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07-31-2008, 05:24 PM   #1
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K20D, am I making the right move getting it?

Well, I guess a brief explanation would be good here. I'm very interested in photo(and new to this forum, hi!) and manage to do some atleast "decent" stuff with my P&S(A canon A590 IS) which I'm btw very satisfied with, at the right settings it can perform very well.

The problem is that I had the luxury of trying a Nikon D3 for some hour as the first SLR I've even laid my hands on and...wow, it really felt like the sky was the limit with what it could do. After trying it I was anyway sold on getting a dSLR for myself, not just quite as expensive. :P

I didnt really understand everything(or well..anything) about all the different settings but I really liked it. I like the kinda "professional" way it feels, kinda like that you really gotta learn it to make it preform for you. I am not looking for a camera that is going to allow me to take great pictures with all features tried in the first day, I want a challenge and when everything starts to make more sense to me I want to feel like the camera is more of a extension rather than of a limitation of my imagination.


Now, the question is: Do I, as a complete novice, need a K20D to give me something to really grow with? Would it be smarter to get a K200d instead, which perhaps is abit more rewarding for someone who's completely green on using a SLR or does it make sense to take such a big step from a P&S? A big advantage of getting a k200d is that I could buy a lens for the price difference.

I want a pentax, that's already decided. I just have a hard time deciding, especially with all these reviews about iso-performance and other well "minor things" for someone just starting out, since I'm confident both in the right hands take really nice pictures once you got them figured out. I don't want a easy camera though, I like having to work for something to turn out really good.

Second question is which of these 3 packages to pick if going for the K20d, I've tried to read up on all the lenses, but I'm still not sure. Getting kit + "kit"zoom lens would perhaps be good to get a good starter kit, but on the other hand I could easly pay extra for the "superzoom" in a couple of weeks if I feel like it's needed.

These are the 3 different kits I've seen which I can afford, but maybe you know of a lens(within the same budget) who would make even more sense getting?

Pentax K20D + DA 18-55 II/3,5-5,6 AL + DA 50-200/4-5,6 ED
Pentax K20D + SMC-DA 16-45/4 ED AL
Pentax K20D + Sigma 18-50/2,8


All help/input is appreciated.


Last edited by Karn; 07-31-2008 at 05:53 PM.
07-31-2008, 05:55 PM   #2
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First of all, welcome to the forum.

As for getting a K20 vs the K200, I say buy the best you can afford. If that's the K20, then great! When the K20 first came out earlier this year, a lot of people thought it really wasn't worth the upgrade. As more and more people have gotten the K20 in their hands, they've realized that it was more of an upgrade to the K10 than they had originally thought. If getting the K20 would be stretching your budget a little too much, then I would suggest looking for a K10 vs. a K200. Basically, the K200 has a lot of the same features, including the sensor, as the K10, but the K10 has the double dial, which means you don't have to access the menu as much as you would with the K200.

As for lenses, I've got a few more, including a couple that are actually a little bit cheaper than the Sigma 18-50 and DA16-45:
--Sigma 17-70/2.8-4.5 (ca. $350) I just traded this one for the Tamron 28-75/2.8, mainly because I want constant aperture, but in and of itself, it's an excellent and versatile lens.
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro Lens Sample Photos and Specifications
--Tamron 28-75/2.8 (ca. $350) Most definitely a favorite around here if you don't need to go wide too often. The IQ (image quality) has been favorably compared with primes in the same range.
Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD (IF) Lens Sample Photos and Specifications
--Tamron 17-50 ($450) Fairly new to the Pentax mount, this lens has an excellent reputation with other mounts.
Tamron SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD Aspherical Lens Sample Photos and Specifications
The previous version of this lens...
Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di-II LD Asp IF Lens Sample Photos and Specifications

HTH,
Heather
07-31-2008, 06:17 PM   #3
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Pentax K20D + SMC-DA 16-45/4 ED AL
Pentax K20D + Sigma 18-50/2,8

or ignoring budget:

Pentax K20D + DA* 16-50/2.8 + DA* 50-135/2.8

My main idea is K20D + best lens(es) you can afford will make for a very happy user.

Sigma 17-70/2.8-4.5 is actually a very interesting range too, and add a 50/1.4 for low light and you can have all sorts of fun.
07-31-2008, 06:50 PM   #4
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Thanks for the fast answers, seems like no matter what camera I decide to go with I'll atleast have a great forum to turn to! But I'm quite sure I'll stick with getting a K20d. It just makes me more excited, I've only heard good things about it, I can afford it and will get better lenses later on anyway.

