[nabwong]

So I really like shooting with the k50. It just feels natural in the hand. But recently I've discovered that the k50 is not the most convenient camera to take with you on a daily basis. If I'm going to dinner or going to work, the k50 is quite bulky. I do have a 40m xs but I prefer to shoot with my 18-135 or sigma 18-250.

I've been looking around for a daily camera. Narrowed it down to a Fuji X-e2, Olympus e-m1 or Panasonic gx8. I think I'm pretty sure I'll get one of them. They're all pocketable. Even with a zoom, I can easily put them in my messenger bag.

The question is, does the k50 become obsolete? I guess not obsolete but maybe less used? I'm trying to justify keeping 2 systems. In what situations would they both excel in? I have toddlers. Does the k50 outperform in continuos AF?

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Last edited by nabwong; 03-11-2016 at 09:02 PM.

[malinku]

The k-50 is weather sealed and one of the toughest cameras in its class. So it would be great to keep for those tough weather days. I didn't really put the auto focus through much of a test but it worked great for everything I used it for.

But the best feature is the ovf it is one of the best out there. It is very bright and 100% covers the image. So what you see in the ovf is what is in your picture. If you do decide to use manual focus lenses it has an great focusing aid. So Id say if it is in good working order I see no reason to dump it.

[UncleVanya]

The gx8 is weather sealed and pretty nice. I have the gx7 and personally don't find it pocketable at all and the gx8 is larger. And although the lenses are a bit smaller, they aren't tiny. I'm struggling with deciding if I should take my gx7 to Europe or just my Panasonic lx7. A more pocketable option than the gx8 would be the Sony RX100 or Panasonic LX100.

[jimr-pdx]

I picked up a NX300 in these "Samsung Panic Days" to go with my K-50. Not for you if a VF is required, but tilting touchscreen is OK by me. Good sensor and small lenses like 16/30 primes or 20-50 or 16-50pz/ois make a really small kit. Best in raw mode though, their jpeg NR is not to my taste. I bought one for $205 with 20-50 lens in white.

[officiousbystander]

I picked up a NX300 in these "Samsung Panic Days"

I've also picked up a Samsung NX300 outrageously cheaply. The original Samsung K to NX converter is arriving on Monday. It even has an aperture dial. It means I can use all my Pentax lenses on an ASPC sensor but on small mirrorless body. The benefit of the Samsung adapter is it was used as bait to get Samsung Pentax rebranded camera owners to move to the NX system. So the engineering, based on inside knowledge of how Pentax lenses operate, will be top notch. I've turned down the jpg NR on mine.

[JohnX]

Fuji X30

[clackers]

Fuji X30

Good choice. Crappy sensor size, but ticks a lot of other boxes.

[luma]

I was fighting the same dilemma for the past two months. I wanted a second camera, something smaller and lighter than K-50 with all the latest advanced features in both camera hardware and software and it would have to be a DSLR with viewfinder. I narrowed my choice down to either Olympus OM-D EM10 or better the newer EM10 Mark II and was having regrets for not buying either of these cameras when prices were down over last Christmas season. My only concern was buying a new line of lenses, as I wouldn't be happy with the kit lens only. I have been Pentax SLR user since late 1980's, K-50 is my 3rd DSLR body and I have six Pentax AF lenses and some dozen MF primes and zooms. And I wanted to keep my K-50, as I like the camera a lot.

I guess, I did not keep myself up to date on the new Pentax cameras, and a solution came when I "discovered" the K-S2. Sure, not as small and light as the EM10, but good enough, 20 Mp sensor, flip out LCD, WiFi, upgraded software, and I just love this retractable kit lens. But most important, I can use all my existing Pentax lenses. I definitely do not regret my choice of K-S2 as a second smaller camera, but I will keep my K-50 body as a backup or to use "just for a change".

