[David Cook]

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Hello all.
Bit of a pre-amble. I am 62, retired and recently disabled in that I need someone to push me about in a wheelchair.
Up until recently I was active, golfing and cycling and photography was a ‘holiday’ or special occasion thing.
I am a sucker for advertising and magazine hype and about 10 years ago decided I needed a digital camera. The one to buy the mags told me then seemed to be the Pentax K10d. Camera of the year etc .So that was the one
for me. I got the 18-55 kit lens and some time later bought a Tamron 18-250 for a holiday I was going on. I have acquired other bits of Pentax kit eg extension tubes, x2 converter. I also have manual 28mm, 50mm and 135 mm lenses. So I feel ‘tied in to Pentax’. Because of my disability I need to find an absorbing hobby so I am resurrecting photography.
I am concerned that when I buy all of the current magazines there are pages about Canon, slightly fewer about Nikon and absolutely nothing about Pentax!
Anyhow my dilemma is Do I buy the Pentax K1 or do I go for a KP? OR Do I cut and run to one of these others where gear seems more readily available.
Will the kit lens and the Tamron from the K10 work with both of these cameras?
My finances are limited and unless someone tells me I have to bite the bullet and get the K1 buying new lenses at the same time as a new body would be a stretch.
I aim to do table top, macro around the garden, and to get out when I can.
The internet keeps telling me that I ‘NEED’ a new camera and the K10 will no longer cut the mustard. I must confess the table top I have done is not so good with the ISO limitations of the K10.
Sorry for the ramblings but any advice greatfully received.
Regards

[FozzFoster]

I'd suggest to you to get a K-70 actually. It has an articulating rear lcd screen that would be most helpful for an individual who is disabled and wanting to get interesting angles with macro photography. I wouldn't worry about Pentax not releasing new gear - there is LOTS available and more releases coming soon, it's just that Pentax isn't the sweetest at marketing. If you keep up-to-date with PentaxForums you'll catch all the info you'll need.
The K-70 also has Pixel-Shift, 14-bit RAW, better low light performance, 24 megapixels, and will work 100% with all new and old lenses.
It's a great camera.
If your budget is even more tight, I'd suggest the K-S2 which is essentially the same thing as the K-70 but without the Pixel-Shift, 12-bit raw, and 20 megapixels.

---------- Post added 03-09-18 at 11:31 AM ----------

I'd maybe also suggest a flash for your table top photography. Especially one that can bounce off the ceiling, then you can shoot at low ISO and still eliminate hand shake. I'd look into a Yongnuo flash that can both tilt and rotate. Full manual flashes are fine and will give you something to master too. Also, a macro flash might be fun for your garden shots. Something cheap like a Promaster RL-100 would be great.

[photoptimist]

Don't get sucked in by herd mentality! Sure, Canon is popular but so are McDonalds burgers and Bud Lite beer. It may be true that there's more third-party stuff for Canon & Nikon, but that does not mean there's not enough on the Pentax side to do everything you want.

The KP is more compatible with your kit lens and Tamron. The K-1 can use these lenses, too, but it's in crop-mode because those two lenses only cover a fraction of the large full frame of the K-1. (Your manual lenses, extension tubes, and 2X convertor will almost certainly work well on both cameras.)

For macro, you'll also get more reach with the KP and a lighter body. And for the price difference between the K-1 and KP, you can buy the Pentax DFA 100 mm f/2.8 macro which is an amazing lens for table-top macro.

Enjoy!

[bigted]

Hi David,

I'm a bit younger than you but I am also disabled. While my legs still work they (and the rest of my body) need considerable help so I am either using a walker (and it's a massive one) or a scooter to get around and occasionally a wheelchair. Like you I bought my first piece of Pentax gear when everything still sort of worked so I was much more able bodied than I am now. I've always been quite happy with my gear and have had no inclination to jump ship - even though it has become harder and harder to find gear in the B&M shops. Advertising costs money and I'd rather have Pentax spend money on product development that advertising. My limitation is my bank balance (or lack thereof) rather than Pentax releasing new kit.
I'd be looking at what I plan to take shots of and which model will help you achieve those shots. I'm into wildlife and I use a K-3. My disability does make it harder to get the shots that a more able bodied photographer might have achieved but those limitations wouldn't change if I move to a full frame camera. I've also only ever shot with crop sensor and feel that I won't miss what I haven't seen. So back to which direction to go. I'd create a spread sheet of needs and wants in a camera and then see which model covers those needs best and take it from there.

