Pentax's white SLR for Imperial stormtroopers

Stephen Shankland | Dec 17, 2008

Pentax's limited-edition white K2000.
(Credit: Pentax)

It can be hard to get your lower-end SLR to stand out in the crowd of options these days, which is doubtless why Pentax on Tuesday announced a white version of its entry-level K2000 SLR and two bundled lenses.

The "very limited edition" model comes with white versions of the smc DA L 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL and smc DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 AL lenses beginning in February, Pentax said. The company won't announce prices until later, but the ordinary versions of those products cost about US$800 today.

In the compact camera market, distinctive colors have proved a useful marketing tool, but I'm a crotchety curmudgeon who's generally scorns such superficial gimmicks.

So why do I find myself actually liking the look a little?

Maybe it's a Pavlov conditioning reaction that makes me salivate when I see Canon's distinctive but high-priced L-series telephoto lenses. Or maybe it's just because it's a different look. I don't care for the silver variants of Canon's EOS line of entry-level SLRs.

There's something slightly whimsical about a white SLR studded with black buttons, eyecup, and hand grip. It reminded me of an Imperial stormtrooper from Star Wars. Or perhaps a ptarmigan in winter plumage. Or maybe James Bond's underwater-ready Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me.

I don't think I'd buy it though. Aside from the premium pricing I'd expect with a "very limited edition" product, I'm not sure how well the white Pentax will hold up against wear and tear, though. The problem with getting something for its distinctive appearance is you're committed to keeping it looking good.

I included some more photos below. Do you think it's ugly or wondrous?

Click for larger images:

Via CNET Crave

Filed under: Digital Cameras
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edghami

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edghami says...
Looks good for showrooms, but on actual use, wear and tear, its gonna look like a junk bcoz of scratches, dust and dirt on location shoots, white isn't a wise color. Maybe for party's where kids would think of it as a bling-bling rather as a camera.

Dec 18, 2008 15:26

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tigervyh

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tigervyh says...
From the pics, it actually does look very good! Don't know why, I hate all those other colour variant-ed SLR, but this actually looks very appealing. Maybe it's the white... hmm... but I won't be getting one, haha...

Dec 23, 2008 13:29

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