Pentax K200D or Canon Rebel XSi?

**Canada_Rockies** · 02-12-2009, 09:48 AM

Originally posted by smc

<snip> I loved the k10d but thought it should be a little better. After about 6 months I realized that my pictures had always been a little better with the Pentax than with the Canon. I'm not sure why I was critical of the k10d at first....thinking it was the other way around....perhaps the reviews.....perhaps having a camera that most didn't have.....
<snip>

Many people confuse high saturation and contrast levels with good images. The high sat jpegs just jump out at you. It is only later that you realize that the allegedly softer Pentax jpegs retain about twice the detail. Coming from a film/slide background, I liked the Pentax jpegs right out of the box.

EricT · 02-12-2009, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by lostkj233

I think that several people on here would say that it is. In any event, it is no match for the Canon nifty fifty or the mk1 1.8. If you want to throw the Pentax 1.7 in there than Canon has the 1.4 that will kill that, then there is the 1.2, both have USM. If you want that with a Pentax mount you can't get it.

Yeah, but where is the Canon 50mm IS? Oh, that's right, it doesn't exist. And Pentax have a weather-sealed 55mm f/1.4 lens with SDM focusing out now.
The point is, all systems can give great results, but there are some essential differences, so every potential buyer have to figure out for themselves what features are most important to them.
For me, it was in-body SR, relatively cheap weather-sealing and ergonomic body layout that sealed the deal. For other users, a different set of features may tip the scales in another direction, nothing wrong with that.

Blue · 02-12-2009, 10:19 AM

Originally posted by Canada_Rockies

Love the spelling! What a difference a single n makes.

Those Circus clown cannons would be perfect for shooting a Troll out of!

It would be a good photo op also, maybe even a Travelosity commercial shoot . . .

But why not a troll cannon ball? The Troll could be holding a canon as it fly through the air.

**Canada_Rockies** · 02-12-2009, 10:27 AM

Originally posted by Blue

Those Circus clown cannons would be perfect for shooting a Troll out of!

It would be a good photo op also, maybe even a Travelosity commercial shoot . . .

But why not a troll cannon ball? The Troll could be holding a canon as it fly through the air.

I can see it in my mind's eye. There it is, the Troll Cannon ready to shoot and some 1,000 loyal Pentax Forums members with there K20D's and M42 lenses ready to take the killing image.

lostkj233 · 02-12-2009, 01:26 PM

Originally posted by EricT

Yeah, but where is the Canon 50mm IS?

You don't need it with a 50mm.

**GaryM** · 02-12-2009, 01:48 PM

Originally posted by lostkj233

You don't need it with a 50mm.

I do. I shot much of an event recently with an FA50, almost at 1/30 & 1/15 sec shutter speeds. I could not have gotten good results without the IS. I'm sure glad it's there!

ftpaddict · 02-12-2009, 02:09 PM

Originally posted by lostkj233

You don't need it with a 50mm.

Because 50mm lenses (the ones made by Canon, I presume) shoot spikes into nearby walls and tether themselves to prevent camera shake and allow abnormally long exposure times.

In all seriousness, you can never "not need" stabilization, as there will always be sufficiently dark occasions in which you could shoot. Or couldn't. Not with a Canon, anyway.

Edward B. · 02-12-2009, 02:11 PM

Not to veer this thread off any more or to keep it going beyond its usefulness, but does anyone have any links to good action images captured with the K200D?

I've predominantly found landscapes (same with the XSi). I'm not knocking landscape photography but, by and large, it isn't my thing, and I'd like to see some shots of action that people have taken with the K200D. I have seen several portraits, and the image quality looked great on those. I did find a series of skateboarding shots posted on Flickr by someone using a 200D, but that's been about it in the action department.

**GaryM** · 02-12-2009, 03:03 PM

Originally posted by ftpaddict

Because 50mm lenses (the ones made by Canon, I presume) shoot spikes into nearby walls and tether themselves to prevent camera shake and allow abnormally long exposure times.

In all seriousness, you can never "not need" stabilization, as there will always be sufficiently dark occasions in which you could shoot. Or couldn't. Not with a Canon, anyway.

Also, doesn't Canon have an 18-55 with IS built in? Does it automatically disable when 50mm is selected?

jct us101 · 02-12-2009, 03:08 PM

Canon is really still overrated, and the Xsi definitely doesn't outdo any Pentax camera in terms of noise, as long as you shoot in RAW. I just don't like Canon much anymore now that I have the *ist DS, if you get the K200D you get IS in any lens you get, and believe me, you can get a lot more for the cost of a single Canon lens!

**GaryM** · 02-12-2009, 04:24 PM

Originally posted by Edward B.

