[redpigeons]

With Pentax you get the best forum on line for free!
You also get the PPG (Pentax photo gallery) ..that is very rewarding if you are in amateur but wants to the take your photography seriously

[Kai]

I think this is a good excercise to see if it makes sense. We have our Canon SD750 for a few years now and here is what I find about it:

Likes: compact, convenient, pretty good snap shots, & pretty good standard video.
Dislikes: small exposure range, slow shutter speed, the pictures are just snap shots.

I thought of a good bridge cam as well but thinking spending a little more will get me a DSLR; K2000 for around $450.

Wanting to get a DSLR because:
relistic and natural colors.
more flexibility on each of different settings for different effect.
wide range of lenses to do different things (to learn later on.)
want to create a focus of the subject with more details, having different elements in a picture. If it's a flower, I want more details in it and such.
Also, a HD VDO feature for convenience, external mic input is also good.

So far I was able to take better pics on a borrowed Canon SLR (maybe XTi) of my son with the sunset. They came out looking much better, more details with good colors and lighting with different ISO. I was able to capture some moments again with details and difference in lighting hmm... shadow on him with realistic and natural tones.

I am not so sure about focal length yet. With you guys experience, how do you determine which focal length you want. One case, I have was on the beach during a sunset, I thought of a wider shot to capture part of the landscape and the sunset. Does that mean wider angle lens? What I was using was a 18-55 lens. Or is it stepping back and zooming in?

Yes, taking time setting up shots will be painful but that will take second priority until I get good at it. No doubt, it will be expensive. But I certainly do not have to spend it all at the same time; though, this first purchase may be. I will need to have a good lens for potrait and some zoom for traveling. That's why I thought of a super zoom for convenience to start of with. Since a super zoom may not be a high quality lens, I may consider 2-lens combo.

Certainly, I am greatful for your comments so far and very glad to have posted here in stead of elsewhere. - Kai

[nanok]

I think this is a good excercise to see if it makes sense. We have our Canon SD750 for a few years now and here is what I find about it:

Likes: compact, convenient, pretty good snap shots, & pretty good standard video.
Dislikes: small exposure range, slow shutter speed, the pictures are just snap shots.

I thought of a good bridge cam as well but thinking spending a little more will get me a DSLR; K2000 for around $450.

Wanting to get a DSLR because:
relistic and natural colors.
more flexibility on each of different settings for different effect.
wide range of lenses to do different things (to learn later on.)
want to create a focus of the subject with more details, having different elements in a picture. If it's a flower, I want more details in it and such.

so far, i hardly see any reason for a dslr. a good point and shoot should work. for some things improving your skills will be more important. so far the better dinamic range is the only obvious thing, and, to be honest, in most cases, the difference is not obvious to msot casual observers. i have proven this to a friend on several occasions (he took very nice pictures of sunset, waterfalls and so on with my direction and some patience), for what it's worth, he ended up buying a dslr anyway (and has joined these forums), but that's another story.

Also, a HD VDO feature for convenience, external mic input is also good.

So far I was able to take better pics on a borrowed Canon SLR (maybe XTi) of my son with the sunset. They came out looking much better, more details with good colors and lighting with different ISO. I was able to capture some moments again with details and difference in lighting hmm... shadow on him with realistic and natural tones.

I am not so sure about focal length yet. With you guys experience, how do you determine which focal length you want. One case, I have was on the beach during a sunset, I thought of a wider shot to capture part of the landscape and the sunset. Does that mean wider angle lens? What I was using was a 18-55 lens. Or is it stepping back and zooming in?

Yes, taking time setting up shots will be painful but that will take second priority until I get good at it. No doubt, it will be expensive. But I certainly do not have to spend it all at the same time; though, this first purchase may be. I will need to have a good lens for potrait and some zoom for traveling. That's why I thought of a super zoom for convenience to start of with. Since a super zoom may not be a high quality lens, I may consider 2-lens combo.

Certainly, I am greatful for your comments so far and very glad to have posted here in stead of elsewhere. - Kai

hmm. good lenses for portrait are medium telephoto (something in the range of 50mm to 135 or so, for a typical dslr, 80-200 in the film days), the particular focal length you will like best for portraits will depend on your preference. people usually choose superzooms like the 18-250 you mentioned for travel (i personally don't), you will find here people who are very happy with those zooms, ymmv. some other people prefer a set of primes for travel. very different choices, as you can see.

i still get the impression you could do most if not everything you want with a good quality, newer generation point and shoot or superzoom (bridge). there are p&s with improved sensors these days which will amaze you, and with very good lenses, and they are small, and much cheaper overall.

there are many reasons to get a dslr, i for instance could barely "live" without one (or some sort of slr, in any case), but this does not change the fact that getting a dslr for the wrong reasons is.. wrong . make sure you have your reasons clear, once you can put your finger on what you want to do with a dslr that a p&s cannot do for you (which might be harder than you think, as i said ), it will also be much easier to choose the right dslr (or not choose a dslr at all). i know this is not the kind of "answer" you are looking for, and that it's much more fun to decide what to spend money on than to justify that expense (i know that from my own experience ), but give it a try, it might save you a lot of money and frustration (and back ache)

[kthung]

If the D5000 and T1i are in different leauges, then the K-7 is in an entirely different league even further above both of them. The D5000 and T1i are considered "entry level" cameras, where as the K-7 is an advanced enthusiast/semi professional camera which should be compared with the likes of the Nikon D300 and the Canon 50D.

The reason I think there has been some confusion is because some tech blogs *cough*engadget*cough* have been comparing it with these two lower level bodies because the K-7 is in such a compact body (think K20D class in a K200/K2000 sized body). Also they all record video which theyre making a big deal about.

