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07-20-2015, 08:48 AM   #1
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Questions on choosing a Pentax (Switching from Canon and Nikon)

Hi there! So I'm looking for some help choosing a pentax body. I own a d3300 and t5i, and am looking for weather sealing with great dynamic range, and I came across pentax's stuff and I must say, it's very interesting...

Is there a camera, new or old - that would fit these following criteria?
Thanks in advance!

Here's what matters to me:
Availability of a Battery Grip
Weather Sealing
Wide Dynamic Range
Selection of lens'
Cross Type Auto focus
A Quality Viewfinder

And here's what I don't care about in a camera:
Battery Life
Megapixels
Built in "scenes", "effects" or "modes"

07-20-2015, 09:04 AM   #2
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I do not know anything about cross-type autofocus points, but other than that caveat, I think you'd be very happy with a K-5, K-5 ii or K-5 iis (all of the preceding are no longer in production, so you'd have to buy a used one), or K-3 or K-3 ii. The K-3 has a built-in flash, and the K-3 ii has no flash but a built-in GPS.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions that you may have!
07-20-2015, 09:12 AM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by Outis Quote
I do not know anything about cross-type autofocus points, but other than that caveat, I think you'd be very happy with a K-5, K-5 ii or K-5 iis (all of the preceding are no longer in production, so you'd have to buy a used one), or K-3 or K-3 ii. The K-3 has a built-in flash, and the K-3 ii has no flash but a built-in GPS.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions that you may have!
All of the cameras mention by Outis have cross-type autofocus points. In the case of the K3:

* SAFOX 11: 27-point phase detect (25 cross-type) w/ AF.S, AF.C, AF.A
07-20-2015, 09:12 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by SamLuyk Quote
Hi there! So I'm looking for some help choosing a pentax body. I own a d3300 and t5i, and am looking for weather sealing with great dynamic range, and I came across pentax's stuff and I must say, it's very interesting...

Is there a camera, new or old - that would fit these following criteria?
Thanks in advance!

Here's what matters to me:
Availability of a Battery Grip
Weather Sealing
Wide Dynamic Range
Selection of lens'
Cross Type Auto focus
A Quality Viewfinder

And here's what I don't care about in a camera:
Battery Life
Megapixels
Built in "scenes", "effects" or "modes"
Battery Grip: K-5, K-5ii, K-3 and K-3ii all have grips available. The K-5 and K-5ii use the same grip as do the K-3 and K-3ii. The grips are also weather sealed.

Weather Sealing: All modern DSLR's are weather sealed except the very bottom end model. The K-500, K-S1 and K-X, off the top of my head, are not sealed.

Wide dynamic range: Winners go to the K-5 series and K-3 series due to the 14 Bit raw, but the K-30/50 and K-S2 are fantastic as well.

Cross Type: All the mentioned cameras have 9 cross type AF sensors but the K-3 has 25. The K-5ii and K-3 series have -3 ev AF sensors for superior low light focusing.

Viewfinder: All the mentioned cameras have 100% viewfinder with Penta-Prism instead of cheaper, darker penta-mirror.

Lens selection: I don't think you will have a problem finding what you need unless you shoot a very specific niche.

07-20-2015, 09:24 AM   #5
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K-5, K-5 II, K-3 or K-3 II since you don't care about scene modes and picture modes... Or find an oldie but goldie, the K10D. Yes it has 11 point AF with 9 cross sensors, weather sealing, pentaprism viewfinder (95 percent coverage) and a battery grip is available, and it takes very nice and clear low noise images with a good tonal range and nice colours - however, it has a limited ISO range (it has an old Sony 10Mp sensor) so noise starts to be a problem at ISO 800 and above... but as long as you stay under this then no problem, very nice images.
07-20-2015, 09:34 AM   #6
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Purchased new, your choices would be the K-3 or K-3II, both of which represents a significant upgrade from both your Nikon and Canon for most purposes. In regards to lens selection, Pentax has great coverage, particularly for primes. Third-party (Tamron, Sigma, Zeiss, etc.) availability is not as good as in the past. Whether your needs can be met at a given price point is something you will have to decide.

Purchased used, I would get a K-3, K-5II, or K-5IIs.


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07-20-2015, 10:12 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by SamLuyk Quote
Hi there! So I'm looking for some help choosing a pentax body. I own a d3300 and t5i, and am looking for weather sealing with great dynamic range, and I came across pentax's stuff and I must say, it's very interesting...

Is there a camera, new or old - that would fit these following criteria?
Thanks in advance!

Here's what matters to me:
Availability of a Battery Grip
Weather Sealing
Wide Dynamic Range
Selection of lens'
Cross Type Auto focus
A Quality Viewfinder

And here's what I don't care about in a camera:
Battery Life
Megapixels
Built in "scenes", "effects" or "modes"
Sounds like a K-3 would be perfect for you. The AF is very good at focusing in low light it's nice and accurate, and it fits all the other criteria. Check out our review on the homepage if you haven't already:

Pentax K-3 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews


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07-20-2015, 11:39 AM   #8
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All your demands shout "Pentax"
07-20-2015, 01:04 PM   #9
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What everyone said above. My two cents: If you don't need a lot of megapixels, some of the older Pentax models are extreme bargains. Not only do they cost $700 - $1000 less than the K-3ii, and as much as $400 less than the K-3, but extra batteries and battery grips are dirt cheap for the older cameras. You can check out the shutter count of used cameras here: Check Shutter Count & Camera Manufacture Date Online - EXIF Reader

You can get a K-5 used for cheap if you shop carefully. It is still an excellent camera and meets your criteria. The difference is only a few hundred bucks in savings to go older, and it isn't worth it IMHO. Go with the K-5 or newer (whatever you can afford).

Last edited by quant2325; 07-21-2015 at 09:20 PM.
07-20-2015, 01:41 PM   #10
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I switched from Canon and I can tell you, I HAVE NO REGRETS and, as a plus, nor Canon or Nikon have a site like this with beautiful and friendly people who share their experience and give you suggestions if needed. It's used to say that Canon and Nikon body and lenses has better Af performance, but that's only partially true, it depends on lense/body combo and , in my experience, my k5 is already good enough , so k3 is surely better. Trust me, you'll be surprised by Pentax image quality and the good feeling with Pentax bodies and controls. best regards and welcome!
07-20-2015, 04:56 PM   #11
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I switched from a full frame Canon to a Pentax K5-II for it's light weight, weather sealing and most of the reasons you mention. For me it took awhile to make the decision because I really liked the full frame, but reducing the weight & size were a bigger consideration. Plus those "L" lenses were expensive.
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