Looking at K50

MGBMAN · 08-21-2014, 05:45 PM

Hi folks
I was just looking for some advice,

I used an ME Super years ago,and got away from photography for a while.
When kids came along we used small pocket digital cameras,but I have not been happy with the results.

Soooo,I have been looking at the K50 to get back into things.

I have these lenses now,
SMC Takumar 55mm f2 screwmount
Pentax M 50mm f1.4
Pentax A 35-105 f3.5 zoom.

Do you recommend I get a kit with lens,or just body and my existing lens to get a start on things
I am just thinking I could save a bit if I just go for the body,and put towards a wider prime maybe?

Thanks-Hugh

johngs · 08-21-2014, 05:59 PM

I bought a K-50 a few months ago and I couldn't be happier with it. Its a great choice!

As none of your existing lenses are auto-focus it might be good to get a kit lens so you have at least one auto-focus lens.

old4570 · 08-21-2014, 06:16 PM

Walk into a shop , and see if you like the size of the K50 , Its some what smaller than a K5 .
Also see if you like the ? Plastic feel of it . I havent made up my mind yet as to how much I like my K50 , especially as there is something lose in the body ..
When I cant the body one way or another , something is rolling around in the body ..
This speaks poorly for Ricoh quality control and does not fill me with a lot of confidence .. ( Nor resale value )

Image wise it takes very good pictures , and if you like video , the Audio is insanely good ( Video )

As for your lenses , ? The A 35-105 would make for a good start ..
You would probably want a 50mm A lens ( Manual focus )
the 18-55 Kit lens is a decent lens for the $$
Or look at a higher $ticket zoom lens , for a walk and talk lens ...
Just depends on how serious you are ...
Is it the 18-135 WR , if you can get one for a good price , it would probably do for 99% of your photography needs ...
You might do a good deal on a combo if you buy both together . ( Bundle )
SO many choices , so little money !

FrankC · 08-21-2014, 07:07 PM

I would recommend getting a body only and choosing which lens you want. The kit lenses are not very good and it doesn't cost a whole lot to get something that is considerably better. By better I mean wider angle, sharper, etc...

mee · 08-21-2014, 07:19 PM

I would recommend considering maybe waiting a couple of weeks to see if Ricoh announces the K-50's successor for Photokina.

I say this not because you will necessarily want to spend the money at 'brand new to the market' prices on the K-60 or whatever it will be called, but more so because I suspect the K-50 will be even further marked down.

Or, optionally, look for a K-30 which is essentially a K-50 in a different body. You can find those for around 300-350 dollars used.

If you get a kit lens, I'd recommend the Weather Resistant (WR) version of the lens. Both the K-30 and K-50 are WR bodies that can benefit from a WR lens (making thus your camera system Resistant to Rain, Dust, Snow, etc) which might be a benefit to you.

The other bonus to getting an 18-55 kit lens is you can use it at any of those focal lengths and see which parts of the focal range works best for you (then buy primes if that is your thing)

DA 35mm f/2.4 and the DA 50mm f/1.8 are good (sharp/inexpensive) starting points for primes.

calsan · 08-21-2014, 07:42 PM

I dispute the "kit lenses are not very good" statement.
The June photo of the month "Bridge" was taken by the 18-55 kit lens - like all equipment, the person using it is the major limitation.
The 18-135 is excellent. See Heie's review of that lens, posted earlier today. If you can bundle your K50 with the 18-135, you will save a lot of money on that lens and you won't want for much else for a while. I would sell the zoom you have and the 55. Just the 18-135 plus a 50 f/1.4 is a great kit for every situation except birding.

Kozlok · 08-21-2014, 07:52 PM

The K-50 is a great camera with a great quality reputation. The loose noise Old4570 talks about is probably just the shake reduction mechanism, not a problem at all. I have a K-30 and love it! A used K-30 is a great idea, too.

If you can afford it, get the kit with the 18-135. A nicer lens than the 18-55, and more useful. If you can't, by all means, get the 18-55 kit. It's not much more expensive, and it is worth every penny for the kit lens.

