[Rondec]

But who's to stop this mindset from claiming there is no such thing as a bad digital camera also?

I can't help but wonder if this isn't confusing personal needs and/or expectations with the idea that any and all camera's beyond that of a sensor and lens are unnecessary frivol. <(new word?).

Anyways, I'm not trying to nit-pick but I was thinking that people could just as easily conclude a camera isn't up to their needs and/or the best investment for the money against the current market. And though this doesn't necessarily make a camera good or bad(per say), I'm leaning toward the fact that it could make a good or bad camera on an individual basis.

For example; The D7K's tiny RAW buffer made it a bad choice for me.

Of course. I shoot with a K5/K7 combo because of the features that are offered with them, versus a single dial, fewer buttons with kx/kr. I like weather sealing too. I just think that as far as image quality, there is less difference between cameras with the same size sensor (even with different numbers of megapixels) than most people believe.

I think most of the people on this forum are hobbyists and for them, their decision will come down to a combination of cost, need, and desire, with "need" being the least important factor and desire being the strongest one.

It's just that having come from the film era, "Kids these days just don't know how good they have it!"

[Deiberson]

I originally went with Pentax because of their primes, SR, WR, and affordable lenses. Now I question why I'm with Pentax because of the AF and Flashes. Funny what matters to photographers at different points of their careers. I'm happy with the K5, but little things like not being compatible with pocket wizzards are really starting to get to me.
Just my .02.

[magnosantos]

I must say, that i like more the D7000 body than the K5. The 2 SD Cards slots, better movie capabilities and the way it feels in my hand are things that puted my mind thinking. But i did not want to sell every lens or piece of equipment that i have compatible only for Pentax. Besides the K5 is a wonderfull camera, and in the end the decision between K5 or D7000 is a matter of personaly choice and availability on ebay (or others) of equipment.

[Class A]

I know one thing..if I ever do go Nikon, Ill never come here and and tell everyone what a mistake My pentax experience was.

Why not? If you finally see the light, why not share it with others?

Wouldn't it be selfish to not tell former fellow brand shooters what they might be missing?

I think any forum should be open to all forms of opinion. I don't think anyone sharing their positive impression about Nikon/Canon/Sony/... here is being disrespectful. If they went into every thread, trolling around and dissing Pentax gear, that would be unhelpful. But leaving a note in a thread meant for this purpose; I don't see the problem in that.

[Class A]

had a hard time with the K7 shooting handheld between 1/60 th and 1/125. Even with the in-body stabilization and using the limited primes, it was hard to get non-blurry shots.

You've probably been bitten by the K-7 shutter blur issue.

The K-5 is not quite as good as the K20D in this regard, but it shouldn't be an issue anymore.

[1marek]

I think any forum should be open to all forms of opinion. I don't think anyone sharing their positive impression about Nikon/Canon/Sony/... here is being disrespectful. If they went into every thread, trolling around and dissing Pentax gear, that would be unhelpful. But leaving a note in a thread meant for this purpose; I don't see the problem in that.

+1

I'm fairly new to photography and have entered Pentax waters after some thinking (though I have to admit this forum has done a lot to push me away from Nikon and towards Pentax because I was able to see what Ltd primes are capable of, how natural Pentax color rendering is, etc.), but I was very interested to read the comments of people who used / are using both Nikon and Pentax gear.
I think forum is known for its openness and its members that will give you just and helpful advice when in need, and that is why I joined this forum in the first place, so keep it up guys, every opinion (when given in an unbiased way and with other people's well being at heart) is appreciated, and it makes this forum a better place to visit.

Cheers,

Mario

[Verglace]

Why not? If you finally see the light, why not share it with others?

Wouldn't it be selfish to not tell former fellow brand shooters what they might be missing?

I think any forum should be open to all forms of opinion. I don't think anyone sharing their positive impression about Nikon/Canon/Sony/... here is being disrespectful. If they went into every thread, trolling around and dissing Pentax gear, that would be unhelpful. But leaving a note in a thread meant for this purpose; I don't see the problem in that.

Fully agree, I'm all for full disclosure. Keep the comments in an appropriate thread and everyone will be the better for it! Ignorance may be bliss but I'd rather be fully informed.

[Tommot1965]

Why not? If you finally see the light, why not share it with others?

Wouldn't it be selfish to not tell former fellow brand shooters what they might be missing?

I think any forum should be open to all forms of opinion. I don't think anyone sharing their positive impression about Nikon/Canon/Sony/... here is being disrespectful. If they went into every thread, trolling around and dissing Pentax gear, that would be unhelpful. But leaving a note in a thread meant for this purpose; I don't see the problem in that.

