Pentax K-x, SMCP-DA 18-55 f3.5-5.6 Al II, ISO 12,800, 1/250, f5.6@18mm
Swapped the E-30 for a K-x. Cheaper body, but slightly better viewfinder, much smaller and 2 stops higher ISO limit combined with up to 2 stops better performance is a huge win for low-light shooting, which is most of what I was doing with the E-30 anyways. The trade came out even so I wasn’t even out any money for the K-x, although a certain somebody will have to get her own AA rechargeables for the X-Box controller now.
Overall I was surprised by two things with the K-x. First, how nicely the tiny body handles, it’s not much larger than the G1, but handles even better, it’s even somewhat pocketable with the 18-55 mounted. Secondly, how much Pentax has improved their AF. I’ve owned a body from every generation of Pentax DSLR except the K20D/K200D and frankly, AF performance has ranged from poor to awful. The K-x however is quite good by the standards of its competition. It’s no D300, but it was almost up to the E-30′s performance overall and actually seems better in low light (where the E-30 struggles). That said, I’ll miss a few features of the E-30, especially the flip-twist LCD and the level, but overall the K-x looks pretty darned good.
