[david94903]

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K20d and K5 are also great options.

[Ropuchy]

now I wasn't thinking about that expensive a camera to start with

but some have I am sure

Yeah, I was mostly kidding Exaggerating to make it a bit funnier, I dunno.

---------- Post added 07-31-18 at 07:10 PM ----------

eBay and this forum, maybe every month or two. Of course there are still the ones listed for $300+, but compared to the K-30 and K-50 which I almost never see below $200-$250, it's possible to get a pretty good deal.

Alright, I'll keep an eye out for them!

---------- Post added 07-31-18 at 07:12 PM ----------

K20d and K5 are also great options.

Yeah, I'll have to see if I can find them within my budget! Hopefully I can get a good deal on something.

I'm in no hurry, so I've got lots of time to grab a deal if/when they pop up.

[ChristianRock]

I would either go with the K10d or spend 200 and get the K-5. I would not recommend the K-x or K-r because their viewfinders are small and dark and you will be using manual focus lenses.

The K10d sensor isn't nearly as bad as some people would have you think. In fact it has a wonderful film like feel and I just love using mine despite having two newer bodies... Which I also like, don't get me wrong... But the K10d definitely has a special place in my heart! Keep it within ISO 100-800 like you probably do with film and you will like the results I think!

[Ropuchy]

I would either go with the K10d or spend 200 and get the K-5. I would not recommend the K-x or K-r because their viewfinders are small and dark and you will be using manual focus lenses.

The K10d sensor isn't nearly as bad as some people would have you think. In fact it has a wonderful film like feel and I just love using mine despite having two newer bodies... Which I also like, don't get me wrong... But the K10d definitely has a special place in my heart! Keep it within ISO 100-800 like you probably do with film and you will like the results I think!

Ok, thanks for the good info!
I think I'll just get the K10D for now and see what it can do!
The pictures I've seen taken with the K10D look very nice.

Thanks!

[zippythezip]

OK, now to put another of my different ideas out there. I find now that my eyes are not what they used to be I find it hard to manual focus with a DSLR. So I switched over to using K-01 cameras.
This old camera has the same sensor as the K5 but has focus peaking and zoom focus. Now it can be hard to see in the sunlight but there are ways around this, hoods etc.
I still have my K10 and nice old camera but the rear LCD screen is tiny.

[UncleVanya]

K10d is a great camera but the K-5 is far better for low light. Look at this data:

Pentax K10D : Tests and Reviews - DxOMark 522 ISO
Pentax K7 : Specifications - DxOMark 536 ISO
Pentax K-5 : Tests and Reviews - DxOMark 1162 ISO

Surprisingly the early cmos sensors like the k-7 aren't super low light devices. The increased sensor pixel density didn't give much improvement in low light. In theory this higher resolution could be down samples to 10mp and yield lower noise. But the jump in performance at the 16mp sensor is astounding in the k-5.

[UncleVanya]

If you can get that k-5 I would highly recommend it.

[UncleVanya]

K-01 is interesting, but prices have risen and the LCD only approach is hard to get used to.

[From1980]

I'm surprised more recommendations haven't been for the K20d since it was quantum leap ahead of the K10d but hasn't usually been anywhere near the price of a K7 on ebay. I personally went with the K20d a few years ago while a friend bought the K10d for almost as much. Many others on the forum here and elsewhere started with the K20d as first dlsr and never felt the need to change until the K5 series or even K3 and then keep it anyway as a capable backup. The K10d was inadequate much earlier.

[Billk]

Alright. Having headroom to grow into would be good!
I'll look into the K-5 a bit more.
The K-7 also has live view, but can be found a bit cheaper. What are your thoughts?


Thanks!

I've just sold my K7. It is a fine camera if you can stick to lower ISOs but it wasn't getting any love after the K3ii (now also sold : ( ) and K1 (you can take it from my cold dead hands) came along.

