[cprobertson1]

I've been thinking of upgrading my K-50 for a while now - and one of the guys at work recently bought a brand new Pentax KP and I rather liked it - though I've not really had a chance to play about with it except from a token shot or two in the office.

It got me thinking though: is it just gear-creep/envy? Sure it'd be nice to have a new camera, but do I need one, or merely want one?

Im typically a believer of "a bad artisan blames their tools" - and I love my K-50 - it's a good wee camera! I cannot fault it. That's a lie, some of the menus are harder-to-reach than I would like - but aside from that, I cannot fault it!

My arguments for an upgrade are that the KP has many features I find appealing - the low-light/high ISO performance should pair well with the tilting LCD and the red-mode for low-light viewing for doing astro, the higher 24 mp resolution (and super-resolution option) appeals for landscape and macro work. It is also aesthetically pleasing, and from what I can gather, ruggedly built.

On the flip-side, it's a lot of money: I would need to get it on finance, and would most likely stick with my existing lenses rather than purchasing a new kit lens with it1 - though I might be persuaded otherwise! I would also need to replace my sanyo AA batteries - and with that comes reduced battery life and extra cost. Not a huge problem, but annoying nonetheless. Finally, the K-50 does work perfectly - and I love it, which brings me round full-circle! I don't technically need a new camera: it ultimately comes down to a new camera taking my fancy, rather than any true "need" for a new camera.

What do you guys think? Would the KP be a worthy upgrade from a K-50, or shall I wait until the K-50 starts to literally fail (years from now) and upgrade then?

1 -- Pentax 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 AL WR, Samsung 50-200mm F/4-5.6 D-Xeno, 50mm F/1.8 SMC DA, Tair 3S 300mm F/4.5, Sigma 600mm Catadioptric, F/8

[beachgardener]

the KP is a very worthy upgrade from the K-50, from all reports I'd say you'll be blown away with the results

[Bertrand3000]

If you are happy with your current lenses, then by all means get the KP. But you should continue to use your K50 from time to time in order to keep the solenoid in good shape.

If you're not happy with your current lenses, then you might consider a new lens instead.

[othar]

1 -- Pentax 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 AL WR, Samsung 50-200mm F/4-5.6 D-Xeno, 50mm F/1.8 SMC DA, Tair 3S 300mm F/4.5, Sigma 600mm Catadioptric, F/8

While the KP would certainly be an upgrade over the K50, I am not sure you can benefit from all of its advantages with your current lens lineup (mainly the higher resolution and super-resolution in particular will be hard on your lenses, except maybe the DA 50mm lens)

[psoo]

I asked the same question in this Forum a couple of months ago and got some good advice. Scroll down to "Do I need to upgrade from my K50?" Have a looksee. My plan is to wait awhile to see if the cost of a KP drops and, If so, buy one.

[cprobertson1]

While the KP would certainly be an upgrade over the K50, I am not sure you can benefit from all of its advantages with your current lens lineup (mainly the higher resolution and super-resolution in particular will be hard on your lenses, except maybe the DA 50mm lens)

Hrm! Now that is interesting! I take it if I compared shots with both bodies, would that manifest as the overall image quality and ability to discern small details remaining roughly the same across the board?

With that in mind, do you reckon I should aim for the KP bundled with a newer kit-lens? I think I saw it bundled with the DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 on a few occasions?

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Incidentally, and on a purely aesthetic note, might anybody know if the silver version is going to rub off over time, leaving the undercoat visible?

I'll probably go with black anyway, but the black-on-silver finish is pretty beastin'! It will not, however, be cool if it wears off over time!

---------- Post added 2020-01-08 at 04:55 ----------

I asked the same question in this Forum a couple of months ago and got some good advice. Scroll down to "Do I need to upgrade from my K50?" Have a looksee. My plan is to wait awhile to see if the cost of a KP drops and, If so, buy one.

Very nice! I had missed that!

K-50 to KP - 24MP will give you significantly more room for cropping. It doesn't sound like much but it is. Of course your lenses need to keep up - you can't just use a low quality lens like a DA 18-55 on it, and think you can crop to your heart's desire. Newer lenses are recommended

Read more at: Do I need to upgrade from my K50? - PentaxForums.com

Hey! What a coinkidink! It would seem that I should probably also consider a lens upgrade.

With that in mind, what I think I'll do is start putting £50 away each month and aim for a purchase at the end of the year (maybe in the next Black-friday sales-cycle). That'll give me an extra £550-600 which can go towards newer glass, plus whatever is left over can go towards the body - and, come to think of it, that works out as an extra £200 over a typical 20% financing option too.

It even has the bonus of getting more of my money's worth out the K-50, and gives me an extra year of photography experience meaning I'll be able to make the most of the new gear.

It also means I can be sensible and see if I really want an upgrade, or if it's merely a whim!

[noelpolar]

For the most part, I don't normally mix up buying new gear with taking better photos.... off course new equipment can facilitate better out comes, however.... getting a new thing and then using it can be a significant part of the pleasurable experience even without some other outcome (ie better photos).... small well built primes might be a case in point if you already have a great zoom..... for me.... I probally get 10 hours of hobby enjoyment for every good photo..... the photo itself might provide 15 minutes of reflective pleasure.

And.... if you think about it... buying/having lots of shoes very rarely leads to better walking.... I use this one on the wife to explain the concept.

My fatherly advice though.... is not to borrow money for a camera to replace one you already own and is working well for you. Wait and save....

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Last edited by noelpolar; 01-08-2020 at 05:26 AM.

