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Pentax Kx Performance

Performance

Overall performance from the K-x is pretty good, at times very good, but along the way you’ll deal with several quirks and one major annoyance. The K-x starts up pretty fast, you can take a picture in under a second if you choose, but the info screen takes a couple of additional seconds to appear if you aren’t taking an immediate shot. Overall ergonomics are pretty good as we’ve already mentioned, the shutter release is comfortably placed, but the shutter sound is rather loud and mechanical sounding, something I didn’t love, but didn’t hate either.
The K-x provides a viewfinder with 96% coverage, .85x magnification, and dioptre correction, all largely the same as the competitors (except the Olympus E-620). Here’s where we get into the one hard to understand inconvenience of the K-x: the total lack of visible AF points in the viewfinder. Of course the K-x does have AF points, 11 of them in fact, and as it turns out they are selectable, you just can’t see them when composing your photos. If that sounds bad to you, well it is bad, but in general I personally am a center focus and recompose type shooter, so it’s easy enough to imagine the center point to accomplish this task, but still this is the single biggest negative facing the K-x. Outside of that hard to ignore issue, the Pentax K-x has a reasonably good AF system, with single, continuous, and auto options, and the ability to use one, 5, or all 11 points for focusing duties. The SAFOX system that has trickled down from the K-7 is not quite as fast as say the Nikon D5000, and the AF motor is noticeably noisier, but it is a pretty reliable system even for some dynamic subjects, and even performs well in low light.
Back to more positive territory the K-x boasts the ability to shoot at a Pentax claimed 4.7 fps which in our tests seems about right. On the flip side, that rate is for 5 RAW files, so yes it’s faster than the competition, but with a catch (which is lessened for JPEG shooters, 16 frames instead of 5). Once the buffer fills you can keep shooting at rate of about 1.5 fps for RAW files, which all in all, is not too bad.

One final issue remains with the K-x, and that relates to its use of AA batteries. I’ll just reiterate, I don’t really like putting batteries in my cameras, the lithium-ion option is infinitely more elegant and practical in my opinion, but some folks prefer the convenience of being able to buy batteries anywhere, so I’ll let you decide on this one. That said, a set of regular alkaline AA batteries will be rapidly depleted by the K-x, shockingly so. Instead, use the included lithium AA’s, and the K-x will last a long time, good for hundreds and hundreds of photos and plenty of video too. Rechargeables however are somewhere in between the two, so either have a couple of sets handy, or stick to the lithiums.

Live View

The K-x does offer Live View shooting, but as we’ve found on many DSLR cameras, its uses are largely suited more for macro or tripod work than actually imitating a compact camera. Accepting that, the K-x does provide a pretty thorough live view experience, with a multitude of views: unobstructed, additional shooting info overlays, a grid overlay, histogram overlay, highlight and shadow warning, and the everything all together on the screen at once solution. You can choose from a contrast detect AF, phase detection AF, or face detection AF, but all are pretty slow (contrast being the slowest), and poor choices for capturing anything that might be moving more than just a little. You can magnify your view up to 6x while in live view, but the 230K LCD hinders the effectiveness of really seeing supreme levels of focus detail. On the whole, as with most DSLR cameras, live view on the Pentax K-x won’t be the preferred way of taking most of your photos, but Live View remains invaluable for tripod friendly photographers.

Live view usage is best for macro and tripod type work, where a magnified view can come in handy.	The K-x offers several different views, an info-free view, grid overlay, and the "just about everything you could need to know" view, which includes a live histogram

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Pentax K-x In Depth Review: Much Better Than Just Entry Level

Pentax K-x In Depth Review: Much Better Than Just Entry Level
With the Pentax K-7, one got more than just a sense that Pentax had really decided to take the fight to Canon and Nikon, and perhaps separate themselves from the “other guys” just a bit by offering a pro-sumer camera that did away with as many compromises as possible and instead offered a very compelling camera, at a very attractive price. So in attendance for the unveiling of “something exciting” from Pentax back in September, it was refreshing to see them take the same approach with their new entry-level Pentax K-x.
Looking every bit like the Pentax K-m/K2000 on the outside, the K-x changes things up on the inside by borrowing the 11 point AF system and PRIME II processing from the K-7. The K-x also shoots 720p HD video, again similar to the K-7. The sensor inside is 12.4 megapixels, a step somewhere in-between the K-7 and the K-m. Finally, the K-x offers a frame rate of 4.7 fps which also puts it quite close to the K-7 (though not in burst depth). On the other hand, like the K-m you still can’t see visible AF points in the viewfinder (something that still leaves us scratching our heads, but at least you can select a point now) and the K-x runs on 4 AA batteries, which we still see as a negative no matter who tries to convince us otherwise.

Still, when we got our hands on the display samples at the event we were impressed by the handling, and the feature set–and then there were the colors, black, red, navy, and white, with other markets outside of the U.S. getting even more options. Most impressive of all was the price point, with Pentax once again trying to win the day with an aggressive feature to price ratio. Were our initial impressions well founded? Find out in our review of the Pentax K-x.

