[4] The K20D and GX-20 bodies were developed by Pentax, while the CMOS sensor was manufactured by Samsung - a result of a partnership begun in 2005.

Samsung's expertise in sensor design is seen as a major benefit to Pentax, which did not release its first DSLR until 2003, when most other camera manufacturers had already established themselves in the growing digital SLR market.

In 2009, Pentax announced the K-7, the successor to the K20D, with a modified CMOS sensor, smaller design, and many new features including HD video recording.

The previous firmware update, version 1.03, was made available in April 2009 and improved Shake Reduction (SR) accuracy as well as autofocus performance in some conditions.

Relative to its predecessor, the K20D offers: As of August 2009, the MSRP of the K20D body in the U.S market was $629.