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03-17-2009, 03:27 PM   #1
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Leaving pentax? eek.

Today I went to inkley's pondering at lenses.

There wasn't much of a wide available selection, even knowing its a GIANT store I was in. They had endless selections in Sony, Nikon, Canon, etc... but pentax was very neglected.

I asked their employees of "why?" and there wasn't much of a straight answer. I said "... maybe buying my K20D may have been a mistake for one who doesn't have much glass to go with the body" ... they agreed.

I love all the Pentax SLR's I've had. When I had my *istDS it was SWEET knowing how easily it outperformed all it's predecessors. Owning my K20D and purchasing it when it was $1200 because I thought I "just had to have it" being as I'm majoring in photography. Now, When pondering at the counter looking at which lenses I would like to accessorize my K20D in ... I start to feel a little sick wondering if I should switch to a nikon D90 body... I don't have much for lenses for my pentax other than a few basics, but seeing the large and very easy to get variety for nikon just standing there in my face teases me. The D90 body is sweet, maybe not built as well as the K20D but surely feels and seems like it outperforms EASY.

Suggestions?

Maybe pentax will come out with something newer and better, I was expecting so much more with the K20D's firmware, but it still seems like "DOS on an intel iMac". The lack of "mirror-up" bothers me, but support for PC sync flash is sweet. The lack of HDMI live video out bothers me too, i love setting up monitors for subjects. AWB sucks.

Talk me out of switching to nikon. What am I giving up? Don't flame me

03-17-2009, 03:43 PM   #2
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Unless you are willing to spend major $$$$, I am almost sure you will not be happy with Ni*** or Ca*** or whatever is presented to you.

Agree NIk/Can has a wider glass arsenal, but to be honest, Pentax glass is top quality and its glass availability covers 99% of 99% of photographers needs. Of course, there is no 300/2.8 or anything longer than 300. but will you dump $5 grand for one...

I too bought my K20D at $1200 and also, to be honest, I think this price also gives me a lot of features only comparable to Can/Nik $3 grand plus bodies.

I am not trying to convince you not to go elsewhere for your needs. In fact, it would be very educating for you to try other systems and see for yourself (and your wallet) if Pentax was all that bad you are thinking it is. and please, if you finally end up with some other system that fits your expectations, please come back and let us know your findings.
03-17-2009, 04:10 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by steve500 Quote
Maybe pentax will come out with something newer and better, I was expecting so much more with the K20D's firmware, but it still seems like "DOS on an intel iMac". The lack of "mirror-up" bothers me, but support for PC sync flash is sweet. The lack of HDMI live video out bothers me too, i love setting up monitors for subjects. AWB sucks.

Talk me out of switching to nikon. What am I giving up? Don't flame me
Question:

Is there any specific type of lens you're looking for? Unless you're looking for some stupidly long (and $$$$-intensive) glass, I'm pretty sure you can find anything you want either in Pentax' arsenal or from third parties such as Sigma and Tamron (also Zeiss, Polar/Vivitar and others).

Edit: I see you live in Salt Lake City. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Utah isn't exactly the economic heartland of the US. You've got a much bigger chance of finding offline Pentax gear on the East/West coast. That's one of the downsides to not being #1 or #2.

Edit2: The Nikon D90 sucks. It can't do video well, and even the Olympus E-520's sensor outperforms it. It also falls apart in your hands.

Offtopic (possible flamebait; I hope it doesn't come to that): DOS on an Intel iMac - or any other Macintosh, would be more useful to me than OS X.

Last edited by ftpaddict; 03-17-2009 at 04:16 PM. Reason: I added stuff.
03-17-2009, 04:19 PM   #4
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Pentax needs to start marketing their cameras in the USA. I can walk into my local store and pick just about any lens Pentax makes off the shelf.
You will be spending more money with Nikon to get a significantly better camera body, but the equipment you will be spending more money on is definitely better.
I still believe that Pentax glass is better than Nikon glass, and for me, this is more important than the camera body, since the lens is what makes the picture.

