Originally posted by Christine Tham I'm in exactly the same situation as you. I originally had a *ist D, and bought it because at that time it was the smallest DSLR in the market, and the size was perfect for me.
Then I bought the K10D and felt it was too big and heavy for me. I think I am used to it now, but would prefer the smaller size/weight.
Nearly bought a K-x last year.
I was in a shop the other day and they had the K-7, K-x and K20D side by side. I couldn't believe how small the K-7 was (this is the first time I have seen one in person) - it was almost the same size as the K-x. The K20D sitting next to them look ginormous in comparison.
Based on this, I'll probably buy the K-5 (waiting for a good price). The main downside of the K-x and K-r is the pentamirror and the lack of controls. It's probably good for point and shoot scenarios but probably frustrating for times when I want to fiddle.
Thanks, this helps a lot.
Your reasons for not going K-x or K-r are very similar to mine, in addition to the lack of a top screen display. The K-7 has all the features I want, plus it's small.
Originally posted by Rory How am I the first to say that size definitely matters to a woman?
In this case, at least, that turns out to be oh so true!
Originally posted by jimr-pdx I was fortunate enough to handle many cameras in the year
it took me to decide. The Alpha A200 met my needs and was a great fit. When looking to step up, their only answer was the A700, but it was way too big for my grip - so I bought a K100d to test the Pentax waters. It was a bit small, but when the K-7 June bargains came up I found it was a size match to my A200: sold!
Indeed if you feel you're shooting less often with a larger camera, you have the wrong one.
My K-7 is in Portland, if that helps any! Oooh, tempting! I don't get up to Portland very often, though. But since we're on the subject, have you had any luck finding actual Pentax products in stores up there? Part of the reason I ended up with too large a camera in the first place was my inability to lay hands on them before buying. I'm down in albany, but we trek up every couple of months to visit Powell's.
Originally posted by Cannikin As far as size goes, I did some comparisons between my K-5 (same body as K-7) and my K-x. Just eyeballing them side by side, I honestly could not see any real difference in dimensions between the two. I had to line them up back to back to actually see that the K-5 was very slightly (less than 1cm) wider. With NiMH batteries (roughly twice the weight of lithiums) in the K-x, the difference in weight is fairly small.
This is very, very handy to know! Thanks for making that comparison and sharing. I've held a K-x, so that makes the choice easy. A K-7 is definitely in my future. (I'd love a K-5, but there's no way I can swing and/or justify the extra $ for one.)
Thanks everyone, this has been a very helpful thread. I've already put my name on a K-7 from the marketplace, and put my K20D up for sale, much as it gives me a pang to do so. I just remind myself - I'll soon have another amazing camera, only built to fit me.