[Ubuntu]

Hello, I'm a long time Pentax owner and I am looking for ways to improve my skills.

I bought a K1000 about 25 years ago and upgraded to a zoom lens about 10 years ago. All my photography stuff is pretty entry-level to match my skills. I have the 50mm f/2 lens that came with the camera, a Sigma 35-80mm 2.8 with spring loaded pins in odd places and an ancient 80-200 f4.5 telephoto zoom.

One of my daughters took a few photography classes in her journey to become an artist (she didn't finish her degree), so I bought her a K1000/flash/Long Zoom to allow me to keep mine

I got into digital about 10 years ago and bought a P&S camera that taught me to hate photography. Well, I never liked many of the shots it took anyway.

This week, after exhaustive research, I took a step towards retiring the K1000. I bought the K-x with the 18-55mm/55-300mm kit My decision was based on feature set/value and good high ISO performance. I'll use my fixed 50 on the K-x, but I have no plans for the two manual zooms.

Since I stayed pretty stagnant technology-wise, moving to a camera with this many features is pretty overwhelming. I look forward to trying to master it's features and learn new techniques. Maybe I'll get a few nice shots along the way.

[Ubuntu]

BTW, anyone I know with a passing interest in photography suggested that I buy a Canon.

[chalion]

Welcome to the forums. The K-x kit system is a great start into DSLR's. Don't believe the Canon hype: The lenses for Canon have Image Stabilization built into them; it makes them easier to use, but drives up their prices enormously. Pentax DSLR's use SR in the camera body itself; this means that any mountable lens is image stabilized. From the newest lens to the oldest Pentax made. This keeps the cost down where it matters the most; the lenses.

[Sigmoid]

Glad to have you in the Pentax fold. My history parallels yours but I had even more Pentax lenses to use when I went digital 6 years ago.

About all you'll gain with a comparable Canon DSLR is a slightly faster frames-per-second rate. If you get ultra serious and want to move into the $5K range, then a full frame Canon might make sense. Under $2K street price, the Pentax is the better choice.

Don't sell your manual zooms short. Make sure that your new DSLR have the menu setting activated to allow the use of the aperture ring and spend a little time with all your lenses...you never know what might happen. Sometimes a soft focus older lens shows an unexpectedly beautiful rendition that a sharper, new lens won't.

Remember: it's digital so all that practice costs is your time.

Enjoy!

Sig

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Last edited by Sigmoid; 10-25-2010 at 08:45 AM. Reason: Typo

[Ubuntu]

Thanks everyone. I have pulled two spring-loaded pins off my Sigma, so there is another option available to me.

In the meantime, I have my first "test" this Wednesday evening where I intend to bring my camera to an indoor concert in a small to medium sized venue (no flash, obviously). I playing with my camera to see if I could find a setting that would help me achieve the best possible shots. I think I will use auto-ISO, shutter priority where I will set the shutter speed to the slowest value I feel I can hand-hold with the 55-300mm lens. With my K1000 and my 80-200mm, I thought that would be about 1/125

Today, in reviewing the manual, I noticed that there is a "Museum" scene mode that should do what I want. *shrugs* I may just use that and enjoy the concert. Or maybe I'll try both and see what the difference is afterward.