I said "I know one thing..if I ever do go Nikon, Ill never come here and and tell everyone what a mistake My pentax experience was."

mainly because my pentax experience was not a mistake. far from it..pentax was my first DSLR..this forum was my first photography forum..ive learnt so much here{ still do}... there's also a ton of very good guys and girls here that shoot pentax that have been very kind and helpful to me ....this is a Pentax forum after all..not a open brand type forum such a DPR..so some Tact is required I feel .. i do see your point about trolling...thats something I do hate ...its almost Evangelical for some

have I seen the light..not really...if I hadn't had the AF issues with my K5 and certain lenses I might still be shooting pentax ....so im not gonna disrespect them or the pentax brand and say me buying pentax was a mistake...

I do feel Nikon is a more complete system than pentax...and if you have a bottomless pocket..its a brand that will not limit your photography aspirations . pentax's lack of long glass will limit birding if that's your bent...Nikons Af on my D300s is quite a bit better than the K5..in fact its way better...and for that reason alone its a better camera for me over a K5..add the fact that I now own a stellar { expensive} 70-200Vr II coupled with a equally stellar 1.7x TC..its almost a perfect fit for me...

if a used K5 comes my way in the years ahead with a Fa 77 stuck to the front of it..ill be well happy

[mdbrown]

Well, I have no experience with the K-5 or the D7000. I have a good friend who is a major Nikon user, he has a D300s, D90, D5000, and a D3100. I know another friend who has the K-7 and a backup K20D. I have a Nikon D40 and a Pentax K100D Super, my wife uses a D3000. I lack the extensive knowledge and experience of many of the users here and I realize that user error is a possibility but I can generalize a few things...

The area where I feel Nikon clearly has an edge is the flash system and the light meter. Even my lowly D40 has a 420 segment color meter and blows my K100D away in real world use and I don't find the K20D or the K-7 equal to it either. I've had my D40 meter easily in areas where my K100 and his K-7 faltered. While I don't do a whole lot of flash photography when I have the Nikon is tremendous to the point if I think I'm going to need the flash the Pentax stays home... it can't compete.

As for autofocus, I hear all the time that Nikon is faster and better but I can't verify that... the K-7 does a great job, my K100 not as good but still more than enough.

I think that Pentax made a monumentally profound decision to make sure their cameras are fully functional with lenses all the way back to the M42 and even medium format lenses. New glass not withstanding I think lenses favor Pentax unless you MUST have brand new high zoom/tele lenses... I can't imagine why you would though.

On the more subjective side of it, I prefer the Nikon menu system. I find it easier and more logically organized.

More is not always better but I think that Nikon certainly gives you more choices so you can better match features for what you need hopefully without having to buy features you don't just to get them. As for aftermarket... no contest as there is considerably more available for Nikon... although that means more junk as well as more useful items.

I lack the experience to reliably say anything about the viewfinder as all of them seem fine to me... sorry, I'm more of a picture taker... the wife is the one with the photographers eye. VR and in camera IS both work, I have no preference there at all.

As much as I hate to say it, if you forced me to choose between my K100D Super and my D40... I would probably choose the D40 by the slimmest of margins...

[Class A]

As much as I hate to say it, if you forced me to choose between my K100D Super and my D40... I would probably choose the D40 by the slimmest of margins...

That must probably because flash exposure is important to you.

When I made my decision between the D40 and K100D, the following points swung the pendulum towards the K100D:

• extra top LCD display
• Optical preview available
• Auto-bracketing available
• 11-Auto Focus Sensors (D40 only has three of which only one is a cross type)
• Built-In Focus Motor (D40 only works with modern AF lenses)
• In-Body Shake Reduction (D40 requires VR lenses)

[Rondec]

Well, I have no experience with the K-5 or the D7000. I have a good friend who is a major Nikon user, he has a D300s, D90, D5000, and a D3100. I know another friend who has the K-7 and a backup K20D. I have a Nikon D40 and a Pentax K100D Super, my wife uses a D3000. I lack the extensive knowledge and experience of many of the users here and I realize that user error is a possibility but I can generalize a few things...

The area where I feel Nikon clearly has an edge is the flash system and the light meter. Even my lowly D40 has a 420 segment color meter and blows my K100D away in real world use and I don't find the K20D or the K-7 equal to it either. I've had my D40 meter easily in areas where my K100 and his K-7 faltered. While I don't do a whole lot of flash photography when I have the Nikon is tremendous to the point if I think I'm going to need the flash the Pentax stays home... it can't compete.

As for autofocus, I hear all the time that Nikon is faster and better but I can't verify that... the K-7 does a great job, my K100 not as good but still more than enough.

I think that Pentax made a monumentally profound decision to make sure their cameras are fully functional with lenses all the way back to the M42 and even medium format lenses. New glass not withstanding I think lenses favor Pentax unless you MUST have brand new high zoom/tele lenses... I can't imagine why you would though.

On the more subjective side of it, I prefer the Nikon menu system. I find it easier and more logically organized.

More is not always better but I think that Nikon certainly gives you more choices so you can better match features for what you need hopefully without having to buy features you don't just to get them. As for aftermarket... no contest as there is considerably more available for Nikon... although that means more junk as well as more useful items.