You will need to change some settings to use your old manual focus glass on the K-50. There's an article about what to do here

Since you only have one M42 lens, if you don't already have an M42 to K adapter, I recommend the cheap fotodiox one. However, with this cheap adapter, you must remove the locking clip, because it is junk! Then put it on your lens kind of tight, and then just put the lens on and off like a K-mount. The lens won't lock in place, but I've never found it to be much of a problem. Just don't focus all the way out and keep turning, you can remove the lens accidentally. If you are even a little bit careful, it's never a practical problem, though. Here's my favorite shot with my Tak55 (shot with my Kx)

**LOU16** · 08-21-2014, 10:39 PM

I just made the jump to digital SLR from film and digital P&S about 8 months ago. I got the k50 and 18-138 and have been 100% satisfied. For the semi-serious photographer I can't imagine a better entry level kit.

MGBMAN · 08-22-2014, 11:32 AM

Originally posted by mee

I would recommend considering maybe waiting a couple of weeks to see if Ricoh announces the K-50's successor for Photokina.

I say this not because you will necessarily want to spend the money at 'brand new to the market' prices on the K-60 or whatever it will be called, but more so because I suspect the K-50 will be even further marked down.

Or, optionally, look for a K-30 which is essentially a K-50 in a different body. You can find those for around 300-350 dollars used.

If you get a kit lens, I'd recommend the Weather Resistant (WR) version of the lens. Both the K-30 and K-50 are WR bodies that can benefit from a WR lens (making thus your camera system Resistant to Rain, Dust, Snow, etc) which might be a benefit to you.

The other bonus to getting an 18-55 kit lens is you can use it at any of those focal lengths and see which parts of the focal range works best for you (then buy primes if that is your thing)

DA 35mm f/2.4 and the DA 50mm f/1.8 are good (sharp/inexpensive) starting points for primes.

Thanks very much

Do you think the price drop would be significant?

Shawn

**boriscleto** · 08-22-2014, 11:46 AM

Originally posted by MGBMAN

Thanks very much

Do you think the price drop would be significant?

Shawn

The K-50 is already selling at a very low price point.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/94-pentax-price-watch/270230-396-shipped-...-bag-card.html

Dukeatoakland · 08-27-2014, 06:51 PM

I have been beating on a K-50 for about six months. I'm a big fan. It has been used in the rain, in a dust storm, on the beach - you name it. I can verify that it works from 40-114 degrees (I hate the cold, so ask someone else about that). It has a few divots, but no issues. I trust it.
I sprang for the Pentax m42 to K mount adapter. It is five times the price of the generic, but painless to use. I tossed the generic and bought a second Pentax for another camera. The K-50 really shines with the vintage glass. The kit lens is okay. I don't find it remarkable -good or bad. Maybe that is high praise for such a bargain price? Like the camera, it has taken a few knocks without complaint. (For the record, I am nice to most of my equipment. When I go off-roading, so to speak, I take the K-50).

**TER-OR** · 08-29-2014, 09:24 AM

This winter I had the K5 out in the very cold weather a lot, either with the 18-135 or 55-300 (at that point not a WR version) and neither ever gave me problems. We're talking around 10F on some days, not much colder during the daytime. The only issue I ever have with the cold is the battery - it doesn't discharge but its output drops. Swap with a warm one, put the battery in an interior jacket pocket, and keep shooting. The cold has never been an issue with the electronics or mechanics of the camera.

It was a good winter for the huskies https://www.flickr.com/gp/ter-or/2v7Edn
Pretty darn cold on the feet, even with the proper gear.

I like the K5 because of the top LCD which I use a lot, to check settings out in the sunny days, but the K50 is a very strong contender, the modes are all good and since Pentax started paying attention to video I would be tempted to use it more.

robthebloke · 08-29-2014, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by MGBMAN

Thanks very much

Do you think the price drop would be significant?

Shawn

On the k-50, not really. I'd expect the k5 ii to drop in price though once the k-s1 is released.

