[sjwomersley]

Hi All,

I have been enthusiastic about photography for a long time and until very recently have only been using Fuji bridge cameras. Over the last year or so I have inherited quite a lot of photography equipment from my Grandad, most of which is Pentax or K-Mount based; in addition to a few 35mm film SLRs I now have a Pentax K100D, a modest selection of vintage lenses and a couple of autofocus lenses.

Having played around with the K100D I've realised how much more creative I can get than with my Fuji bridge camera. Although the K100D is 15 years old it can still snap some really nice photos, but there is a temperamental fault whereby the camera turns off because it thinks the batteries are depleted (even with brand new batteries), yet once it's turned back on it will say the batteries are full and might last another 15 minutes or so if I'm lucky... Anyway, I'm looking to upgrade to a more up-to-date Pentax DSLR and currently weighing up the K-S2 or K-70, any recommendations or advice either way would be greatly appreciated!

Sam

[C_Jones]

Welcome to Pentax forums.

I too have a K-1000.

The K-70 may be a good choice.

[gump]

I spent a couple of months researching and ended up with the K-70. Image quality versus money was the focus. Could not afford full-format. although the Nikon 5500 was in the mix, the weather seal and prism viewer (outdoor shooting and old eyes) won the day. All that said, the shadow box is just a tool, it is subservient to the job and goal(s). Be critical it saves money and frustration.

[sjwomersley]

I did consider a Nikon but I didn't like how they're more affordable lenses omit image stabilisation - I tend to zoom quite often so to get a decent telephoto lens was going to be too expensive for me just now. Plus, I have a few lenses for Pentax already and after researching them online they seem pretty good.

The main difference I can see between the K-S2 and K-70 is the former has 20mp and the latter has 24mp. My way of thinking is the 20mp would produce better low light photos due to have larger pixels on the sensor, but obviously the 24mp produces higher resolution. Am I correct? Also, are there any other significant differences between these two cameras?

[gump]

I am not qualified to get deep (or even shallow) into the tech aspects. There is a website "Camera Decision" Camera Decision - Compare Digital Cameras that I found helpful and then I read all the online reviews I could find. My understanding (very limited) is that pixels numbers can be misleading.

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome, we can all here certainly help you spend your money on another Pentax.

[antipattern]

I don't think the 20 vs 24mpx will make a big difference, but maybe there are a few other things that are worth considering.

Regarding longevity, some entry level cameras had a common fault with the aperture lever, and I think the KS-2 was affected too. I'm not up-to-date on whether the K70 has a similar issue, but that might be something to take into consideration.

If you're happy buying used equipment, the K5 or K3 are also excellent cameras and can be had for a good price.

[BigMackCam]

Welcome to the forums, Sam!

Just a thought re your K100D - have you tried cleaning the camera's battery contacts? Some recommendations say to use a pencil or pen eraser, but a pad with a tiny dab of metal polish seems like it would also be a good option. If the battery contacts are dirty, the resulting resistance might be causing your problem. Of course, it may just be that the camera is at the end of its life, but worth a try, perhaps. Another option is to try Eneloop batteries... Several older Pentax models have problems with regular dry cells as they age, but using Eneloop rechargeables brings them back to life.

Otherwise, for your next camera, I would recommend the K-70 over the K-S2. Both are fine cameras, but we've seen a small number of reports of the K-S2 developing a problem with the lens aperture control. This was more prevalent on earlier models such as the K-50 and K-30, but we've defintiely heard of a small number of K-S2's exhibiting the same behaviour. Not many, though. Still, I'd recommend the K-70 as we've yet to hear of any such problems with that model, and in any case it's a real jump up from the K-S2 in features and image quality. If your budget allows, that's the better choice of the two, IMHO.

As already mentioned, a used K-5, K-5II, K-5IIs, K-3 would also be an excellent choice, with "professional" build quality and very long shutter life (although they lack the tilting screen of the K-70). The K-5xx models are very affordable in the secondary market, and if you find one with a relatively low shutter count in nice condition, it should last you an awfully long time. The image quality is outstanding, too. The same applies for the K-3, though you'd have to pay quite a bit more (still less than a brand new K-70, however!).

[CharLac]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Pentax!

[sjwomersley]

Thanks Mike!

I've had a look at the K-3II and I can get one secondhand for a reasonable price, but my only concern is that it doesn't have a built-in flash. I do have a Pentax AF400FTZ, but I know this is quite old now - would this still be compatible?

[aslyfox]

welcome

have you discovered that by going to " Cameras " above you will find reviews by users and " in depth review " of various camera bodies?

there is also this handy tool that allows you to compare side by side two or more Pentax Camera bodies

here is a link to that tool comparing the K S 2, K 70, K 3 II and K 3 ( which does have an on board flash )

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-cameras-compared/?c1=Pentax+K-S2&...&c4=Pentax+K-3

if you end up looking for an " experienced " camera be sure to check out what might be available in your area in the forum's market place " buy/sell " above.

you can search it by geographic area if you wish

personally I wouldn't be worried that the K 3 has been out of production for a while

this is helpful when checking out an " experienced " camera

" Check Your Camera's Shutter Count & Manufacture Date

Use this tool to check your camera's shutter count and find out when the camera was manufactured. Note that if you upload an image that has been processed by Photoshop, etc., it might not be usable as some of its EXIF data could have been stripped. To proceed, simply upload an unedited JPEG photo taken with your camera using the form below! Your files are not stored on our server after the EXIF data is read. "



Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/pages/check-shutter-count-exif.html#ixzz5CvNop1sJ

have fun with your photography

[sjwomersley]

Thank you everyone for your input, it's helped me decide on saving up for a K-3II. I have a Pentax AF280T flash (I know it's old and only TTL) but it should work to some extent without causing any problems, and will be enough until I can afford a more modern flash.

Now I just need to decide on some lenses!

[CharLac]

Thank you everyone for your input, it's helped me decide on saving up for a K-3II. I have a Pentax AF280T flash (I know it's old and only TTL) but it should work to some extent without causing any problems, and will be enough until I can afford a more modern flash.

Now I just need to decide on some lenses!

I love my K-3 II...got it used but mint; guy ended up buying a K-1....and bought a PENTAX AF-201 FG flash...slides into my pocket in case I want a fill flash

[sjwomersley]

CharLac - until I discovered the K-3II I've never had to think about how often I use the flash on my camera, so I have no idea how much I should invest in one at the moment!

I've got used to having a screen that rotates etc. so that might take a bit of getting used to. It might encourage me to be more like a proper photographer and use the viewfinder haha

[CharLac]

CharLac - until I discovered the K-3II I've never had to think about how often I use the flash on my camera, so I have no idea how much I should invest in one at the moment!

I've got used to having a screen that rotates etc. so that might take a bit of getting used to. It might encourage me to be more like a proper photographer and use the viewfinder haha

I wanted the smallest cheapest one I could find to replace the pop-up I had grown used to on my K-7....so that relatively cheap flash did the trick. I almost never use the viewfinder...except when I am using a neutral density filter and the eyepiece is virtually black