With video becoming an ever more important feature in the digital SLR market, Pentax decided to compete on price by introducing the $650 K-x, offering a saving of $200 compared to its nearest competitor, the Nikon D5000. In most respects, though, we found that you get what you pay for here. On the plus side, the Pentax K-x is well built, feels good in your hands, and includes a lot of consumer-friendly features, including extensive in-camera editing and filter effects. Our image quality testing, though, turned up problems with color accuracy, image noise and white balance performance, and the video mode is tailored for YouTube clip capture rather than preserving precious family memories.

The 12.4-megapixel Pentax K-x offers a decent viewfinder and an adequate 2.7-inch 230,000-dot LCD display which hosts a well designed quick menu system in addition to its Live View shooting role. The camera is available in a few kit combinations. The least expensive version comes with an 18-55mm lens, a $750 package adds a 50-200mm telephoto, while an $850 version includes a 55-300mm telephoto instead.

One cost-cutting measure is the use of AA batteries instead of the more common rechargeable Lithium-ion approach for SLRs. The AAs add a bit of bulk, but this is still a lightweight camera, and if you invest $30 or so in a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger, you have the flexibility of re-using batteries and the option to power your camera with off-the-shelf alkalines in a pinch. We’re OK with this decision on Pentax’s part.

Less OK, though, is the lack of any high-def video output from a camera that shoots 720p video, making display on an HDTV all but impossible (unless you happen to have a computer or media player attached to the set, of course). The camera doesn’t even ship with a standard-def video cable – that’s a $15 extra purchase, if you can find one.

While the hardware is fairly bare-bones, software features are extensive, including a wide array of scene modes, a surprisingly sophisticated customizable picture mode system, and a set of adjustable digital image filters. The autofocus system has seen a welcome upgrade from the earlier Pentax K2000, and the burst rate clocked in at an impressive 4.22 shots per second, faster than other cameras in this price range.

Performance (read in-depth performance coverage at DigitalCameraInfo.com)
While we were pleasantly surprised by the rapid-fire burst rate, our other performance tests on the Pentax K-x yielded mediocre results. Color accuracy was off, and image noise was relatively high when shooting in bright light, though more competive in low-light shooting.  Resolution varied widely based on focal length, and neither the automatic or custom white balance systems fared very well. Interestingly, the K-x did have a particularly wide dynamic range, holding onto detail in bright and dark areas of high-contrast scenes.

As for the new video mode, it didn’t wow our testers, with limited manual control and mediocre low light performance, Video sharpness was a bright spot, but overall there’s plenty of room for improvement here.

Comparisons (read in-depth comparisons at DigitalCameraInfo.com)
The Pentax K2000, which is nearly identical physically to the K-x, costs just $50 less, but lacks video recording and Live View mode, though it does come with an external flash unit at no additional charge. The K-x offers a noticeably improved autofocus system compared to its predecessor. In our lab testing, though, we found the older camera posted superior test results in every category except shot to shot timing, where the K2000 managed not quite 3 shots per second while the K-x shot more than 4.

The first two sub-$1000 SLRs from Canon and Nikon offering video capability, the Canon T1i ($900) and Nikon D5000 (850) both suffered from disappointing still image resolution, a problem not found with the Pentax K-x. The Pentax also holds an edge over the Canon when it comes to dynamic range and burst rate shooting speed, though the T1i posted higher scores for color accuracy, long exposure, white balance and image noise. We prefer the solid feel of the Pentax to the featherweight but insubstantial Canon T1i, but there’s no denying the appeal of Canon’s handsome 3-inch 920,000-dot LCD. And the Canon offers an HDMI connection for high-def video watching, a feature sorely lacking in the Pentax.

The Nikon D5000 doesn’t equal Canon’s good-looking LCD, but the Nikon screen is articulated with a hinge that lets it pivot down from the camera back, and it does have HDMI output. The D5000 stands out for its low image noise and highly accurate color reproduction, though the more expensive camera stumbled badly when it came to image sharpness compared to the Pentax.

Unlike the other cameras mentioned here, the $900 Panasonic GF1 is a Micro Four Thirds model rather than a true SLR. That means it accepts interchangeable lenses, but doesn’t have an optical viewfinder, sacrificing the required mirror arrangement for a slimmer camera body and relying on Live View alone to line up your shots. The GF1 will accept an optional electronic viewfinder, but that adds another $200 to the price, a considerable premium if you don’t like shooting at arm’s length. The Pentax, of course, has a built-in optical viewfinder, and speedier autofocus performance (though the GF1 autofocus is quite fast for a Micro Four Thirds camera). The Panasonic has more of an image noise problem than the Pentax, though neither does particulalry well on that score. In our other tests, the Pentax K-x leads in shot to shot speed and dynamic range, but the Panasonic outperforms its rival in color accuracy, white balance performance and resolution. And if video is an important consideration to you, the GF1 not only delivered superior results, but offers better controls, including the continuous autofocus on moving subjects we expect from even inexpensive camcorders but lack on the SLR side.