[wmmk]

Hello fellow photographers!

As many of you know from having read some of my posts, I'm 13, I'm very serious about photography, and I don't live in the type of family where love is buying the kids everything they want.

I shoot a lot of events for school and my beaten up manual flash and slow lenses are beginning to inhibit me. The fact that my camera shoots 2.6fps doesn't help much either.

I'm looking at the DA 12-24, DA*16-50, DA*50-135, and DA*200. Once the K10D's successor comes out, I will hope to purchase it so that I can reap the benefits of SDM and get faster burst rates. Along with good filters, this should set me back about $4,000.

With the current prices of colleges I hope to (and am working my rear end off to get the grades I need to be accepted into) attend, $4,000 is not a small sum of money.

I wondered if Pentax has any educational discounts or long term rental programs. Also, if there's anywhere besides keh to look for good used gear, I'd love to know of it.

Kind regards,
Will

[Wethphotography]

Hello fellow photographers!

As many of you know from having read some of my posts, I'm 13, I'm very serious about photography, and I don't live in the type of family where love is buying the kids everything they want.

I shoot a lot of events for school and my beaten up manual flash and slow lenses are beginning to inhibit me. The fact that my camera shoots 2.6fps doesn't help much either.

I'm looking at the DA 12-24, DA*16-50, DA*50-135, and DA*200. Once the K10D's successor comes out, I will hope to purchase it so that I can reap the benefits of SDM and get faster burst rates. Along with good filters, this should set me back about $4,000.

With the current prices of colleges I hope to (and am working my rear end off to get the grades I need to be accepted into) attend, $4,000 is not a small sum of money.

I wondered if Pentax has any educational discounts or long term rental programs. Also, if there's anywhere besides keh to look for good used gear, I'd love to know of it.

Kind regards,
Will

Will,
I do not know of any educational discounts or rental programs. But I wonder if you could team up with your school's art or computer department and approach Pentax about providing equipment to your school and/or district at a discounted rate. You could then have access to it. Here is a link to a blog maintained by Pentax's VP for Marketing in the US. http://nedbunnell.blogspot.com/2005/07/riverboarding.html It might not hurt to email him and see what he knows or could do for you.
In regards to places to find good used equipment, in addition to KEH, B&H Photo often has used Pentax gear. The Forum's marketplace is good, too. Also you might check on local camera stores and pawn shops. My local Penn Camera often has interesting used Pentax gear. Before you spring for faster lenses, you might explore buying the 540 FGZ flash to replace your old manual one.
If anything else springs to mind, I'll let you know. I really enjoyed many of your images on Flickr.

[wmmk]

Will,
I do not know of any educational discounts or rental programs. But I wonder if you could team up with your school's art or computer department and approach Pentax about providing equipment to your school and/or district at a discounted rate. You could then have access to it. Here is a link to a blog maintained by Pentax's VP for Marketing in the US. http://nedbunnell.blogspot.com/2005/07/riverboarding.html It might not hurt to email him and see what he knows or could do for you.
In regards to places to find good used equipment, in addition to KEH, B&H Photo often has used Pentax gear. The Forum's marketplace is good, too. Also you might check on local camera stores and pawn shops. My local Penn Camera often has interesting used Pentax gear. Before you spring for faster lenses, you might explore buying the 540 FGZ flash to replace your old manual one.
If anything else springs to mind, I'll let you know. I really enjoyed many of your images on Flickr.

Hello Erl,

I'm currently in 8th grade and will be at a different school next year. That said, I'll be at one of the top 10 public high schools in the US, and I have a feeling that at least one 1D/D2H with a set of L/EX lenses is available for use. I'll be emailing Mr, Bunnell and looking for a used 540fgz in the future.

Anyhow, it's quite nice to know that people appreciate some of my photos. I've been in a creative 'slump' lately and good motivation always helps with that sort of thing.

Thanks,
Will

[Wethphotography]

Personally, I think Pentax would want a foothold again in school art and photography departments. Many of us, learned photography on the K1000 that our school art departments had in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Good luck with Mr. Brunnell and your photography.

[FotoPete]

Well Pentax should keep the K1000 but also provide service and good supply of oldies. Most schools I've heard of just have the standard camera and 50mm which adds some restraint to the amount of experimentation possible.

[Wethphotography]

Will,
Though this does apply directly to you, Tamron has an educational discount for students in University level photography programs...http://www.tamron.com/bronica/assets/pdfs/edu_brochure_Jan_07.pdf
Which brings me to recommend enrolling in a summer photography course at one of your local universities or community colleges or art schools. I have found the photography courses at my local community college to be very good and relatively inexpensive.

[wmmk]

Will,
Though this does apply directly to you, Tamron has an educational discount for students in University level photography programs...http://www.tamron.com/bronica/assets/pdfs/edu_brochure_Jan_07.pdf
Which brings me to recommend enrolling in a summer photography course at one of your local universities or community colleges or art schools. I have found the photography courses at my local community college to be very good and relatively inexpensive.

Thanks for the replies!

My dad is an adjunct professor of architecture and journalism at a local of college. I'm sure they have a photo school, but am not sure using his signature would be completely legitimate. I'm also taking a photo course over the summer at an art sort of center affiliated with Northwestern University. I'll see what I can do...