The kit lens is possibly worth picking up. Whilst not amazing, it is weather sealed, which may come in handy on occasion.

**rtmarwitz** · 08-30-2014, 05:56 AM

I would suggest getting at least one kit lens maybe the 18-135.

This year in May I got the K-50 with the 18-55 and 50-200. I was limited in where i could purchase since i receive a company discount were i work and the 18-135 wasn't an option at the time.

I shot at my boys football game a couple nights ago and I was happy with how the camera performed with the 50-200 4-5.6. Pregame was at dusk and the action shots started in the dark. The stadium lighting was decent -- end zones really dark. I've been under better lights in a high school stadium before. Time priority set to 1/250 for most, if not all the action shots and an auto ISO from 800 to 25600. I don't think there was anything under 3200 ISO used for the action shots and most seem to be 10k plus. I was pleasantly surprised at the camera's performance despite the reviews of poor performance in the higher ISO ranges. The kids and parents were extremely happy, so I'm happy.

It doesn't mean I'm not going to hunt for a faster zoom...probably the Tamron 70-200 2.8, although I'd like to find the similar sigma without OS.

If you'd like to peruse to solidify your K-50 decision, here is the album with the pictures. The only post processing done was cropping and you can probably tell on those because they reveal more of the grain.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/124439334@N08/collections/72157646590549660/

I'm sure you will enjoy the K-50 whichever lens you choose.

Monteman · 08-30-2014, 06:27 AM

Originally posted by robthebloke

On the k-50, not really. I'd expect the k5 ii to drop in price though once the k-s1 is released.

The kit lens is possibly worth picking up. Whilst not amazing, it is weather sealed, which may come in handy on occasion.

Thanks guys for all the responses.
I am still hung on which camera to purchase to get back into photography.
I just read a thread on K50 mirror flop issues,and that now complicates my decision.
Does anyone recommend a used K5 or maybe K5iis?

Shawn

08-21-2014, 05:45 PM	#1
MGBMAN Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 27	Looking at K50 Hi folks I was just looking for some advice, I used an ME Super years ago,and got away from photography for a while. When kids came along we used small pocket digital cameras,but I have not been happy with the results. Soooo,I have been looking at the K50 to get back into things. I have these lenses now, SMC Takumar 55mm f2 screwmount Pentax M 50mm f1.4 Pentax A 35-105 f3.5 zoom. Do you recommend I get a kit with lens,or just body and my existing lens to get a start on things I am just thinking I could save a bit if I just go for the body,and put towards a wider prime maybe? Thanks-Hugh

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08-21-2014, 05:59 PM	#2
johngs Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 229	I bought a K-50 a few months ago and I couldn't be happier with it. Its a great choice! As none of your existing lenses are auto-focus it might be good to get a kit lens so you have at least one auto-focus lens.

08-21-2014, 06:16 PM	#3
old4570 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 2,551	Walk into a shop , and see if you like the size of the K50 , Its some what smaller than a K5 . Also see if you like the ? Plastic feel of it . I havent made up my mind yet as to how much I like my K50 , especially as there is something lose in the body .. When I cant the body one way or another , something is rolling around in the body .. This speaks poorly for Ricoh quality control and does not fill me with a lot of confidence .. ( Nor resale value ) Image wise it takes very good pictures , and if you like video , the Audio is insanely good ( Video ) As for your lenses , ? The A 35-105 would make for a good start .. You would probably want a 50mm A lens ( Manual focus ) the 18-55 Kit lens is a decent lens for the $$ Or look at a higher $ticket zoom lens , for a walk and talk lens ... Just depends on how serious you are ... Is it the 18-135 WR , if you can get one for a good price , it would probably do for 99% of your photography needs ... You might do a good deal on a combo if you buy both together . ( Bundle ) SO many choices , so little money !

08-21-2014, 07:07 PM	#4
FrankC Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 322	I would recommend getting a body only and choosing which lens you want. The kit lenses are not very good and it doesn't cost a whole lot to get something that is considerably better. By better I mean wider angle, sharper, etc...