Competition

The Pentax K-x is spec’d for most intents and purposes as a higher end entry-level DSLR camera, though we’re quick to recognize that these boundaries are being blurred all of the time. For comparison purposes, we’ve put together some key specifications from the Nikon D5000, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i, the Olympus E-620, and the Sony A380.

Camera	Pentax K-x	Nikon D5000	Canon EOS Rebel T1i	Olympus E-620	Sony A380
Price	$569	$629	$749	$567	$699
Sensor	12.4 million effective pixels	12.3 million effective pixels	15.1 million effective pixels	12.3 million effective pixels	14.2 million effective pixels
Max File Size	4288 x 2848	4,288 x 2,848	4752 x 3168	4032 x 3024	4592 x 3056
Video Options	1280 x 720 @ 24 fps, mono sound, 25 minute clips	1280x720 @ 24 fps, mono sound, 5 minute clips	1920x1080 @ 20 fps, 1280x720 @ 30 fps, mono sound, 29 minute clips	none	none
AF	11 point AF	11 point AF	9 point AF	7 point AF	9 point AF
Frame Rate	4.7 fps, 5 RAW	4 fps, 11 RAW	3.4 fps, 9 RAW	4 fps, 5 Raw	2.5, 28 RAW
LCD	2.7 inch, 230K	2.7 inch, 230K, tilt and rotate	3.0 inch, 920K	2.7 inch, 230K, flip and rotate	2.7 inch, 230K, tilt
Dimensions	122.5mm x 91.5mm x 67.5mm (4.8 x 3.6 x 2.7 in)	127 x 104 x 80 mm (5.0 x 4.1 x 3.1 in.)	129 x 98 x 62 mm (5.1 x 3.9 x 2.4 in)	130 x 94 x 60mm (5.1 x 3.7 x 2.4")	128 x 97 x 71 mm (5.2 x 3.9 x 2.9 in)
Weight (no battery)	515 g (1.1 lb)	560 g (1 lb. 4 oz.)	480 g (1.1 lb)	475 g (1.0 lb)	489 g (1.28 lb)

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Performance Canon EOS 1D MarkIV

Performance

What can we say, but that the EOS 1D Mark IV is a blazing performer, and largely an excellent performing camera in both the field and in the studio. Of course it all starts with excellent handling characteristics…as I discussed previously the Mark IV is a well laid out camera, that puts the necessary controls comfortably at the fingertips. Lift the camera to eye level, and the view is both bright and clear through the viewfinder, which as you’d expect provides full 100% coverage of your composition. Turn the camera on, and firing times are instantaneous, with no perceptible shutter delay. And yes the camera is fast, and in general when a camera is referred to as fast they’re talking about frames per second. In the Mark IV’s case we’re talking about 14-bit, 16.1 megapixel files pumping at 10 frames per second, which is exactly what we achieved with our PhotoFast GMonster 533x CF cards. In RAW that’s good for 30 odd frames, followed by a frame rate less than half that following the filled buffer. On the JPEG front, this 10 fps can go on, and on, and on (hundreds of frames), given higher end CF cards. So yes, the camera is fast, perhaps too fast for many applications, where the camera is more wisely used with continuous shooting turned off.

Now to the much asked about AF system. From a “One Shot” perspective, the Mark IV works very well. The Mark IV offers 45 AF points, 39 of them cross type — IF you’re using a lens that’s f/2.8 or faster (with a few exceptions) and if you’re manually picking your points. To make things simpler, or easier, based on the current subject matter, the available points to choose from can be changed from all 45 points to 19 points, to 11, to 9. The Mark IV also provides several of the tricks found on the EOS 7D, like the ability to change a focal point to a smaller point (spot focus) for precision focusing, as well as the ability to store focal points in memory based on camera orientation. Focusing was fast and reliable with a variety of lenses, and the Mark IV easily focused in low light areas where the EOS 5D Mark II wouldn’t.
Given the issues raised with the EOS 1D Mark III, clearly the focus on the Mark IV is with its AI Servo functionality, and on that note, I feel reasonably secure in saying that most photographers will find it better than the Mark III, and close to the Nikon D3s. The problem is “out of the box” performance. The Mark IV’s AF system is substantially effected by a number of custom function settings, many of them confusing to make sense of exactly, but it’s important to get a grasp on the exact nature and effect of each of the custom functions, because setting them properly will greatly improve AF performance, relative to specific events and lighting conditions. Set properly, I found the AF system to work very well. The Mark IV would quickly “lock on” to targets, and tracking results were impressive. In our several opportunities to shoot sports events I managed high percentages of in focus shots. Where the shots were out of focus, I can honestly say that most were user error, either from poor tracking, or over eagerness (firing before following).
Note that above I said, “close to the Nikon D3s”. The reason for saying this is that the Mark IV seems much more reliant on getting custom functions right than the D3/D3s. Set properly the two cameras produce similar results, but the D3s makes it easier out of the box in my opinion. So perhaps the Mark IV is a “smarter” camera, either way I got nearly identical focusing results from the two cameras, which is saying a lot given the D3s’ capabilities. In the end I’d be comfortable with either camera on the sidelines of the “big game”, but I’ll confess that if my life depended on getting “the shot” I’d probably pick up the Nikon D3s.

