Pentax K200D: The reviews are confusing when it comes to the viewfinder vs lcd.
536212
The K200D has no "Live View". Instead, it uses an optical viewfinder which allows you to look through the actual lens. The LCD screen is for displaying your images AFTER you take them. Live View - the ability to use the LCD to frame and focus your shot before you take it - has its uses but an optical viewfinder is really best on a dSLR IMHO.
1417032
Hi, well this is old-school camera, and the viewfinder is only a square little frame that you have to pull up from the top of the cameraI hope this helps. My daugther played with this for minutes, now I now I should have bought a digital one :) kids are just on other level these days
644389
It has BOTH a viewfinder or you can use the display in the back of the camera. I am like you, I don't like using the display. The viewfinder is excellent. There is a switch on the top of the camera that lets you choose which viewing system you prefer and it defaults it until you change it.
278673
I do not know. I will say I love the camera but would have spent the extra money to have viewfinder if I had it to do again.
1989597
Take a look at the two. It looks to me like the most significant difference is the rugged build of the Pentax. However, it does not have WiFi and has a 4x lens. So if 5x interests you more than 4x and you must have WiFi and don't really care about owning a camera that will survive a really hard knock, then go with the Nikon. All I know is that I've got about 3,000 images under my belt with my Orange WG-3 and none of them are flawed by mechanical, sensor or lens problems. About half were taken after our 16-month-old grandson decided to see how far he could throw it (it landed on a hardwood floor about six feet away and slide into a baseboard). And about 500 of those were taken in Greenland and Iceland in wet, cold (at or just below 32 degrees F most days) weather. Also, I took a 20-second movie after tying the camera's carabiner clip to a 20-foot long rope and then tossing it into a clear stream coming off a glacier in Greenland. Not much of a movie, but no leaks! I don't know if the Nikon would have performed as well as the Pentax or survived any of my (and our grandson's) abuse or not. All I know is that the Pentax did.
23669
Yes the LCD gives a live view so it works very well as a viewfinder. In other cameras I really preferred the small viewfinder but on this camera the LCD works so well I almost never use the small viewfinder. The screen flips up and down (both for still images and video) but it does not flip out to the side and it does not rotate.
101125
Thank you for your response. I seem to do OK with close up but longer focal lengths give me a hard time. I may send it in just for them to check it out. I like the camera but I havent ever been so stymied before.
471716
It cannot shoot native 24P like a DVX100B or a GH2. It shoots 24P and then converts to 60i to give a film look. It's not a bad look, but something is missing visually.
1575992
viewfinder is not great, but yes you can get a general idea...don't expect high clarity
423213
Yes, Sara, the image COULD be closer to what the sensor sees, but that would increase the cost of production, especially if high eyepoint and automatic parallax correction were included. Even the G9 and G10 have imperfect viewfinders, but despite their inaccuracy they're still useful in special circumstances like shooting rapidly moving subjects. Want "perfection"? Pay for a Leica -- but even Leicas are not perfect.
1359073
Mirror flopping issues, no. But I have purchased two K3s so far this year. Both have had defects. The first I returned to the Amazon vender due to a bad LCD screen. I just sent the second one in for repair over a flash oddity. Plus when I updated an older Pentax K-r last winter, the auto exposure and color control quit working properly after the update. I have owned Pentax cameras for 35 years, but I am beginning to think that Ricoh does not have the same quality control as the previous Pentax Corporation.
423214
One of the "EXPERTS" also commented on the inaccuracy of the viewfinder. I haven't had a chance to use it yet.
747373
Pat, The kit is sold new and used, that is your decision. I bought the camera body only and then bought the 18-55 II version of the Pentax AF lens. Supposedly the first 18-55 version of the lens, which I had seen accompanying the K-5 in a kit before, was improved upon and they called the new model the 18-55 II. My K-5 is water resistant. The K-5 takes excellent pictures and the noise is very limited as opposed to the earlier Pentax models, which I have noticed myself. I recommend that you buy the K-5 body only, then if you want the 18-55 lens, buy the Pentax 18-55 II if you need that type of wide angle lens. As I mentioned, I use both and I get excellent results. Pat, The kit is sold new and used, that is your decision. I bought the camera body only and then bought the 18-55 II version of the Pentax AF lens. Supposedly the first 18-55 version of the lens, which I had seen accompanying the K-5 in a kit before, was improved upon and they called the new model the 18-55 II. My K-5 is water resistant. The K-5 takes excellent pictures and the noise is very limited as opposed to the earlier Pentax models, which I have noticed myself. I recommend that you buy the K-5 body only, then if you want the 18-55 lens, buy the Pentax 18-55 II if you need that... » Read More Pat, The kit is sold new and used, that is your decision. I bought the camera body only and then bought the 18-55 II version of the Pentax AF lens. Supposedly the first 18-55 version of the lens, which I had seen accompanying the K-5 in a kit before, was improved upon and they called the new model the 18-55 II. My K-5 is water resistant. The K-5 takes excellent pictures and the noise is very limited as opposed to the earlier Pentax models, which I have noticed myself. I recommend that you buy the K-5 body only, then if you want the 18-55 lens, buy the Pentax 18-55 II if you need that type of wide angle lens. As I mentioned, I use both and I get excellent results. « Show Less
1290138
I'm currently using it on my 5DMK3 without any issues. Like I stated in my review however, approximately 3-4% of the screen (the edges) will be excluded from the viewfinder. This hasn't hindered my shots though and would highly recommend it over spending another $100 on the 2.2X magnification version. If I want to be precise with my shot I'll use my external 7in monitor. This viewfinder is great for being in the field shooting.
1365511
Since it has both an LCD and an eye viewer, it functions as a DSLR. However, since it is electronic, the image in the viewfinder may or may not result from a prism. Instead, it may be an electronic image. The other major difference comes from the fact that the lens does not dismount from the body. Instead, it offers the remarkable 30x zoom lens capability that you cannot find in any conventional DSLR at any price. Perhaps this answers your question?
1359072
Happened to me once and I return the camera within the 30 day trial period just to be "safe". Spoke to Pentax directly, they advised me to return the camera within the trial period and get a new one. They did offer to try to fix the problem should I decide to keep the camera but that it would take several weeks. The problem with mirror flopping is an ongoing issue with this camera. You can read more about it on Steve Huff's website to get an idea how much of a problem it is. I do agree that it's a fantastic camera in general.
263012
I agree that a viewfinder is a definite plus. But in my experience, the need for one varies with the camera's LCD properties. I have a 2006 version of a Sony 10X and the LCD is near worthless under bright sunny conditions. On the other hand, I've never missed one on my 5x Panasonic Lumix DMC FX500. Trials with my new 12x Panasonic ... ZS3 suggest that its LCD will be sufficient, too. By the way, the ZS3 has several options for setting the LCD that can help preserve battery life.