With that said K-7 all the way! Definitely if you can afford it.

[Kai]

If the D5000 and T1i are in different leauges,

Sorry, I meant these two are in a league different from K-7. - Kai

[heatherslightbox]

Sigma 17-70 and smc PENTAX DA 55-300mm combo sounds good! The reviews are very convincing. Will this be as WR as the WR kit combo. Any other suggestion for that range and price?

Heather: nice blog.

On the blog: thanks!

Unfortunately, neither the Sigma 17-70 or DA55-300 are WR. From what I understand, the DA17-70 is partially weathersealed, though. If you were to decide to go for lenses that aren't weathersealed, then you could keep something like this in your camera bag for the times where rain seems to appear out of nowhere:
Rainsleeve & Rainsleeve-Flash | Demo Page

If having weathersealing is essential and you can't afford to spring for any DA* lenses, then the WR versions of the DA18-55 and 50-200 would be your best bet.

HTH,
Heather

[Kai]

there are many reasons to get a dslr, i for instance could barely "live" without one (or some sort of slr, in any case), but this does not change the fact that getting a dslr for the wrong reasons is.. wrong . make sure you have your reasons clear, once you can put your finger on what you want to do with a dslr that a p&s cannot do for you (which might be harder than you think, as i said ), it will also be much easier to choose the right dslr (or not choose a dslr at all). i know this is not the kind of "answer" you are looking for, and that it's much more fun to decide what to spend money on than to justify that expense (i know that from my own experience ), but give it a try, it might save you a lot of money and frustration (and back ache)

We all know about toy lust and emotions for a DSLR. What criteria does one have to justify a DSLR? This way I will not feel too guilty when getting one. :ugh: Which bridge cam are you thinking of? - Kai

[Kai]

Well, reading all of these threads and dpreview gives me something to think about all the time; not to mention learning a lot. Here is the recent update; I thought about the using a super zoom P&S. I found that I would be able to do a lot of things with it but I would still want a DSLR. Here is why: I want a base/body to start off with and then expand over the course of enjoying this hobby. I'll try all kinds of shots to figure out what I like to shoot. The next few years, I'll mostly shoot family portrait and trips. On rare occasions, I will improve my skills by shooting everything and anything from flowers, insects, architecture, landscapes and night shots. My family may suffer from my taking my time with shots but I will limit myself for that. Toddler years are precious and can't do a retake ever. Thanks guys for pointing that out. HD VDO is the other factor in this consideration. That sets up this Poll and thread. The other thing is that DSLR will allow me to explore different lenses for their purposes to help figure out what I like to shoot. I have a feeling it may be people interaction on the streets with some landscapes on the background.

I got to handle both D5000 and T1i over the weekend. They are both good but I think D5000 had a bit of an edge over the T1i. Though, the D5000 was a bit bulky to me. D5000 with 18-200VR is the second runner up for the moment. I also played with the K2000 at Fry's. I liked the feeling of the K2000 and I think the K-7 will be similar but not the weight. Where can I play with a K-7 in San Diego, Ca? I am still leaning toward the K-7 for its features and only Pentax with HD VDO. I think I will enjoy it more with a Pentax. If all of the reviews come out with no major disappointment, K-7 will be the one. (There are some threads about lines and VDO glitches here and there.) I have been reading threads on these and potential price drop or this silent hardware updates (but we can never anticipate.)

There is still a few months to save up some money for this purchase. Others have said the price may not drop until Christmas. Now, I am considering the lenses to go with it. It seems like I want to cover the range to shoot during trips and such. Definitely, I am considering Sigma 17-70 and maybe others similar for a short range everything lens. Basically, I want a little bit of an upgrade from the 18-55 WR kit lens with a bit wider and a tad longer range. So that I can use it to do most of the shots without losing much. Also, I would want to stay under $500 for this. Tamron SP AF17-50mm also comes to mind. It does not need any adapter, right? Then again, WR definitely keeps me at ease more. When I am about to go on a trip, I may get the zoom lens like the 55-200 WR kit lens for its WR and range. Thanks for voting. - Kai

[simico]

After reading you last post K7 seems to be your choice. Wait a few months (if you can) to see the reviews from users and try it in a local shop when it becomes available.

For lenses I'd suggest to start with the WR kit lenses. After using them for a few months you'll know what you miss and need in the next lens (larger aperture? more reach? etc) and plan future lenses according to that. At the beginning I couldn't decide what lens(es) to buy in the future, a lot of lenses seemed to be nice and I wanted to buy them all. Now after more than 3 months and 900 shots I know that I want something with more reach and less (audible) noise (and better image qualitiy, of course), so I ordered a Pentax 17-70 F4 SDM and bought a used manual Pentax 50mm F2 for the occasional shots where F4 is not enough.

[Kai]

After reading you last post K7 seems to be your choice. Wait a few months (if you can) to see the reviews from users and try it in a local shop when it becomes available.

For lenses I'd suggest to start with the WR kit lenses. After using them for a few months you'll know what you miss and need in the next lens (larger aperture? more reach? etc) and plan future lenses according to that. At the beginning I couldn't decide what lens(es) to buy in the future, a lot of lenses seemed to be nice and I wanted to buy them all. Now after more than 3 months and 900 shots I know that I want something with more reach and less (audible) noise (and better image qualitiy, of course), so I ordered a Pentax 17-70 F4 SDM and bought a used manual Pentax 50mm F2 for the occasional shots where F4 is not enough.

Yup, sort of arrived to the kit lenses conclusion also. Will see what happens. When r they going to be out in USA?