But don’t get me wrong, the Mark IV inspires a great deal of confidence, and in general use, be it the field, the studio, or the sidelines, the Mark IV is an outright workhorse. It may require more “homework” to dial in results (specifically in regards to AI Servo AF) but the extra work is well worth the results.

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Canon EOS 1D Mark IV In Depth Review

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV In Depth Review
Introduced on October 20th, the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV came out from behind the curtain with a good deal of pressure placed on it. The problem for the EOS 1D Mark IV is that its predecessor, the EOS 1D Mark III, went through something of roller coaster with its well discussed autofocusing issues, while its competitor, the Nikon D3, won over many frustrated photographers with both impressive AF performance and amazing low light capabilities. And so, the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV now has to step into the limelight and restore the luster to Canon’s pro series, while at the same time now having to go to toe to toe with the newly introduced Nikon D3s.

So what has Canon done to impress professional photographers? For starters, the EOS 1D Mark IV gets an all new AF system, with 45 points, 39 of them being the cross-type variety. Next, the 1D4 gets a nice bump in resolution, up to 16 megapixels from the 1D3’s 10.1 megapixels, but still on the same and somewhat strange APS-H sensor which offers an unconventional 1.3x crop. Incredibly the Mark IV is able to maintain its predecessor’s frame rate of 10 fps, with the help of dual DIGIC IV processors. Also incredible, the Mark IV’s ISO range that extends to an eye-popping ISO 102,400, which just so happens to be the same range found on the competing Nikon D3s. Finally, the Mark IV gets Canon’s robust video recording options, including 1080p and 720p video with selectable frame rates.
On paper anyway, the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV sounds a bit more exciting than the Nikon D3s, which looks like more of a refresh than the Mark IV, but Nikon’s task was simpler, tweak and improve an already highly regarded camera responsible for perhaps reducing the amount of long white lenses seen on the sidelines. The challenges for the Mark IV are more daunting, erase photographer’s angst from the Mark III, and face down the Nikon D3s. Is it up to the task? Read on in our in depth review of the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV.

Availability

The Canon EOS 1D Mark IV is available for order at B&H Photo.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV Digital Camera at B&H Photo Get the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and support this site at the same time, by making your purchase through the following links at B&H Photo Video. Your purchases there help us continue to provide you with more great content. Camera Body (only) $4999

Competition

The most clear competitor to the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV is the Nikon D3s, at least when it comes to the intended market for both cameras. From a hardware point of view, the 2 cameras are a bit challenging to compare exactly, given the Nikon’s full frame sized sensor and the Mark IV’s smaller APS-H sensor. Still the cameras are intended to perform similar roles, and outside of sensor sizes, the specifications of the two cameras are quite similar.
Key Specifications

Camera	Nikon D3s	Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
Price (street est.)	$5199	$4999
Sensor Resolution	12.1 megapixels	16.1 megapixels
Sensor Size	36 x 23.9 mm	27.9 x 18.6mm
ISO Range	100-102400	100-102400
AF	51 points, 15 cross-type	45 points, 39 cross-type
Weather Sealing	Yes	Yes
LCD	3 inch, 921K	3 inch, 920K
Continuous Shooting	9 fps (at full size)	10 fps
HD Movie	720p HD video at 24 fps, connector for external microphone	720p HD video at 50fps/60fps, 1080p HD video at 30fps/25fps/24fps, connector for external microphone
Viewfinder	100% coverage, 0.7x magnification	100%, .76x magnification
Dimensions	6.3 x 6.2 x 3.4" (160 x 157 x 88 mm )	6.1 x 6.2 x 3.1" (156 x 156.6 x 79.9mm)
Weight	44 oz. (1240 g)	41.6 oz (1180g)

Highlights

A look at some of the feature highlights to be found on the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV.

1.098 x 0.73 in./ 27.9 x 18.6 mm (APS-H size CMOS sensor)	Canon claims sensor improvements like closer gapless microlenses are the biggest reason for improved ISO performance.
Dual DIGIC IV processors help the EOS 1D Mark IV fire off 14-bit files at 10 fps.	Magnesium alloy construction and 76 points of sealing.
The EOS 1D Mark IV is the first Canon to receive their newest implementation of auto lighting optimizer.	The AF unit promises to help improve autofocus performance of the EOS 1D Mark IV's predecessor.
The 45 point AF system now provides 39 cross-type points.	You can select from several different AF point layouts.
The AF system even keeps track of AF points through changes in camera orientation, moving them accordingly.	The EOS 1D Mark IV uses Canon's integrated cleaning system, including a self cleaning sensor unit.
The EOS 1D Mark IV features the same extensive HD recording options as the EOS 7D, including framerate choices.

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