I don'tthink you would regret getting either the K7 or K5 but I think I would recommend spending the bit extra on the K5.

[Dartmoor Dave]

I'd be looking for a DSLR that would fit my lenses and allow me to take pictures in low-light conditions or of the stars (Something my phone can do, but is very poor at.)

I bow to nobody in my love of the K10D, but it's not the camera that I'd recommend given your interest in low light and astrophotography.

Personally I've got a K-S1 that I use purely as a low light special, and it does that job very well indeed. But I'm not going to recommend that one either.

If your budget can stretch to it, I'd suggest a K-5. As the top-of-the range camera of its time it gives you controls on the body to get most of the settings you need, rather than leaving you constantly menu diving. It'll have better weather sealing too, and very acceptable low light performance. The advantage of cameras made for "serious" photography is that they offer you more flexibility and more room for growth than the lower-end models that were designed for users who would leave them in full auto most of the time.

[Rondec]

I have no idea the prices of used gear right now. If you can find a K5 for a price that works for you, I think you would be very pleased.

The one comment I would make is that you need to think about a wide-ish angle lens as well. All of these cameras are crop cameras which means that the lenses see a field of view that is the same as a lens 1.5 times as long would see on your K1000. They aren't really any longer, but their field of view is cropped. Not a big deal, but often for astro photography wide angles are a good place to start. At a minimum you would want to think about a kit lens which is pretty cheap and is 18-55mm.

[surfar]

Pentax K-30 body 16.3MP Digital SLR Camera [Exc++] #304417A 27075217201 | eBay

This one looks OK.

---------- Post added 08-01-18 at 08:27 PM ----------

Alright, I'll keep an eye out for them!

In your price range

---------- Post added 08-01-18 at 08:30 PM ----------

[NEAR MINT] Pentax K-50 Shot Count JUST [4,020] DSLR Beautiful From Japan #355 | eBay

A near mint K-50!

[officiousbystander]

Another vote for the K5. If you're serious it'll take you longer to reach your limits than with the kx. Also it hits that16mp sweet spot with resolution and low light performance balance. I still haven't had a compelling reason to upgrade. Maybe the K3iii.

[aslyfox]

. . . All of these cameras are crop cameras which means that the lenses see a field of view that is the same as a lens 1.5 times as long would see on your K1000. They aren't really any longer, but their field of view is cropped. . . .

The Crop Factor Unmasked
Field of View vs Focal Length on various formats
By PF Staff in Articles and Tips on Jul 23, 2014

Many of us have cameras with different sensor sizes; this raises the question of which lenses need to be used to get the same field of view on two different formats. Below we provide a table listing focal lengths with equivalent Field of View (FoV) across several sensor sizes. The actual diagonal field of view (in degrees) is shown on the far right. Click the table to enlarge. . . .

In other words, an smc Pentax-A 50mm F1.7 lens as shown to the right is a 50 mm lens when mounted on a Pentax Q7 (1/1.7 inch sensor size), on a Pentax K-3 (APS-C sensor size), or on a Pentax film SLR (aka 24 x 36 mm or full frame). The focal length does not change with the camera. But the field of view which the lens captures does change. And so does depth of field, but that is for another article.

Read more at: The Crop Factor Unmasked - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

_________________________


One term that you’re certain to come across when researching your next DSLR purchase is ‘Crop Factor’.
This is a slightly complex topic and many long article have been written explaining it – but to keep it simple let me attempt a short explanation.
While normal film cameras take 35mm film (it is a standard for the industry) there is much variety between manufacturers on image sensor sizes. The main reference point that people therefore use is the 35mm one which is considered ‘full frame’ size.

If you compare the size of the film in a normal SLR (film is 35mm) to the image sensor in most DSLRs you’ll find that the size of the DSLRs sensor is generally smaller (unless you get what’s called a ‘full frame’ DSLR). . . .

https://digital-photography-school.com/crop-factor-explained/