Stevi

[Alex645]

I'd suggest to you to get a K-70 actually. It has an articulating rear lcd screen that would be most helpful for an individual who is disabled and wanting to get interesting angles with macro photography.

I'd agree with FozzFoster here with the K-70 if you intend to use your older glass. IF you were going to invest in new and higher calibre lenses, then the K-P would be a notch above the K-70. Relative to your previous DSLR, you'll find the K-70 a great value and improvement.

[Jeff]

Welcome to the forums, David. You've come to the right place for friendly advice and comradeship. I think that here in the UK we don't always get the better pricing on offer in the US or indeed in the rest of Europe, so I would look for a K70 and with the price difference between it and the KP (and a little bit extra) I'd look for a good deal on the f2.8 100mm WR Macro which will give you incredible close up capability and an excellent telephoto lens to boot. I just can't see a reason to spend any more than that if you say you don't have a big budget. That camera and lens combination will be fabulous - very light and very sharp. I'd agree that a YongNuo flash would benefit your table top macro work. They are not expensive on the usual mail order sites. You can get the K70 for a good price at the moment but I'd wait to see if any Easter deals appear for the 100mm Macro. I'm sure you'll find this forum a great place - there is not a friendlier and more welcoming group of like-minded people anywhere else on the www! My father has limited mobility and is sometimes in a chair and greatly enjoys his photography - and he's 77 years old, so it's a great thing to be involved in. Your eyes become an extension of yourself and you can reach further than you think!. Best wishes.

[Thagomizer]

You could choose blindly and pretty much be guaranteed to get a camera that would give excellent results. But you want something that's going to fit your hands, your eyes, your budget that does what you want it to do. If you have an opportunity to handle the cameras you're wondering about, that might help in your decision making. The weight, feel and placement of controls might be a better fit for you on one make/model of camera than another. That is important to your use and enjoymant of the camera. If a camera feels akward or uncomfortable, it's probably not the camera to get. Menu layouts and the way that a camera displays information and how you access menu items will vary between makes as well. Going with another Pentax, as well as allowing you to use lenses and accessories you've already got, will offer some degree of familiarity, as its layout is going to be more akin to what you're already used to in your K 10D than it would if you were to change brands. Pentax's in camera Shake Reduction (SR) means that all of your manual lenses will be stabilized by the camera: with Canon and Nikon, you're paying for stabilization as an extra for each lens.

Just an idea, bou might also think about coming up with a clamp or arm with a tripod head that you could use to mount your camera to your wheelchar, turning it into a nice, stable shooting platform. This might be easier to use than putting your camera on an actual tripod, which might not permit easy, close approach with your chair, given the spread and spacing of the three legs.

I'll put in my vote for an articulated screen: I find it indispensible for my macro shooting. I've got a K-S2; had I waited a year, I probably would have got the K-70. The KP's screen tilts up and down; the K-1 is more flexible still. The K-S2 and K-70 screens are fully articulated, allowing selfies if one is so inclined (which I occasionally am). You might find one of these configurations more suited to your needs and intended shooting style.

Please come back and let us know what you decided upon. Good luck in your search and your choice!

[Kevin B123]

Greetings and welcome David.
First things first, let's stop you looking at those nasty subversive adverts.
You don't need to buy the mags, you can get them online through your library free, and without the advertising!
Return to Library Collection

Then, just what everyone else has said. I think the K-70 is what you need if buying new.
If used, a K-5iiS and the D FA 100 macro. I can't see the K-1 being of more value to you.

[interested_observer]

Sorry to hear that your are now chair bound. I'll weigh in on some suggestions here, too. I would suggest either the K70 or the KP, mainly for the Pixel Shift, which should provide excellent results, both in resolution and true color. Here is an overview (using the K1, but in your case the K70 and KP would provide essentially the same results, but with a lower initial cost).

