Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
02-06-2020, 08:32 AM - 1 Like   #16
Senior Member




Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 118
Just by checking ebay you can easily find K-5 for under 300$ and K-5II and K-3 for close to 300$ (+/-)

However, as far as I know, the D7100 itself is weather sealed and apparently Nikon seems to have designed some weather "resistance" into their recent lenses. Including the 18-140, or I may be misunderstanding?

Which Nikkors Are Weather Resistant? | DSLRBodies | Thom Hogan

I'd guess K-3 has the same or equivalent sensor to the D7100 whereas the K-5 I and II have an older 16mp sensor.

02-06-2020, 08:33 AM - 1 Like   #17
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
pres589's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Wichita, KS
Photos: Albums
Posts: 4,506
Ooooh, yeah, okay. I thought he wanted both the lens and body for $300. This changes things perhaps.


K-5 II or IIs would be my suggestion as well. I don't think a K-3 gets there unless it's quite cosmetically challenged. Even then I don't know if it's worth the added money but that's another debate for another time. With a little work in post, ISO 3200 is not a problem for me and my K-5 II.
02-06-2020, 10:03 AM   #18
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
luftfluss's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NJ
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,594
QuoteOriginally posted by camera_nut Quote
Hello. l have a Nikon D7100 and Canon M50, but am paranoid about them(and their lenses)getting wet. l want to get a used WR body and maybe the 18-135 WR lens to start with. ls there a WR body that can be had for less than 300usd that has the following: at least 10MP, in body stabilization, at least 4 frames per second, and autofocus micro adjust? l don't care about the following: video, ISO above 1600, tilting rear screen, or face detect AF. l'd like to have a "bad weather" setup. Thanks in advance.
Your D7100 is already WR, and the 18-140 is partially WR. Nikon's a PITA about disclosing WR for lenses.
02-06-2020, 11:13 AM   #19
Otis Memorial Pentaxian
stevebrot's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Vancouver (USA)
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 42,007
QuoteOriginally posted by camera_nut Quote
Hello. l have a Nikon D7100
The equivalent Pentax models would be the K-3 or K-3II.


Steve

02-06-2020, 11:29 AM - 3 Likes   #20
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Southeastern Michigan
Posts: 4,508
QuoteOriginally posted by luftfluss Quote
Your D7100 is already WR, and the 18-140 is partially WR. Nikon's a PITA about disclosing WR for lenses.
Right. The D7100 is a very good camera.

But if looking for a second workhorse "beater" camera, I very highly recommend going what it takes to obtain a moderately-used K-5 IIs and the DA 18-135mm in excellent condition. I have a number of the camera bodies suggested, and also this very useful, well-built lens. I find the K-5 IIs is tops by some margin. Its imaging qualities might come as a surprise for being "only" 16mp. For one thing, the "s" means it has no AA filter thus allowing greater fine detail in images. Dynamic range is exceptional. Build quality is excellent- a flagship design. Preservation of detail in low light or fast-action higher ISO use is exceptional.

Even highest-quality JPEGs right out of the camera are exceptional, just remember to adjust sharpening in the Custom Image menus, especially in the most-often used "Bright" category. With this 16mp sensor, you can increase sharpening by one more notch in the "Bright" category to +2 without unwanted side effects, then additionally also implement "Fine Sharpening" by using the rear thumb dial, to take full advantage of having no AA filter. For uniquely less-compressed JPEG images, the camera can be set beyond high-quality one more step up from 3 star to 4 star, providing very low-compression JPEG quality. Of course this means considerably larger file sizes, but closer to RAW.