08-21-2014, 07:19 PM	#5
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	I would recommend considering maybe waiting a couple of weeks to see if Ricoh announces the K-50's successor for Photokina. I say this not because you will necessarily want to spend the money at 'brand new to the market' prices on the K-60 or whatever it will be called, but more so because I suspect the K-50 will be even further marked down. Or, optionally, look for a K-30 which is essentially a K-50 in a different body. You can find those for around 300-350 dollars used. If you get a kit lens, I'd recommend the Weather Resistant (WR) version of the lens. Both the K-30 and K-50 are WR bodies that can benefit from a WR lens (making thus your camera system Resistant to Rain, Dust, Snow, etc) which might be a benefit to you. The other bonus to getting an 18-55 kit lens is you can use it at any of those focal lengths and see which parts of the focal range works best for you (then buy primes if that is your thing) DA 35mm f/2.4 and the DA 50mm f/1.8 are good (sharp/inexpensive) starting points for primes.

08-21-2014, 07:42 PM	#6
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,548	I dispute the "kit lenses are not very good" statement. The June photo of the month "Bridge" was taken by the 18-55 kit lens - like all equipment, the person using it is the major limitation. The 18-135 is excellent. See Heie's review of that lens, posted earlier today. If you can bundle your K50 with the 18-135, you will save a lot of money on that lens and you won't want for much else for a while. I would sell the zoom you have and the 55. Just the 18-135 plus a 50 f/1.4 is a great kit for every situation except birding.

08-21-2014, 07:52 PM	#7
Kozlok Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Albuquerque Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,148	The K-50 is a great camera with a great quality reputation. The loose noise Old4570 talks about is probably just the shake reduction mechanism, not a problem at all. I have a K-30 and love it! A used K-30 is a great idea, too. If you can afford it, get the kit with the 18-135. A nicer lens than the 18-55, and more useful. If you can't, by all means, get the 18-55 kit. It's not much more expensive, and it is worth every penny for the kit lens. You will need to change some settings to use your old manual focus glass on the K-50. There's an article about what to do here Since you only have one M42 lens, if you don't already have an M42 to K adapter, I recommend the cheap fotodiox one. However, with this cheap adapter, you must remove the locking clip, because it is junk! Then put it on your lens kind of tight, and then just put the lens on and off like a K-mount. The lens won't lock in place, but I've never found it to be much of a problem. Just don't focus all the way out and keep turning, you can remove the lens accidentally. If you are even a little bit careful, it's never a practical problem, though. Here's my favorite shot with my Tak55 (shot with my Kx)

08-21-2014, 10:39 PM	#8
LOU16 Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 60	I just made the jump to digital SLR from film and digital P&S about 8 months ago. I got the k50 and 18-138 and have been 100% satisfied. For the semi-serious photographer I can't imagine a better entry level kit.

08-22-2014, 11:32 AM	#9
MGBMAN Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 27 Original Poster	Originally posted by mee I would recommend considering maybe waiting a couple of weeks to see if Ricoh announces the K-50's successor for Photokina. I say this not because you will necessarily want to spend the money at 'brand new to the market' prices on the K-60 or whatever it will be called, but more so because I suspect the K-50 will be even further marked down. Or, optionally, look for a K-30 which is essentially a K-50 in a different body. You can find those for around 300-350 dollars used. If you get a kit lens, I'd recommend the Weather Resistant (WR) version of the lens. Both the K-30 and K-50 are WR bodies that can benefit from a WR lens (making thus your camera system Resistant to Rain, Dust, Snow, etc) which might be a benefit to you. The other bonus to getting an 18-55 kit lens is you can use it at any of those focal lengths and see which parts of the focal range works best for you (then buy primes if that is your thing) DA 35mm f/2.4 and the DA 50mm f/1.8 are good (sharp/inexpensive) starting points for primes. Thanks very much Do you think the price drop would be significant? Shawn