• Pentax K-1 Review - Pixel Shift in the Studio - Photography Classes in Seattle | National Park Photography Workshops | Photography Classes in Seattle | National Park Photography Workshops

The suggestions for the articulating rear screen is excellent. I can no longer effectively shoot with out one now that I have used it. I'll also go out on a limb here with respect to the K10D. That model was the last to use the CCD sensor. Although limited to lower ISO values, and without any live view capabilities - it did provide large fat pixels that soaked up light and provided rich saturated colors. With some external LED lighting on your subjects that you are shooting, you should be able to continue with that. There has been quite a bit of time since the K10D, and I do think that you will see differences, and you will get pleasing results from both (but, there will be differences).

A bit off topic here, but I'll toss this in too. There was this write up on a table top tripod, that works real well....

• Moman Mini Tripod - Greatest $30 Purchase in Last 5 Years! - PentaxForums.com

... and actually, it is available with a ball head for a bit less - same tripod, which is a steal.

• Manbily Mini Table Tripod MT-01 Compact Camera ball head Phone Stand | eBay

[Des]

Typically for PF, you get lots of helpful responses very quickly. I'll try not to repeat what others have said.

Yes, David, it is worth upgrading your camera, and yes Pentax offers all you need. The ergonomics, user-friendly design and value-for-money of Pentax would make it a good choice even if you were starting from scratch. Having existing lenses and familiarity with the Pentax system are a bonus.

I'd join the chorus for the K-70 or K-P. Both have pixel shift which would be very good for table-top tripod shots. You might actually find the fully-articulating screen on the K-70 more versatile than the tilting screen on the K-P. I have the K-S2 which has a similar screen to the K-70 and I find it very useful for awkward angles. The K-70 is an outstanding camera for the money. Spending the difference on a macro lens would be sensible in my opinion. [Edit: @interested_observer just beat me to the punch on these points!]

I had the Tamron 18-250 for about 6 years. It's a very good lens for what it is. For outdoor use when your mobility is limited, the ability to zoom across a wide focal range (without changing lenses) would be a great advantage. My regret is that when I used that lens with my old K100D Super I didn't shoot in RAW - when I got a K-30 and did, I found that images could be lifted quite a lot with some quick processing.

The Sigma 18-300 is the current king of superzooms, but I doubt it would be worth the cost of the upgrade from your current Tamron. If you decide you want more reach than the Tamron offers (e.g. for birds or insects), one of the Pentax 55-300 models would give you better results. The recently-superseded Pentax DA 55-300 f4-5.8 WR is great value at present.

As for the macro, you can't go wrong with any of them. There is no such thing as a bad macro lens. The first question is which focal length would suit you best. You should be able to tell by trying different focal lengths. The main options are 35mm (Pentax DA 35mm f2.8 Macro), 50mm (several generations of Pentax lenses), or somewhere between 90mm and 105mm (e.g. Tamron 90mm, Pentax A/F/FA/DFA 100mm, Sigma 105mm). There are other specialty options (e.g. the rare and very expensive Pentax 200mm macros, or the range of Laowa macro lenses), but one of the main three would meet most needs. If you end up wanting more than 1:1 macro, you could add a diopter, or an extension tube, or a teleconverter. If your main use of the macro would be indoors, you wouldn't need the WR versions (although it is nice to have for the option of shooting outdoors when there is rain around).

[swanlefitte]

I have some excellent tabletop macro with my k100d. Light is the main problem. Perhaps a flash and a flash cable would work for you. I had/have your lenses i wanted more pixels but the flash has meant alot. Just another perspective.