I lack the experience to reliably say anything about the viewfinder as all of them seem fine to me... sorry, I'm more of a picture taker... the wife is the one with the photographers eye. VR and in camera IS both work, I have no preference there at all.

As much as I hate to say it, if you forced me to choose between my K100D Super and my D40... I would probably choose the D40 by the slimmest of margins...

Why do you own both a K100 super and a D40? To me, they are basically the same technology with slightly different tweaks/strengths and weaknesses. It would be like buying a D7000 and a K5. Frustrating, since you can't use lenses for both cameras.

[mdbrown]

Why do you own both a K100 super and a D40? To me, they are basically the same technology with slightly different tweaks/strengths and weaknesses. It would be like buying a D7000 and a K5. Frustrating, since you can't use lenses for both cameras.

Actually, was not planned. I bought the K100D Super because I already had an investment in lenses from my K1000 and ME Super days. I like it but then my daughter found a great deal on the D40 and bought it for me... it stays. Since my wife now has the D3000 I can borrow her lenses if I need more than the kit lens although I do look around and will buy a lens or two if I ever find a really screaming deal like through ebay or some such.

[CMW]

Unless you strike unlucky with a maufacturing fault (on either camera), I doubt you would be unhappy with Pentax or Nikon. But the Pentax, particularly with some of its primes, is so discreet; and I like that. There are some beautiful lenses with the Pentax and a few that are just OK - it doesn't take long to work out which are which. Nikon too has some great lenses (though none as compact) and a bigger range. I too was weighing pros and cons and in the end plumped for a K5 and am very happy with it. But there wasn't, to be honest, a huge difference in my mind between them. There's always a danger in too much self-identification with a brand (something that this site, for all its virtues, can tend by its very nature to promote; not a criticism, just an observation). It's understandable that sometimes people will want to reinforce the 'rightness' of their investment by extolling the qualities of the equipment they've bought above those of the 'rivals'. Nikon or Pentax, I'm sure you'll have fun ... just decide which features tilt the balance for you.

[mdbrown]

That must probably because flash exposure is important to you.


When I made my decision between the D40 and K100D, the following points swung the pendulum towards the K100D:

• extra top LCD display
• Optical preview available
• Auto-bracketing available
• 11-Auto Focus Sensors (D40 only has three of which only one is a cross type)
• Built-In Focus Motor (D40 only works with modern AF lenses)
• In-Body Shake Reduction (D40 requires VR lenses)

Hate to admit it but.... I am lazy where flash is concerned. I know many people enjoy it and find it as a way to be creative. To me it's just a way to take a picture I might not get so the less I have to fiddle with it the better so in that respect it's important to me and the Nikon system takes all the guesswork out of it. It throttles it down beautifully if necessary and makes sure exposure is as good as it can be with little to no intervention necessary.

As for your points above, the top LCD makes no difference to me as I can usually get all the info I need in the viewfinder. DOF preview is nice but I find I don't use it a lot. I do wish the D40 had auto-bracketing. The 11 point AF is nice too although I find I end up using the center sensor almost all the time and so find the superior metering of the D40 more important. I do like the in body SR and the in body focus motor and think that those two things along with DOF preview and auto bracketing are among the strongest points of the K100.

As for the right here and now, I wonder how committed Pentax is to the DSLR market. Both Canon and Nikon have a much more complete lineup of bodies and features. Nikon in particular has nothing else to focus on while Pentax has a very lucrative medical imaging business and now a very nice medium format digital camera. Not sure why but Canon has never interested me at all. I suppose one day I may settle either on Pentax or Nikon...

[VaughnA]

Well I figure it's time to come clean.....

I've been a Pentaxian for a few years now. I've lusted for Nikon since the 80's when I was a student playing in the darkroom When I wanted to get a DSLR a few years ago I looked at the nikons but to get one I liked (D90 I believe) it was out of my price range. I found a *istDL on closeout and I've been a pentaxian ever since. By smart and lucky moves in pawn shops & online, I've bought and sold and moved my way up the food chain without much investment. For < 1500 out of my pocket I had a great pentax kit that was hard to beat for the price.

I love my pentax stuff but I do think that the AF and flash are wanting. And the lens selection isn't quite up to the other systems. With the Ricoh buyout and seemingly fewer 3rd party lenses becoming available I decided to look around just for fun. I don't see the Ricoh buyout as a major problem but I still have a little tingle in my gut.

I mentioned that I was on the fence to a good friend and he offered me a like new D300 for a price I couldn't refuse. I've sold some of my pentax gear and I'm at least splitting my loyalties right now. I'm planning on keeping my K-x and a couple of lenses as my outdoor hiking body and using the D300 for my action and flash shooting as well as more 'serious' stuff.

All of that being said the Nikon forums don't even come close to the Pentaxforums for friendly knowledgable people. No matter where my camera loyalties lie, this will still be a place that I frequent. If it's ok with you morons;-)