after selling off the K10D and some of my lens collection. Or more accurately, I sold off some of my lens collection and Lalai reaps the benefits of having a K20D. :-)

The big story with the K20D over the K10D (at least on paper) are the following:

• 14.6MP versus 10MP for the K10D
• ISO 6400 with the new Samsung CMOS sensor, versus ISO 1600 with the Sony CCD in the K10D
• Live View
• AF micro-adjustment for up to twenty lenses

In my limited experience so far, the K20D is a mixed bag. It produces far larger files (larger than a 50% increase in pixel count would suggest), and the Live View, while clunky compared to say a Canon EOS 450D, is still quite valuable for critical manual focusing.

The AF adjustment is also quite useful as my most expensive Pentax lens (a 16-45mm f/4 ED AL, not saying much) needs a large amount of AF correction (+120 um on the K10D, +10 on the K20D).

The K20D is noticeably slower than the K10D. I suspect that Pentax did not upgrade the processor and the 50% higher pixel count is taking its toll. Although the most user-visible upgrade for me (aside from the Live View and higher ISO) is that auto white balance is far more competent than the K10D. I actually can leave the K20D on AWB all the time and it handles tungsten lighting (and even the residual yellow cast of my 50mm Super-Takumar) with aplomb.

The Downfall of Fungus

I've had quite some success "rescuing" fungus-laden lenses from ebay as well as from local sellers. Some of my notable rescues include a $20 Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar (which regularly goes for five times the price I paid) and a $30 SMC Pentax-M 135mm f/3.5 medium telephoto.

My latest rescue is an SMC Pentax-M 200mm f/4 with significant fungus on the front glass. The photo from the ebay auction:



And after some ministrations with a rubber bulb (to get the front ring off) and liquid soap:



Great success! now I can sell off my 200mm f/4 Super-Multi-Coated Takumar (which is optically near-identical, but requires an M42-K converter) to recover my costs.