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02-03-2022, 07:22 AM   #1
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New to Pentax

I’ve recently become interested in manual focus Pentax glass to adapt to my Olympus MFT cameras.

As a part of that journey I discovered the joys of the ME Super, and now I want a Pentax DSLR

Maybe some Pentaxian could recommend me the best starter Pentax DSLR.

02-03-2022, 08:57 AM   #2
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Welcome on the forum!
I think that for the beginning of the journey an ASP-C body will be ok. You can compare them on this web page: Pentax K-3 III vs. Pentax K-1 II vs. Pentax KP - Pentax Camera Comparison - PentaxForums.com.
I'm quite sure any Pentax DSLR give you a lot of joy and plenty of options to explore. To help you decide which one is the most appropriate option, you will have to share some details on what are your expectations and what do you plan to shoot (landscapes, portraits, sport, macro, etc.) Also, tell us what Pentax lenses do you currently have and try to ask yourself which are you planning to buy in the nearest future. Unless you have an unlimited budget (which is rarely the case ) you will probably have to decide whether you just need the newest, coolest body or something cheaper plus some special lenses...
02-03-2022, 09:01 AM   #3
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There’s really no starter models, the cheapest are more equivalent to midrange of Canon and Nikon. The K-70 is the lowest cost and least featured of the current Pentax models. But if you want used a there are other choices. There’s a camera comparison feature under cameras on the menu bar, it can help you a lot.
02-03-2022, 09:35 AM   #4
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First, welcome to the forums!


Telling us a little about your budget would help greatly.
So would mentioning which lenses you are talking about using. K mount cameras today can use lenses from many decades back to when the mount was introduced, and there have been quite a few changes along the way.

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K3iii has distinct advantages for shooting older (pre A) lenses, thanks to it's new metering option for manual aperture lenses. It is, however, also the most expensive K mount camera available and thus not my first thought when it comes to "starting out." Unless dropping a few grand doesn't matter much to you.

K1ii (or the very similar K1) is full frame, and thus maintains the field of view that the older manual focus lenses were designed for. Again, though, they are more expensive (US$1000+ even for secondhand) cameras than I might recommend to someone "starting out," unless they were specifically looking for full frame. They are actually probably a great choice (even among all camera brands) for someone looking to start out in full frame digital.

The K70 is available new for a very good value, and if you're skittish about buying secondhand it's the only remotely budget option. It is a very full featured camera, and probably the most obvious "starting" point.

Buying used is also a great way to save even more, particularly if you're okay with older bodies with lower megapixels. The truth is, Pentax DSLRs have been great for a long time now. We know you won't be needing more advanced autofocus, which is one major area where the newest cameras are definitely much better than the older bodies.

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Hope any of that helps, and if you give a little more info about what you're looking for you will get more specific and targeted recommendations. We love helping people buy things!


Last edited by wadge22; 02-03-2022 at 09:45 AM.
02-03-2022, 09:50 AM   #5
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I'm also a Pentax nooobie and coming from heavy use of E-M10 and E-PL7. I got rid of the M10 a while ago and the PL7 started acting up so I've been without wheels, so-to-speak.

I just picked up a Pentax K-5 mk1, which scores higher than Olympus E-M1 Mk ii on dxomark. I paid 150 euro for the body. It's LOL levels of good, despite being 10+ years old. Same resolution as m43 16mp bodies but better ISO and 14 bit color for the K5.

If you can afford the extra clams I'd probably spring for a K3 Mk I or II which are selling for 350-500 here in the EU and will be a small to moderate step up in IQ, similar to Oly 16 vs 20 mp units.

The K series bodies aren't that big by pro-DSLR standards. I find the K5 is near telepathic in it's controls layout shooting after just a couple outings. I'd be hard pressed to give up the extra in-body controls vs K70, but that's a personal preference.

