[pentaxlandscape]

Hi pentax forums,
I am a K10d owner and have kit lenses 18-55 and 50 200. I wanted to upgrade my camera and started looking at mirrorless sony, canon m50, also pentax dslr bodies K70 and KP and now i am really confused. So I really need some recommendations about below options.
-K70 with 18-135 lens
-K70 body only
-KP body only
-Canon M50 with 15-45

I am mostly taking landscape and traveling too much so i am also considering a mirrorless (like m50) but not sure it will satisfy me.

Thanks.

[Ole]

Since you're already covered with lenses from 18mm to 200mm I would recommend the K-70 and the smc Pentax-DA 12-24mm, which (in my opinion) is the ideal landscape lens. Sharp and excellent color rendition.

You find sample images taken with the 12-24mm by our users here.

[WPRESTO]

There is a micro-four-thirds thread here on PF. Images posted there will give you some idea of what to expect from a high quality small-sensor camera. The KP has an advanced sensor and will probably provide IQ about as good as it gets from an APS-C camera. There is no argument that camera with a FF sensor gives superior IQ, but the camera and all lenses are substantially larger, heavier, and generally more expensive. If you are making large prints, FF will be better than APS-C, and APS-C better than MFT - probably. HOWEVER, tests of the Olympus OMD 1 MK II system for ultra-resolution (still subjects, tripod mounted camera, 50mp file!) suggest it is capable of recording as much or more detail as any FF sensor not equipped with such a system. The quality of the LENS is surely as important as sensor size. A top lens on MFT will match or outperform a mediocre lens on FF.


And as always, the loose nut behind the viewfinder is the real limitation on the quality of the images we collect. We all think the best equipment will make our images better, but the truth we don't want to admit is, as Pogo famously observed: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

And my situation: I pre-ordered a K1, and it provides wonderful images, but the camera + lenses are too heavy for me now. I got some MFT equipment, primarily I thought, for travel photography, but I find the equipment so convenient I use it in lieu of even my K3 when taking pictures locally where it would be easy to take along the K1. Want the ultimate in quality? Learn to use an 11X14 view camera. Want images that are 100% adequate, even at times outstanding taken with equipment that's convenient to carry? Truth is, small-sensor digitals, even a shirt-pocket P&S can deliver better results than we gear heads want to admit, provided you know what you are doing and actually do it. The best camera is the one you never hesitate to take along, the one that's with you all the time.

[UncleVanya]

I really like my 18-135... And sold my 18-55, 50-200 soon after getting it.

I also shoot m43. I find it depends on the subject and the camera body how much I miss apsc when I do. The gx-7 is close enough for most of my shots, the gx-1 is not enough for shots that need more dynamic range.

But the point about the best camera being what you are willing to carry is true. If I'm not sure if I want to take along a camera I often toss the gx-1 and a few lenses in the car. (Gx-7 was nationalized by my dad on his last visit...lol)

If pick the k70 with the 18-135 personally.

Final thoughts, I like the 12-24 Pentax also, but often find I prefer the da 15 since I shoot into the sun a lot and it excels there.

Another consideration for the Q-7 (or Q-S1), is that it is so light weight that with a wrist-strap you can wear it like a bracelet where it will always be ready to take a picture. It also has the tiny fish-eye 03 that is less than $100 and gives your travel pictures a really different look.

[tvdtvdtvd]

I love my Q7, but it definitely has its limitations. The biggest drawback is the lack of a viewfinder, which makes the camera
very difficult to use in bright, sunny conditions. As a secondary camera, the Q is a blast, especially with all the options for
adapted lenses. As a primary camera it will frustrate.

If you have a local store that sells cameras, I would suggest going there and seeing what you like in your hand. Don't get
fixated on a specific brand or model but rather stay focused on which form factor you prefer; DSLR or mirrorless. Then
start looking at specs. The KP looks like an incredible camera and personally it would be my current choice if I were looking for
an APS-C DSLR body. I'm sure the M50 is a fine camera, but you're likely to spend a lot more time in the menus; the KP
has a clear advantage in usability with its generous buttons and dials.

[mikesbike]

If you bought the K10D new, you've had it a long time. A fine, ground-breaking Pentax at that time, and still a good camera. But it has been long surpassed in most every respect. That said, you are used to a very durably-built body with a pro-style control set. There are also advantages and disadvantages to every design concept now out there. When getting too small, ergonomics can become totally unsatisfactory, along with minimal controls and less conveniences for making fast adjustments, perhaps even no built-in flash for a grab shot or fill.

The KP's design concept was for very well-built metal construction (magnesium alloy) but in a more compact design to offer the larger APS-C sensor in a DSLR, to be competitive with APS-C size mirrorless. This addresses the need of those wanting the compact advantage of mirrorless, but with APS-C and an optical VF, and also a unique control set up to pro standards. In addition, its concept included the seemingly impossible goal of image quality, including lower noise, that is as near the full-frame K-1 as possible. All tests have indicated these goals have been successfully reached in the KP! I have liked mine so much I bought a second body!

My recommendation is- go the extra yard for a KP and the DA 18-135mm DC WR lens. Coming from the lenses you now have, you will love the DA 18-135mm DC WR, I am sure. AF is very fast, quiet, and accurate. IQ is good to excellent, with central image area at the excellent level throughout its great zoom range. It is very compact for the zoom range, well-built, and good-handling. The KP will offer the high build quality you are used to in a more compact form, with a lot of performance improvements.

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Last edited by mikesbike; 06-02-2018 at 10:08 AM.