Having said that, it's not mine or anyone else's place to talk you into or out of anything.

03-17-2009, 04:24 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by rburgoss Quote
Of course, there is no 300/2.8 or anything longer than 300.
As a matter of fact there is. A year ago I bought a Sigma 300/2,8, which is an excellent lens. Right now I have a Sigma 500/4.5 on order...

Talking about bodies I would never ever even consider swithing to a D90. Maybe one of the high-end bodies but a D90... no way
03-17-2009, 04:25 PM   #6
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I'm starting to feel the same as steve. I have been saving for a sigma 10-20mm lens for my K200d and being in Australia seems worse than Salt Lake City. Even australian online stores are pretty bad when it comes stocking pentax lenses. Some don't carry any yet have plenty of Nikon and Canon glass.
I've been looking at the Canon EOS 450d and now I'm debating whether I should spend my $$$ on a new Camera or my much wanted wide angle lens. As it stands I don't have much in the way of pentax lenses (DA 40mm is it) and a few sigmas so I haven't invested too much yet. I have no older pentax lenses from film days so that's not a reason for me to stick with pentax.
It's all too hard!!!
03-17-2009, 04:30 PM   #7
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Given that buying lenses online is usually *much* cheaper than buying in stores, I wouldn't worry *too* much about not having much of a selection to see locally. It's not like lenses are hard to find from any of the major online retailers, or on Ebay, etc.

03-17-2009, 04:49 PM   #8
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This is exactly why pentax should tell us what they're planning. It stops people looking around at the others and saying "the others have more choice I'm changing". At least if we knew what was coming there would be much more temptation to wait with pentax.
03-17-2009, 04:49 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by leanneqld Quote
I'm starting to feel the same as steve. I have been saving for a sigma 10-20mm lens for my K200d and being in Australia seems worse than Salt Lake City. Even australian online stores are pretty bad when it comes stocking pentax lenses. Some don't carry any yet have plenty of Nikon and Canon glass.
I've been looking at the Canon EOS 450d and now I'm debating whether I should spend my $$$ on a new Camera or my much wanted wide angle lens. As it stands I don't have much in the way of pentax lenses (DA 40mm is it) and a few sigmas so I haven't invested too much yet. I have no older pentax lenses from film days so that's not a reason for me to stick with pentax.
It's all too hard!!!
Don't give up on a good system because of the lack-lustre Aussie Pentax market. I don't think it will ever be impressive. Nevertheless, you can get just about all the bodies, lenses and accessories you'll need from B&H, KEH or Adorama (yes, I know, they're all US based, but it's still more cost-effective than going Canon or Nikon).

And on marketing - Pentax should find a balance - effective marketing that will not affect their products' price tag too much, and keep the niche they've established that is Pentax.
03-17-2009, 04:54 PM   #10
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I agree with Wheatfield. The question really is [I]not what body you want, it is what lenses you want. You need to look at those, price those for each system and then decide what you want to go with. There will always be a newer, supposedly better camera that has new features. Unfortunately, if all you have is the kit lens, when you "move up," you will still be taking photos with the same glass that you were unsatisfied with before. That is why everyone says to invest in glass, not bodies. If you are sure you want and can afford the good lenses with Nikon then go ahead.

I live in Paoli, Indiana and the nearest camera store (other than Wal Mart) is an hour's drive away. Still, on line has satisfied my needs pretty adaquately.
03-17-2009, 05:01 PM   #11
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Do this.

Imagine you just bought a Nikon or Canon. Put together a list of the first 4 lenses you would want for that camera. Then check out the price.

