Just Joined - From Noosa Australia

**RichardS** · 11-27-2008, 11:59 PM

Welcome from me too. Your journey sounds a bit like mine: film, point-and-shoot, DSLR, except that my last film camera was/is a Nikon. But I've always respected the Pentax brand since my younger brother acquired a Spotmatic, I think, in the 1960s.

Friends of ours used to live just inland from Noosa. They built a pole house on five acres at the top of the hill at Doonan, not far past the golf course. They had a fabulous, uninterrupted view from the north of the Noosa river to around Maroochydore. Then they decided that they were too close to the big city, because they could hear one or two cars per day, and moved to acreage outside Kin Kin.

I'm looking forward to some pics from the area.

He was a camera mechanic and did a lot of work through a camera shop in Gympie. He was repairing the press photographers' gear, so there were professional cameras involved. No camera shops in Gympie have Pentax?

Regards,

brumby · 11-28-2008, 01:09 AM

G'day, RichardS

We looked at a number of pole houses in Doonan when we were searching for our current property. Wonder if that was one of them

I actually live in Tinbeerwah, which borders Doonan to the north. It's about a 15 minute drive to Hastings Street, not that we go there much anymore.

I haven't been to Gympie lately. It's not a big town so I doubt if they have many camera shops. The only decent sized camera shop on the Sunshine Coast (at Maroochydore) had one lonely little K200D on their shelves (no K20D) and three or four Pentax lenses. If it's not CaNikon, this particular bunch are not interested.

**RichardS** · 11-28-2008, 03:10 AM

Hi Brumby,

Rudi, our friend, was quite insistant that there were no high-level camera shops along the coast. They catered to the tourist trade only. And, oops, it wan't Gympie. I was talking to someone recently about musters and it must have stuck in my mind. It was Nambour. Aaaagh!

Ratmagiclady · 11-28-2008, 04:53 PM

I'd agree with who said that a K10d might be a nice choice, ...only thing is, if you can get the kind of prices I can see on a new K20, here in the US this season, you probably really might as well go for that. I'm sure any K30 or other new model will be just nice, but, hey, I was expecting that I'd be trying to scrape up for anything with a moving mirror, till just recently, with a used K10 marginally preferred over the admittedly-quite nice K200, but a fortunate bunch of things just converged such that I could get right into the K20d... and in my honest assessment, this ought to be enough camera for me for quite a while.

So I'd look at that.

For entry-level, the K200 is just nice. I got to play with one a bit, and if you can live with the dubious matter of running on AA's, (this is what I'd call a drawback with some compensation to it) and it just felt right. I've never even handled a K20, though, and the chance to jump right into one wasn't something I had to be asked twice about.

Big caveats there being *if* you have the money and really want to spend twice as much for better AF speed, faster bursts, and better really-high-ISO performance, then maybe other systems have what you need right now. The way I shoot, I'm not expecting to notice the difference, (especially compared to things I can't have, anyway) though. I'm pretty old-school and mostly am pleased as punch to have a DSLR that isn't *lacking* anything I'd miss from old film cameras.

But then again, I'm just being all happy at Pentax right now for making something for the likes of me.

(Well, OK, maybe they should make a "Full Microprism Circle Screen For Fast Lenses, You Dinosaur," but still.

)

Last edited by Ratmagiclady; 11-28-2008 at 04:58 PM. Reason: Additional wry comment.

sjcoz · 11-29-2008, 05:04 PM

Originally posted by brumby

Another Aussie comes aboard!

I'm going to get a DSLR, the question is which one. I'm attracted to Pentax because of the glass - and I must admit the fact that it is portrayed as the "poor relation" of CaNikon.

Hi Brumby

I went down the same path, although it was more a Nikon / Pentax thing for me. Cannon makes great camera's, but I have never picked up one that has felt right for me, strange. The other reason I chose Pentax is that I wanted a 6mp DSLR and so it was either a K100d or D40. The lens for the D40 are too limiting or too expensive. Looking at ebay yesterday there are some very creative lenses for the Pentax, some dating from the 1960s, and for me that is important bonus- the lenses from then require a different approach to the picture, and that is what I want to learn.

Thanks for your welcome on my thread. You come from one of the best places on earth up there, and whatever camera you choose, I think you will be spoilt for choice of beauty to capture.