[jimr-pdx]

Another interesting choice is the Lumix G7. If you're not sure quite what you want a camera to do it's perfect - 4k and HD video, good stills, fit in my hand was great, and so many customizations that I couldn't wrap my head around it. I sent it back as funds dried up before the kit could be assembled, it was $1k for a G7 kit or $250 for a red K-50. As DPR says it takes some thinking and planning to set this camera up for best use; I thought that was an odd comment but I'm forced to agree. Places like thecamerastore and cameralabs speak well of it, yet they always shake their heads and wonder why it's not a blockbuster. When discounts finally take it away I may try again.

[nabwong]

So I got a chance to go to the store and try a bunch of cameras today. Here's a summary.

A6000: wasn't feeling it. Wasn't organic. I don't know how to describe it but it felt cold. Like there's no soul. Technical. I know.

Em10 Mark ii: wow small. I have big hands and I just couldn't get a comfortable grip. The dials felt a little flimsy. It was paired with a 14-42 which is a pancake when off. Too small for me.

Em1: had the best grip. Amazing. I think even better than my k50. I'm quite tempted to get it. Weather sealed. Only thing video isn't great for such an expensive camera. Might be too much money but the price could drop eventually.

Xt10: Fuji's system is really foreign to me. Took a good 10 mins to figure out what all the controls mean. But the autofocus seems really quick and I liked the colors on the lcd. Not sure how it translates to computer. The lenses were a lot smaller than Pentax even though they're aps-c.

They didn't have the x-e2, g7 or gx8 unfortunately. The g7 seems like a good value. It's $600 on Amazon and has 4K video. Has a good line up of lenses too. I need to see if there's any shops in my area to see how it handles.

How much is ibis a factor for indoor and night shots?

[HudsonShooter]

g7 is good in low light and has no IS but you already have a k50
you probably need IS more for video than stills
get the camera you like unless you are to share with someone else.

[luma]

Yeah, there is plenty of great cameras out there, but I am not sure if mirrorless is the inevitable future. I still think that real view through viewfinder is better than looking at another in camera LCD. What I am finding however, that no matter how satisfied you are with your existing camera body, you just need something new every 3 or 4 years. New features and technology just become too irresistible. Its like with the cellphones and tablets, you always want the latest and greatest. I am old enough (69) to know that if you bought mid end camera some 40 years ago, you were OK for at least another 15 years if not more, no technology breakthroughs in between. And companies like Pentax kept making the same model for several years, the LX for a record of 20 years. These days, there are couple of new Pentax models every year. Well, lets go out and help the economy...

[UncleVanya]

If daily carry is important I strongly suggest that the gx7 sized camera is too big if the k50 is too big.

The lx7, lx100, rx100, mx-1, are all much smaller. The lx100 has a large sensor and a fast lens as does the rx100.

[nabwong]

Yeah, there is plenty of great cameras out there, but I am not sure if mirrorless is the inevitable future. I still think that real view through viewfinder is better than looking at another in camera LCD. What I am finding however, that no matter how satisfied you are with your existing camera body, you just need something new every 3 or 4 years. New features and technology just become too irresistible. Its like with the cellphones and tablets, you always want the latest and greatest. I am old enough (69) to know that if you bought mid end camera some 40 years ago, you were OK for at least another 15 years if not more, no technology breakthroughs in between. And companies like Pentax kept making the same model for several years, the LX for a record of 20 years. These days, there are couple of new Pentax models every year. Well, lets go out and help the economy...

Haha... I guess that could be true partly. I'm finding out that the k50 is too loud for me to operate in a piano recital or a play. I just wanna get something I can blend in, indoors. The other features are a bonus. But I hear what you're saying. I'm not rich, so I have to be selective of my gear and really think about the kinds of shooting I do so I can buy the right tools.

[HudsonShooter]

if you get a g7 with a 1.7 lens you can get a lot of dark shots and it does have a silent mode. so consider a mirrorless camera if you want no shutter noise.