Once again, I am blown away by the support and time all of you have given to my question! Thanks!
My wife took the decision out of my hands today, and we went to a local store in North Bay called Photo Metro. They are a local landmark, been in business since 1957 (I think). They sell Pentax, Canon and Nikon, and also have established some complimentary businesses under one roof, such as scrap booking, telescopes, a portrait studio.
Long story short, the K3 is on order along with a 18-135 WR lens. Price is good at $1449 plus taxes, CDN. Delivery is expect to be approximately 1 week.
Eager to receive and start playing!
Originally posted by wtlwdwgn One other consideration is the size of the K-5 or K-3. They are smaller than the K10D and at first I found The K-5 too small. The K10D fits my hands perfectly and I wished Pentax had kept its size. I've had the K-5 for a year and now use it more than the older bodies. I've also added a battery grip and that has helped with the size issue. The image quality certainly makes up for any difference in size. As a general rule I recommend good lenses over new digital bodies because good glass lasts forever and bodies come and go. In this case I recommend a used K-5 as they are a great value for your money now and may leave you some loose change for that DA* 300 f/4. Just my two cents.
I managed to hand hold a K3 after driving to Henry's in Sudbury, it is different in size and location but similar I expect to be able to adapt. The battery grip is my fall back. I really find the K10D size is perfect fit for me though.
Originally posted by formercanuck Wow - someone from Northern Ontario - quite rare, as I think the only places that carry Pentax are in Sudbury or Thunder Bay.
I'll be passing that way in a couple of weeks myself (lived north of Lake Superior for ~20 years) but originally from north of Lake Huron
Personally, based on where you are - lenses last for a REALLY long time (assuming you don't have a bad SDM), and camera bodies are being upgraded every few years or less.
K-5 series is at the end of its life, and I suspect that in the next year or 2 that it, along with K-50 will be upgraded anyways.
If you really have your mind on a specific lens - then get it, as new lenses don't come along often and prices don't change much. At some point you'll replace the body, but keep the lenses (assuming its the lens you want) forever.
Totally agree with you on quality lenses. My dad left me his EDIXAR telephoto zoom, 70-230 F4.5. I am able to use it in Manual mode with the adapter ring on my K10D. It works great, and is a testament to quality engineering and build. This lens dates back to approx 1970 when he bought it new.
Originally posted by normhead Hi Normhead, have seen lots of your pics on the site, and also commented a few times. I am happy with the price from Photo Metro, they actually bettered the price from Prodigital200 by $200 on the same package, K3 and 18-135 WR, listed at $1646.95 vs my price of $1449.
However, I am always looking for competitive pricing, I did some purchasing in my career, always get 3 quotes minimum, throw away the lowest and highest....
I was disappointed to find the Sigma TC does not support autofocus on my K10D with the 70-200 APO HSM etc. However, now that I am older, wiser and more experienced, after being on this website especially, I realize the autofocus at 200mm on my telephoto is not necessary, I can, gasp, manual focus just like I did many years ago. So, I expect a 1.4 TC in my arsenal some day!
Originally posted by DSims For sharpness, DA*55 or a *300 (or F/FA 50 macro).
I really like the pics on the site from the DA* 300 I saw the other day. Wow.
Again, my thanks to all of you, I believe that the missing piece of the puzzle that you filled in was not only do I get 24 Mpixel vs 10 Mpixel, I get a better image from superior sensor tech and improvements in the rest of the camera. So, as was said, even my old lenses will produce better pics.
If any of you are driving by Corbeil area, just outside North Bay, email to contact me and drop by?
Regards