Pentax has announced an upper-entry level DSLR: K-x. It is derived from the K2000 (also called "K-m" outside the United States) but with a lot of additions and improvements also taken from bigger brother K-7.
The most notable ones are:
- a new 12.4 megapixels CMOS sensor
- a 11-points autofocus system with face detection up to 16 faces (in case you have many friends...),
- HD video recording (not full HD though) up to 24 fps and with an internal microphone;
- HDR mode to take multiple shots with different exposure and combine them to get a high dynamic range image;
- ISO up to 6400;
- shutter speed up to 1/6000th second;
- 4 new digital filters (post-processing effects).
Interestingly, this model will be shipped in 4 colors: the classic black and the the original white, red and navy blue (the last two in limited numbers).
The new model should be available from October 2009 at an Initial price around 650 $ with kit lens that is a 18-55 mm DA-L (note that "L" in Pentax indicates an economic version of the lens not like in Canon that indicates a pro lens).