$700 for new camera

kinsale · 05-30-2011, 05:33 PM

Hi all,

I was a prior K100D user which went to my wife when I "upgraded" to a T2i. However I just sold that camera and wish to return to the fold.

My question is which camera to buy as the scene is a little different to what I left. I would be looking for a body only or a body plus kit lens. I'd like a responsive camera as I liked that about the canon, my K100D was a little slow in that regard.

HDR in camera would be nice but not essential as I am good with software.

While I have $700 from my sale of the canon, if I could spend less then ever better.

So what would you recommend?

twitch · 05-30-2011, 05:42 PM

Your choice is between a K-r and a K-7. They are very different cameras with very different strengths and weaknesses, which one to choose depends on what you want from a camera; pro build, lots of external controls, weather sealing VS high ISO capability and dynamic range.

joe.penn · 05-30-2011, 05:44 PM

Originally posted by kinsale

While I have $700 from my sale of the canon, if I could spend less then ever better

K-X fits the bill to exactly what you are looking for (K-R does also, just K-X a little cheaper). If performance questions start popping up in this thread, I will post some real word performance shots for you to eval

...

Ubuntu_user · 05-30-2011, 05:48 PM

K-r...

adpo · 05-30-2011, 05:50 PM

+1 on the K-x, the sheer image quality its able to push out for such an inexpensive body is awesome. Are there any specific uses that you have planned for the camera? The way i see it, unless you need the extra speed of the K-r or the build and control of the K-7, there's really no reason to not just get a K-x and then spend whatever money you have left over on some pretty awesome lenses

hcc · 05-30-2011, 05:53 PM

Originally posted by twitch

Your choice is between a K-r and a K-7. They are very different cameras with very different strengths and weaknesses, which one to choose depends on what you want from a camera; pro build, lots of external controls, weather sealing VS high ISO capability and dynamic range.

+1 with twitch
An excellent summary of the market with pros and cons of both options.

kinsale · 05-30-2011, 05:55 PM

I was leaning towards the K-r myself as it seems that the k-x is only $100 cheaper unless I am looking in the wrong places.
While I am not a beginner, I am still very green. I'm also ok with going used if something like a K20D or K-7 would be better. I know better is a relative term. Like I said, I like the camera to be responsive so I don't have to wait too long between shots.
Thanks for all your replies, it really helps.

joe.penn · 05-30-2011, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by kinsale

I would be looking for a body only or a body plus kit lens

Originally posted by kinsale

While I have $700 from my sale of the canon, if I could spend less then ever better

Ok, again, a K-X would fit the bill better than the K-R or the K7 for the fact of the two quoted lines. For $700 bucks, you can get a new K-X body and use the rest of the money and get something quite a bit better than the kit lens...

---

kinsale · 05-30-2011, 06:06 PM

If I went with k-x body, what would be the lens to pair with it?

adpo · 05-30-2011, 06:11 PM

what kind of shooting do you plan on doing?

kinsale · 05-30-2011, 06:18 PM

I mainly do a mixture of events, landscapes and animal portraits.

Historicity · 05-30-2011, 06:37 PM

I was using Olympus cameras and lenses, but after reading the countless groans and anguished moans of Olympus loyalists who feel the the end of their E-System line is near, I decided to add a camera of another brand. I wanted something semi-rugged, not a beginner camera, maybe a semi-pro with an excellent viewfinder and better low-light capability than I was used to.

I ended up with a "seller refurbished" K-20d. I read in one of the Pentax forums that the seller I bought from had its cameras refurbished from Pentax. I paid $379 for a camera with 290 shutter actuations.

It looked brand new, but I tested the heck out of it before its 30-day warranty period was over and found that I couldn't clean some dust off the sensor. Orb-like spots showed up on my photos. So I sent it back. The camera company is sending me a replacement. This is the sort of thing you risk if you buy a camera that is out of production, but I am hopeful that my next K-20d will also have about 290 shutter actuations and a clean sensor.

adpo · 05-30-2011, 06:38 PM

its a bit costy and will put you a bit over budget, but consider the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. Its a fast, sharp lens with a really useful focal range

if you're more into primes, there's the FA50mm f/1.4 and the DA35mm f/2.4. Both are fairly affordable, really sharp and have nice big apertures to get you lots of light and thin DoF for portraits and whatnot.

