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Hello Cpoc,
I have a K200D with the Pentax 18-55mm lens and an older 70-210mm (35mm; 110-330mm digital equivalent) telephoto. I also have a T-mount ring for the lens and a T-mount ring for the body.
Terrestrial photos are very good. The image stabilisation is a definite plus. I also like the user interface - it seems to me to be much better than the Canon (I use a EOS 20D at work). The weather sealing of the body is good for peace of mind especially in the night time when the dew may be about. The ability to use the older Pentax lenses is a great bonus. I was given a 55mm f/1.8 manual lens by a colleague at work - he had it on an old film K1000 and it adapts well. Although there is no autofocus, the focusing engine beeps when the image **is** focused (which is an unexpected help!)
Some things seem a bit of a kludge - there is no separate mirror lockup, but on the 2-second delay, the mirror will move up 2 seconds before the shutter activates, so that is good for avoiding camera shake when taking astro photos.
The lack of a "Camera Remote" application is a downer - without such a piece of software, you cannot use the USB connection to activate the shutter or adjust camera settings. It becomes difficult to tell when the image is "in focus" without LiveView such as all the Canon cameras have.
The K20D does have a "Camera Remote" application, but at AUD1300 it is too expensive - one would probably go for a Canon DSLR such as the EOS 1000D if such funds were available.
My opinion about using the K200D for astrophoto work is not yet fully formed. I am sure there are ways to get good images with it, but I have not yet discovered them.
Regards,
Tony Barry
PS Mike Salway is delivering a talk on astrophoto at the Sydney City skywatchers on 6th April 2009. Yes I will be there (DV) ...
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