[minahasa]

Anything but Nikon.

[StepOne]

I will go Nikon also. Don't know this year or the next. Maybe a second-hand D700.

[HGMonaro]

I just picked up a D7000 to go with my Sigma 100-300/4 (bought off this site!) and there's a lot of K10D about it... size (I don't need a grip for my pinkie like the K-7 needs), buttons on the left of the LCD (I liked that about the K10D rather than the K-7's setup) but there's a couple of annoying things, the menus are not good as the Pentax (although I think there are more options) and you can't make it beep when focusing manual focus lenses (you need to look at the indicators in the viewfinder but that isn't too good cause it means you have to look away from the scene). It also over-exposes IMO, I've already settled on -1/3 for general use however, overall pretty happy with it (did I mention a Sigma 100-300/4). Was using both cameras tonight and managed to use both without too much drama.

[Greeneg]

IF I were to jump, it would be most probably to Nikon. Most of my friends shoot them, and every Canon that I have ever handled felt "cheap".

Ed

[7samurai]

Nikon. The 36MP sensor looks like fun since I'm really horrible at composition and zooming with my feet.

[contrabass]

Interesting question.

I had a K1000 for many years but didn't do much with it. Then, my wife and I got the DSLR bug and we got a Canon Rebel XTi in 2007. I didn't buy a Pentax DSLR because I didn't foresee doing much, if anything, with film; and a single SMC-M 50/2 isn't enough equipment to make one stay with a particular system. We bought four Canon lenses that suit our needs very well with that body.

Then, I discovered I like shooting B&W film. Over several years, one K-mount lens became two, then seven. The K1000 was joined by not one, but two MX bodies. And I started feeling dumb about having two systems... Recently, I bought a K-5 rather than re-up with another Canon DSLR body. There's a whole host of reasons why, but the K-5 really is everything it's cracked up to be. Love it so far.

But I haven't sold off the Canon stuff, and I don't think I will. My wife's using it now, and it does the job. So, if I had to jump ship with all the stuff I owned now, it'd be to Canon.

If the worst were to happen and all my camera gear were destroyed and covered by insurance and I had to start over-- I think I'd go Nikon: A D7000 for digital; FM2n and F100 for film, and try to sort out all the crazy Nikon compatibility issues between the lenses and all those bodies.

Seriously, nobody does backwards compatibility with lenses like Pentax. Not even Nikon.

[DaveHolmes]

Plan on a pentax upgrade within 2 years... But if I really felt I had to abandon Pentax... I'd go Nikon too...

[pixelsaurus]

I would go Nikon. Then I could tap into all my wife's gear, but I don't think a change is at all likely any time soon.

[Wired]

I would go NIkon hands down. The setup and egronomics closer to Pentax than Canon and the lens prices are abit more reasonable. I probably will pickup this new fangled D600 if Pentax hasn't announced a FF by the time I can pick one up. I will only get the 85mm and 50mm for it though, and use manual focus. Thats all I want FF for... portraits.

[RioRico]

Let's try a parallel question: If you were to renounce your citizenship, would you rather be naturalized as 1) Swedish, 2) Tongan, or 3) Uruguayan? [But is selling your Pentax kit like renouncing citizenship? Why?]

Or this one: If you gave up your religion, which would you rather adopt: 1) Scientology, 2) Sufi, or 3) Sturgeon's Creed ("In the winter I'm a Buddhist, in the summer I'm a nudist.") ?? [But is Pentax a religion? Why?]

Or this one: If you gave up your existing pet(s), what would you get as a replacement: 1) Parrot, 2) Ferret, or 3) carrot-eater (cute fuzzy widdle bunny wabbit) ?? [But is your Pentax gear as faithful as a dog? Why?]

I'm astounded by the thought-process that holds a brand as a mark of personal identity. Some identity-marks might matter: I hold USA citizenship, was raised as a Quaker (sorta), and have possessed a Columbian Rosy Boa (named Noah). But with cameras, I'm not a born-again Pentaxian. Whatever works is fine with me. I wouldn't mind owning Pentax AND Nikon AND more Canon and Olympus and Sony gear. I see no need for either-or, except as a financial constraint. And jumping systems every couple years isn't a cost-saving measure, no it ain't.

[Edvinas]

Nikon is closest to Pentax by it's control layout and camera control.

[DeadJohn]

I would go Nikon. Then I could tap into all my wife's gear, but I don't think a change is at all likely any time soon.

That sounds like a euphemism

[contrabass]

Let's try a parallel question: If you were to renounce your citizenship, would you rather be naturalized as 1) Swedish, 2) Tongan, or 3) Uruguayan? [But is selling your Pentax kit like renouncing citizenship? Why?]

Or this one: If you gave up your religion, which would you rather adopt: 1) Scientology, 2) Sufi, or 3) Sturgeon's Creed ("In the winter I'm a Buddhist, in the summer I'm a nudist.") ?? [But is Pentax a religion? Why?]

No and no; not for me, it isn't...

Or this one: If you gave up your existing pet(s), what would you get as a replacement: 1) Parrot, 2) Ferret, or 3) carrot-eater (cute fuzzy widdle bunny wabbit) ?? [But is your Pentax gear as faithful as a dog? Why?]

Well... as much as I loved my childhood dog, I have the feeling she would have willingly sold me Up The River for the chance at finally catching one of the squirrels in the back yard. So far, my Pentax stuff has been pretty reliable and good to me, though.

I'm astounded by the thought-process that holds a brand as a mark of personal identity. Some identity-marks might matter: I hold USA citizenship, was raised as a Quaker (sorta), and have possessed a Columbian Rosy Boa (named Noah). But with cameras, I'm not a born-again Pentaxian. Whatever works is fine with me. I wouldn't mind owning Pentax AND Nikon AND more Canon and Olympus and Sony gear. I see no need for either-or, except as a financial constraint. And jumping systems every couple years isn't a cost-saving measure, no it ain't.

I agree with 100% of that. Probably ideally, I'd have the K-5 and Pentax gear for one kind of shooting, and my Canon stuff plus a 5DmkII for other stuff. But, yes, there's a financial constraint, within reason.

Brands are a funny thing. Like in the US, being a Chevy guy vs a Ford guy... some folks really take that stuff seriously. I guess my feeling is, if I'm paying for the product, it's the company that owes ME the loyalty, not the other way around.

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

I find Nikon to be a surprising choice given that it is the only significant mount on which you cannot use M42 lenses.

[sjwaldron]

Probably Nikon after I would have a chance to actually hold various options. I haven't heard good things about Canon reliability from a few valid sources (Yes, I've seen those digitalrev videos... a few videos are not exactly the best indicator of reliability though).

Although I'm not too impressed with Nikon's current megapixel racing (D3200 and D800), but I don't know if that would be a deciding factor against. I'm not too fond of the D7000's grip, but that's a pretty decent camera. Not sure what the D800 is like in the hands.


The Sony NEX-7 is somewhat interesting. In the hands it is surprisingly nice, but maybe just a bit too short. It is also lacking things like a 1/8000th max shutter speed and weather resistance and I'd like to see more dedicated buttons.