[TomTextura]

I honestly don't think that we will see entry level dSLR lower than k-30...

I wouldn't be that bothered if we don't but I'd expect that it'd sell well if Pentax were to have such an option. It'd make it easier to recommend Pentax DSLRs to people looking to get into the game as well. I had to recommend the D5100 to a friend the other day just because the Pentax options, for new gear, were out of her price range. Mostly though, I had to recommend the D5200 to her because she has her heart set on a swivel screen. At B&H right now you can get a D5100 with a two lens zoom kit (18-55 & 55-200), with bag, and SD card for $800. I think that's a pretty nice little beginner package. The D5100 is only $550 on its own these days. The fact that you can get a 35mm and 50mm f/1.8 for $200 each also makes Nikon a decent system for those who want good IQ and some options for upgrading without spending a fortune. If Pentax had a lower level body with some crowd-pleaser features like a swivel screen along with good budget lens offerings, Pentax would be a more viable option for the large beginner crowd. I don't know if they have to cater to that crowd to be competitive or not; I'm actually much more interested in them competing at the higher level with a FF body, FF lenses, and new flash system.

[Katier]

Interesting thread..

And an interesting counter observation for the thinking laymen..

Friend of mine who I've not spoken to for a few years suddenly popped up on a forum we both frequented (I was still active) and declares he's bought... a Canon EOS 1100D. Why that model? Well mainly the classic layman naivety mixed with some myth... He was concerned about image quality so wanted low noise/good image quality.

So 1100D vs 3100, K-x or even the 600D was to him a no brainer.. the 12.2 of the 1100D would produce less noise than the higher MP of the other 3 cameras... right?

Of course we all corrected him, he's happy enough with his choice but is already finding limitations such as having to shuffle through the menus for some settings which on higher cameras ( or even the K-x) are simple to access. Based purely on what he was saying, sounded like things like WB and ISO were not exactly straightforward to get to - how true that is I don't know.

I also think he took the old film approach.. a K1000 can produce identical images to the LX.. so if your on a budget you go for the cheap body and better glass. Course that's not quite so true with digitals.

[Vipertsniper]

I chose the d3200 over a k30. it was a good choice.
Had i have bought a k30 it would have been a backup for my k5 - nothing more
the d3200 is a lot more. the ability to manual control the onboard flash perfect for firing slave strobes without having to buy triggers or an expensive flashgun.
then theres the 24mp sensor, noise control is very good close to the k5 and image quality is stunning.
I havnt ditched pentax but i am edging my bets.

[IchabodCrane]

I chose the d3200 over a k30. it was a good choice.
Had i have bought a k30 it would have been a backup for my k5 - nothing more
the d3200 is a lot more. the ability to manual control the onboard flash perfect for firing slave strobes without having to buy triggers or an expensive flashgun.
then theres the 24mp sensor, noise control is very good close to the k5 and image quality is stunning.
I havnt ditched pentax but i am edging my bets.

What control of the the onboard flash does the D3200 offer?

[Vipertsniper]

• TTL • Manual Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 - this i find most handy , as i can fire slave strobes without having to add the weight/cost of a flashgun or trigger..

[nfraser]

Last year my Olympus SLR started to go funny, it needed more repairs than it was worth. Since Olympus dosen't really make slrs anymore i decided to switch. Originally i was going for either a nikon or canon. I went and tried them and the canons felt cheap and the image quality wasn't that good, while nikon i tried but i just didn't like them. I then tried a k30 and fell in love with it. The k30 is evertthing i was looking for, a slr that was weather sealed but still takes very good photos. I ended up buying one and i don't regret it for a minute. I have had people come up and ask me what it is and they don't understand why I didn't go for a nikon or canon. On a recent holiday i met someone with a canon eos 600d and the k30 ran rings round it in almost every aspect. I am so glad i moved to pentax

[Pepe Le Pew]

@impartial: the k-01 and k-30 output 12-bit raw vs the k5's 14-bit raw. Thus the loss in dr.

Its funny. I've been told at least a dozen times (some by professional shooters) that they never realized pentax made digital cameras. I facepalm almost everytime.

Tell me about it

[john5100]

Last year my Olympus SLR started to go funny, it needed more repairs than it was worth. Since Olympus dosen't really make slrs anymore i decided to switch. Originally i was going for either a nikon or canon. I went and tried them and the canons felt cheap and the image quality wasn't that good, while nikon i tried but i just didn't like them. I then tried a k30 and fell in love with it. The k30 is evertthing i was looking for, a slr that was weather sealed but still takes very good photos. I ended up buying one and i don't regret it for a minute. I have had people come up and ask me what it is and they don't understand why I didn't go for a nikon or canon. On a recent holiday i met someone with a canon eos 600d and the k30 ran rings round it in almost every aspect. I am so glad i moved to pentax

That's good the hear. It's fun when the little guys (Oly and Pentax) take it to the big guys.