08-22-2014, 11:46 AM	#10
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by MGBMAN Thanks very much Do you think the price drop would be significant? Shawn The K-50 is already selling at a very low price point. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/94-pentax-price-watch/270230-396-shipped-...-bag-card.html

08-27-2014, 06:51 PM	#11
Dukeatoakland Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Mount Shasta, CA Posts: 66	I have been beating on a K-50 for about six months. I'm a big fan. It has been used in the rain, in a dust storm, on the beach - you name it. I can verify that it works from 40-114 degrees (I hate the cold, so ask someone else about that). It has a few divots, but no issues. I trust it. I sprang for the Pentax m42 to K mount adapter. It is five times the price of the generic, but painless to use. I tossed the generic and bought a second Pentax for another camera. The K-50 really shines with the vintage glass. The kit lens is okay. I don't find it remarkable -good or bad. Maybe that is high praise for such a bargain price? Like the camera, it has taken a few knocks without complaint. (For the record, I am nice to most of my equipment. When I go off-roading, so to speak, I take the K-50).

08-29-2014, 09:24 AM	#12
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	This winter I had the K5 out in the very cold weather a lot, either with the 18-135 or 55-300 (at that point not a WR version) and neither ever gave me problems. We're talking around 10F on some days, not much colder during the daytime. The only issue I ever have with the cold is the battery - it doesn't discharge but its output drops. Swap with a warm one, put the battery in an interior jacket pocket, and keep shooting. The cold has never been an issue with the electronics or mechanics of the camera. It was a good winter for the huskies https://www.flickr.com/gp/ter-or/2v7Edn Pretty darn cold on the feet, even with the proper gear. I like the K5 because of the top LCD which I use a lot, to check settings out in the sunny days, but the K50 is a very strong contender, the modes are all good and since Pentax started paying attention to video I would be tempted to use it more.

08-29-2014, 10:37 AM	#13
robthebloke Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Sydney Photos: Albums Posts: 844	Originally posted by MGBMAN Thanks very much Do you think the price drop would be significant? Shawn On the k-50, not really. I'd expect the k5 ii to drop in price though once the k-s1 is released. The kit lens is possibly worth picking up. Whilst not amazing, it is weather sealed, which may come in handy on occasion.

08-30-2014, 05:56 AM	#14
rtmarwitz Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: rural central Texas Photos: Albums Posts: 198	I would suggest getting at least one kit lens maybe the 18-135. This year in May I got the K-50 with the 18-55 and 50-200. I was limited in where i could purchase since i receive a company discount were i work and the 18-135 wasn't an option at the time. I shot at my boys football game a couple nights ago and I was happy with how the camera performed with the 50-200 4-5.6. Pregame was at dusk and the action shots started in the dark. The stadium lighting was decent -- end zones really dark. I've been under better lights in a high school stadium before. Time priority set to 1/250 for most, if not all the action shots and an auto ISO from 800 to 25600. I don't think there was anything under 3200 ISO used for the action shots and most seem to be 10k plus. I was pleasantly surprised at the camera's performance despite the reviews of poor performance in the higher ISO ranges. The kids and parents were extremely happy, so I'm happy. It doesn't mean I'm not going to hunt for a faster zoom...probably the Tamron 70-200 2.8, although I'd like to find the similar sigma without OS. If you'd like to peruse to solidify your K-50 decision, here is the album with the pictures. The only post processing done was cropping and you can probably tell on those because they reveal more of the grain. https://www.flickr.com/photos/124439334@N08/collections/72157646590549660/ I'm sure you will enjoy the K-50 whichever lens you choose.

08-30-2014, 06:27 AM	#15
Monteman Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 7	Originally posted by robthebloke On the k-50, not really. I'd expect the k5 ii to drop in price though once the k-s1 is released. The kit lens is possibly worth picking up. Whilst not amazing, it is weather sealed, which may come in handy on occasion. Thanks guys for all the responses. I am still hung on which camera to purchase to get back into photography. I just read a thread on K50 mirror flop issues,and that now complicates my decision. Does anyone recommend a used K5 or maybe K5iis? Shawn