[polur101]

Hi everybody, happy new year (albeit belated)

Well lately I have been hibernating. Just recently succumbed to the temptation of trying Canikon. Been a Pentaxian (will never call myself a Richoian or whateverelse) for all my camera life. Occasionally one gets curious to test what the heck that others are raving about.

Well, it was in such a moment did I buy Nikon D5200 with image stabilized(! excuse me) 18-55 kit lens. Well, I bought a used pentax 50mm 1.4 on ebay, perhaps over 30 yrs old, guess what it is image stabilized, thanks to pentax.

Well, I went on to mount nikon plastic on plastic. Wait, are you kidding me? Lens release button is designed for a leftie in mind? I am holding the lens in my right hand and the lens release button is awkwardly placed. Oh well, I switch the lens to my left hand so that I can grab the camera body so that my right thumb falls on the lens release button. Align the white dots and turn. What the FFFF. It is not clockwise tight. Did your father not teach you? righty tighty lefty loosie?

OK nikon. I forgive you for these minor transgressions. Let me stomach these issues and take some pictures. Oh wait! my 2 year old niece wanders out in my backyard. It is pouring rain. I got carried away and wanted to create an award winning picture of a cute little 2 yr old petting a puppy in rain. My teenage son screamed. “Dad are you crazy. You will kill that camera. Take this”. He hands me K200D with 18=55 WR.

Eventually, after taking some shots wanted to see how they looked. With nikon I wanted to zoom in. Seriously, you need two buttons for zoom in and zoom out. you couldn’t just use the thumbwheel as Pentax does?
How well is it exposed? Seriously, I can’t see the histogram on the preview picture on full screen?

I have to admit one thing. If I were to buy a DSLR for my 7 yr old who wants point and shoot during birthday parties of her friends and feel like a great photographer, I know what brand I will buy under a grand.

I live in Buffalo, New York. We recently dug ourselves from under 6 feet (you got that right six feet not inches) of snow and as I write this the temperature outside is 2 degrees (Fahrenheit not Celsius). If I want my photojournalist son to have a camera for under a grand, you know what brand I will buy.

Cheers everybody, keep shooting.

[kiwi_jono]

Hi and Happy New Year to you too!

Thanks for the report - its great to hear from Pentaxians who have crossed the fence to the dark side ;-)

Given that reviews often seem to think that the Nikon user interface usability is better than Pentax, I'm guessing it improves somewhat once you get used to it???
I know when I tried a D5000 a quite while back (and played with a D7100 more recently), I was not impressed with the ease of use but maybe I would have grown to like it - who knows? On the other hand no Pentax camera has ever frustrated me in the same way.

[Pioneer]

You got to say it right...it is Ree- COOO-lan. Think cough drops.

[phoned]

I've used a D7100 a fair bit recently and they are not too bad to use. You definitely miss some of the pentax features though. Hyper program mode for starters. Easy ISO override is another which seems really convoluted on the nikons (you need to take it out of auto ISO, and then jack the ISO up to whatever you want). Ergonomically they do feel really good though, but I guess any decent sized DSLR would these days.

One thing about lens based VR is it really inspires confidence in slow shutter speed shooting when you can (very easily) see things "go steady" when it gets enabled.

[Pioneer]

I have an F. It is interesting but nothing to write home to Mom about. But I suspect it was back in 1959.

I have an FM2N. I kind of like it but have only burned one roll of film through it yet so I better withhold judgement.

I have an F6 and I love it. I keep telling myself that the Pentax MZ-S is just as good...but I haven't convince myself yet.

if the F6 is representative of Nikon's pro gear, then IMHO Pentax hasn't caught up to that level yet.

However, Nikon's gear tends to be bulkier than anything from Pentax. The Pentax SV is still one of the sexiest and best handling film SLRs ever built in my opinion. Both the Nikon F and F2 look as if they were built on the same assembly line as my washing machine. To be fair though, my Nikon F seems to thump right along in the cold weather while the SVs sometimes struggle.

On the lens side, if you like zooms, go with Nikon. If you like primes, go with Pentax. My own opinion of course.

[royden]

Interested read as I have lusted after Nikon first D90 then D7000. Now looking at D 7100. Selling my K20D to help fund purchase.