[cprobertson1]

For the most part, I don't normally mix up buying new gear with taking better photos.... off course new equipment can facilitate better out comes, however.... getting a new thing and then using it can be a significant part of the pleasurable experience even without some other outcome (ie better photos).... small well built primes might be a case in point if you already have a great zoom..... for me.... I probally get 10 hours of hobby enjoyment for every good photo..... the photo itself might provide 15 minutes of reflective pleasure.

And.... if you think about it... buying/having lots of shoes very rarely leads to better walking.... I use this one on the wife to explain the concept.

Most indeedethly! I was trying to get at that earlier when I said "a bad carpenter blames his tools" and "I don't need an upgrade" - it was summed up quite well in the other thread actually, with one person remarking that "photography = knowledge + experience + equipment"

I like the shoe analogy though, I'll need to remember that one for future reference!

[othar]

Hrm! Now that is interesting! I take it if I compared shots with both bodies, would that manifest as the overall image quality and ability to discern small details remaining roughly the same across the board?With that in mind, do you reckon I should aim for the KP bundled with a newer kit-lens? I think I saw it bundled with the DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 on a few occasions?

My K-3 is the first DSLR I own so I don't know how your DA 18-55mm lens would look in comparison between both senors. But when I pixel peep at images from my 18-55mm lens on my K-3 the corners don't look that good, the images are still usable (also for prints up to 30cm x 45cm as long as you don't crop the image too much) but the 24 MP sensor clearly outperformes the resolving power of the lens and it will be worse with pixel shift.

While the 18-135mm lens is a highly regarded lens for general purposes I am not convinced it is that much better than the 18-55mm lens regarding resolving power in the corners. If it has to be a zoom lens I would probably get a DA 16-85mm lens, but I think to fully utilize pixel shift you would need a good prime lens in addition to your collection.

[aslyfox]

. . . it was summed up quite well in the other thread actually, with one person remarking that "photography = knowledge + experience + equipment" . . .

who would say such a thing

Question 1

what is it that your current gear isn't capable of that you want to improve - looking at both body/lenses

Question 2

what type of upgrade of the camera body would achieve what you are lacking -

the KP

or another body that might be available new or used at a cheaper price, K 3 II or other ?

Question 3

which should you upgrade - body or lens - remembering that the lens will be useful ( hopefully ) if and when you do upgrade the camera body

Question 4

what is your budget

Question 5

what is your time line do you need to act now or can you wait

the K new ( replacement or improvement on K 3 and K 3 II ) is coming ( and so is the next total solar eclipse, but the date of that is known ) and its arrival may affect prices of camera bodies used and new

speaking personally I have yet to find the magic equipment - camera body or lens that can guaranty that Operating Error can ever be completely eliminated

[aslyfox]

. . . With that in mind, do you reckon I should aim for the KP bundled with a newer kit-lens? I think I saw it bundled with the DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 on a few occasions? . . .

in my limited experience, and you can check the info here under " lenses " , most if not all " bundled " lenses don't rate well on their own

it is an encouragement for someone to buy a " deal " - camera body + lens

where the lens offered may not be one that is rated well on its own

[kypfer]

I "upgraded" from a K-5 to a K-70 about 15 months ago because I felt I would benefit from the greater cropping capability a 24Megapixel sensor would give me. That worked so well I convinced myself I could do even better with superior autofocus performance so I bought a KP ... even better!

However, when I'm not chasing wildlife with a long lens and can take time to compose and "fill the viewfinder" with subject matter, my 6Megapixel cameras still do as good a job as they ever did

My point being, upgrade by all means if there are features on a new body you will benefit from, the superior autofocus and increased sensitivity are very noticeable, especially on the KP, but if you're not reaching the capabilities of your existing camera, an "upgrade" will simply give you higher resolution examples of what you're taking already


Good luck!

[psoo]

I "upgraded" from a K-5 to a K-70 about 15 months ago because I felt I would benefit from the greater cropping capability a 24Megapixel sensor would give me. That worked so well I convinced myself I could do even better with superior autofocus performance so I bought a KP ... even better!

However, when I'm not chasing wildlife with a long lens and can take time to compose and "fill the viewfinder" with subject matter, my 6Megapixel cameras still do as good a job as they ever did

My point being, upgrade by all means if there are features on a new body you will benefit from, the superior autofocus and increased sensitivity are very noticeable, especially on the KP, but if you're not reaching the capabilities of your existing camera, an "upgrade" will simply give you higher resolution examples of what you're taking already


Good luck!

Does higher resolution mean greater sharpness?

[kypfer]

Does higher resolution mean greater sharpness?

Only if your lenses are up to the job!

The other point to consider is how big are you printing? A 16 Megapixel file is capable of being printed to a fairly significant size, 14x17" (A2), according to the K-5 handbook, assuming you're not cropping ... you'll need to be printing somewhat bigger than this before you notice any real increase in sharpness. This, of course, is "real world" considerations, not what can be achieved by "pixel-peeking" on a computer screen

[rogerstg]

do you reckon I should aim for the KP bundled with a newer kit-lens? I think I saw it bundled with the DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 on a few occasions?

IMO, that's the way to go. Despite some looking down their nose at kit lenses, in my 40+ years hobbyist experience, kit lenses give the most bang for the buck and rate pretty well. Regarding the 18-135 specifically, I shopped for one and ended up with a KS-2 body because it was bundled with that lens.

Like any lens purchase though, don't assume it works well. Put it through it's paces by testing for unreasonable de centering, adequate sharpness at various apertures and focal lengths. For the record, I've only exchanged two, both premium lenses.