For those who do not live in the US, Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, "the world's largest independent consumer product testing organization.
The cover story of the July 2009 issue of Consumer Reports is entitled: "Cool Cameras -- best point-and-shoots & SLRs of 77 we tested (some under $150)." The camera rated "Best point-and shoot under $150" is the Pentax Optio M50. They conclude that it "is small enough to fit in a pocket and has very good first-shot delay and a 5X zoom but only a simulated stabilizer." The Best "basic SLR" is the Pentax K200D: it "is better designed to keep out moisture and dust, with the lens on, then other basic SLRs. It's one of the few basic models with an LCD screen on top that displays exposure and other settings." True, more expensive Canon and Nikon models are rated higher that the Optio M50 overall, and Nikon and Canon top the "Advanced SLR category," in which the K20 ranks 6 out of 6, but that ain't bad at all for a little company like Pentax. What until they get their hands on a D-7! Dan -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