Now, the question remains which lens to start with. Seems like kit + kitzoom isn't as great as I was hoping it to be. So there I'm still very open about what lens to start out with. I do what it to be an "all-around" lens tho, since I think that's a good way to start to later on fill in with more lenses based on what I feel my needs are.

07-31-2008, 07:12 PM   #5
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If money is not an issue then K20D :-)

For an all round lens have a look at the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 as well. Most my photos are shot with that lens (.... or the Sigma 10-20 EX...)
07-31-2008, 07:57 PM   #6
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If you can afford the K20D, then go for it. I came from a P&S and couldn't be happier. As to the lens, for all around use, the 18-250 is a great choice for a starter. It will give you about the same IQ and performance of 18-55 and 50-200, but in a single lens. It's a good, versatile lens that will get you a picture under the normal circumstances that you are familiar with from your P&S. Actually better, given the K20D's high ISO performance. This lens is as all around as they come.
07-31-2008, 08:06 PM   #7
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Will do some reading up on the lens-recomendations, especially the 18-250.

It's decided anyway, I will order the k20d over k200d! Unsure about lens yet. I do really appreciate the recomendations, really helps in this for me totally unknown land of glass. Gonna read up and try to find some reviews and samples from all of them. Thanks, and do please continue to fill in with more lens info. I can not stretch the budget more than mentioned tho, so no DA* or anything. ;D

07-31-2008, 08:49 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Karn Quote
Well, I guess a brief explanation would be good here. I'm very interested in photo(and new to this forum, hi!) and manage to do some atleast "decent" stuff with my P&S(A canon A590 IS) which I'm btw very satisfied with, at the right settings it can perform very well.
Indeed. Many of the high-end compact cameras can take very good photos. And they have various advantages that digital SLRs don't have: they do video, they're smaller (which is an advantage sometimes), they don't permit lens changes so dust is never a worry, etc.


QuoteQuote:
Now, the question is: Do I, as a complete novice, need a K20D to give me something to really grow with? Would it be smarter to get a K200d instead, which perhaps is abit more rewarding for someone who's completely green on using a SLR or does it make sense to take such a big step from a P&S? A big advantage of getting a k200d is that I could buy a lens for the price difference.
That's a consideration. The cost of the camera is just PART of what you'll end up paying. Camera's no good without lenses, so you have to budget for lenses as well as the body.


QuoteQuote:
I want a pentax, that's already decided.
Why are you set on Pentax?


QuoteQuote:
These are the 3 different kits I've seen which I can afford, but maybe you know of a lens(within the same budget) who would make even more sense getting?

Pentax K20D + DA 18-55 II/3,5-5,6 AL + DA 50-200/4-5,6 ED
Pentax K20D + SMC-DA 16-45/4 ED AL
Pentax K20D + Sigma 18-50/2,8
I'd say, go with the body and the Pentax 16-45 f/4. And I've owned the other lenses.

Will
07-31-2008, 09:34 PM   #9
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The Pentax DA 17-70 f4 is also a lens option now.
07-31-2008, 09:39 PM   #10
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I bought the K20 and the Tamron 17-50mm f 2.8 and I am very happy.


Regards
07-31-2008, 09:50 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by WMBP Quote
Indeed. Many of the high-end compact cameras can take very good photos. And they have various advantages that digital SLRs don't have: they do video, they're smaller (which is an advantage sometimes), they don't permit lens changes so dust is never a worry, etc.


That's a consideration. The cost of the camera is just PART of what you'll end up paying. Camera's no good without lenses, so you have to budget for lenses as well as the body.


Why are you set on Pentax?


I'd say, go with the body and the Pentax 16-45 f/4. And I've owned the other lenses.

Will
'

Didn't really get the multi-quote system so this will have to do.

I'm aware of your two first points, I will still keep my P&S, It's very handy to just have around for well...anything. I also know lenses cost money, it even costs alot and in the long run I will ofc. improve my lenses.
I am on a budget now tho, it can't give me a K200d + DA* lens, but it can give me a K20D + one of the above lenses. I can't go higher than that. (Getting the camera through a company which I've helped out)

I'm set on pentax becuse I've read alot this week, about alot of cameras. When I started I didn't even know that Pentax made dSLRs. Actually, I was quite certain a Nikon D80 would be the best choice or maybe some Canon(the big 2!), but I'm not too convinced anymore :P Within my budget I can't afford a Canon 40d, Nikon d300 or a Sony A700, so no point in even comparing to them, and it feels like, atleast from the reviews I've read that the k20d is a much better camera than eos 450d, D80 or the A350.
I've then come to read some about the k200d also and would easly also buy that over the other non-weathersealed plastic toys (ops..!) in the same price range. If the k20d wasn't at such a good price I would already have buyed the k200d. Now the k20d is within my range tho, and that's where all these questions comes from, especially when only hearing good things about it now when people have owned it for awhile and actually thinking it's quite a big upgrade from the k10d.

