[kdre]

Hi guys,

I have a luxury problem and I am already thinking for quite some time about it. First of all my current DSLR camera inventory:

1. Pentax K-5 limited silver
2. Pentax K-5IIs
3. Pentax K-3

I am just a hobby photographer who doesn´t shoot very much (unfortunately, but I am lacking time) that´s why shutter counts are still really low and overall the cameras still look very good. Usually I am shooting with the newest camera (K-3). The other two are redundant.

My "emotional" problem is that I really would love to have the K-3 in silver, but I bought the black one, because it was first available and I wanted to do a shooting with the K-3. Furthermore I love silver lenses and would like to buy the new Pentax 20-40 in silver. However, I am not sure if a silver lens on a black body is somehow ridiculous or if it just looks different (which would be not bad).
I also would like to keep one of the K-5's due to better dynamic range according to DXO or is this a stupid reason?.

As a matter of fact, I have the following problems:

1. Sell K-3 as fast as possible with just a little bit of loss and buy a K-3 silver?
2. Wait for the "K-1" and buy this one in silver and keep the K-3 black?
3. Sell K-5 limited silver for which I spent a fortune and keep the technically better K-5IIs?
4. Sell K-5IIs and keep the technically inferior but lovely silver K-5 limited?
5. Sell both K-5's?
6. Buy 20-40mm in silver or black?

What I won´t do for sure: I will not buy the K-3 silver in addition to my current line up.

I know all these problems are luxury problems and I also know that the body/lens color is not important for good photos, but anyway these are my current "problems" and I would love to hear your opinions about what you would do? What would you sell? What would you keep? What would you buy?
If you are a mathematician you could treat this as an "optimization problem" :-)

Now I am curious to read your opinions :-)

Have a nice weekend!

Klaus

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Last edited by kdre; 11-29-2013 at 07:09 PM.

[baro-nite]

Sell the IIs. The K-3 should be better in every respect. Then you can choose whether to keep the K-3, or sell it also and get the silver K-3.

[zany225]

I agree to baro-nite. sell K5IIs and K3 as soon as possible and buy K3 silver set which is still instock. Then buy 20-40 limited in silver. This lens will match with your K5 silver and K3 silver.
No point to keep both K5IIs with K3.

[jkomp316]

I would get rid of the K3 and K5IIs. Mail them to me and take pride in your enormous generosity.

[Ex Finn.]

This is easy, sell nothing and get what ever that is you lust for.

[kdre]

This is easy, sell nothing and get what ever that is you lust for.

If it would be that easy ... :-) Too much money is bound to my camera stuff ... (LBA+ CBA at its best :-))

@all:
So far nobody recommended to sell the K-5 limited silver. Why? The K-5IIs is better in every aspect (AF, Low light, little sharper, ...).
Is it just because it is a collectors item? Or is it because the K-5 silver lost too much in worth and it is wiser to keep it and sell the gear that brings more money? Or is it because you all love silver, too and know how it hurts to sell it? :-)

Does it make sense to keep one black and one silver body (e.g. K-5 silver + K-3 black or K-5iis + K-3 silver)?

When I started this hobby I never thought that these decisions can be so difficult

[baro-nite]

So far nobody recommended to sell the K-5 limited silver. Why?

Because you clearly put a value on the sliver versions, and also you want to keep one of the K-5 bodies for its sensor. But none of us can know just what value you put on that silver. Don't worry about what you paid and how much you might "lose" selling something. The most important question is what camera(s) do you really want. Sell anything else.

[kdre]

Yes, I really like the silver cameras :-) I find it sad that Pentax does not offer the silver K-3 as a regular model like the limited lenses.

I decided to do the following:

- Sell K-5IIs (Because I will use the K-3 in 99.9% of the time. It does not make sense to burn money with an unused camera just sitting on a shelf)

- Keep K-5 limited silver until I decided if I want to buy a silver K-3. If yes, then I could also sell the silver K-5. Alternatively, I could give this camera to family member, so that the silver stuff stays in the family :-) If I decide not to buy the silver K-3 (because the loss of selling the black K-3 + additional price for the silver version is too high), then I keep the silver K-5 and use it from time to time with my silver lenses.

