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Pentax K-x was announced in 2009 and is an APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) DSLR camera with 12.6 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 100 to 6,400 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode. The camera has a Fixed 2.7" screen with 230k dot resolution and built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a built-in Sensor Shift in body image stabilization.
Pentax K-x can capture video up to 1280 x 720 resolution.
In this section we present pros and cons of Pentax K-x.
And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:
Here we are comparing Pentax K-x to its predecessor K-m and displaying the major changes.
| UPGRADES | Pentax K-x | vs | Pentax K-m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Capture | vs | ||
| Higher Sensor Resolution | 12.6 Megapixel | vs | 10.0 Megapixel |
| Higher Native ISO | 6,400 | vs | 3,200 |
| Max Image Resolution | 4288 x 2848 | vs | 3872 x 2592 |
| More Focus Points | 11 | vs | 5 |
| Face Detection | vs | ||
| Live View Autofocus | vs | ||
| Contrast Detection for Autofocus | vs | ||
| Live View | vs | ||
| Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) | 1/6000 sec | vs | 1/4000 sec |
| Higher Max Continuous Shooting | 4.7 fps | vs | 3.5 fps |
| Higher DxO Low Light ISO | 811 | vs | 513 |
| Higher DxO Color Depth | 22.8 | vs | 22.4 |
| Higher DxO Dynamic Range | 12.5 | vs | 11.4 |
| Higher DxO Overall Score | 72 | vs | 64 |
| Built-in Microphone | Mono | vs | |
| Lighter | 580 g (1.28 lb / 20.46 oz) | vs | 590 g (1.30 lb / 20.81 oz) |
| Longer Battery Life | 1900 shots | vs | 1800 shots |
| Orientation Sensor | vs |
For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Pentax K-x vs K-m.
Pentax K-x has a 2.7" Fixed screen with 230k dot resolution which is quite low by today's standards.
Camera has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 96% coverage and 0.85x (0.57x 35mm equivalent) magnification.
Pentax K-x features a 12.6 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.4 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 365 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode.
Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Pentax K-x's APS-C sensor compares with other types of sensors:
| Sensor | Dimensions | Area | Aspect Ratio | Crop Factor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Medium Format | 44 x 33 mm | 1452 mm2 | 4:3 | 0.79x |
 | Full Frame | 36 x 24 mm | 864 mm2 | 3:2 | 1x |
 | APS-H | 27 x 18 mm | 486 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.3x |
 | APS-C | 23.4 x 15.6 mm | 365 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.5x |
 0.webp) | APS-C (Canon) | 22.3 x 14.9 mm | 332.3 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.6x |
 | Micro Four Thirds | 17.4 x 13 mm | 226.2 mm2 | 4:3 | 2x |
 | 1-inch | 13.2 x 8.8 mm | 116.2 mm2 | 3:2 | 2.7x |
 | 1/1.7-inch | 7.44 x 5.58 mm | 41.5 mm2 | 4:3 | 4.7x |
 | 1/2.3-inch | 6.17 x 4.55 mm | 28.1 mm2 | 4:3 | 5.6x |
Camera is equipped with PRIME processor and can take pictures up to 4288 x 2848 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 3936 x 2684, 3072 x 2048, 1728 x 1152 with 3:2 aspect ratios.
Pentax K-x has Pentax KAF2 lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 1.5x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.
The camera has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.
Pentax K-x has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer.
Pentax K-x comes with 4 x AA battery pack with battery life of 1900 shots.
The camera has a single SD/SDHC card slot.
Pentax K-x has Electronically controlled Vertical Run Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/6000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 4.7 fps.
Pentax K-x has a built-in flash with maximum range of 16.00 m and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec.
Pentax K-x has dimensions of 123 x 92 x 68 mm (4.84 x 3.62 x 2.68"). It weighs 580 g (1.28 lb / 20.46 oz) which is neither heavy nor lightweight.
123 mm (4.84")
92 mm (3.62")
92 mm (3.62")
68 mm (2.68")
Pentax K-x dimensions
We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Pentax K-x is suitable for six different types of photography.
Pentax K-x gets a score of 69 and is AVERAGE choice for Landscape photography.
Pentax K-x gets a score of 72 and is GOOD choice for Sports photography.
Pentax K-x gets a score of 65 and is AVERAGE choice for Wildlife photography.
Pentax K-x gets a score of 82 and is GOOD choice for Portrait photography.
Pentax K-x gets a score of 81 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.
Pentax K-x gets a score of 80 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.
We evaluate Pentax K-x and give score of 64 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.
We give Pentax K-x a score of 68 for Sensor parameters.
We give Pentax K-x a score of 74 for Photo parameters.
We give Pentax K-x a score of 42 for Video parameters.
We give Pentax K-x a score of 81 for Focusing parameters.
We give Pentax K-x a score of 65 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.
We give Pentax K-x a score of 46 for Connectivity parameters.
We give Pentax K-x a score of 56 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.
For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:
