Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
12-12-2007, 06:06 PM   #1
Senior Member




Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 114
PopPoto's Camera of the Year... Not Pentax

I expected the D300 to win this contest, but it is encouraging that the K10D was up there.

The Camera of the Year 2007 - - PopPhotoDecember 2007

I guess $1800 will buy you a lot of camera if you have the $ to spend. That price tag still makes me laugh though.

Matt

12-12-2007, 06:49 PM   #2
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Canada_Rockies's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 12,385
QuoteOriginally posted by loudbay Quote
I expected the D300 to win this contest, but it is encouraging that the K10D was up there.

The Camera of the Year 2007 - - PopPhotoDecember 2007

I guess $1800 will buy you a lot of camera if you have the $ to spend. That price tag still makes me laugh though.

Matt
Here are the prices of the eight finalists, with the cameras listed in order of increasing price. Now I wonder who is the best bang for the buck?

$ 700 - Pentax K10D
1,140 - Sigma SD 14
1,300 - Panasonic Lumix L10
- Canon EOS 40D
1,500 - Alpha 700
1,800 - Nikon D300
- Olympus E-3
- Fuji Finepix S5 Pro
12-12-2007, 07:18 PM   #3
Veteran Member
Miserere's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Boston
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,993
Albert, those are prices before rebates (the rebate makes the K10D $100 cheaper). Also, the price for the D300 is for the body only, while the rest (I believe) come with a kit lens.

I think the D300 is a damn fine camera, and I'd be all too happy to own one...except I can't afford it So, for over $1000 less, I got the K10D, that does maybe 95% of what the D300 does.

I think I came out on top. What do you think?
12-12-2007, 07:29 PM   #4
Senior Member




Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 114
Original Poster
LOL, I think anyone on this forum knows how you 'came out'. I'll be happy to stay with the K10D until it's replacement is on the bargain list. That being said, I really am amazed at some D300 high ISO shots...

12-12-2007, 07:33 PM   #5
Veteran Member
Jodokast96's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Erial, NJ USA
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,134
Even at it's original price point and with no rebates, it's still a hell of a deal. But the D300 is a hell of a camera itself and is certainly worthy of getting the nod.
12-13-2007, 04:25 AM   #6
Veteran Member
stewart_photo's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
Posts: 1,864
The PopPhoto article, when describing the $1800 Nikon camera, mentions "Under-$2K is still advanced-amateur territory. By any bang-for-the-buck standard, this is one heck of a deal."

Not in my book. Decades ago, as a pro, I set a firm rule never to spend more than $750 for a 35mm-style SLR camera body (more for medium format). Over the years, due to increasing income, increasing photo profits, and the ever growing cost of living, the amount was slowly raised to $850 and then $900. The amount was finally raised to $1000 at the very end of last year and might be raised again in the coming year. While my income could afford several times that, I feel anything more is an extravagance with the money best spent elsewhere for a better use.

I've generally stuck to those limits over the years and seldom had problems finding a good camera within those limits. However, last year at this time, digital was a dim option due to the few solutions for my particular needs under that self-imposed limit. At the same time, film options were declining, film was getting trashed overall, and my film equipment (35mm and medium format) was aging. Those realities ultimately led me to seriously ponder, for the first time in decades, getting out of photography altogether (to the point actually starting to sell off seldom used equipment).

The introduction of the Pentax K10D changed that picture entirely. Here was a camera that truly met my needs, at a price not offending my conscience. The pleasure of that discovery was enhanced even more by positive memories of both Pentax equipment previously owned and my photo experiences during the period of owning that equipment. About twenty-five years ago, we moved to Germany, invested in Pentax equipment, and had a great time with photography over the next ten years. Three years ago, we moved to Germany once again and, earlier this year, here was Pentax once again. Certainly a coincidence, but curious nonetheless to stand in the same spot as years ago (thousands of miles from our previous home), looking at the same sights, while also looking down at the same camera logo.

Anyway, while my spending limits might be unusual for a pro (though a profitable strategy), I suspect such limits are the budget realities for most amateurs - advanced or otherwise. Therefore, the Pentax K10D fits better into "advanced-amateur territory." Moreover, the K10D offers far more "bang-for-the-buck" and is truly "one heck of a deal."

stewart
12-13-2007, 04:47 AM   #7
Veteran Member
roentarre's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 11,783
The best bribe of the year

12-13-2007, 11:00 AM   #8
Pentaxian
TaoMaas's Avatar

Join Date: May 2007
Location: Oklahoma City
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,574
The D300 "redefines" photography? Hmmm...that seems a bit extreme unless photography is now no longer about the image produced, but about the equipment used.
12-13-2007, 11:43 AM   #9
Veteran Member




Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Boston, PRofMA
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,026
It's a big step in ISO performance, has a great AF system, and better liveview than the 1DmkIII (though I'm not sure the ISO performance is that much better than Canon's CMOS sensors IMHO), so it probably deserves the recognition if price is no object.

If you didn't have any old lenses and you didn't know what to get and had that much to spend, the D300 would be a great choice (better than the 1DmkIII and 40D IMHO)...
12-13-2007, 12:15 PM   #10
Veteran Member




Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,812
QuoteOriginally posted by stewart_photo Quote
The PopPhoto article, when describing the $1800 Nikon camera, mentions "Under-$2K is still advanced-amateur territory. By any bang-for-the-buck standard, this is one heck of a deal."
Not in my book.
While I don't disagree that $1.8K is a lot of money for a dSLR these days -
it was not that long ago even a p&s "bridge" type camera like the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-F707 was $1,000.

However the point is the Nikon D300 does set new standards for image quality (esp for high ISO) in digital photography - albeit at a price....

We can look forward to these new quality standard to eventually trickle down to more affordable dSLR - it'll just take a little time.......

The K10D is now pretty good bang for the buck - esp. in comparison to the other cited contenders.

BUT the K100D (Super) is even better bang for the buck -
at $357 for the body only -
or $435 with the kit lens (both prices after $100 rebate) -
this is lower than some p&s cameras!
12-13-2007, 12:59 PM   #11
Veteran Member
kb244's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 372
wasn't the D200 also camera of the year in PopPhoto in the past ?
12-13-2007, 02:36 PM   #12
Veteran Member
Fl_Gulfer's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Florida Gulfer
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,054
He who pays the most in advertising wins the prize. Thats all you see in the photo mags, Canon and Nikon. I was surprized that there is a story about pentax in there new issue by Herbert Keppler.
12-13-2007, 02:56 PM   #13
m8o
Veteran Member
m8o's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: 40°-55'-44" N / 73°-24'-07" W [on LI]
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,092
While the camera did well in how it was viewed, I'm feeling sad ... why only one page where the others got three, and no graphic for the results like the other cameras?

...Pentax, the Rodney Dangerfield of camera makers...
12-13-2007, 03:03 PM   #14
Senior Member




Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Moscow, Russia
Posts: 239
Hey D300 seems very very nice. But surely not revolutionary. It just gathered ALL the innovations we have at the current moment scattered across different cameras by different makers. D300 has it's all. But it costs like two (!) K10Ds! Well, for a gadget-crazy men it IS the heck of a deal. But definetely not for me. How much it gives in the pucture QUALITY over K10D? As far as I've seen (samples) - nothing. And it is the NEXT step for Nikon, which is not being able to beat the picture quality or Pentax's CURRENT step.
That just makes me more and more impatient to see the K20D
And all the "camera of the year" stuff is just the marketing, nothing more...
12-13-2007, 03:38 PM   #15
Junior Member
dmadden's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: jamaica
Posts: 39
The only thing holding pentax back is its delayed lens rollout. Once all the lens are on the market, pentax will start to own a bigger piece. Image stabilisation is a huge deal for most people, but so is a huge lens lineup. Canon and Nikon will never have built in image stailisation because they invested in it on the lens.
Look at this:
Canon 70-200 f4 $600
Canon 70-200 f4 Image stabilised $1050

And this margin is the same across the entire lens lineup for canon. I have a rebel xt that i got only because i had a need for certain lens that pentax does'nt have available as yet. I use both cameras but I'm a lot happier with the pentax. As for bodies, I prefer to wait a couple of months to get a body cheap. They dont hold their value, period. Better to invest in good glass.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, dslr, photography
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
My new 73 year old camera void7910 Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands 1 09-10-2010 11:06 AM
Pentax K-5 (?) - new camera this year ogl Pentax News and Rumors 359 07-13-2010 01:08 PM
Camera for a 2.5 year old Ramitt Photographic Technique 7 11-14-2009 03:35 PM
Pentax wins European Camera of the Year! Nesster Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 8 10-01-2009 04:58 PM
Just in: Pentax K10D Camera of the Year Damn Brit Pentax News and Rumors 11 05-25-2008 01:15 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:46 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top