When you first take Pentax's K20D DSLR out of the box you'd be forgiven for believing the retailer had sent you the wrong camera, as its bodywork is virtually identical to that of its predecessor, the K10D. It has exactly the same dimensions - 101 (H) x 141.5 (W) x 70 (D) mm - but weighs a fraction more at 715g without battery and card.

Like the K10D it's designed to be solid and robust, with a waterproof and dust-proof jet black casing and firm grip. This feels like a professional photographer's camera and this impression is reinforced once you see both the range of features and the degree of modifications over its older brother.

What's grabbed all the headlines is the new 14.6 effective megapixels CMOS APS-C image sensor, which in our tests produced excellent picture clarity, detail and definition. There's also 1.5x magnification and a top ISO setting of 6400. While all camera manufacturers say publicly they aren't concerned about an escalating megapixels race, Pentax is still happy to trumpet this feature.

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While it might seem outwardly that much else remains physically unchanged (with the usual separate control buttons for Record Mode, Exposure and White Balance, a separate RAW control button and the annoyingly stiff AF point switching dial), the most notable exterior change is the new expanded 2.7-inch Polysilicon TFT LCD monitor and the addition of an X-sync socket for studio flash systems.

The main alterations, though, are under the surface. For a start there's a new comprehensive Dust Removal system whereby the sensor now has a Pentax SP (Super Protect) coating and a Dust Alert system which will produce a snapshot of dust build-up areas which you can then address.

The Shake Reduction utility has also been given a boost with the image sensor shift mechanism now boasting a maximum capability of 4EV steps to keep your hand steadier than ever. A new Custom Image function has also been introduced which lets the user select or adjust the image's finishing touches to their preference using five colour or black and white settings.

Other useful innovations include an enhanced continuous shooting range, focal plane adjustment, a multi-mode exposure system, a new 14bit ADC RAW converter and a dynamic-range expansion function. However, the one major introduction that hasn't been well received by serious photographers is the Live View ability which is cumbersome at best (as the AF button is held down, the LCD goes blank while focusing takes place) and serves as little more than a secondary preview.

If you are planning on upgrading your K10D or just searching for a versatile and dynamic DSLR bristling with handy functions and providing high grade images with a host of image enhancement features, this could be a seriously good investment.