[Cerebum]

Yay, another English Pentaxian I have a K30 (ebay) and a K3 (local camera shop). I have picked up a number of manual lenses and everything I have, bar my 10-17mm fish eye is second hand. So, I am ringing the bell for used? The K3 has a full metal body and is a weighty beast and I believe the K1 is slightly heavier. Is weight an issue? The K30/50 suffers from an inherent fault that affects 30% so you are probably best to avoid them, also the K-s1 suffers to a lesser extent. So, avoiding them we have the K5ii, (ebay prices, £475 for a mint one) K3 (£393) and the K3ii (£500 ish) in the heavyweight corner, the KP (£680 new) in the middle and the K70 (£585) & K-s2 (£500 ish) at the lighter end. The best value is either the K3 or the K70. The K70 has WiFi and an articulating screen and is the lighter of the two but you lose out on a top lcd and other bits and bobs. As for the K3, it is just wonderful. Both should be reliable and will give you years of service. I got a mint K3 body with 415 actuations for £275. Finding something like that will give you lens money and tthere are bargains like that out there. Also, you may be able to find a nearly new body with lenses for new body prices. Another place to look is Amazon. They were doing the K70 with the SMC da 55-300 for around £500, offers pop up. Once you have decided what you want have a look on the marketplace here on the forum. That way you will know you are getting quality kit at a good price.

God I go on lol, ok, to summarise, the K3 is brilliant but heavy, although you can get them really cheap, the K70 is also brilliant but lighter than the K3. Either of those would fit the bill. There are comparisons on here which outline the strengths and weaknesses. Canon and Nikon are lighter, the ones I held felt like toys, make of that what you will, also, lenses may be dear for Pentax but canon and Nikon are no cheaper and there are plenty of K mount lenses around.

Happy hunting

---------- Post added 03-09-18 at 03:12 PM ----------

Btw, I am also 60 in four weeks & 60 is the new 40 old indeed

[David Cook]

Wow! Thank you all so much for your informative responses. I can’t believe it.
It seems that I have not considered the Pentax range enough. I will certainly have a good look at the K 70 which many are advocating. As for flash guns I do have 2 from the film days. An old Sunpak and a Miranda with tilt head. Neither of which I have put onto the K10 because of the incompatibility issues I have read about.
Thank you so much for the links to enable me to do more research.

I have tried table top and you are correct, actually getting near to anything from a wheelchair is difficult especially when having the camera on a tripod and the wheels won’t go between the tripod legs!!
I have a steep learning curve and will need to develop work arounds, the construction of an arm or platform to fit to the chair is certainly something to consider. I can tell that I am going to enjoy my time on the forum.
Regards
David

[DeadJohn]

I must confess the table top I have done is not so good with the ISO limitations of the K10.

I see you later replied about the difficulty using a tripod from a wheelchair. Good point.

Consider improving the lighting at your table. Cheap LED lamps might suffice, you don't need expensive photography-specific lighting gear. Maybe you can get enough light to keep your K10D at lower ISO.

Anyhow my dilemma is Do I buy the Pentax K1 or do I go for a KP? OR Do I cut and run to one of these others where gear seems more readily available.

Technology has advanced so far that it's difficult to find a bad camera model nowadays. There are good cameras and even better cameras. Much of the appeal for more expensive cameras is high ISO, ultrafast burst speeds, weather sealing, and other gadgets. They are useful features for some types of photography but for indoor still life and macro you don't need features that are intended for shooting sports.

As others have said, assuming you decide to stick with Pentax, the K-70 is a good budget choice. It is a major improvement over the K10D. Much less noise at high ISO. Higher resolution, in case you need to crop your macro shots. The K-1 costs 3x the price and IMO isn't worth it for the types of photography you want to do.

Will the kit lens and the Tamron from the K10 work with both of these cameras?

Any lens that fits the K10D should work with a newer Pentax DSLR. That includes the K-70.

[bigted]

David, I got to thinking and wonder if a monopod would help you? Now you won’t be able to let go of the camera but you would be able to use it seated in a wheelchair. I haven’t tried it myself but that’s only because it just came to my mind as an option. In my mind I was thinking you could position it between your knees. Depending on your seat depth you might be able to make it work for you. Since I have a monopod I will dig it out and try it next time I am out. I don’t think I’ve used mine since I stopped going for unaided long walks. If you are interested in how it works out let me know and I will report back. And if you’ve tried it let me know how it worked for you.

Stevi