PentaxForums.com - View Single Post - K100D or Oly E510 or Canon Xti...please help guys...

and · 01-19-2008, 12:43 AM

I have tried the 350D, so I can speak for that one, which I believe should be pretty similar.

The IQ is good (as is any of the 3), the AF is very fast.

The problem is the ergonomics and more importantly the...usability. its horrendous! so illogical!

some examples.
slow sync flash. this is automatic flash combines with a long shutter speed. normally I would expect that you enter a flash menu to set this, as it is with all other brands I have tried.

with the 350d, there is no flash menu. but if you are shooting Av mode, well then of course that means you want slow sync flash! so in Av you get slow sync (you dont know that unless u realize it from the shutter speed or read the manual) and in all the other modes you dont! youc an go into the custom menu of the camera and disable slow sync for Av mode. But you still cannot get it in any other mode! how stupid is that???

while I liked having buttons that let you directly enter the ISO and WB setttings in the menu, if you enter the menu via the menu key first, then you wont be able to press the iso button to get the iso menu, u have to exit the menu then press it. They are also "helpfull" in hiding most all of the menu options if you are in green mode. prolly good for beginners but I get that feeling I got when I used windows and entered explorer to find that it hid folders and files from me and I had to go through a dialog to be able to see the contents of a folder, in case I was going to mess it up. nice if you are a beginner but annoying if you arent. Also, I dont know about the k100d here, there is no preview of the WB, with the k10d its very nice that you can take a shot and then cycle the wb settings and see how it would look.

again I dont know how much they changed with the xti and i have never tried the olympus. actually i havent tried the k100d either, just ds and k10d. But i would not get the canon, because of the usability and menus, they are canons week point. the fast af is a strength. I normally do not recommend canon to anyone unless they want to go for the 5d or above. I generally wouldnt recommend oly due to the small sensors but I havent tried them and they do have their fanbase. I think nikons offerings are not bad but you have not included them here.

01-19-2008, 12:43 AM	#24
and Pentaxian Gallery Photos: 13 Posts: 2,444	I have tried the 350D, so I can speak for that one, which I believe should be pretty similar. The IQ is good (as is any of the 3), the AF is very fast. The problem is the ergonomics and more importantly the...usability. its horrendous! so illogical! some examples. slow sync flash. this is automatic flash combines with a long shutter speed. normally I would expect that you enter a flash menu to set this, as it is with all other brands I have tried. with the 350d, there is no flash menu. but if you are shooting Av mode, well then of course that means you want slow sync flash! so in Av you get slow sync (you dont know that unless u realize it from the shutter speed or read the manual) and in all the other modes you dont! youc an go into the custom menu of the camera and disable slow sync for Av mode. But you still cannot get it in any other mode! how stupid is that??? while I liked having buttons that let you directly enter the ISO and WB setttings in the menu, if you enter the menu via the menu key first, then you wont be able to press the iso button to get the iso menu, u have to exit the menu then press it. They are also "helpfull" in hiding most all of the menu options if you are in green mode. prolly good for beginners but I get that feeling I got when I used windows and entered explorer to find that it hid folders and files from me and I had to go through a dialog to be able to see the contents of a folder, in case I was going to mess it up. nice if you are a beginner but annoying if you arent. Also, I dont know about the k100d here, there is no preview of the WB, with the k10d its very nice that you can take a shot and then cycle the wb settings and see how it would look. again I dont know how much they changed with the xti and i have never tried the olympus. actually i havent tried the k100d either, just ds and k10d. But i would not get the canon, because of the usability and menus, they are canons week point. the fast af is a strength. I normally do not recommend canon to anyone unless they want to go for the 5d or above. I generally wouldnt recommend oly due to the small sensors but I havent tried them and they do have their fanbase. I think nikons offerings are not bad but you have not included them here.