[Kai]

Hello all,

I have been contemplating for a new DSLR and reading quite a bit about the K-7. If I miss any post, please post some links. I am a newbie that shoots mostly family activities, portraits, trips, and scenery. We have a P&S but I borrowed a Canon SLR for the past few weeks to try out. I thought of K2000 or K200D but HD Video would be a great plus, will definitely get an external mic. I won't have to carry two devices for those right moments (hardly bring out a camcorder anymore.) The P&S was great for this purpose. This DSRL will get me into this hobby and am looking forward to it.

Mostly, I see that K-7 has built-in SR, seals, fast burst rate, lens backward compatibility, & many other great features!!! My plan is to get one pretty lens for all things and then acquire flash and specialty lenses like primes as needs dictate and budget allows. My choices have come down to these two:

1) K-7 with Tamron AF 18-250

Is the Tamron the best choice for the price ($450)? I don't want to change lenses yet at the beginning to avoid dust and all.

Would the kit lens with WR be a better choice given ability to shoot in the (light) rain? Some people have mentioned here to have done that and also Falk Lumo: K-7 in the rain. I am just very concerned with equipment of this value. Preventing my toddler son from playing with this camera will be tough, any tips here?

Am I correct to assume that the Remote Control F can be configured to press and release the shutter in Bulb mode, Menu C3, 17 in the manual page 86? We already have a tri-pod.

2) Nikon D5000 with 18-200 VR
I would consider Canon T1i/500D but think that Nikon is more capable on stills. I know D5000 and T1i/500D are in a different league (from K-7.) That's why I am anxiously waiting for more reviews to come out (hopefully before any trip this summer.) That is to justify higher price.

I appreciate any input everyone may have. - Kai

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Last edited by Kai; 06-30-2009 at 03:45 PM. Reason: clearification

[NaClH2O]

Forget the Tamron 18-250. Get the K-7 with what I call the twin-kit lenses; the new 18-55 and the 50-200. Or if you want a walk-around with a bit more reach, the DA 17-70, or the Sigma 17-70. The problem with a superzoom like the above tammy is that a) it's pretty slow, and b) the image quality leaves much to be desired. I'm of the opinion that a super zoom has one function...travel lens.
I wouldn't be that afraid of dust, if you are quick and careful, you will find that precious little dust enters the camera. True, you will ge some from time to time but it's easily dealt with.

NaCl(my two cents and worth all of that)H2O

[heatherslightbox]

I second the choice of either the Sigma or Pentax 17-70. When I travel, the Sigma stays on the camera most of the time, as it's such a versatile range of focal lengths. For anything longer, the DA50-200 WR or DA55-300 (if you need more FL range) should do you just fine.

You mentioned wanting to get a remote control. Unless you want one for the purpose of actually being able to get into the picture and trip the shutter from there, I would suggest getting a cable release, as it's easier to use (I've used both). The remote is tiny and easy to lose, but the cable release is larger and easier to keep up with.

As for the dust, a good dust blower will take care of most dust issues, so there's not much to be concerned with.

HTH,
Heather

[bladerunner0427]

Welcome Kai.

For the specs alone, I'd say get the K-7. It's a class above the other choices. With the weather-sealing and wr lenses, you don't need to worry about dust, or rain, or snow (the K-7 is rated to operate in -10 celsius). Get a rocket blower for dust in the body - but I rarely need to use it.

Since there is some time left before the K-7 comes out, keep doing your research. Everyone here is curious about how the actual production model is going to peform.

Good luck.

[wlachan]

My advice is lenses 1st & body 2nd. No point mating K7 with poor quality zooms. In your case, D5000 with 18-200VR or 18-105VR if you ask me.

[Ash]

G'day Kai and welcome.
You're asking a bunch of Pentaxians which camera to get - yeah, we'll be objective
But seriously, the K-7 is definitely a clear advantage in every facet to the other options you've listed.
To be more fair, you might compare the K-7 to the D300 or the 50D/5DMkII, though the D300 and 50D don't have HD video.
In any case, the K-7's still a great choice - it's got all the pros raving about it...

[Arpe]

K-7 is different league to those other two.

[Kai]

Thank you all for your opinion.

Yes, K-7 is in a different level but I consider it for HD video. I wanted to get a Pentax for its quality and reasonable price. So if I pick one over the other, I may have to stick with that system for quite sometime unless I am missing something. I am less likely to switch around unless some bad experience.

