the sadness of buying a digital SLR

Palu Guimaraes · 03-26-2010, 01:04 PM

Hi all pentax friends.

I've been thinking about this issue, that is the advent of having a computer that we call camera. When I look to my Pentax KX, I see a beautiful 35mm black camera. When I look to my dear K10d, a see another beautiful camera. Heavy and well balanced..., and a lot more... I love it!
..., but when I read in our days some forums or articles, it seems that I own a piece of junk! And that makes me sad.
I don't feel the need to upgrade my KX or KM. And now we buy a digital camera and a few months later it is an old thing!

For how long will I love my K10d, before she will be a very old lady?

Best regards all.

Palu

p.s. - Please forgive some English errors...

netuser · 03-26-2010, 01:18 PM

(Welcome

)

Be happy with the gear you have if it suits you, it's that simple

bymy141 · 03-26-2010, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by Palu Guimaraes

Hi all pentax friends.

I've been thinking about this issue, that is the advent of having a computer that we call camera. When I look to my Pentax KX, I see a beautiful 35mm black camera. When I look to my dear K10d, a see another beautiful camera. Heavy and well balanced..., and a lot more... I love it!
..., but when I read in our days some forums or articles, it seems that I own a piece of junk! And that makes me sad.
I don't feel the need to upgrade my KX or KM. And now we buy a digital camera and a few months later it is an old thing!

For how long will I love my K10d, before she will be a very old lady?

Best regards all.

Palu

p.s. - Please forgive some English errors...

With all modern electronic equipment you will see that every year new equipment will have better specifications at lower costs.
Just like Moore's law (Moore's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) you can count the technology push to produce better specs next year.

However, newer is not always better.
A few examples:
- My Sony receiver from 1978 will produce sounce 2 ms after I turn it on, while my latest Panasonic Bluray home cinema set recently bought takes a minute or more to start-up!
- Or, my Pentium i486 at 75Mhz running Windows 3.11 did start up faster than my current Pentium Core duo at 2.2 Ghz and
- my Word 2007 still has problems my copy of Lotus AmiPro had solved 15 years ago...., or:
- My Ricoh Singlex TLS plus Rikonon 55mm f1.4 lens bougth in 1975 with a good slide film will still produce pictures you can easily enlarge to A0 size or more.

Your K10D will still take excellent pictures in 2025, just as it does today.
Do not worry too much about the technology push and marketing hype.
It will take more then a few camera generations to produce something that really makes your current cameras obsolete.
It is you take makes the photos, not the camera. Be happy with you have and enjoy your hobby!

- Bert

mauri · 03-26-2010, 01:29 PM

If your camera still does its job as a photographic tool, then what's the problem? Unless you like to let other people decide what's good for you. My MX from 1979 still takes lovely photos, no matter how many times I'm told it's a piece of old junk.

Regards

Maurits

RioRico · 03-26-2010, 01:38 PM

With film cameras, if you want different resolutions or spectra or other qualities, you buy different films. With digital cameras, the camera IS the film. So, changing the quality of image capture is more expensive. I chose my K20D because I thought that the quality of its 'film' (the sensor) would keep me happy for a longer time than any other cameras I could afford.

Is it obsolete? Yes, of course it is. Every digital product is obsolete before it leaves the maker's door. EVERYTHING WE OWN IS OBSOLETE ALREADY!! But, is it still functional? Yes yes yes. Even the 1mpx point-and-shoot (Sony DSC-P20) I bought in late 2001 still functions, and does things none of my other cameras can do.

Be happy with your obsolete Pentaxen. Unlike Canon and Nikon, whose every product is crippled and demands an immediate upgrade, Pentax cameras are built to be usable for quite some time. Mine should be good for at least another six months, eh?

dragonfly · 03-26-2010, 01:40 PM

Just be glad you aren't forced to buy new lenses, too!

the swede · 03-26-2010, 02:04 PM

Remeber you are an Pentaxian!

Yes, the Eos "rebels" are good cameras....but they are realy boring mainstream plastic cameras.

I strongly feel that every Pentax camera is unique and full of smart solutions and inovative design.

Dare to be different!

JeffJS · 03-26-2010, 02:16 PM

I think obsolete is a marketing tool. It's a tool used to convince us that what we have will simply no longer do. In my honest view, the only thing that can make an item truly obsolete is the inability to use it. That is, our film cameras and absolutely no more film is available. Or those old analog cell phones in the digital age.

The only thing that will make our DSLRs Obsolete is the inability to power them.

That's my 2¢ anyway..

Nass · 03-26-2010, 02:19 PM

These are really good points. Seems to me that it all depends on the reason you're buying the item. if it's to make shots then it'll be as good tomorrow as it is today. If it is to have the latest greatest digital device then you're doomed to permanent disappointment.

