[Hattifnatt]

Hello fellow Pentaxians !!

A good friend of mine is looking for a camera as his first DSLR, he wants to start out with photography. He seems to be serious about it. Targets would be landscapes, urban photography and portraits. He also told me that he would prefer a flexible camera. Based on this and his budget, I recommended him to choose between Pentax K3 II (which has a very good price in our country now, 825 $ brand new) and Nikon 7200 (which is a bit more expensive at 980 $).

My questions to you:

Can you comment on advantages/disadvantages of both choices? I have been a Pentax user for a few years (with K5, K5IIs and now K-1). During this time, I did use a Nikon D7000 from a friend a couple of times, but I don't know so much about the Nikon system. I know that there are some among you using both systems, or at least switched from Pentax to Nikon or vice versa.

Are there any Canon camera bodies worth considering? When he told me about landscapes, I disqualified Canon bodies almost at once because inferior sensors... to my knowledge at least. Is it possible that I'm wrong?

Any lens suggestions for a smooth start? I recommended going for 16-85/18-135 if Pentax, 18-105 if Nikon and in both cases add a 50/1.8 prime.

Cheers!!

[Rondec]

To me, the benefits of Pentax are in body image stabilization, tough/weather sealed bodies, pixel shift, astro tracer, and some of the unique primes (like the DA 15) that are present. I think either the 18-135 or 16-85 would be good starter lenses for a new photographer, although the 16-85 seems to get better reviews. I really like Pentax's ergonomics, but I suppose that is because I have used it more than any other brand.

Biggest benefits of Nikon are the better flash system and tracking auto focus. The K3 II is pretty good, but I think the D7200 tracks better. The other thing, I suppose, is the availability of gear to try out in stores/rent. I know in many countries Pentax is pretty far behind Nikon and Canon in these respects. Of course if your friend can share lenses with you, then that could be something in favor of Pentax.

I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the cameras out there right now and some depends on glass. New photographers tend to focus on camera bodies, but it is the glass that is more important in the long run.

[kev.pride]

If he doing everything other than Sports, then the K3ii is as good as or better than the D7200. I used K3 along with D7100 for a period of time and IMHO Pentax is far better built and for most users a better camera. He would find enough good lenses in the Pentax line up as compared to Nikon with exception Nikon has a wider choice of 3rd Party lenses.

I run both Pentax and Nikon bodies and Nikon lenses are not cheap if that is a consideration. Depending where located there may be a good range of Second Hand lenses available - even second hand Nikon lenses get higher prices than Pentax equivalent in my observations.I have the Nikon 18-200VR and by all accounts this is a better lens than the 18-105VR. The Pentax 18-135 which I have is certainly as good as Nikon 18-200..

Hope this helps.

[robert52]

To me here in Oz ( at in my part of Oz) theres no shops with Pentax so its really just Canon / Nikon ( but then again to be honest these shops that sell Canon / Nikon have no after sales ).
Also I really dont like the Oz distributor with Pentax.
To be honest as much as I love my Pentax if I was a gear virgin then either Canon or Nikon I would go much more out there new & s/hand.
I even told my 23 year old son when he was looking at getting a DSLR but then again I gave him my K7 28/105 lens 100/300 & a Sigma EF530 Super flash. I told him IF he get serious to look at the other 2

[repaap]

I'v tried Nikon 7200 + 18-105 zoom. I had my K-3 16-50 and couple primes to where compare. Must have been that lens on Nikon that made me think of all that praise for Nikon for AF...and that zoom left me cold. My friend asked for me help to get her photography started, because she has seen my photos. Well. Interface is so different that I struggled to find couple things, anyway. Interface is also better to my liking in Pentax(must be that I have been using it so long). It really means a lot, how it fits your hand, and can you easilly find buttons that you need. Lot's of time it is good to find them with out taking your eye off VF.

If I would buy now APS-C it would be that K3II with 16-85(too bad that it came just after I bought 16-50) and 50/1,8 and maybe macro or superwide 15 mm...then some filters, great tripod, good monopod and a ballhead that is sturdy enough(you can switch that ballhead from Tripod to monopod...).. that would be my point of view. Also now that i have GPS in my K-1 it is great fun to catch those stars when possible, should be the same with K3II.