I don't have any immediate plans for a K3 but it's nice that they're circulating. Much depends on your priorities and what style of shooting you want to do. Glass is cheaper than m43 and the DA lenses are built for APS-C. There's a lot to love here so far. Welcome ��

Quick follow-on edits: 3 places that m43 is really good.

m43 standard primes are very sharp pieces of glass for the price. Prices seem similar (ish) for DA Limited lenses but I don't get the impression that they're quite as sharp. Don't throw things at me yet, Pentaxians! Olympus 1.8 and 1.2 "pro" prime range is something special. I have an inexpensive 18-55 kit lens and I'm feeling it, having shot the Oly 45mm 1.8 prime for the most part. I'm trying to figure out now which 35mm and 105mm primes to look for. The lens database on this forum is amazing though and I've been reading it for many years.

Increased Depth-of-Field f5.6 isn't as deep as you'd think coming off m43. I used to shoot landscape all the time at f8 without worry. I was a bit taken aback to see that even this kit lens goes up to f32 and that I had focus issues at f11. If you prefer shallow DoF this will be a bonus, but I'm having to relearn zone focusing and figuring out hyperfocal distance.

-system tie-

image stabilization even on my E-PL7 is very good. It's nothing to sneeze at on the K5 and I was surprised that it's as good as it is, given that this is a camera from 2010. I'd say the K5 is a bit better than EM10 / EPL7 and similar range Pannys. The later K3's and K70's might be on-par with mid-range m43, but new m43 cams like EM1 Mk3 and Panny G9 might still edge out Pentax (or any other camera) in this department. I shoot hand held for 98% of the time so it was something I worried about, but in-body IS is still very good on the Pentax, so I've been relieved

Last edited by IsaacReaves; 02-03-2022 at 10:50 AM. Reason: a few observations
02-03-2022, 02:37 PM - 1 Like   #6
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Welcome to Pentax Forums.

I would recommend the Pentax K-3 II or K-3 III if you are planning on shooting APS-C type lenses. If you are shooting the Full Frame type lenses, the Pentax K-1 or the K-1 II would be the latest models, the K-1 II being the most recent.

There are also less expensive models that will take excellent images, depending on your budget and needs.
02-04-2022, 12:17 AM - 2 Likes   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by DeepSchwartz Quote
... I'm trying to figure out now which 35mm and 105mm primes to look for. The lens database on this forum is amazing though and I've been reading it for many years.
Have you try the plastic-fantastic DA 35/2.4 (https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DA-L-35mm-F2.4-AL.html)? I have no experience with more expensive primes, but this dirt-cheap lens is so sharp that I cannot imagine anything better in this respect. In the review it was marked as 9.1, but my personal experience is that it's way better in that area than my Tamron 70-200/2.8 that scored 9.6.

02-04-2022, 02:26 AM - 1 Like   #8
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Welcome to the forum, I bet you didn’t expect that great response.
02-04-2022, 06:04 AM   #9
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I’m grateful and thank everyone for their responses.

There’s such a luxury of choice on used Pentax DSLR bodies it’s difficult to make up my mind. Even old Pentax bodies have shake reduction (IBIS) and they’ll all shoot legacy K or M Mount glass.

I’m also discovering reading reviews that the Pentax K-1 and K-1.2 have about the finest full frame image quality in the market. Autofocus isn’t bad, but IQ is stellar.

But even a used K-1 is a thousand dollars and a brand new K-70 is about half that.

It seems to me Pentax ought to make an ME Super sized full frame digital, and maybe they will in time.

I’ll have to hang around here some more, to see which old Pentax to start with.

Thanks again, for all your help.
02-04-2022, 07:41 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by W.G. Quote
Have you try the plastic-fantastic DA 35/2.4 (https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DA-L-35mm-F2.4-AL.html)? I have no experience with more expensive primes, but this dirt-cheap lens is so sharp that I cannot imagine anything better in this respect. In the review it was marked as 9.1, but my personal experience is that it's way better in that area than my Tamron 70-200/2.8 that scored 9.6.
Many thanks for the recommendation - I'll check out out
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