Last edited by mikesbike; 02-06-2020 at 11:36 AM.
02-06-2020, 01:21 PM   #21
Pentaxian
jimr-pdx's Avatar

Join Date: May 2010
Location: now 1 hour north of PDX
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,897
QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
I haven't checked online auctions to see if this is doable for $300, but a K200D and the 18-50 RE WR seems quite interesting. 18-55 WR of DA or DA-L would be fine as well; the 18-50 is quite sharp when stopped down and some folks that have shared photos from it here get great results. Again, stopped down, wide-open it's not much to crow about. The K200D and 18-50 would be a quite compact combination.
I paid $85 for my silver K200d, and under $50 for an 18-50re. Great poor-weather combo and a bargain too.
02-06-2020, 02:28 PM   #22
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
pres589's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Wichita, KS
Photos: Albums
Posts: 4,506
QuoteOriginally posted by jimr-pdx Quote
I paid $85 for my silver K200d, and under $50 for an 18-50re. Great poor-weather combo and a bargain too.
Tell us about the image quality! What kind of limit do you place on ISO; do you have an upper limit that you generally will not cross for an ISO setting?

02-06-2020, 06:38 PM   #23
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
luftfluss's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NJ
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,594
QuoteOriginally posted by mikesbike Quote
Right. The D7100 is a very good camera.

But if looking for a second workhorse "beater" camera, I very highly recommend going what it takes to obtain a moderately-used K-5 IIs and the DA 18-135mm in excellent condition. I have a number of the camera bodies suggested, and also this very useful, well-built lens. I find the K-5 IIs is tops by some margin. Its imaging qualities might come as a surprise for being "only" 16mp. For one thing, the "s" means it has no AA filter thus allowing greater fine detail in images. Dynamic range is exceptional. Build quality is excellent- a flagship design. Preservation of detail in low light or fast-action higher ISO use is exceptional.

Even highest-quality JPEGs right out of the camera are exceptional, just remember to adjust sharpening in the Custom Image menus, especially in the most-often used "Bright" category. With this 16mp sensor, you can increase sharpening by one more notch in the "Bright" category to +2 without unwanted side effects, then additionally also implement "Fine Sharpening" by using the rear thumb dial, to take full advantage of having no AA filter. For uniquely less-compressed JPEG images, the camera can be set beyond high-quality one more step up from 3 star to 4 star, providing very low-compression JPEG quality. Of course this means considerably larger file sizes, but closer to RAW.
Sure, no doubt the K-5 series are great cameras - I had the K-5 II (non-S) and liked it a lot. And I used a Nikon D7100. But unless the OP feels the urge to branch out into a different brand, the most logical thing to do would be to acquire another D7100 so he would maintain a uniform user experience and be able to switch lenses among 2 cameras.

IOW, the OP doesn't need to buy into Pentax in order to attain his stated goals.
02-06-2020, 06:44 PM   #24
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
robgski's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 8,759
FWIW, I travelled for six months in harsh conditions with only a K-5 and the 18-135WR. Great combo, and the K-5 still offers a lot of valuable modern functions for a low price.
02-06-2020, 08:09 PM   #25
Veteran Member
E-man's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 678
QuoteOriginally posted by jimr-pdx Quote
I paid $85 for my silver K200d, and under $50 for an 18-50re. Great poor-weather combo and a bargain too.
I'm with you there. I just nabbed a K200D with a 2,500 shutter count and a battery grip in their original boxes for $80 plus shipping. It didn't come with a lens but I've got plenty of those. yeah, the camera is a little outdated but it's still a lot of camera for the money. For whatever reason, it's the most intuitive DSLR I've ever used. Intuitive in the sense that the controls feel very natural to me.
02-06-2020, 08:39 PM - 1 Like   #26
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Southeastern Michigan
Posts: 4,508
QuoteOriginally posted by luftfluss Quote
Sure, no doubt the K-5 series are great cameras - I had the K-5 II (non-S) and liked it a lot. And I used a Nikon D7100. But unless the OP feels the urge to branch out into a different brand, the most logical thing to do would be to acquire another D7100 so he would maintain a uniform user experience and be able to switch lenses among 2 cameras.

IOW, the OP doesn't need to buy into Pentax in order to attain his stated goals.
I agree. But then he expresses a more protective attitude towards the D7100, and more willingness to rough it with a 16mp Pentax. I'm not sure regarding cost comparisons. Also this cost and WR-quality comparison must include the lenses. A good WR camera is only as WR as the lens on it.

