Pentax KM vs Sony Alpha 200 — Which Is Better?

The Pentax KM and the Sony Alpha 200 are both 2008 APS-C digital SLRs, and their headline stills specifications match: each records 10.2 megapixel images on an APS-C CCD sensor, framed through an optical pentamirror viewfinder. The KM is the smaller body at 123 x 92 x 68 mm against 131 x 99 x 71 mm for the Alpha 200, and it is the heavier one at 590 g against 572 g, an 18 g difference.

The KM gives you more autofocus coverage for erratic subjects, with 11 AF points against 9 on the Alpha 200, and a slightly faster 3.5 fps continuous rate against 3 fps. Neither figure turns it into a sports camera, but the extra points help when a moving subject drifts off the centre of the frame.

For image fundamentals the two are closely matched on paper: each pairs a 10.2 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor with in-body stabilisation, a 1/4000 second maximum shutter and a 3200 ISO standard ceiling. The real decision is the lens system you are buying into, because the KM uses the Pentax KAF mount and the Alpha 200 uses the Sony Alpha DT mount, so lenses do not swap between them.

Neither the KM nor the Alpha 200 records video at all, so motion clips are simply unavailable on both bodies. Neither offers a built-in intervalometer for timelapse work either, so time-based shooting has to be handled by timing frames yourself.

If capturing motion clips matters for your photography, both of these models should be crossed off your list and you should look at a later generation of camera instead.

The Alpha 200 has the one genuinely useful control advantage here: its 2.7 inch LCD tilts, while the KM's screen is fixed in place. That tilt lets you shoot from waist level or over a crowd by angling the display, which the KM cannot do, even though both screens share the same 2.7 inch size and 230000 dot resolution.

Elsewhere the feature sets match on the specs that matter day to day. Each camera carries a built-in pop-up flash plus a hot shoe for an external flash unit, and neither offers GPS, wireless connectivity or weather sealing.

The KM is the clear pick for long shooting days on its supplied battery rating, at 1800 shots from its four AA batteries against 750 shots from the Alpha 200's NP-FM500H pack. Because it runs on standard AA cells, you can carry fresh spares and swap them in without needing a proprietary charger or a second dedicated pack.

Storage formats differ instead of one being better: the KM writes to SD and SDHC cards, while the Alpha 200 takes Compact Flash, so check which cards and readers you already own. Each camera has a single card slot and neither charges over USB.