Samsung's K20D twin, GX-20, announced

[David Rasnake]

Coming on the heels of Pentax's K20D announcement and in light of a pre-release leak on a Norwegian website several weeks ago, Samsung's release of their latest GX-20 14.6 megapixel DSLR yesterday is hardly breaking news.

Though there has been debate with previous Pentax/Samsung over just how closely related the two brands' offerings are, the general consensus at this point holds that Samsung DSLR are, technologically, rebranded Pentax models with slight cosmetic and interface/JPEG processing modifications.

Spec sheets for the GX-20 seem to bear this out, with the new model advertising a very familiar sounding imaging pipeline: in case you need a refresher on the K20D already, we're talking 14.6 megapixel Samsung-made CMOS sensor, 14-bit RAW capture, and ISO to 6400. Sensor-shifting image stabilization – what Samsung dubs Optical Image Stabilization in spite of the fact, as sticklers have pointed out, that it's a body-based rather than a lens (that is, optics) based system – shows up as well.

A 2.7-inch LCD with live view functionality allows on-screen image composition. Rounding out the hardware specs, the GX-20 brings an 11-point wide-area AF system, 16-segment metering, and 3 frames-per-second shooting in a body that, like its twin, is weather and dust sealed.

In addition to Samsung's rebadged Pentax offerings, the GX-20 has, as far as we know, the flexibility to use the full range of Pentax K-mount glass as well.

According to the official announcement from Samsung, the GX-20 should be available in April. Interestingly, the advertised price is $100 more than the K20D. No word from Samsung on which lens(es) this kit includes, but assuming the GX-20 ships in kit form only with the standard 18-55mm (as is the case with the K20D), offering essentially the same camera at a higher price is an interesting choice for a product differentiation method.

Samsung GX-20 specifications:

Sensor	14.6 megapixel, 23.4x15.6mm CMOS
Zoom	N/A
LCD/Viewfinder	2.7", 230K-pixel TFT LCD with Live View; Pentaprism optical viewfinder with diopter adjustment
Sensitivity	ISO 100-6400
Shutter Speed	30-1/4000 seconds
Shooting Modes	Auto, Program, Sensitivity Priority, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Shutter and Aperture Priority, Metered Manual, X Speed, Bulb, User
Scene Presets	N/A
White Balance Settings	Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent W, Fluorescent D, Fluorescent N, Flash, Color Temperature, Manual
Metering Modes	Multi, Center-Weighted, Spot
Focus Modes	AF Single, AF Continuous, Manual; Auto, User-Selected Point, Center
Drive Modes	Single, Continuous High, Continuous Low, Burst, Remote, Remote Continuous, Auto Bracket, Extended Bracket, Multi-Exposure, Interval
Flash Modes	On, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync + Red-Eye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless
Self Timer Settings	10 seconds, 2 seconds, Off
Memory Formats	SD, SDHC
Internal Memory	None
File Formats	JPEG, RAW (DNG)
Max. Image Size	4672x3104
Max. Video Size	N/A
Zoom During Video	N/A
Battery	Rechargeable lithium-ion, 740 shots
Connections	USB 2.0, video output, DC input, X-Sync socket, cable switch
Additional Features	Optical Image Stabilization, Live View, Custom Image Functions, Dust Reduction System