[tahoejeepmom]

Look it up. On paper there is no compation the k 30 is better it has less mp but who need 24mg?

Nikon D3200 vs Pentax K-30 - Our Analysis

Looking up reviews and side by side compare I went with the k30 I am very happy.

[tahoejeepmom]

Last year my Olympus SLR started to go funny, it needed more repairs than it was worth. Since Olympus dosen't really make slrs anymore i decided to switch. Originally i was going for either a nikon or canon. I went and tried them and the canons felt cheap and the image quality wasn't that good, while nikon i tried but i just didn't like them. I then tried a k30 and fell in love with it. The k30 is evertthing i was looking for, a slr that was weather sealed but still takes very good photos. I ended up buying one and i don't regret it for a minute. I have had people come up and ask me what it is and they don't understand why I didn't go for a nikon or canon. On a recent holiday i met someone with a canon eos 600d and the k30 ran rings round it in almost every aspect. I am so glad i moved to pentax

That's is what happen to me too. I had an older Olympus dslr too. I felt the same way you do. I thought maybe I wrote that post .haha

For me the pentax layout just made sense too. The menu and buttons all where I like them.

[nfraser]

I agree the control layout is by far the best, and it has by far the best grip. I am currently trying to convince my friend to buy a k30 instead of a d5100 or a d3200. If he dose get a nikon camera i will have to show him the error of his ways

[SpartanD63]

I agree the control layout is by far the best, and it has by far the best grip. I am currently trying to convince my friend to buy a k30 instead of a d5100 or a d3200. If he dose get a nikon camera i will have to show him the error of his ways

Just have him handle the K-30 then have him handle the Nikon. After handling the K-30, I couldn't believe how plasticky and cheap the Canon and Nikon cameras felt.

[nfraser]

I have just been to my local camera shop and apparently they are selling more K30s than nikon d3200 and d5100 put together thats got to be a good sign

[tahoejeepmom]

I have just been to my local camera shop and apparently they are selling more K30s than nikon d3200 and d5100 put together thats got to be a good sign

That's very cool. The price, picture quality ,and its weather resistant it was a no brained for me in the end. I lost my first dslr to a little water damage . There are so many nice old lense you can get for cheap. That's another selling point for me. I am going to check out some old lense today.

[treebeard]

Some people here seem to think the new 24MP sensor on the D3200 will be "better" than the one on the 16MP upcoming K30. No, not entirely correct as you do have to interpret the curves provides by DXO. Here's how I interpret the DXO measurement data for the K-01 vs the D3200. I use the SNR curve as a proxy for the noise characteristics. Also, and this is very important: For my interpretation below, I use measured ISO and not marked ISO on the camera. The D3200 does suffers because the camera's sensitivity is not as accurate as that of the K-01. For example, if you dialed in ISO 800 on both cameras, the actual ISO is 703 on the K-01 and 571 on the D3200. What does this mean to you? Well, it means to achieve similar exposures with both camera, you can shoot the K-01 at slightly faster shutter speeds than that of the D3200. Or better yet, you can also, use a slightly lower ISO on the Pentax than the Nikon to achieve identical shutter speeds at the same aperture.

According to the DXOmark measurement data, the only point at which the D3200 bests the K-01 is at ISO 100. The noise is similar for both, but the DR of the D3200 is about a third of a stop better. For those of you that shoot primarily at base ISO (i.e landscapers), the D3200 should yield slightly better quality images, at least on paper. However, at higher ISO's where many general shooters tend to shoot, the D3200 advantage is lost. Also, the D3200 is not what I consider a landscape camera because of it's crippled functionality.

At ISO 200 or 400, the noise and DR of both these cameras is nearly identical.

At ISO 800, the noise is the same, but the DR of the K-01 is about 1/2 stop better, partially because of the K-01's more accurate sensitivity.

At 1600, the noise is the same, but the DR of the K-01 has slipped a bit, but is still ahead by 1/3 of a stop.

At 3200, the K-01 bests the D3200 in noise by about 1/2 stop and the dynamic range by about a 1/3 stop.

At 6400, the K-01 beats the D3200 in noise (1/2 stop) and dynamic range (3/4 stop).

I really don't see much advantage of the new 24MP sensor. In fact, I think it is a step backwards compared to the Sony 16MP. However, I think Nikon will sell a ton of them, mostly to people who just look at MPs (and price) at the expense of everything else.

I agree with you completely!