TOP compares the K20D to D700

[night86mare]

I quote..

I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed that the Nikon didn't do better here. Here are a few things that could be going on: Maybe 6400 is past the sweet spot for the D700 (that is, maybe the D700 would beat the K20D by more than two stops if there were more light and I were using both at lower ISOs). Maybe the newer (c. 2007) Pentax lens is better than the older (c. 1987) Nikkor (I did give the Pentax DA Macro a rave review when I wrote about it). Maybe I'm better at hand-holding 1/15th with IS than I am at handholding even 1/60th without it (I think it's pretty obvious that this is true). Maybe noise reduction and sharpening would change the results or at least ameliorate the differences. Maybe I messed up the test in some other way I'm not aware of.

To me, it looks like the K20D at 1600 compares favorably to the D700 at 6400—it has better sharpness and more detail. This looks like a win for SR to me, for this kind of shot—a static scenic in extremely low light.

P.S. There's one criticism of this test you shouldn't make, and that would be to say that I could just use VR on the Nikon. Nope, because Nikon does not now and never will put VR in any of the lenses I want it in—not a chance. That's why I like IS built into the camera body, because it's usable with all lenses—including the ones I like. So the Nikon's only hope of competing is with higher ISOs alone.

Ultimately, I suspect the image quality (IQ) of the K20D is better than that of the Nikon D700, as I shall try to demonstrate in due course. The Pentax has somewhat higher resolution and better detail; it has slightly tastier, richer color than I've so far eked out of the Nikon. But that's only if you're able to use the K20D within its limitations—meaning, at normal sensitivities. That's a big "if," turns out. Where the D700 just obliterates the K20D—and every other digital camera I've ever used, save the D3—is at high ISO's.

Links:
The Nikon D700
High ISO versus IS


I just checked Amazon.com, one costs $2399, the other, $750.

So if you don't need high ISO? The choice is clear.

 

[le petit prince]

I just checked Amazon.com, one costs $2399, the other, $750.

So if you don't need high ISO? The choice is clear.

With the D700 3x (ouch!) the K20D's price, I would say the K20D is the more logical choice for most people.. needing high ISO or not.

Especially for most hobbyists.

Heck, even the K20D is a bit too costly for me now (yah, I know it's actually very value-for-money), much less the D700..

 

[creampuff]

How Pentax can come up with a winner at US$750 and not see droves of people buying it is beyond me. If they had beefed up the AF speed and frame rate further, the K20D would be the undisputed uber camera in the quality/value category.

 

[flowerpot]

talking about details.... The K20D is quite amazing, trust me, i took many models shots i spend so much time removing all the blemishes on the face even though on naked eye we dun see them face to face :bsmilie:...i have seen enough samples here and be it flickr, pbase etc the details on the K20D is quite unbelievable... exceptions would be canon 5D, MKII and the D3X(this is even more amazing but i dun have $12000 to spare), actually K10D at iso100 with the right lighting conditions, its beter than K20D...

colors... though i have not use the canon 5D b4, their colors are quite impressive... but i do own the fuji S5 PRO, known to be unbeatable for their colors... and i can say the colors of the K20D is :thumbsup:

There is a premium to go FF... the K20D remains the most value for money APC camera for its performance...

the premium from D700 comes from the sensor... although its what ~50% bigger ?? but it doesn't mean its 50% more expensive... base on the wafer size, the amount of dies u can fabricate on the wafer is much lesser for FF... all the process cost, yield loss, a low end type of product, the wafer cost maybe USD800 to USD1000... for image sensor the wafer can easily cost a quite few thousand USD depending on wafer size, test cost, process complexity etc... each wafer can yield how many sensors ?? divide by the wafer cost its how much each sensor cost...and we have not yet put in all the assembly cost, logistics, marketing blah blah blah...

a APC sensor probably cost a few hundred dollars... FF i wouldn't be surprise if it cost 1K-2K or more just for the sensor alone...

so do the maths... will pentax go FF... well remember how big handphones use to be :bsmilie:
technology moves fast...once the fabrication process is mature/stable, yielding is much higher, machines depreciates to a low value, then we will see a cheap FF sensor...

so how long it takes... machines usually depreciates to 0 value in 5 yrs... :bsmilie:

so im not waiting for FF to happen any time soon, if it does, 4K camera u wanna buy :bsmilie:

so dun wait...K20D go go go...

 

[fengwei]

Heihei, so who's gonna exchange his D700 for my K20D? No top up needed

 

[pinholecam]

How Pentax can come up with a winner at US$750 and not see droves of people buying it is beyond me. If they had beefed up the AF speed and frame rate further, the K20D would be the undisputed uber camera in the quality/value category.

Sadly, poor marketing.
Too many sorry sobs out there who chime in on the ads.

I recall some 3-4yrs back my good buddy asked me to go down SITEX with him as he wanted to buy an MP3 player and needed "tech" advice. I advised him on getting a PS3 (duh???). For like $500, he would get games, internet and MP3 functionality. Well.... as it went, he turned his receiver (brain) to 'radio channel itunes" instead, as the gizmo looked cool and he told me "you know me lah... I need it to look good". Ended payed $650 for a monochrome screen, one function device. :think::think:

Anyway, thats why we here are "INTERESTING"

 

[alanswan]

Haaa... Then maybe we should be described a
"Interesting people who makes sensible choices"

 

[felixcat8888]

Haaa... Then maybe we should be described a
"Interesting people who makes sensible choices"

Agree!

 

[Zenten]

Those interested in a K20D, can always look me up in the Pentax B&S