Good beginners DSLR for an 8 year old...

Cooter · 04-01-2012, 02:12 PM

Thanks Frogfish!

DaveHolmes · 04-01-2012, 04:20 PM

Thanks Cooter for getting back to me... If I ever manage to get to the PNW I reckon I'll stand you a beer (or 5)!
Can't get Quantaray's here in UK but just scored an FA80-200 for £19 on the aution site to pair with the FA35-80 for the ist-ds...
He's gonna be so stoked when I give it to him... I can hardly wait!!

Cheers again!
Dave

Cooter · 04-01-2012, 04:33 PM - **1 Like**

That should be a good combo that will cover most of the focal range he should need. The Pentax lenses will definitely have better glass than the Quantarays I have my son using. Have fun!

BirdDude007 · 04-03-2012, 05:23 PM - **1 Like**

My ten year old daughter is starting to show interest in photography, I am starting to think that once my wife learns photography with our K-x, we will upgrade her to a K-5 and the K-x will most likely be going to my daughter, I have a mess of lenses that she can use as well, they are decent lenses , but nothing to write home about. I think the K-x will fit her little hands just fine, and when it comes to tecky stuff she picks up on that sort of stuff really fast, she has shown me a few little tricks with Windows seven on her computer already. She has the whole design suite of Adobe CS5 on her computer as well and at the moment I am showing her around Illustrator and PhotoShop. This weekend we are going to load up Light room on her computer for working with images that she gets off her Canon elph(which is a really decent P&S camera, she also uses my old Pentax Optio S5i which still works flawlessly after eight years of loyal service. She really digs the "layers" theory in Photoshop already.
It is good to get your children into something like this at an early age, they know more than we think they do, and they are total sponges for soaking up information.

DaveHolmes · 04-04-2012, 07:58 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BirdDude007

and when it comes to tecky stuff she picks up on that sort of stuff really fast, she has shown me a few little tricks with Windows seven on her computer already

Joe is the same... He has a laptop at his Grandads and he's easily a fluent as I am!

The *istDS arrived this morning... Came with a 2Gb card inside which I wasn't expecting... Bonus!
I slammed a set of Eneloops inside and it appears to be working AOK but as I'm not too familiar with the model and no manual was supplied I have a few Q's...

Does the *istDS shoot RAW or just Jpeg - I can't find a RAW function in the menu system...

The AF is considerably slower than my K-x... Normal? (I know there an age gap... just checking)

WHY DOES THE K-x NOT HAVE A TOP SCREEN???!!?!? IT'S BRILLIANT!!

Cheers again for all the help... He's going to love it so much when I hand it over and say "By the way...You might need this..."

DaveHolmes · 04-04-2012, 08:04 AM

Just found raw!! :-)

Frogfish · 04-04-2012, 01:16 PM

Originally posted by DaveHolmes

I slammed a set of Eneloops inside and it appears to be working AOK but as I'm not too familiar with the model and no manual was supplied I have a few Q's...

Here it is : http://www.pentax.jp/english/support/man-pdf/istds.pdf

DaveHolmes · 04-04-2012, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by Frogfish

Here it is : http://www.pentax.jp/english/support/man-pdf/istds.pdf

You sir are a star!!

fuent104 · 04-04-2012, 09:14 PM

The existence of this thread is brilliant. Anything to encourage kids to have hobbies / positive outlets is great, especially when it is outside of the norm of music / dance / sports. All of which are great, of course. But it is also wonderful to see kids being exposed to photography at such a young age. I wonder how different my life might have been if I had.

DaveHolmes · 04-15-2012, 09:17 AM - **1 Like**

Thanks again all... Just an update... He filled the 2gb memory card by lunchtime... Had to go through with him and delete some so he could keep shooting (need to do firmware update so can use bigger card!!)

Had a great day and he got some really good shots... He's going to go through them with grandad and make a set of his best 12 for printing!!

Here are a few of mine (with Joe modeling his *istDS)... Some of my shots needed quite heavy cropping... Need me a BIGMA if this is going to be a regular family outing!!
That said I think the 50-200mmWR performed very well!