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11-27-2008, 11:59 PM	#16
RichardS Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Nelson Bay, NSW, Australia Posts: 2,418	Welcome from me too. Your journey sounds a bit like mine: film, point-and-shoot, DSLR, except that my last film camera was/is a Nikon. But I've always respected the Pentax brand since my younger brother acquired a Spotmatic, I think, in the 1960s. Friends of ours used to live just inland from Noosa. They built a pole house on five acres at the top of the hill at Doonan, not far past the golf course. They had a fabulous, uninterrupted view from the north of the Noosa river to around Maroochydore. Then they decided that they were too close to the big city, because they could hear one or two cars per day, and moved to acreage outside Kin Kin. I'm looking forward to some pics from the area. He was a camera mechanic and did a lot of work through a camera shop in Gympie. He was repairing the press photographers' gear, so there were professional cameras involved. No camera shops in Gympie have Pentax? Regards,

11-28-2008, 01:09 AM	#17
brumby Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Sunshine Coast - Australia Posts: 61 Original Poster	G'day, RichardS We looked at a number of pole houses in Doonan when we were searching for our current property. Wonder if that was one of them I actually live in Tinbeerwah, which borders Doonan to the north. It's about a 15 minute drive to Hastings Street, not that we go there much anymore. I haven't been to Gympie lately. It's not a big town so I doubt if they have many camera shops. The only decent sized camera shop on the Sunshine Coast (at Maroochydore) had one lonely little K200D on their shelves (no K20D) and three or four Pentax lenses. If it's not CaNikon, this particular bunch are not interested.

11-28-2008, 03:10 AM	#18
RichardS Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Nelson Bay, NSW, Australia Posts: 2,418	Hi Brumby, Rudi, our friend, was quite insistant that there were no high-level camera shops along the coast. They catered to the tourist trade only. And, oops, it wan't Gympie. I was talking to someone recently about musters and it must have stuck in my mind. It was Nambour. Aaaagh!

11-28-2008, 04:53 PM	#19
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	I'd agree with who said that a K10d might be a nice choice, ...only thing is, if you can get the kind of prices I can see on a new K20, here in the US this season, you probably really might as well go for that. I'm sure any K30 or other new model will be just nice, but, hey, I was expecting that I'd be trying to scrape up for anything with a moving mirror, till just recently, with a used K10 marginally preferred over the admittedly-quite nice K200, but a fortunate bunch of things just converged such that I could get right into the K20d... and in my honest assessment, this ought to be enough camera for me for quite a while. So I'd look at that. For entry-level, the K200 is just nice. I got to play with one a bit, and if you can live with the dubious matter of running on AA's, (this is what I'd call a drawback with some compensation to it) and it just felt right. I've never even handled a K20, though, and the chance to jump right into one wasn't something I had to be asked twice about. Big caveats there being if you have the money and really want to spend twice as much for better AF speed, faster bursts, and better really-high-ISO performance, then maybe other systems have what you need right now. The way I shoot, I'm not expecting to notice the difference, (especially compared to things I can't have, anyway) though. I'm pretty old-school and mostly am pleased as punch to have a DSLR that isn't lacking anything I'd miss from old film cameras. But then again, I'm just being all happy at Pentax right now for making something for the likes of me. (Well, OK, maybe they should make a "Full Microprism Circle Screen For Fast Lenses, You Dinosaur," but still. ) Last edited by Ratmagiclady; 11-28-2008 at 04:58 PM. Reason: Additional wry comment.

11-29-2008, 05:04 PM	#20
sjcoz New Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 10	Originally posted by brumby Another Aussie comes aboard! I'm going to get a DSLR, the question is which one. I'm attracted to Pentax because of the glass - and I must admit the fact that it is portrayed as the "poor relation" of CaNikon. Hi Brumby I went down the same path, although it was more a Nikon / Pentax thing for me. Cannon makes great camera's, but I have never picked up one that has felt right for me, strange. The other reason I chose Pentax is that I wanted a 6mp DSLR and so it was either a K100d or D40. The lens for the D40 are too limiting or too expensive. Looking at ebay yesterday there are some very creative lenses for the Pentax, some dating from the 1960s, and for me that is important bonus- the lenses from then require a different approach to the picture, and that is what I want to learn. Thanks for your welcome on my thread. You come from one of the best places on earth up there, and whatever camera you choose, I think you will be spoilt for choice of beauty to capture.