SMC-Pentax-DA 18-55mm AL, Lens Test, A Morning Bloom

Legacy Lens Test: Image making with an SMC-Pentax-DA 1:3.5~56 18-55mm AL on a 10MP CCD Pentax K-M Digital, in the garden.

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Testing out my latest GAS pickup, a 10MP CCD sensor Pentax K-m, or the K2000 in the US, for the claim that CCD sensors, the standard for digital cameras from the mid-90s to early 2010s, are known for their high-quality, accurate colors, and low noise film-like images. The verdict? Well, you be the judge here.

The Pentax K-m was launched as a compact entry-level model with a 10MP CCD sensor by Pentax in 2008. The camera has a non-weather sealed lightweight body built on a lightweight and high-rigidity stainless-steel chassis, an AF system with five sensors, a very comprehensive and user-friendly set of menu functions and features, and shares the same viewfinder and LCD screen with the 10MP CCD sensor K200D and the 14.6 CMOS sensor K20D.

Pentax K-m, SMC-Pentax-DA 1:3.5~56 18-55mm AL

The camera was also designed to be adaptable to the plastic mount Pentax DA-L-series lightweight kit lenses, the first to be fitted with the KAF2 Mount, an adaptation of the standard Pentak K-mount system for adding auto-focus features to lenses on cameras with APS-C sensors. However, The K-m is powered by 4x AA batteries (Lithium, Ni-MH Rechargeable, or Alkaline), which puts it at a slight weight disadvantage compared to other cameras using lithium battery packs.

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