Also, if you dont mind manually focusing, there are plenty of old manual focus only lenses available for pentax. I have a 50mm f/1.4 SMC-M lens, which is a great performer. There are plenty other old lenses out there you can find for pentax, try checking out the forum's lens database for reviews and the various lens clubs for actual pictures.

one last bit of advice, check out the forum marketplace, plenty of good used equipment for decent prices

joe.penn · 05-30-2011, 06:40 PM

Originally posted by kinsale

I mainly do a mixture of events, landscapes and animal portraits.

Maybe should have asked this question earlier to get the answer you posted. Now, it even comes a little clearer, the $100 saved by getting a K-X body will be needed.

Landscapes - IMHO, the wider the better, issue is you won't be able to go too wide because of the money constraints (the wider, the better, the more money).

Events - Clarify this a little.

Animal Portraits - Moving (possible) animals, portrait shots = long end should be minimal 80'ish and can also be around a minimal 120'ish depending on how close you want the portrait work to be (if we are talking zoo work with viscous man eating animals, you will need to go longer).

--------------------------------------

This puts you out of the kit lens category - the 18 of a kit lens is good, the 55 is not and will not get you what you need. You could however go with the kit lens and also the long kit lens, not sure how much the package is for that though.

The Tamron 18-200mm may be a good choice - for a K-X body and this lens you may be able to get them both for $700...

----

kinsale · 05-30-2011, 06:53 PM

the 18-200mm sounds good as I'm not a fan of carrying too much kit around.
Events are family events, weddings parties etc,
Animals are outdoor dogs and cats as well as zoo on occasion.

I founds a K-x with kit lens used for $440. hmmm might go for this and get the 18-200 as well.

05-30-2011, 05:33 PM	#1
kinsale Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 50	$700 for new camera Hi all, I was a prior K100D user which went to my wife when I "upgraded" to a T2i. However I just sold that camera and wish to return to the fold. My question is which camera to buy as the scene is a little different to what I left. I would be looking for a body only or a body plus kit lens. I'd like a responsive camera as I liked that about the canon, my K100D was a little slow in that regard. HDR in camera would be nice but not essential as I am good with software. While I have $700 from my sale of the canon, if I could spend less then ever better. So what would you recommend?

05-30-2011, 06:37 PM	#12
Historicity Junior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: San Jacinto, CA Posts: 41	I sort of went through the same thing I was using Olympus cameras and lenses, but after reading the countless groans and anguished moans of Olympus loyalists who feel the the end of their E-System line is near, I decided to add a camera of another brand. I wanted something semi-rugged, not a beginner camera, maybe a semi-pro with an excellent viewfinder and better low-light capability than I was used to. I ended up with a "seller refurbished" K-20d. I read in one of the Pentax forums that the seller I bought from had its cameras refurbished from Pentax. I paid $379 for a camera with 290 shutter actuations. It looked brand new, but I tested the heck out of it before its 30-day warranty period was over and found that I couldn't clean some dust off the sensor. Orb-like spots showed up on my photos. So I sent it back. The camera company is sending me a replacement. This is the sort of thing you risk if you buy a camera that is out of production, but I am hopeful that my next K-20d will also have about 290 shutter actuations and a clean sensor.

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05-30-2011, 05:42 PM	#2
twitch Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,571	Your choice is between a K-r and a K-7. They are very different cameras with very different strengths and weaknesses, which one to choose depends on what you want from a camera; pro build, lots of external controls, weather sealing VS high ISO capability and dynamic range.

05-30-2011, 05:44 PM	#3
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	Originally posted by kinsale While I have $700 from my sale of the canon, if I could spend less then ever better K-X fits the bill to exactly what you are looking for (K-R does also, just K-X a little cheaper). If performance questions start popping up in this thread, I will post some real word performance shots for you to eval ...