[pinholecam]

Ha..ha...
I have had access to Nikon stuff for a while.
Whenever I hold one, I'm like "Why the hell they do it this way?"

Your post brings up the same things I faced (laughed at)
1. Makes more sense to use the right (usually master hand) to more easily press the lens release button and the more less finesse hand to just grap the thick lens.
2. Why 2 buttons just to review?
3. Why got to press one more button to see histogram in the review?




A lot of reviews out there claim good UI for the Nikon.
To me, its just that there is a larger user base (usually who have not tried other stuff ) who blow the trumpet louder.

[drypenn]

Yup, the Nikon menu and controls placement is discombobulating when compared to Pentax'. And they say that the Pentax menu is "dated". I'll take that dated menu every single day.

However, the Nikon's AF, I must admit, redeems many of the sins they have committed in getting the ergonomics and UI messed up. Still, that stupendous AF is not enough for me to consider going into Nikon, as I continue acquiring K lenses. Fortunately, I have little interest on subjects requiring long glasses, where Nikon would have been the obviously, much better choice.

[NeilGratton]

I just abandoned Canon, and it was the ease of use (menus, buttons, grip comfort) that brought me to the K-3 rather than the Nikon equivalent. Yes, the K-3's autofocus did struggle quite a bit with shooting professional basketball - but as that's not something I do for money, I can live with it. The K-3 autofocus is easily good enough for the fashion, portrait and wedding shooting that's key for me.

[foto guy]

Tomato, tomahto.
I've used both brands (film and digital) and each has their own strengths...and their own quirks.
Most folks can quickly adapt to either, though of course everyone has their favorite.
Although, when I buy either brand, I go higher end rather than entry level.
And Canikon entry level tends to be far more inferior than Pentax entry level.
Things change a bit when you go higher end.
I'm quite happy with my Pentax cameras, but still intend to buy a D750 within a year.
It's nice knowing I can use the right tool for the job, rather than struggling with a tool not meant (or not able) to handle the job.

[normhead]

Tomato, tomahto.
I've used both brands (film and digital) and each has their own strengths...and their own quirks.
Most folks can quickly adapt to either, though of course everyone has their favorite.
Although, when I buy either brand, I go higher end rather than entry level.
And Canikon entry level tends to be far more inferior than Pentax entry level.
Things change a bit when you go higher end.
I'm quite happy with my Pentax cameras, but still intend to buy a D750 within a year.
It's nice knowing I can use the right tool for the job, rather than struggling with a tool not meant (or not able) to handle the job.

So, sounds like buying cameras is kind of a hobby for you....

[GibbyTheMole]

I don't have a problem with Nikon or Canon or anything else, really. I've owned more cameras than I count over the years from just about every manufacturer (including some oddballs like Practica, Petri, etc.) and I managed to get used to all of them and get on fine with using them. Granted, I liked some better than others... My favorite film cameras were my Nikon F2 & Nikomat FT2. The Olympus OM-2S Program was also great 'til the main circuit board conked out and couldn't be fixed.

If I didn't have Pentax stuff, Nikon would be my very close second choice. They make some excellent cameras.

[Outis]

Wow, that's incredible. It would be nice if camera reviews would cover just what button sequences you need to use to carry out basic operations like that.

[Obin Robinson]

Nikon has by far the worst menus I've ever had the displeasure of using on a digital camera. They simply are not laid out logically. We have a Nikon at work and I was so irritated with it that I brought my own gear in from home to take official photos. I have a Canon DSLR to use with astrophotography software. I don't mind Canon but I think that Pentax glass is better. Even my Canon friends are jealous about how much I pay for lenses. One of the women at work said she bought a new portrait lens for her Canon and it was "only" $800. I showed her the photo I took with my Zykkor 28mm which I paid $26.30 AFTER shipping. She said "yeah I'm jealous and I am amazed that you get such good photos with old lenses that are compatible with your camera."


obin

[tuco]

Nikon has by far the worst menus I've ever had the displeasure of using on a digital camera."


obin

Perhaps learn to configure the "My Menu" if the camera is not too old. Put all your most used functions there and you'll find using them faster and easier than ever. In fact you may find it more convenient than your Ricoh camera.