Pentax SLR Camera | The Right SLR for You

: Image by louisvolant via Flickr

Pentax SLR cameras were popular with 35mm film photographers. But when digital SLRs began to become popular, it took several years for Pentax to catch up to Nikon and Canon. When they did arrive, however, they arrived in style and since their first digital SLR was introduced to the market in 2003, their popularity has snowballed. Many traditional Nikon and Canon photographers have converted to a Pentax SLR camera.

To compete with the top two companies, Pentax offers a wide range of SLR cameras. For the amateur photographer who is looking to move from a compact point and shoot to their first digital SLR, the Pentax K-x is highly recommended. Recently released in October 2009, this Pentax SLR camera is different from other entry level SLRs, for a variety of reasons.

First of all, the traditional coloring of a digital SLR is black. But the Pentax K-x, however, is not only available in black, but white, red and navy, too, with the intention of appealing to greater audience.

In addition, it comes with a fairly cheap price tag of around $650 including a kit lens. And it runs on AA size batteries. This means that no charger is required and a photographer can guarantee that they will never lose power by simply keeping two AA batteries in their camera bag.

To cater for those who are looking for slightly more in their Pentax SLR camera, the K20D should meet the needs of any serious amateur photographer. It also acts as a good quality second camera for a professional photographer.

Coming in at $1170, the Pentax K20D was put on the market in February 2008 and boasts a considerable 14.6 mega pixels. It’s touted as a phenomenal outdoor camera with a weather proof body, dust control features and a fantastic image stabilization feature.

It has to be noted that Pentax have not yet ventured effectively into the full professional photography market, although they do have some high quality top end SLR cameras, such as the recently released K-7.

Costing in excess of $1200, the K-7, like many SLRs that are coming onto the market, has the capability to record High Definition video, up to 30fps and with a resolution of 1526 x 1024.

In addition, the K-7 comes with a weather resistant 18-55mm lens as standard, with the option to upgrade to the 50-200 weather resistant lens if preferred.

It may seem to some that Pentax is not pushing boundaries with their SLR cameras, but trying to keep up with their larger rivals. However, high quality Pentax SLR cameras are predicted by many professional photographers to compete with Nikon and Canon for a place in the top two within the next few years.