05-30-2011, 05:48 PM	#4
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545	K-r...

05-30-2011, 05:50 PM	#5
adpo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 888	+1 on the K-x, the sheer image quality its able to push out for such an inexpensive body is awesome. Are there any specific uses that you have planned for the camera? The way i see it, unless you need the extra speed of the K-r or the build and control of the K-7, there's really no reason to not just get a K-x and then spend whatever money you have left over on some pretty awesome lenses

05-30-2011, 05:53 PM	#6
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by twitch Your choice is between a K-r and a K-7. They are very different cameras with very different strengths and weaknesses, which one to choose depends on what you want from a camera; pro build, lots of external controls, weather sealing VS high ISO capability and dynamic range. +1 with twitch An excellent summary of the market with pros and cons of both options.

05-30-2011, 05:55 PM	#7
kinsale Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 50 Original Poster	I was leaning towards the K-r myself as it seems that the k-x is only $100 cheaper unless I am looking in the wrong places. While I am not a beginner, I am still very green. I'm also ok with going used if something like a K20D or K-7 would be better. I know better is a relative term. Like I said, I like the camera to be responsive so I don't have to wait too long between shots. Thanks for all your replies, it really helps.

05-30-2011, 05:58 PM	#8
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	Originally posted by kinsale I would be looking for a body only or a body plus kit lens Originally posted by kinsale While I have $700 from my sale of the canon, if I could spend less then ever better Ok, again, a K-X would fit the bill better than the K-R or the K7 for the fact of the two quoted lines. For $700 bucks, you can get a new K-X body and use the rest of the money and get something quite a bit better than the kit lens... ---

05-30-2011, 06:06 PM	#9
kinsale Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 50 Original Poster	If I went with k-x body, what would be the lens to pair with it?

05-30-2011, 06:11 PM	#10
adpo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 888	what kind of shooting do you plan on doing?

05-30-2011, 06:18 PM	#11
kinsale Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 50 Original Poster	I mainly do a mixture of events, landscapes and animal portraits.

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05-30-2011, 06:38 PM	#13
adpo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 888	its a bit costy and will put you a bit over budget, but consider the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. Its a fast, sharp lens with a really useful focal range if you're more into primes, there's the FA50mm f/1.4 and the DA35mm f/2.4. Both are fairly affordable, really sharp and have nice big apertures to get you lots of light and thin DoF for portraits and whatnot. Also, if you dont mind manually focusing, there are plenty of old manual focus only lenses available for pentax. I have a 50mm f/1.4 SMC-M lens, which is a great performer. There are plenty other old lenses out there you can find for pentax, try checking out the forum's lens database for reviews and the various lens clubs for actual pictures. one last bit of advice, check out the forum marketplace, plenty of good used equipment for decent prices

05-30-2011, 06:40 PM	#14
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	Originally posted by kinsale I mainly do a mixture of events, landscapes and animal portraits. Maybe should have asked this question earlier to get the answer you posted. Now, it even comes a little clearer, the $100 saved by getting a K-X body will be needed. Landscapes - IMHO, the wider the better, issue is you won't be able to go too wide because of the money constraints (the wider, the better, the more money). Events - Clarify this a little. Animal Portraits - Moving (possible) animals, portrait shots = long end should be minimal 80'ish and can also be around a minimal 120'ish depending on how close you want the portrait work to be (if we are talking zoo work with viscous man eating animals, you will need to go longer). -------------------------------------- This puts you out of the kit lens category - the 18 of a kit lens is good, the 55 is not and will not get you what you need. You could however go with the kit lens and also the long kit lens, not sure how much the package is for that though. The Tamron 18-200mm may be a good choice - for a K-X body and this lens you may be able to get them both for $700... ----

05-30-2011, 06:53 PM	#15
kinsale Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 50 Original Poster	the 18-200mm sounds good as I'm not a fan of carrying too much kit around. Events are family events, weddings parties etc, Animals are outdoor dogs and cats as well as zoo on occasion. I founds a K-x with kit lens used for $440. hmmm might go for this and get the 18-200 as well.