Originally posted by LUKE Hi, I'm new . . .
. . . to this board and to digital photography. I would appreciate opinions on whether to buy a K200d or K20d. Leaving aside the price issue for the moment, I wonder if I can actually handle a k20d.
With your key word about price. Definitely, the K20D is better in most cases. Aside from more functionality, more pixels are almost aways better.
At the risk of generating a groan from the peanut gallery... there is, at least, one potential issue with the K20D that isn't a problem on the K200D and that is, exposures of over 8 seconds currently require an equal length DFS (Dark Frame Subtraction). This is something to consider if you plan to take long exposures. Just an FYI!
Originally posted by LUKE I'm not exactly a beginner, but the rise of digital photography has completely disoriented me.
Trust me when I tell you that after a few months (or whatever you need), you will NEVER wish to go back to film photography. Besides, in a small way, you are helping the environment too!
But to make your digital life easier/better, get the right tools. I recommend:
- lots of storage and backups (External HD, DL DVDs or Blueray storage)
- a relatively fast computer
- a SD card reader (because it is faster than plugging the camera in)
- a good editor (Paint.net is free, Corel is powerful with short learning curve, Photoshop is super powerful but more difficult to learn,
- Adobe Lightroom is almost a prerequisite for nearly everything else
Go to Lynda.com for training solutions if you need help.
Originally posted by LUKE On the other hand, one major review says that the K200d's jpg conversions are not worth keeping. The recommend shooting in RAW meaning I would have to convert the RAW files on my computer.
If you are doing art, I would always recommend shooting in RAW. As a result of some experimenting I had done, I no longer shoot JPG (unless it is common snap shots). But it is important to consider that JPG (in high quality mode), even on the worst Pentax, is still exceptional to all but the most discerning eye. Careful about reading too much in reviews.
Originally posted by LUKE Is this true? Is it difficult to convert RAW to JPEG files?
No, not at all. Pentax includes a program that can do that for you. There are also many free applications, such as Infranview and many others that will do the conversion.
Originally posted by LUKE The other complication is that I imagine that I'd like to go back as soon as I can to manual mode. What I'm hearing on discussion boards is that the k200d has real limitations in this regard--awkward to use, contains only one dial, and it lacks the capacity to adjust ISO in manual mode(?).
I am not that familiar with the K200D but I can tell you that it is very easy to change the ISO on the K20D.
In manual mode, it is:
- hit Fn key
- press the right menu key
- then select up/down to choose ISO (between 100 and 3200)
Easy, easy.....
Finally, the learning curve (for common functions) on the K20D is relatively fast. In fact, I didn't bother with the manual for the first four months of ownership.