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11-05-2010, 07:08 PM   #31
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QuoteOriginally posted by conradcjc Quote
I been doing some serious reading and studying of two SLR cameras. The new Pentax K5 and the Nikon D700.

This is what I am looking at two different packages.

Nikon D700
Nikon 28-300mm
External Flash

Pentax K5
Pentax 17-70mm
Pentax 60-250mm
External Flash

I just read on the this forums home page that the Pentax actually beat out the D700 in an overall score test. That is really hard to believe. Well in any case I would love some feed back on what you would do and which way you would go with the above packages. I realize this is a Pentax forum so most may lean towards the Pentax package.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks
Chuck
My question to you is...
Do you have a DSLR, and if so,
- What is it lacking?
- What are you trying to gain buy buying one of those camera bodies?
- Will the latest and greatest camera body truly improve your results?

Now if you do not have a DSLR,
- What difference does it make if one camera body beats out the other by a highly technical and not necessarily real world test?
- Why are you going to spend the money necessary for a professional level body if you've never owned a DSLR?

I would suggest making your decision based on system, ergonomic, and lens aspects.

11-05-2010, 07:08 PM   #32
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I may be wrong but something tells me that Pentax must be worrying Nikon and possible Canon. Suddenly we have Nikon and Canon "users" here who do not own a Pentax, have never owned a Pentax and probably will never own a Pentax. Just saying.
11-05-2010, 07:21 PM   #33
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I don't have a DSLR and looking to buy one. I just happened to get a lot of good reading results from the K5 and D700. That is why I am asking about these two. I probably won't be making any decision for a little while yet but just wanted some input. Thanks again.
11-05-2010, 07:25 PM   #34
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QuoteOriginally posted by conradcjc Quote
How is the distortion on the 28-300mm??? I read it is really bad. You see it at all? You try to take pics of flat surfaces for testing? Brick walls etc...
In the Canikon world, zooms speak louder than primes (some beginners don't even know primes exist ). Although they do have plenty of nice quality zooms. 28-300mm is a huge zoom with too much compromize on quality/distortion. Some may like it but not for me; thanks but no thanks

11-05-2010, 07:33 PM - 1 Like   #35
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"I don't have a DSLR and looking to buy one. I just happened to get a lot of good reading results from the K5 and D700. That is why I am asking about these two. I probably won't be making any decision for a little while yet but just wanted some input. Thanks again."

I was not talking about you, I was talking about the guys with low post counts (less that 20) who suddenly have popped up and start giving advice when they have never owned a Pentax!

My advice to you is get hold of the Cameras you like the look of and try them. Buy what seems to work for you ergonomically. There is nothing worse than using a camera that is either too small or to heavy or the controls suck. Both cameras will be fine for the sort of thing you wish to do. The Pentax DA* glass is fine. The better Nikon Glass is very good. If you will be doing Landscapes and need a rugged waterproof small body and small lenses get the K5, if you want the ability to print the biggest size prints get the Nikon.
11-05-2010, 07:35 PM   #36
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Thanks! You have helped me understand this much better.
11-05-2010, 07:39 PM   #37
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kini62 Quote
Well, I bought the K5, 55/1.4 and 50-135 as soon as the K5 became available. I either had a dud camera, 2 dud lenses or all three were bad. It couldn't focus at all beyond about 6 feet with either lens. The 50-135 being particularly bad.

I did a brief AF tracking test with the 50-135, but it's kind of moot since it couldn't focus on anything. But I did notice that the camera/lens lagged way behind the subject which in this case was a 5yo girl running in slippers.

I sent it back and got a Nikon D700, 28-300 and a 50/1.8. Couldn't be happier. The camera focuses super fast in all light conditions, it's accurate especially the 28-300, the 50/1.8 not so much at distance.

The IQ from the 28-300 and D700 I would put up against either of the 2 Pentax lenses you mentioned over the same range.

The DOF would be about the same, you'd loose a little off the wide end and 75mm off the long end and one stop of light, but it would be just one lens that's much smaller than the 60-250, focuses much faster and both the camera and lens (Nikon) would be WAY less expensive.

I also didn't think the inbody SR on the K5 worked very good either. The in lens VR on the 28-300 seems much more effective.