Not to veer this thread off any more or to keep it going beyond its usefulness, but does anyone have any links to good action images captured with the K200D?

I've predominantly found landscapes (same with the XSi). I'm not knocking landscape photography but, by and large, it isn't my thing, and I'd like to see some shots of action that people have taken with the K200D. I have seen several portraits, and the image quality looked great on those. I did find a series of skateboarding shots posted on Flickr by someone using a 200D, but that's been about it in the action department.

If I was an action shooter I wouldn't recommend the K200D. It has a small, 4-shot buffer, and (with a fast SD card) slows to about 1 shot per second when the buffer is full. I love my K200D, but it has its limitations.

lostkj233 · 02-12-2009, 05:12 PM

Originally posted by sflights

Canon is really still overrated, and the Xsi definitely doesn't outdo any Pentax camera in terms of noise, as long as you shoot in RAW. I just don't like Canon much anymore now that I have the *ist DS, if you get the K200D you get IS in any lens you get, and believe me, you can get a lot more for the cost of a single Canon lens!

Does your hatred for Canon have anything to do with being banned over on the Canon site? I thought you were using an XTi? Now your back to the DS. If your cheap, buy Pentax. If you can afford lenses with IS, buy Canon or Nikon.

lostkj233 · 02-12-2009, 05:20 PM

Originally posted by Edward B.

but does anyone have any links to good action images captured with the K200D?

They don't exist

The K10d I had couldn't even track a cat walking across the yard in AFC mode. The XTi in Ai servo mode can track and lock focus on moving objects up to 20 mph.

alderfall · 02-12-2009, 05:24 PM

Originally posted by lostkj233

Does your hatered for Canon have anything to do with being banned over on the Canon site? I thought you were using an XTi? Now your back to the DS. If your cheap, buy Pentax. If you can afford lenses with IS, buy Canon or Nikon.

I wonder why trolls always seem to type so often, yet never really get a complete grasp of the English language?

aleonx3 · 02-12-2009, 05:31 PM

Originally posted by lostkj233

You don't need it with a 50mm.

Conventional wisdom is that you need 1/FL for handheld - and if you want to get 1/30 or 1/25 for 50mm FL you need IS to help.

02-12-2009, 05:12 PM	#132
lostkj233 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hudson Valley of New York Posts: 28	Originally posted by sflights Canon is really still overrated, and the Xsi definitely doesn't outdo any Pentax camera in terms of noise, as long as you shoot in RAW. I just don't like Canon much anymore now that I have the ist DS, if you get the K200D you get IS in any lens you get, and believe me, you can get a lot more for the cost of a single Canon lens! Does your hatred for Canon have anything to do with being banned over on the Canon site? I thought you were using an XTi? Now your back to the DS. If your cheap, buy Pentax. If you can afford lenses with IS, buy Canon or Nikon. Last edited by lostkj233; 02-12-2009 at 05:32 PM.*

02-12-2009, 05:20 PM	#133
lostkj233 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hudson Valley of New York Posts: 28	Originally posted by Edward B. but does anyone have any links to good action images captured with the K200D? They don't existThe K10d I had couldn't even track a cat walking across the yard in AFC mode. The XTi in Ai servo mode can track and lock focus on moving objects up to 20 mph.

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02-12-2009, 09:48 AM	#121
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by smc <snip> I loved the k10d but thought it should be a little better. After about 6 months I realized that my pictures had always been a little better with the Pentax than with the Canon. I'm not sure why I was critical of the k10d at first....thinking it was the other way around....perhaps the reviews.....perhaps having a camera that most didn't have..... <snip> Many people confuse high saturation and contrast levels with good images. The high sat jpegs just jump out at you. It is only later that you realize that the allegedly softer Pentax jpegs retain about twice the detail. Coming from a film/slide background, I liked the Pentax jpegs right out of the box.

02-12-2009, 10:08 AM	#122
EricT Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 484	Originally posted by lostkj233 I think that several people on here would say that it is. In any event, it is no match for the Canon nifty fifty or the mk1 1.8. If you want to throw the Pentax 1.7 in there than Canon has the 1.4 that will kill that, then there is the 1.2, both have USM. If you want that with a Pentax mount you can't get it. Yeah, but where is the Canon 50mm IS? Oh, that's right, it doesn't exist. And Pentax have a weather-sealed 55mm f/1.4 lens with SDM focusing out now. The point is, all systems can give great results, but there are some essential differences, so every potential buyer have to figure out for themselves what features are most important to them. For me, it was in-body SR, relatively cheap weather-sealing and ergonomic body layout that sealed the deal. For other users, a different set of features may tip the scales in another direction, nothing wrong with that.