What made me look into Pentax in the first place was the weather sealing, I plan to use my camera and everything that helps to protect it when doing so is in my opinion a great thing to have. I still use ABS and EPS on my car, even if I could prolly have managed without aslong as I would avoid harsh weather and snowy roads, but we do have that here in sweden and I DO plan to bring the k20d on every skitrip and mountain hike, so I do rate weather-sealing very highly in that regard. In the future getting DA* lenses is another thing I'm very fond off
Edit: I'm also starting to like this forum alot, especially the lens-review and slr lens discussion forums as of now when trying to decide between lenses

Hope my answer especially regarding why I'm sold on pentax helped you understand why it's the brand I've come to like the most so far.
Thanks for the input about the lens, it's also a big contender since I've read alot of good things about it. Maybe a telezoom could become a later project, hm..

Last edited by Karn; 07-31-2008 at 11:42 PM.
07-31-2008, 10:13 PM   #12
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QuoteQuote:
My main idea is K20D + best lens(es) you can afford will make for a very happy user.

I agree as well, this will take you to another level if you read up and choose correctly.

Neil
07-31-2008, 11:19 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Karn Quote
Didn't really get the multi-quote system so this will have to do.
Yeah, I don't understand it myself. I just insert a close quote and an open quote where I want (I have a keyboard shortcut for this) and then type my own comments in between.


QuoteQuote:
I'm set on pentax becuse I've read alot this week, about a lot of cameras. When I started I didn't even know that Pentax made dSLRs.
Sigh.

That's not directed at you. That's directed at Pentax Inc's marketing department. If they have one.


QuoteQuote:
Actually, I was quite certain a Nikon D80 would be the best choice or maybe some Canon (the big 2!), but I'm not too convinced anymore
Well, a D80 is not a bad first dslr at all, I think. And you can pick up a Nikon D200 now for a very good price. It's more comparable to a Pentax K10D.


QuoteQuote:
What made me look into Pentax in the first place was the weather sealing, I plan to use my camera and everything that helps to protect it when doing so is in my opinion a great thing to have. I still use ABS and EPS on my car, even if I could prolly have managed without aslong as I would avoid harsh weather and snowy roads, but we do have that here in sweden and I DO plan to bring the k20d on every skitrip and mountain hike, so I do rate weather-sealing very highly in that regard. In the future getting DA* lenses is another thing I'm very fond of.
Well, the weather sealing and the generally high-quality, sturdy build of the K20D are very good reasons to go for it.

One other lens to consider (if nobody's mentioned it already) would be the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I always think it's a bit ridiculous to play the game, "If you could only have one lens...." The point of buying a DSLR is to have multiple lenses! But if I could only have one lens, I might pick the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I'd really miss the wide angle. But it's a good lens.

Good luck with your purchase.

Will
07-31-2008, 11:29 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Karn Quote
Will do some reading up on the lens-recomendations, especially the 18-250.
Another recomendation for the 18-250. It's a great travel lens, and let's you discover what focal length range you use most. You can than later buy specialised lenses for that range.
Also ask around with family and friends. You may be surprised to find how many people have old Pentax gear stowed away somewhere. All these old lenses will fit on your K20D, and are stabilised as well
08-01-2008, 12:08 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by WMBP Quote
One other lens to consider (if nobody's mentioned it already) would be the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I always think it's a bit ridiculous to play the game, "If you could only have one lens...." The point of buying a DSLR is to have multiple lenses! But if I could only have one lens, I might pick the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. I'd really miss the wide angle. But it's a good lens.

Good luck with your purchase.

Will
I dont need just one lens, I already got plans on buying the 50 mm F1.4 lens as soon as possible for example, or something else fun.

I was just asking for some tips for different lenses to "start" with, a good all-around starting lens that gives me some zoomrange, and can be used in most settings with varied but atleast decent results . Keep in mind I still dont even really understand what F1.4 means, even if I'm quite sure thats the number that decides how much light a lens can take in, and it can also be used to change the depth of field(DOF?) or something. I am completely and utterly lost in in all this, which I think is great fun. Imagine buying a "super" dSLR and not even really understand how you're gonna use it, gonna make for a fun as hell learning experience!

But, I do think I'll ....maybe go with the SMC-DA 16-45/4 ED AL It seems like a very solid and capable all-around lens from what I have red, except it's abit short on the zoom-part, I do like it beeing abit wideangel, since I really like taking shots of landscape, buildings and such. But, gonna read alot more before I make a final decision.

Thanks for all the help!

Last edited by Karn; 08-01-2008 at 12:29 AM.
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