[gybp]

Hello guys, im in the market for a used k30, i dont have the money for a new K3, but im wondering when will a camera substituting the k50 will come out. When do you think this will happen? thanks!

[DSims]

New flagships (e.g. K-5, K-3) are usually in the fall. The others can be in the fall or early spring, historically. So it could be either, this time. K-30 and K-50 were both in late winter or in spring, IIRC.

[jatrax]

Conventional theory has been an 18 month cycle. The k-50 was announced in June 2013. So if you believe in Ricoh actually following conventional theory then maybe December 2014 or early 2015.

Or tomorrow, maybe. Who knows.

---------- Post added 04-28-14 at 12:12 PM ----------

And if you are in the market for a used k-30 then why do care about a k-50 replacement? I doubt that is going to change the k-30 market value much at this point.

[Steve.Ledger]

If you don't have enough money for a K-3 you'll very unlikely have enough for whatever replaces the K-50 at release prices (around the thousand bucks) until it drops in price to where the current K-50 pricing is, by which time you'll be asking the same question again
Grab a K-50 now and enjoy the 'now' rather than thinking about the 'what if later'

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Last edited by Steve.Ledger; 04-28-2014 at 10:35 PM. Reason: typos always seen later...

[gybp]

well the thing is that i like to make videos, and the k30/50 are supposed to be very bad at this... is there a jump in quality between the k30/50 and the k3?

[IchabodCrane]

If you don't have enough money for a K-3 you'll very unlikely have enough for whatever replaces the K-50 at release prices (around the thousand bucks) until it drops in price to where the current K-50 pricing is, by which time you'll be asking the same question again
Grab a K-50 now and enjoy the 'now' rather than thinking about the 'what if later'

The K-30 body only was about $800 - $850 when released summer 2012. The K-50 was released about 12 months later at a slightly lower initial price, IIRC.

[Steve.Ledger]

well the thing is that i like to make videos, and the k30/50 are supposed to be very bad at this... is there a jump in quality between the k30/50 and the k3?

The only 'bad' thing is the digital SR (Movie SR) which is the same across all recent Pentax models.
1080p video IQ is almost the same from the K-3 as the K-30/50/500/01 from what I have seen. Much depends on the lens used and then the settings chosen.
I've seen some good productions from the K-01, K-30 and K-50. I expected better from the K-3 only because it's a flagship camera, but the samples I've seen don't differ much from what people can get from the other models.
Used on a tripod they all do reasonably well, especially with shallow dof work.

[gybp]

and compared to a nikon d7100 what is the quality difference? is it noticeable?

[DSims]

and compared to a nikon d7100 what is the quality difference? is it noticeable?

Are you taking about video, or photos, or both?

I think reading some reviews is your best bet on this. DPR is a good place to start, but look around some more.


As to video quality, perhaps another member who's owned a D7100 can answer better. But most other brands do a better job with video than Pentax does. Although a K-5 II or IIs can do some pretty good video within its limitations.

For photo quality, a Pentax with the same or similar sensor is usually slightly better, and has slightly better controls and ergonomics than the equivalent Nikon. But it's probably not enough difference to be the deciding factor. It's more important to choose which lenses or other accessories you'll be wanting, and buy according to that. Nikon can be affordable with good value and high IQ if you choose just the right lenses they offer (generally these are f/1.8 primes). If you want any other lenses, it can potentially get expensive with Nikon if you're going for high IQ (Canon is probably even worse in this regard). So you need to evaluate this as a big part of your decision. Overall, Pentax does pretty well when it comes to lens choices and the cost thereof.

[gybp]

well i know that the photo quality of the k30/50 is good enough for me, my concerns are about video. i have a lot of pentax lenses (50 1.2, 135 1.8, 18-80 kit lens 50 1.7) but no body at the moment, and im being offered a K30 for 425 euros. I really dont know what to do

[DSims]

well i know that the photo quality of the k30/50 is good enough for me, my concerns are about video. i have a lot of pentax lenses (50 1.2, 135 1.8, 18-80 kit lens 50 1.7) but no body at the moment, and im being offered a K30 for 425 euros. I really dont know what to do

My general thought is this: your two best lenses are manual focus (not sure what the "18-80" is, or whether the 50/1.7 is AF). You don't want them to go to waste. If photos are the priority get the K-30 or a similar body; if video with those lenses is a priority get a Canon, or Sony (or other) mirrorless, and mount them to it (since you have pull focus manually anyway). Just make sure you don't have to alter or damage the lens to use it on the particular camera with an adapter.

[gybp]

what sony or canon body do you recommend? ive read that you cant munt pentax lenses on nikon bodies...

[DSims]

what sony or canon body do you recommend? ive read that you cant munt pentax lenses on nikon bodies...

Probably there are others here who could answer this better. But I was thinking of any Canon or Sony that's good at video - one that has at least the features you're looking for.


I believe with a Canon DSLR you'll have a problem with the aperture lever hitting the mirror if it's a FF (such as the 5D series). So you either need to remove the lever or get an APS-C model - but probably only APS-C fits your budget right now anyway.

With a Sony mirrorless this shouldn't be a problem. The A7 series (FF) should be nice - but again, out of your current budget. You could look at the APS-C e-mount models (previously called NEX).

You could also consider m4/3 mirrorless cameras from Panasonic (or maybe Olympus).

[Steve.Ledger]

and compared to a nikon d7100 what is the quality difference? is it noticeable?

No idea, I don't own a D7100

Point is that the D7100 video results could well be better in the hands of a better videographer, but could be considerably worse in the hands of someone without a clue and of course the same must be true of the K-50.
Currently in my humble opinion the MX-1 produces the nicest looking video IQ 'out of the camera'. By 'nice' I mean way less aliasing and moire, less smudging of distant detail and less hiss from AGC. But you have to shoot with contrast and sharpness completely off.
Of course, you don't have any manual control with the MX-1, but I'm always very satisfied with the clips. (The MX-1 is a rather nice camera, period)
The K-50 and the K-01 I do have and while I feel the video is crap for your average tourist holiday clip use some members here with more skill and time than I have managed to create some good results using the K-01. I find it suitable for 'near' subjects, but not general deep dof work, not at all. The K-50 would yield similar results for those folks.

As a test, here's pretty much my first few clips shot with the K-50 and 18-55mm kit lens and of course the on board mic.
Nothing more done than join the three short clips in 'FreeMake'.

[720p only for this one]

You Tube

You Tube

[ejhc11]

Don't forget to check out the Canon 70D kit with the 18-135mm STM lens (made for smooth video focusing). I think there may be a special Canon printer rebate bundle from Adorama.