[Madaboutpix]

Based on the preferences you expressed - landscapes, travel, lightweight & compact - I would recommend the following:

• Pentax KP - the latest-sensor and probably best-IQ APS-C body in the current line-up, rugged enough for field use
• DA 50mm F1.8 - dirt-cheap, possibly to be had in a kit with the KP; will give you a short-telephoto option for more intimate landscapes and likely whet your appetite for the IQ that primes and generally lenses beyond the kit-lens realm afford you
• slowly but steadily build a small neat kit of DA Limited lenses; with your shooting preferences, you'll probably want HD15 and HD70

Just my two bits, of course.

[DeadJohn]

I am mostly taking landscape and traveling too much so i am also considering a mirrorless (like m50) but not sure it will satisfy me.

Your first post here. Welcome. Why are you looking to upgrade; what is it about your K10D that holds you back?

What types of landscapes? Do you want to do night landscapes? Do you only view on-screen or do you want to print large?

The Pentax K70 is a great choice. It has a good sensor, low noise if you want to increase ISO for low light landscapes, good dynamic range when you have sun and shade in the scene. As an alternative to the 18-135 lens, consider the 16-85 if you want to go a little wider. Or just stick to the 18-135 for now and you can buy something like the DA 15 Limited later if you need it.

I don't know much about the Canon M50. Canon sensors generally fall behind the Sony sensors that Pentax uses, but I checked a review of the M50 and its sensor seems pretty good noisewise. Mirrorless uses batteries quickly because the electronic viewfinder and sensor consume power all the time.

Micro 4/3 is an option, too. You can get a very compact kit but low light performance is lacking.

[pentaxlandscape]

Since you're already covered with lenses from 18mm to 200mm I would recommend the K-70 and the smc Pentax-DA 12-24mm, which (in my opinion) is the ideal landscape lens. Sharp and excellent color rendition.

You find sample images taken with the 12-24mm by our users here.

Thanks, i will check 12-24.

[pentaxlandscape]

If you bought the K10D new, you've had it a long time. A fine, ground-breaking Pentax at that time, and still a good camera. But it has been long surpassed in most every respect. That said, you are used to a very durably-built body with a pro-style control set. There are also advantages and disadvantages to every design concept now out there. When getting too small, ergonomics can become totally unsatisfactory, along with minimal controls and less conveniences for making fast adjustments, perhaps even no built-in flash for a grab shot or fill.

The KP's design concept was for very well-built metal construction (magnesium alloy) but in a more compact design to offer the larger APS-C sensor in a DSLR, to be competitive with APS-C size mirrorless. This addresses the need of those wanting the compact advantage of mirrorless, but with APS-C and an optical VF, and also a unique control set up to pro standards. In addition, its concept included the seemingly impossible goal of image quality, including lower noise, that is as near the full-frame K-1 as possible. All tests have indicated these goals have been successfully reached in the KP! I have liked mine so much I bought a second body!

My recommendation is- go the extra yard for a KP and the DA 18-135mm DC WR lens. Coming from the lenses you now have, you will love the DA 18-135mm DC WR, I am sure. AF is very fast, quiet, and accurate. IQ is good to excellent, with central image area at the excellent level throughout its great zoom range. It is very compact for the zoom range, well-built, and good-handling. The KP will offer the high build quality you are used to in a more compact form, with a lot of performance improvements.

Thanks for all the answers and comments.
I am using K10d for 10 years. As i see 18-135 in K70 kit is cheaper than KP kit. I think KP does not have a bundle with 18-135, so i need to buy 18-135 seperately.
Also K70 is smaller than KP. I have not checked any of the cameras in store yet.

[pentaxlandscape]

Your first post here. Welcome. Why are you looking to upgrade; what is it about your K10D that holds you back?

What types of landscapes? Do you want to do night landscapes? Do you only view on-screen or do you want to print large?

The Pentax K70 is a great choice. It has a good sensor, low noise if you want to increase ISO for low light landscapes, good dynamic range when you have sun and shade in the scene. As an alternative to the 18-135 lens, consider the 16-85 if you want to go a little wider. Or just stick to the 18-135 for now and you can buy something like the DA 15 Limited later if you need it.

I don't know much about the Canon M50. Canon sensors generally fall behind the Sony sensors that Pentax uses, but I checked a review of the M50 and its sensor seems pretty good noisewise. Mirrorless uses batteries quickly because the electronic viewfinder and sensor consume power all the time.

Micro 4/3 is an option, too. You can get a very compact kit but low light performance is lacking.

Hi John, thanks.
I am using K10D for 10 years. It has slow focusing with the lenses i have.
Actually for the last few years i am not shooting to much. I think i need something new may be i am wrong.
I do not shoot to much night landscapes and do not print large.
I will visit some of the nat parks in LA and thinking to get some new equipment before visiting.

[Cerebum]

I have a K3 and an Olympus stylus 1s. I use an 18-135mm, nice lens. I also have the 10-17 fish eye, which is great but even at 17mm you get distortion (I still love it though). Re the Olympus, it is 12mp, raw, f2.8 throughout lens, all the modes, tilting screen, viewfinder, WiFi, huge zoom and its very portable. The downside is the size of the sensor but for £200-250 it is tremendous. What I am getting at is a two camera scenario. You can't decide between portability and full function so consider both. The Q is an interesting option but you will have lenses to buy. Several compacts have aps-c sensors like the Ricoh GR II. OK so the zoom isn't great but hey. You could feasibly get a K70 and a used Olympus Stylus 1s or a canon PowerShot G9 X mkII Then grab the most appropriate set up on the day. Lots of the guys here have a compact in their bag of limiteds. They are a very capable and fun way of keeping sharp

[pentaxfall]

Since you are an advanced user I suggest to include Pixel Shift and Focus peaking in the list.

[pentaxlandscape]

Since you are an advanced user I suggest to include Pixel Shift and Focus peaking in the list.

Bort pentax bodoes has these features, right?