I run 2 systems right now (Canon and Pentax)
For Pentax I have
16-50; 43ltd; 50-135 and when I sell my 300/2.8 i'll get a DA*200/d.8

For Canon I have
The lenses I want for Canon include 24-70; 70-200IS; 85/1.2; 135/2; 16-35

When you compare these two systems there are some things to notice.
1. only one of the Canon lenses I want has image stabilization. So I can shoot my 50-135 in about the same amount of available light as the 85/1.2 canon unless I have a tripod with me (I know there are other advantages to large aperture but shutter speed is a priority for me)
2. The Canon lenses cost an average of about $1400 while the Pentax averages about $700. Take that extra $700/lens and multiply it by 4 (average number of lenses in a decent kit) and it is almost $3000 cheaper to get into Pentax
3. The Canon lenses that are comparable in price to Pentax are nothing special. For example the Canon 85/1.8 is a good lens but I prefer the Pentax 77mm.
4. The quality of images varies from brand to brand. I don't mean quality as in better or worse I just mean all the attributes of the images put together. I think my Canon lenses are sharper than my Pentax but I still seem to always prefer the Pentax images when I take them side by side. This is why I have stuck with Pentax while I have added Canon to my kit for the special qualities it brings. If you're thinking Nikon do some side-by-side shooting with one. Don't do brick wall tests or anything like that. Find a nice garden on a nice day and find some flowers with strong colors, park benches with strong lines high dynamic range shots with lots of sky etc. I'd also try some low-light portraiture to test ISO and focus precision. Only then will you know if its a good idea for you to make a move.

Bottom line though - Pentax has a very complete lens lineup at the moment up to 300/4. Just because a lot of stores don't stock a lot of Pentax glass doesn't mean its not made. The * and Ltd series compare well next to any other series of lenses on the market for quality.

One more thing. Once every month or two a bunch of photographers around here get together for an hour or 2 to shoot together. The only camera that has yet to make an appearance (afaik) is Sony. Its interesting to compare shots with everyone - and as for your complaint about AWB we've actually found the Pentax at least as good if not better than most.

If you do make the move I'd stay clear of the D90 and go for the D300.

Last edited by cwood; 03-17-2009 at 05:50 PM.
03-17-2009, 05:17 PM   #12
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We have no camera stores within 50 miles. The electronics stores and dept. stores that sell cameras have Canon Rebels XTI and Nikon D40's. These are outdated models that have remained unsold and the new entry level cameras, the XSI and D60 probably won't be ordered until they sell the old stuff. Best Buy will order a camera for you if you want one that they sell thats not in stock. I think most of us that don't live in or near large citys have to get used to the fact that we will have to buy our gear by mail order or online. I don't think I can buy a lens for any camera in a store around here so I would not make any decision about switching brands based on what I see in stores.
03-17-2009, 05:18 PM   #13
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I am always a little mystified by these threads. If someone wants to switch from Pentax for whatever reason -- they like the way a different camera feels, the way it focuses, or even just feel better about themselves, it really isn't a big deal. The only thing lost is money and as they say, money isn't everything. Maybe things were different in the old days. Maybe it wasn't all about technology, but about capturing light in a little black box, but it feels a lot of times like that is the focus...
03-17-2009, 05:28 PM   #14
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As someone who comes from Canon, DON'T. You'll never be happy with your camera, Canon designs it that way. You'll get the 450D, hate the grip enough to upgrade, get the 40D, hate the low res LCD, get the 5D II, but hate the low fps, then finally you'll get that 1D and canon will make over $20,000 off you.

Or you could buy incredibly good, yet very cheap FA lenses for your Pentax, get L glass quality, and save a hell of a lot of money. Oh yeah, and you'll be happy with your camera.
03-17-2009, 05:55 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by kunik Quote
For Canon I have
The lenses I want for Canon include 24-70; 70-200IS; 85/1.2; 135/2; 16-35
If you get tired of Canon and decide to part with the 135/2 let me know.

Curious: what body do you use? You mentioned the 85/1.8 being nothing special, but it seems like it really shines on full frame. Friend has one on a 40D and his shots look good, but nothing outstanding; on my 1Ds II it is stunning though.
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