So, spend more (a lot) have to carry 2 lenses and more weight, swap lenses, have slower and less reliable AF, less DOF control (grab a $250 50/1.4D) have a better flash system, spend less (a lot).

Choice is yours.

As you can tell I'm really disappointed in my Pentax experience. It is the only camera brand that I've had that has failed to work properly out of the box. I've had Oly, Canon, Panasonic, and Nikon.

Get the Nikon.

Gene
Gene,

Are you selling your Pentax system? ( I see you sent it back............never mind!)

Please let me know.
Ray

11-05-2010, 07:47 PM   #38
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I was at a friends having coffee today, and we were, as usual, discussing cameras, photography, and forums.
He is a Canon user but spends some time on a Nikon forum, I use Pentax and can't be bothered with other brands.
One of the common themes we have both noted is the number of people posting that their camera doesn't work right.
We have come to the conclusion that either all the manufacturers make crap or else there are a lot of people out there who either have unrealistic expectations regarding how their equipment should work or don't have a whit of knowledge about how to make their cameras work.
Most "problems" can be solved by following the acronym
RTFM
11-05-2010, 07:58 PM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by telfish Quote
"I don't have a DSLR and looking to buy one. I just happened to get a lot of good reading results from the K5 and D700. That is why I am asking about these two. I probably won't be making any decision for a little while yet but just wanted some input. Thanks again."

I was not talking about you, I was talking about the guys with low post counts (less that 20) who suddenly have popped up and start giving advice when they have never owned a Pentax!

My advice to you is get hold of the Cameras you like the look of and try them. Buy what seems to work for you ergonomically. There is nothing worse than using a camera that is either too small or to heavy or the controls suck. Both cameras will be fine for the sort of thing you wish to do. The Pentax DA* glass is fine. The better Nikon Glass is very good. If you will be doing Landscapes and need a rugged waterproof small body and small lenses get the K5, if you want the ability to print the biggest size prints get the Nikon.
telfish, you are right on (not the OP)... that smells and sounds fishy to me, likely never owned a Pentax and yet offering "personal" bad experience.
11-05-2010, 08:00 PM   #40
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
I was at a friends having coffee today, and we were, as usual, discussing cameras, photography, and forums.
He is a Canon user but spends some time on a Nikon forum, I use Pentax and can't be bothered with other brands.
One of the common themes we have both noted is the number of people posting that their camera doesn't work right.
We have come to the conclusion that either all the manufacturers make crap or else there are a lot of people out there who either have unrealistic expectations regarding how their equipment should work or don't have a whit of knowledge about how to make their cameras work.
Most "problems" can be solved by following the acronym
RTFM

Wheatfield, so true... btw, pardon my ignorance, what is RTFM?
11-05-2010, 08:02 PM   #41
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It's read the fu***** manual.
11-05-2010, 08:05 PM   #42
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Ok.. so after doing some re-thinking and taking into consideration the responses I received in this thread. Here is something new to look at...

D700
24-120mm f/4
80-400mm f/4.5-.56
External Flash

K5
16-50mm f/2.8
60-250mm f/4
External Flash

This of course changes from my original post. Now it is a little more comparable. Which would you select?

Thanks again for all this wonderful feedback.
11-05-2010, 08:18 PM   #43
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QuoteOriginally posted by conradcjc Quote
It's read the fu***** manual.
Thanks... I got it... just drew blank for a second.
11-05-2010, 08:22 PM   #44
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QuoteOriginally posted by conradcjc Quote
Ok.. so after doing some re-thinking and taking into consideration the responses I received in this thread. Here is something new to look at...

D700
24-120mm f/4
80-400mm f/4.5-.56
External Flash

K5
16-50mm f/2.8
60-250mm f/4
External Flash

This of course changes from my original post. Now it is a little more comparable. Which would you select?

Thanks again for all this wonderful feedback.
The zoom range seems more palatable... you are right, for FF, you need a bit longer reach, whereas on cropped sensor, that should be okay. I don't know what the pricing looks like for each option. But if you can slip in the 50-135mm f2.8 for the similar price range of the D700 option, then I would think that K-5 is more attractive to have. Again, a toss up....
11-05-2010, 08:23 PM   #45
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QuoteOriginally posted by cbaytan Quote
So a digital camera is a just a peripheral device of the computers, it is the lenses that'll make you get results as you wish.
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