I have the excellent 24mp KP, also the original K-5, as well as the K-5 IIs, which performs very well, enough to please me, even though I am used to the top-flight KP. So if his desire is to incorporate a lower-priced 16mp top performer, and he is accustomed to the quality he gets from his D7100, I don't hesitate to recommend the K-5 IIs, and DA 18-135mm combo. One can get a lot of fine quality plus ruggedness for the money.

Last edited by mikesbike; 02-06-2020 at 08:47 PM.
02-06-2020, 10:26 PM - 1 Like   #27
Senior Member




Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: North Houston, TX
Posts: 155
Original Poster
Thanks for all the relies everyone. l didn't know the D7100 had some degree of WR. But is it as WR as a Pentax?? Looks like the K-7 has the features l need and can be found for about 175-225usd on Ebay. The K200d is cheaper, but l like the "extras" of the K-7. And the 18-55WR is less in cost than the 18-135WR, but l want more telephoto capability. l feel the 15-45mm kit lens for my Canon M50 is very limiting because it stops at 45mm. But's OK if the K-7 is less of a performer than the D7100. l plan on keeping the d7100 for wildlife and motorsports. The Pentax will be for general photography when it's going to be wet outside.
02-07-2020, 01:18 AM - 1 Like   #28
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Alex645's Avatar

Join Date: May 2015
Location: Kaneohe, HI
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,526
QuoteOriginally posted by camera_nut Quote
Hello. l have a Nikon D7100 and Canon M50, but am paranoid about them(and their lenses)getting wet.
Nearly every Pentax DSLR (except the KS-1) has weather-sealing. Also note that your Nikon D7100 is weather sealed.

There are no standards for cameras to be marketed as weather sealed, and therefore the degree of weather sealing varies and you can assume that the higher end models will have better weather sealing. So in the Nikon line, the D300s and D500 will have more and thicker seals than the D7000 series. Same is true with Pentax in that their flagship DSLRs will have more or better weather sealing than an entry level model.

The other factor one has to consider are the lenses, not only in terms of the lens being damaged by the elements, but also the mount allowing moisture to enter the mirror box. Primes are inherently less prone to intrusion because of less moving parts and simpler design. The best indication for primes that are weather resistant is a black or red silicone gasket on the rear lens mount.

Because nearly all Pentax DSLRs are weather-sealed, Pentax has also made sure that a majority of their lenses are WR or AW. The same cannot be said of other marks.

Same is true with Pentax flash units.
02-07-2020, 02:25 AM - 1 Like   #29
Des
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Des's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Victoria Australia
Photos: Albums
Posts: 6,409
QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
Nearly every Pentax DSLR (except the KS-1) has weather-sealing.
The K-500 doesn't either. Of the recent DSLRs these two were the exceptions (which had many of us wondering why Pentax undermined their "go anywhere" image).

Good post Alex. I've used the K-3 and DA 18-135 in heavy rain and they were OK. Still, common sense is required - minimise exposure to water as much as possible, wipe down the lens barrel before retracting, dry completely before storing, etc.

Last edited by Des; 02-07-2020 at 02:43 AM.
02-07-2020, 05:39 AM - 1 Like   #30
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
pres589's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Wichita, KS
Photos: Albums
Posts: 4,506
That's one thing about the 18-135 and rain etc is how far it extends when zooming and how it seems to pump some air out of the body when zooming back out. Keeping a cloth to wipe it down as needed is a smart move.

It's a great lens, just need to be smart about this kind of thing.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
body, body that's weather, camera, dslr, dslr body, lens, pentax, photography, solenoid, wr
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Legacy weather resistant lenses Roquefort Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 12 06-29-2018 09:36 AM
Water resistant lenses aren't that water resistant AroundTokyo Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 40 05-02-2014 08:13 PM
All Weather vs. Weather Resistant jjeling Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 5 01-10-2014 12:31 PM
Do I really need a weather resistant body? justtakingpics Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 13 05-10-2010 06:52 AM
Is the k-7 the only weather resistant model dslr from pentax? justtakingpics Pentax DSLR Discussion 3 05-01-2010 02:51 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:21 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top