Originally posted by cali92rs Ahh i see how this is played...lets ignore the specs and cost of similarly spec'd items. And if they are brought to our attention, let's call them "whiners". The internet version of sticking your fingers in your ears and saying "i cant hear you, i cant hear you".
I am sure only whiners read the specs of these products, not diligent consumers.
---------- Post added 04-29-15 at 10:07 PM ----------
Honestly, I am not even concerned with the optical abilities of any of these lenses. The differences between them I am sure couldn't even be seen in real life shooting. (Well amongst the OEM lenses at least). That's where the real differences matter. Weight and MFD are meaningful. Of course as is cost.
And regarding the bodies, I agree the K-3 is the best camera in this space right now. That's why I am disappointed by the price of this lens. A few hundred dollars cheaper and people would really have a viable 2nd system option.
About in body SR, I would be very skeptical about the idea that it would be as effective for a 50mm lens as it is for a 400mm lens.
---------- Post added 04-29-15 at 10:10 PM ----------
Canon is still selling at its initial release price. You can compare both prices at B&H. So assuming they both drop a couple hundred bucks, the delta in cost will remain.
What the Pentax ends up selling at depends on how many Pentax sells. If it needs to drop to Canon's price in order to have reasonable sales, then it will. Unless you absolutely need the lens today, there is no reason not to wait a few months and get a little better price.
As far as in body image stabilization versus in lens stabilization, this is a major reason to go with Pentax. Or Olympus. Other than getting a stabilized view finder, you should be able to get equivalent stabilization with the sensor that you get optically. Olympus has been better than Pentax over time, but maybe the K3 II will bring Pentax to the Olympus level of performance with regard to SR.
If you want in lens image stabilization, Pentax is probably not a good brand for you. They have made it clear that they are putting their eggs in the basket of in body image stabilization and once again are making improvements to that. I think in practice they should be able to achieve equivalent performance with SR as Canon and Nikon do with their optical stabilization, even with long lenses.
For most people shooting a lens like this, with or without stabilization, a steady tripod is a must. I just don't know how many people would really stick a lens this size on their camera and go for a walk in the woods, expecting to come away with some decent shots. I'd have to work out a lot before I could do something like that and the experience wouldn't be particularly enjoyable, even then.