02-12-2009, 10:19 AM	#123
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by Canada_Rockies Love the spelling! What a difference a single n makes. Those Circus clown cannons would be perfect for shooting a Troll out of! It would be a good photo op also, maybe even a Travelosity commercial shoot . . . But why not a troll cannon ball? The Troll could be holding a canon as it fly through the air.

02-12-2009, 10:27 AM	#124
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by Blue Those Circus clown cannons would be perfect for shooting a Troll out of! It would be a good photo op also, maybe even a Travelosity commercial shoot . . . But why not a troll cannon ball? The Troll could be holding a canon as it fly through the air. I can see it in my mind's eye. There it is, the Troll Cannon ready to shoot and some 1,000 loyal Pentax Forums members with there K20D's and M42 lenses ready to take the killing image.

02-12-2009, 01:26 PM	#125
lostkj233 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hudson Valley of New York Posts: 28	Originally posted by EricT Yeah, but where is the Canon 50mm IS? You don't need it with a 50mm.

02-12-2009, 01:48 PM	#126
GaryM Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Montclair, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 426	Originally posted by lostkj233 You don't need it with a 50mm. I do. I shot much of an event recently with an FA50, almost at 1/30 & 1/15 sec shutter speeds. I could not have gotten good results without the IS. I'm sure glad it's there!

02-12-2009, 02:09 PM	#127
ftpaddict Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Yurp Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,666	Originally posted by lostkj233 You don't need it with a 50mm. Because 50mm lenses (the ones made by Canon, I presume) shoot spikes into nearby walls and tether themselves to prevent camera shake and allow abnormally long exposure times. In all seriousness, you can never "not need" stabilization, as there will always be sufficiently dark occasions in which you could shoot. Or couldn't. Not with a Canon, anyway.

02-12-2009, 02:11 PM	#128
Edward B. Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 67 Original Poster	Not to veer this thread off any more or to keep it going beyond its usefulness, but does anyone have any links to good action images captured with the K200D? I've predominantly found landscapes (same with the XSi). I'm not knocking landscape photography but, by and large, it isn't my thing, and I'd like to see some shots of action that people have taken with the K200D. I have seen several portraits, and the image quality looked great on those. I did find a series of skateboarding shots posted on Flickr by someone using a 200D, but that's been about it in the action department.

02-12-2009, 03:03 PM	#129
GaryM Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Montclair, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 426	Originally posted by ftpaddict Because 50mm lenses (the ones made by Canon, I presume) shoot spikes into nearby walls and tether themselves to prevent camera shake and allow abnormally long exposure times. In all seriousness, you can never "not need" stabilization, as there will always be sufficiently dark occasions in which you could shoot. Or couldn't. Not with a Canon, anyway. Also, doesn't Canon have an 18-55 with IS built in? Does it automatically disable when 50mm is selected?

02-12-2009, 03:08 PM	#130
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793	Canon is really still overrated, and the Xsi definitely doesn't outdo any Pentax camera in terms of noise, as long as you shoot in RAW. I just don't like Canon much anymore now that I have the *ist DS, if you get the K200D you get IS in any lens you get, and believe me, you can get a lot more for the cost of a single Canon lens!

02-12-2009, 04:24 PM	#131
GaryM Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Montclair, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 426	Originally posted by Edward B. Not to veer this thread off any more or to keep it going beyond its usefulness, but does anyone have any links to good action images captured with the K200D? I've predominantly found landscapes (same with the XSi). I'm not knocking landscape photography but, by and large, it isn't my thing, and I'd like to see some shots of action that people have taken with the K200D. I have seen several portraits, and the image quality looked great on those. I did find a series of skateboarding shots posted on Flickr by someone using a 200D, but that's been about it in the action department. If I was an action shooter I wouldn't recommend the K200D. It has a small, 4-shot buffer, and (with a fast SD card) slows to about 1 shot per second when the buffer is full. I love my K200D, but it has its limitations.

02-12-2009, 05:24 PM	#134
alderfall Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Southern Oregon Coast Photos: Gallery Posts: 127	Originally posted by lostkj233 Does your hatered for Canon have anything to do with being banned over on the Canon site? I thought you were using an XTi? Now your back to the DS. If your cheap, buy Pentax. If you can afford lenses with IS, buy Canon or Nikon. I wonder why trolls always seem to type so often, yet never really get a complete grasp of the English language?

02-12-2009, 05:31 PM	#135
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Originally posted by lostkj233 You don't need it with a 50mm. Conventional wisdom is that you need 1/FL for handheld - and if you want to get 1/30 or 1/25 for 50mm FL you need IS to help.