[CarlJF]

Are there any Canon camera bodies worth considering? When he told me about landscapes, I disqualified Canon bodies almost at once because inferior sensors... to my knowledge at least. Is it possible that I'm wrong?

The 80D certainly is worth the look. The newest Canon 24MP sensor are much better than the previous generation. Today, I would not fear to use one for landscape.

[FantasticMrFox]

To me, the benefits of Pentax are in body image stabilization, tough/weather sealed bodies, pixel shift, astro tracer, and some of the unique primes (like the DA 15) that are present. I think either the 18-135 or 16-85 would be good starter lenses for a new photographer, although the 16-85 seems to get better reviews. I really like Pentax's ergonomics, but I suppose that is because I have used it more than any other brand.

Biggest benefits of Nikon are the better flash system and tracking auto focus.

This exactly

[JohnX]

Are there camera shops available to your friend where he can handle a range of makes/models?

I find (like Harry Potters wand) the camera chooses you! One of them will just feel right in hand.

[UserAccessDenied]

Are there camera shops available to your friend where he can handle a range of makes/models?

I find (like Harry Potters wand) the camera chooses you! One of them will just feel right in hand.

+1 for Harry Potter reference.

[TER-OR]

Any of the DSLRs will give you flexibility.
I'll add that Pentax is built for easy manual use, all the controls are at your fingertips and they know we still use manual glass. When you get to specialty glass, the brands start to stand apart but those are often fairly to very expensive. Average users shouldn't really look at the $5K systems since they'll never buy them.

Nikon and Pentax are both using quality Sony sensors, and if you shoot RAW you're not even comparing JPG processing. Even so, JPG settings are a personal choice. Canon seems to be lagging in the sensor department for their consumer level offerings.

Build and ruggedness are a consideration, a lot of us like that about Pentax. Of course you should try to protect your camera and lenses, but it's nice knowing there is some security there.

If your friend considers himself or wants to be a fairly technical photographer, Pentax will give you more tools at your fingertips.

[amp]

I'm currently using both cameras. Actually, I have the 7200 on sale here on the forums. Nikon has consistently better flash results. Besides that, there isn't much else between them. Both great cameras. I don't see a great difference in af, despite what we hear. You can't go wrong with either.

[VoiceOfReason]

The K3 and 18-135 combo would provide a great WR kit that will get plenty done. My 18-135 is sharp and very flexible, and when I need a quick grab and go kit that and the K3 are hard to beat. Before I got my K1 that was the combo you would likely see in my hands when hiking, on roadtrips, or while vacationing.

[Dan Rentea]

Canon seems to be lagging in the sensor department for their consumer level offerings.

Where exactly is Canon lagging behind in the sensor department if we talk about K-3 II vs. 80D? I don't like DXO, but most people love charts, so... here are the DXO results. Do you think that a difference of 0,4evs in Dynamic range is visible in real life shooting?



Someone mentioned about the availability of gear to try out in stores/rent. That is the first and most important aspect to take into consideration. Renting (if possible) is a good advice to give to someone who wants to invest into a system. K-3 II, D7200, 80D...he can't go wrong with those cameras.

[TER-OR]

Looks like the Canon mid-range is getting better - that's good. Maybe I'm thinking of their lower level ones.

All the systems will give you flexibility and when handled well produce quality results. Look for the differences, whether it's specialty lenses like the pancakes or in-lens stabilization etc. For general use they're pretty well-matched.

[wsteffey]

For many of us, on-line shopping is the only option available when considering Pentax. I don't consider this a major drawback when ordering from Amazon, as their return policy is generous. Still, it would be nice to hold something before buying it. I would be more concerned about the future availability of third party lenses for Pentax. While some may buy Pentax glass at any price, the competition from third party lenses helps keep manufacturer glass prices in check, and many third party lenses perform very well. I would also be worried about Pentax warranty support. The k-30 through k-70 have had serious problems way too soon for what are now expensive cameras, and Pentax obviously does not consider this a problem (for them). On the plus side, I like that my circa 2003 lenses still work well on the newest cameras.