Hin's Photo Corner

I like my Pentax K-x white so much that I break loose with all guidelines in NOT buying overlapping lenses and before I know it, I now I have purchased both the Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 limited and Pentax DA 70mm f/2.4 limited. I bought them all used to save on cost. What surprises me is actually how small and agile these primes are when mounted on my Pentax K-x white. They look good in style with the white K-x. The black color matches the white color body better than the silver one does.


In terms of quality, they are just as amazing that deliver quality in a small body. I always get amazed especially on the quality from DA 40mm limited as it is the thinnest of the trio in 21/40/77 and yet the IQ is excellent in the prime and its close focus is quite good at 0.4 meters.


I can pretty much mount my DA 40mm limited and use it as a normal lens on both my K-x and K20D. The K-x has the edge over the K20D in smaller size and coupled with faster AF in the DA limited lens, I can hardly find a reason not to like the 40mm limited. And as many have noted, I have tried the DA 40mm limited on film body with Pentax SuperProgram. In program mode, I can pretty much use it with no issues on vignetting in the corners. With the SuperProgram, the 40mm is a really compact pancake waiting for light traveling. I have few pictures using DA 40mm f/2.8 limited with hood mounted on Pentax SuperProgram in P mode with film scanned by a lab

I spent my first weekend with Pentax K-x White using my Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5. By default in jpg, noise reduction (NR) is set to Medium and NR kicks in at iso 800 and above. I snapped few pictures while my sweetie took a break in the barber shop where we meet Bear Bear with camera again.

1/100 sec, f/4.0, 58mm, iso 800, 0 Ev
no flash, no processing

1/125 sec, f/4.5 wide open, 70mm, iso 800
no flash, no pp

1/80 sec, f/4.0, 37mm, iso 400
My Boys in background

cropped a bit to get closer, some lighting adjustment for backlit
should have brought in an external flash
1/125 sec, f/4.5 wide open, 70mm, iso 400

I will hopefully find time to test the K-x on macro as I wonder if the missing of red dot in obtaining AF will be a problem in K-x. The normal shooting seems an non issue. But in MF, I always rely on the red dot for the position on the flower in close up. I have to see how easy it goes. I tried out the LiveView in K-x and I was disappointed at first with K-x just like my K20D. I later find that LiveView, though slow and loud in AF, actually works quite nicely on overhead shot as in event shooting people from a higher point at a angle pointing downwards. LV may have improved in K-x when compared to K20D.

I don't think you can trust my samples as I do shoot in plain jpg. Here is a shot in iso 6400 with DA 40mm f/2.8 in f/5.0 with default Medium NR

iso 6400, NR default in Medium

I am perhaps really the last person you should ask for test photos. I am never a test chart kind of guy. I despise all the pixel peeping kind of technical details. I shoot pictures the same way as my best friend Javier does on his street_vision. Jpg's are my buddy as I have no time for post processing -- my lame excuses. Just few of the test shots in original high resolution exported into my website for your references. All are shot hand-held with Pentax K-x and DA 40mm f/2.8 limited

• http://hintheman.com/clients/pentax_kx_high_iso

The name of the files are pretty much self explanatory. The iso 6400 with medium NR that I posted above is the 5th one with name for

• iso6400_f5_0_medium_nr.jpg

And focus is on the white picture frame with my picture Love and Affection In Color that was shot with Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4.0-5.6 with Pentax K10D.

My forum buddy Somanna asked a question about the printing with picture frames. I used my $80 all-in-one printer with Canon mp 360 with Epson utlra-premium paper. This is not something to be followed as I think you can do way better with online printing with smugsmug and other well known places. If you are interested in occasional printing at home, I recommend reading up on Canon MP990 and Canon MP980 types of printers with very good scanning even for 35mm films. A review link from imaging-resource

• http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRINT/MP980/MP980.HTM

Impressions & Notes

• Pentax K-x is excellent in high iso noise handling. I can safely trust it to shoot cleanly in iso 3200 and when in doubt needed, I will boldly push it to iso 6400 and rely on post processing to deal with noise
• Details are outstanding in 1600 and good in iso 3200 and manageable in 6400. With my personal experience with K20D which is quite good in noise handling as compared to K10D. I can trust it to be clean up to iso 1600. With K-x, I can count on it to be quite clean in 3200 and subject to later studies, I have confidence in shooting iso 6400 when in doubt the scene dictates the necessity
• The K-x with DA 40mm f/2.8 limited is an ideal combo for traveling light.
• The DA-L lens is quite improved from the 1st version that I used with K100D.
  
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 still stays as my go-to 1 lens choice in walk-around. It works well with the K-x in a small form factor

Related:

• Pentax K-x White Indoor High ISO with DA 40mm f/2.8
  
• Pentax K-x White with DA/FA limited Lenses
  
• Pentax K-x White arrival
• Pentax DA primes on Pentax K-x White
  
• Pentax K-x -- Be Interesting
  
• Pentax K-x or K-7, which to get first
  
• Pentax Limited Lenses
• Pentax 1-Lens Choices
• Pentax K100D
• Bear Bear
  
• Hin's Camera Gear

With several forum member inputs, it is possible that my minor negative impression on K-x build is due to the white color. My copy is the beautiful white color. I love white and hence I pick on white color even if it means the feeling of cheaper plastic. Given the choices, I prefer the style over the norm and that is my irrational impulse in buying and there is not regret.




I pair up the DA 40mm limited with the K-x white and it looks dead gorgeous to me for a small form factor and lightweight. I bought the combination for traveling light and hence, I will not think of the need of battery grip unless the grip has portrait shooting button with green button.



Impressions & Notes

• It is more of a style thing for one's preference. I love white and I am dead happy to have a white camera. Forget about the potential of smudges, the glossy type of surface seem to work out well for cleaning
• Specific to the white color choice, I am not too impressed with the build material. It is a personal impressions not shared with other members. Perhaps, the white color with smooth surface lead me more into the impression of cheap plastic. I was assured by other members who have chosen on blue and black that their impressions are rock solid like the older models as in K100D and K20D.
  
• White seems to go well with the black limited lens. It is a compact body especially when I mount the DA 40mm f/2.8 limited
• White goes okay with silver limited but other color may seem to match better. I think both the blue, brown, especially the golden silver, the normal black and perhaps others will work well for the silver limited colors.

Related:

• Pentax K-x white arrival
• Pentax DA primes on Pentax K-x White
• Pentax K-x White in Disneyand
• Pentax K-x White in Seaworld Part 1 | Part 2
  
• Pentax K-x White with DA and FA Limited Lenses
• Pentax K-x User Setings
• Pentax K-x Monochrome and Infrared filter
  
• Pentax DA primes on Pentax K-x White
• Pentax K-x White on High ISO
• Pentax K-x High ISO Habit
• Pentax K-x -- Be Interesting
  
• Pentax K-x or K-7, which to get first
• Pentax DA 21mm limited on FF bodies
• Pentax K-x HD Test Videos
• Pentax K-7 videos
• Pentax Limited Lenses
• Hin's Camera Gear

I just got my white K-x. I prefer to pick up red on the hand grip but I don't want to wait and special order from Japan

The white K-x is beautiful as others have noted. I am a bit weary of the build material with light plastic as I get used to the sturdy material as in the K20D, K10D and I don't think it matches the build material as in the K100D that I had. More use will tell. The LCD is very useful with the latest update on the screen user interface and I don't seem to mind the missing of red dot in focusing and the top LCD. Test pictures come out decent even for the DA-L 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6