Tippon · 04-18-2012, 02:38 PM

Dave: Have a look at 7dayshop.com - Online shopping made easy ! if you need some cheap accessories for your son. I've used them a few times for batteries and memory cards, and they've been great. I picked up an own brand Pentax remote for just over £2 recently

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04-01-2012, 02:12 PM	#16
Cooter Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 49	Thanks Frogfish!

04-01-2012, 04:20 PM	#17
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501 Original Poster	Thanks Cooter for getting back to me... If I ever manage to get to the PNW I reckon I'll stand you a beer (or 5)! Can't get Quantaray's here in UK but just scored an FA80-200 for £19 on the aution site to pair with the FA35-80 for the ist-ds... He's gonna be so stoked when I give it to him... I can hardly wait!! Cheers again! Dave

04-01-2012, 04:33 PM - 1 Like	#18
Cooter Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 49	That should be a good combo that will cover most of the focal range he should need. The Pentax lenses will definitely have better glass than the Quantarays I have my son using. Have fun!

04-03-2012, 05:23 PM - 1 Like	#19
BirdDude007 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Las Vegas NV Photos: Albums Posts: 784	My ten year old daughter is starting to show interest in photography, I am starting to think that once my wife learns photography with our K-x, we will upgrade her to a K-5 and the K-x will most likely be going to my daughter, I have a mess of lenses that she can use as well, they are decent lenses , but nothing to write home about. I think the K-x will fit her little hands just fine, and when it comes to tecky stuff she picks up on that sort of stuff really fast, she has shown me a few little tricks with Windows seven on her computer already. She has the whole design suite of Adobe CS5 on her computer as well and at the moment I am showing her around Illustrator and PhotoShop. This weekend we are going to load up Light room on her computer for working with images that she gets off her Canon elph(which is a really decent P&S camera, she also uses my old Pentax Optio S5i which still works flawlessly after eight years of loyal service. She really digs the "layers" theory in Photoshop already. It is good to get your children into something like this at an early age, they know more than we think they do, and they are total sponges for soaking up information.

04-04-2012, 07:58 AM - 1 Like	#20
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501 Original Poster	Originally posted by BirdDude007 and when it comes to tecky stuff she picks up on that sort of stuff really fast, she has shown me a few little tricks with Windows seven on her computer already Joe is the same... He has a laptop at his Grandads and he's easily a fluent as I am! The istDS arrived this morning... Came with a 2Gb card inside which I wasn't expecting... Bonus! I slammed a set of Eneloops inside and it appears to be working AOK but as I'm not too familiar with the model and no manual was supplied I have a few Q's... Does the istDS shoot RAW or just Jpeg - I can't find a RAW function in the menu system... The AF is considerably slower than my K-x... Normal? (I know there an age gap... just checking) WHY DOES THE K-x NOT HAVE A TOP SCREEN???!!?!? IT'S BRILLIANT!! Cheers again for all the help... He's going to love it so much when I hand it over and say "By the way...You might need this..."

04-04-2012, 08:04 AM	#21
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501 Original Poster	Just found raw!! :-)

04-04-2012, 01:16 PM	#22
Frogfish Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Shanghai Posts: 4,490	Originally posted by DaveHolmes I slammed a set of Eneloops inside and it appears to be working AOK but as I'm not too familiar with the model and no manual was supplied I have a few Q's... Here it is : http://www.pentax.jp/english/support/man-pdf/istds.pdf

04-04-2012, 02:00 PM	#23
DaveHolmes Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 1,501 Original Poster	Originally posted by Frogfish Here it is : http://www.pentax.jp/english/support/man-pdf/istds.pdf You sir are a star!!

04-04-2012, 09:14 PM	#24
fuent104 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,356	The existence of this thread is brilliant. Anything to encourage kids to have hobbies / positive outlets is great, especially when it is outside of the norm of music / dance / sports. All of which are great, of course. But it is also wonderful to see kids being exposed to photography at such a young age. I wonder how different my life might have been if I had.

04-18-2012, 02:38 PM	#26
Tippon Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 92	Dave: Have a look at 7dayshop.com - Online shopping made easy ! if you need some cheap accessories for your son. I've used them a few times for batteries and memory cards, and they've been great. I picked up an own brand Pentax remote for just over £2 recently