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. Yup, I wanted to use the remote to include myself and I can always buy the cable release if I lose my remote.

Rocket Blower: noted.

My advice is lenses 1st & body 2nd. No point mating K7 with poor quality zooms. In your case, D5000 with 18-200VR or 18-105VR if you ask me.

I am curious to hear why?

Kai

[wlachan]

I am curious to hear why?

Based on what you said, you were looking for a 1 zoom solution. While with the Pentax system, you can get either Sigma or Tamron, they are far from high quality. Sadly imho, Pentax excel on primes but average on modern zooms. The DA* SDM relability issues do not help either (but you aren't eyeing them anyway). K7 seems to be a very fine camera but the truth is DSLRs have reached a point they are all fine today. For family & travel use, a single nice zoom lens with whatever compact body you can afford will be the way imho. 2 or 3 lenses are fine if you travel alone, but your family might not have the patience and space waiting for you switching lenses all the time. The convinence of carrying the camera on your shoulder with a single zoom to cover the whole family event w/o fuss is godsent cos you can actually spend more time with your family than messing with gears & bag. The vari-angle LCD is also mighty useful and fun to use imho. Just speaking from experience.

[Kai]

wlachan; you certainly hit the nail on the head. I wanted something that my family would not be bored waiting for me. During these past few weeks with the borrowed SLR, there are times that I already take some time to setup for the shot. Mostly, I just try to set it once and then shoot in continuous mode.
As far as the D5000 is concerned, it is a more sensible choice that gets the job done. Not having SR in the body (and brand snob) turns me off a bit. Big jump in price to the freshly released K-7 with external Mic input certainly makes me consider this option.

Which way would you go after getting the D5000? Which lenses would you consider getting as the upgrade to explore? Are the costs for these lenses comparable to Pentax primes? Others mentioned SMC Pentax-M 50mm F1.7 to be around $30-100 or so. That certainly is exciting and easily doable. What do you think of Sigma 17-70 as a do-it-all lens to begin with? How much would anyone use smc PENTAX DA 55-300mm on a trip?

Plus, my dad left us a Pentax SLR from years ago. Then we lost it! After that I did not consider anymore DSLR due to cost. Now that I have a chance plus I found out more about Pentax and their fist production SLR. Some may not think that Pentax will go strong but that remains to be seen since these last few releases. I sure hope they do even if I don't end up with their product. It makes more sense to have more than a handful of companies. That certainly made me realized that my dad knew quite a bit about photography!

I must try all of the options in my hands more to see which I like most with comfort. I have not made up my final decision and every option still stands. I value your thoughts and experience since you saw the objective of my thread.

[simico]

In my opinion K7 would be overkill for family and holiday snapshots, especially if you want to use 1 superzoom (18-200) lens for convenience. That would be like buying a Ferrari for weekend shoppings. A K200D or K-m/K2000 would be more than enough (they don't have video feature though, K7 will be the first Pentax DSLR to have it). Even a DSLR might be too much for this, a good superzoom bridge cam could do the job fine.

[wlachan]

wlachan; you certainly hit the nail on the head. I wanted something that my family would not be bored waiting for me. During these past few weeks with the borrowed SLR, there are times that I already take some time to setup for the shot. Mostly, I just try to set it once and then shoot in continuous mode.
As far as the D5000 is concerned, it is a more sensible choice that gets the job done. Not having SR in the body (and brand snob) turns me off a bit. Big jump in price to the freshly released K-7 with external Mic input certainly makes me consider this option.

Which way would you go after getting the D5000? Which lenses would you consider getting as the upgrade to explore? Are the costs for these lenses comparable to Pentax primes? Others mentioned SMC Pentax-M 50mm F1.7 to be around $30-100 or so. That certainly is exciting and easily doable. What do you think of Sigma 17-70 as a do-it-all lens to begin with? How much would anyone use smc PENTAX DA 55-300mm on a trip?

Plus, my dad left us a Pentax SLR from years ago. Then we lost it! After that I did not consider anymore DSLR due to cost. Now that I have a chance plus I found out more about Pentax and their fist production SLR. Some may not think that Pentax will go strong but that remains to be seen since these last few releases. I sure hope they do even if I don't end up with their product. It makes more sense to have more than a handful of companies. That certainly made me realized that my dad knew quite a bit about photography!