-I will buy the silver Pentax 20-40mm as walk around lens for whichever body with whichever color. The next Pentax body will be silver for sure. So, I better buy the silver version of the lens :-) And silver lens on black body looks unusual, but I think it is still OK. At least I think it does not look "ridiculous".

Best wishes,
Klaus

[bdery]

However, I am not sure if a silver lens on a black body is somehow ridiculous or if it just looks different (which would be not bad).

I believe it looks good. I've used a cheaper FA100-300 in silver with my K20D and people all seemed to love it.

1. Sell K-3 as fast as possible with just a little bit of loss and buy a K-3 silver?

That would be a significant net loss for a paint job.

[mrNewt]

Sell the IIs AND the K-3 - buy the K-3 Silver.
Keep the K-5 Silver and enjoy both Silver editions.
Buy the K-1 Silver edition from the get go.

Now stand back and admire those beautiful collectible items sitting there... and all yours .

[kdre]

I believe it looks good. I've used a cheaper FA100-300 in silver with my K20D and people all seemed to love it.

Just for your interest:

I printed out two fotos of a black K-3 with the black 20-40mm [1] and another one of a black K-3 with the silver 20-40mm [2] and I asked 6 "real" (=not internet) people what they prefer.

3 said without thinking that black on black looks much better.
1 said she would prefer black on black, but only because she is used to it.
1 said that black on black looks more elegant, but everyone has black. Silver on black is different and she would probably buy that.
1 said the silver lens look really good, but it must be mounted on a silver body.

That would be a significant net loss for a paint job.

I think that I would make a loss of approximately 100-150 euro if I sell the black body right now. And I have to pay 250 Euro more for the silver one (compared to the black body only). Thus, 350 - 400 euro net loss just for switching from black to silver. Thats a lot of money thrown out of the window...Thats why I was thinking on buying the "K-1" in silver and keep the black K-3.
I would get a second battery, the battery grip and the strap as added value, but honestly I don´t need this stuff. I am just interested in the silver body... unfortunately Ricoh doesn´t want to make me happy ;-)

BTW:

The silver 20-40mm is ordered and should arrive tomorrow or the day after tomorrow :-)
Interestingly, the silver 20-40mm is already sold out in most german online shops, black is still available.


[1] http://www.yaotomi.co.jp/blog/used/DA20-40mm-010.jpg
[2] http://www.yaotomi.co.jp/blog/used/DA20-40mm-012.jpg

[rod_grant]

I see no reason to fuss over the colour of your gear. When I was a lot younger and was using my Praktica IV (silver) with a poor Meyer Meritar 50mm f2.9 (silver), I always wanted one of the black cameras that were starting to appear. There weren't many around and they looked so good! Would it have made me a better photographer? No. Buy (and keep) gear based on what you want it to do, not on how sexy it looks.

[grispie]

I think that I would make a loss of approximately 100-150 euro if I sell the black body right now. And I have to pay 250 Euro more for the silver one (compared to the black body only). Thus, 350 - 400 euro net loss just for switching from black to silver. Thats a lot of money thrown out of the window...Thats why I was thinking on buying the "K-1" in silver and keep the black K-3.

I think it is not worth it. I have the silver K3 and I love it. But It didn't cost me much more than buying the black body with a grip and extra battery. But it is not worth 350-400euro loss... My pentax k20d is ofcourse all black and i love it just as much. Just keep the silver K5 as backup and treasure it. Sell the K5ii. no need for 3 cameras and the K5 is not that inferior after all...
You can get your hands on a next pentax body in silver when it comes out. And then the K3 will be your black pentax camera!

I think, for the DA ltds, silver or black, it's all good. I went with black and when i buy another one it will be black again just to keep in line with the rest of the ones i have. regardless of the body.

And yes, there is no real reason to fuss over the colour of the gear. But it helps when you love using your equipment...

[Andi Lo]

I think you should buy something that you will enjoy using, if you get satisfaction over actually using the gear as much as looking at it (nothing wrong enjoying looking at cameras!).

You can always rebuy a used black body but a silver one is harder to come by. Used ones to come up though, and usually for not much premium over when it was available new.

I'm personally not big on silver, but if I own a silver 20-40, I'd want a silver body to match.