I must try all of the options in my hands more to see which I like most with comfort. I have not made up my final decision and every option still stands. I value your thoughts and experience since you saw the objective of my thread.

I personally don't feel body SR had definite advantage over lens IS/VR. Body SR will benefit all lenses while lens IS/VR will offer stabilised viewfinder image (more important as the focal length gets longer). Lenses w/o IS/VR aren't neceassily cheaper or better than IS/VR lenses either. The most important thing is what lenses interest you most then go from there. IMHO good lenses are more important than good body if budget is limited.

If you are looking for a one-off purchase then the D5000+18-105/200VR makes sense cos u can cover most stuffs w/o extra expense (except maybe an external flash later). But things get complicated if you plan to go further with this hobby cos you will need to look at them as systems. For instance, Canon & Nikon have best AF generally. Nikon is known to have the most accurate and advance flash system. Canon has the widest range of lenses and they are all USM so they will work on any bodies (except EF-S lenses which are for APS-C bodies only). Nikon is a bit like Pentax, with a mix of screwdriven AF lenses and USM like lenses. Nikon lowend bodies can't drive screwdriven AF lenses but Pentax has no such restriction. Pentax has very nice all metal Limited lenses but their AF tracking is rather lacking, and I feel modern Pentax zooms are not very high on quality (though many will disagree). Olympus has some very nice high quality zooms but some might feel unease spending so much on smaller format (and they don't have many primes too). As to Sony, I just don't get them.

Should you went for the D500 with 18-200VR and want something better, those new AF-S primes & 2.8 zooms seem to make sense if u want something better down the road. But practically speaking, u don't buy some high quality lenses just because they are good. You buy them because you have found those focal lengths or aperture useful. And this requires experience which you will gather as you go.

For Pentax, most primes are fine. The M50/1.7 is a good and dirt cheap. With any Pentax DSLRs, you will have stop down metering in M mode, and body SR will work too. The Sigma 17-70 has been praised by many though I have no personal experience. The question is again, "Would you find switching lenses a hassle if you go for the 2 zooms combo? (only u can answer)" But make no mistake, 2 consumer zooms combo is not automatically mean much better quality than the 18-200VR. And keep in mind that tele w/o IS/VR/SR is more difficult to handle (not apply to Pentax SR bodies of course), and those smaller aperture consumer tele zooms are even more restricting. Since I am not a tele lover, I cannot tell u how useful they are. I often shoot between wide angle and short tele even though I have lenses up to 200mm. But everyone is different and you never know what you like the most until you tried. Even then, your preference will likely to change in different periods. Hope I am not confusing you more lol.

[Kai]

simico: HD VDO makes me consider springing for the K7. I did consider K2000/K-M &K 200D but decided that having a convenience of HD VDO is more applealing. Paying top $ for K-7 is not so much.
wlachan: not confusing yet, just a bit to be thinking about, all good aspects of this great hobby. It is a big purchase for a long journey ahead. That's why I posted to get others opinion. It all makes sense so far & revolves around trying out & what imagine I may have. I do know that I wanna take more & better pics of my family and places we go to!

[nanok]

i am not quite sure yet why you want a dslr in the first place? imho, dslrs for family snaps are pointless these days, good bridge cameras will do the job just fine (maybe even compact digicams of good quality). if you want a dslr to get into photography as a serious hobby, consider that it is expensive, and that no, your family will not be safe from you taking sometimes hours to take the shot you want. if you are going to get a dslr to put a superzoom lens on it and never take it off, imho, don't get a dslr.

make sure you know why you want a dslr, very clearly, before you spend the cash. digicams can do many things dslrs can do, just as well (sometimes even better), and for much much lower prices.

[wlachan]

I have 2 friends who actually migrated from DCs to DSLRs after seeing my shots of their families, and they aren't those looking for new toys every year. 2 practical reasons I can think of is that DSLRs when used properly, can capture moving subjects much better than DCs, and high ISO of DCs would never be able to match DSLRs (important for night time & indoor with or without flash). But it is true that DCs have their places too. I have a F200EXR which is useable upto iso800 for 4x6" prints (I never print bigger family shots), and its face detection feature is godsent but only good for still subject. When I need a discreet camera in some situations, I use the F200EXR.