One point I'd also make is that one of these cameras takes a while to master. So as you own it longer you get to understand all the functionality better, and use it better. It becomes a better friend to you. So I'd rather not have the latest greatest but an old friend I can rely on

Graham V · 03-26-2010, 02:26 PM

Originally posted by JeffJS

I think obsolete is a marketing tool. It's a tool used to convince us that what we have will simply no longer do.

Absolutely agree

Today I took delivery of my latest camera aquisition, a 1957 Agifold thats 10 years older than me!

It looks in pretty much mint condition and I wouldn't be surprised if it's still working in another 50 years (that's if you can still get the film)

Oddity96 · 03-26-2010, 02:36 PM

I have a compaq i bought back in 1998 and it still performs as well as my dell at work which was bought last year. sure its larger and has a CRT but it is not obsolete cause it serves it purpose. Obsolete - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary that word gets used incorrectly a lot.

**Mallee Boy** · 03-26-2010, 02:43 PM

Originally posted by Palu Guimaraes

For how long will I love my K10d, before she will be a very old lady?

Hi Palu,
I'll try and answer this from a different angle.

Are you happy with the photos you are taking ? That does not mean that you can not improve, but to start you must be happy with what you are doing now. (hope thats making sense

).

IF you are not 'happy' then you owe it to yourself to ask why. Part of that process will be analysing what it is about your photography that you are not happy with and then seeking to improve it.

A very good 'tool' for this is a workshop, where you can be with peers and get a really good understanding of where your photography is at. Workshops need a lot of research before committing and are better if they are not too heavily 'gear orientated', you can establish this by talking to the workshop host.

If your search for 'happiness' leads you to the conclusion that the hardware (that is the camera) is the sole source of your problems....then change it.

Cheers.

omega leader · 03-26-2010, 02:52 PM

I too am enjoying my obsolete K10D, got back from a flower show last weekend with my wife and mother and editing them I'm seriously impressed with how good ISO 800 is.

Its strange, my camera still works? How odd. Now my mother was shooting with a manual RF from about 1970 and, you know what, I bet it still works too

Urkeldaedalus · 03-26-2010, 02:59 PM

After selling my K10D to buy a K20D, and then my K20D to buy a K-7, I too felt the update malaise. To combat this, I decided that whatever I do with buying a new camera in the coming years, that I should make the K-7 a camera that I use until I wear it out completely. I bought a personalized camera strap for it, because I thought, I am going to make this my camera, not just another piece of electronics.

You may say, well that's easy for you to do now that you have nowhere to upgrade to while staying Pentax at the moment, and there's some truth to that. But to be honest, when I look back at it, some of my favorite photos were still from when I was learning with my K10D. So I think your old girl has some life in her as long as the shutter still works

Palu Guimaraes · 03-26-2010, 03:09 PM

Hi all Pentaxian friends.

Thank you for all your points of view.
I'm an habitant from the Pentaxian world since always (well, at least from the first shoot with the K1000 in school).
I'm still in love for my K10d, and I guess that we will be married for a long time...

As some of you said, I love to use it. I'm used to it's balance, weight and controls.

Please don't think that I have any kind of doubt. I just felt a bit philolosophical.

Best regards to all.
Palu.

03-26-2010, 01:04 PM	#1
Palu Guimaraes Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Porto - Portugal Posts: 29	the sadness of buying a digital SLR Hi all pentax friends. I've been thinking about this issue, that is the advent of having a computer that we call camera. When I look to my Pentax KX, I see a beautiful 35mm black camera. When I look to my dear K10d, a see another beautiful camera. Heavy and well balanced..., and a lot more... I love it! ..., but when I read in our days some forums or articles, it seems that I own a piece of junk! And that makes me sad. I don't feel the need to upgrade my KX or KM. And now we buy a digital camera and a few months later it is an old thing! For how long will I love my K10d, before she will be a very old lady? Best regards all. Palu p.s. - Please forgive some English errors...

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03-26-2010, 01:18 PM	#2
netuser Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Azores Islands, Portugal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,236	(Welcome ) Be happy with the gear you have if it suits you, it's that simple

03-26-2010, 01:29 PM	#3
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by Palu Guimaraes Hi all pentax friends. I've been thinking about this issue, that is the advent of having a computer that we call camera. When I look to my Pentax KX, I see a beautiful 35mm black camera. When I look to my dear K10d, a see another beautiful camera. Heavy and well balanced..., and a lot more... I love it! ..., but when I read in our days some forums or articles, it seems that I own a piece of junk! And that makes me sad. I don't feel the need to upgrade my KX or KM. And now we buy a digital camera and a few months later it is an old thing! For how long will I love my K10d, before she will be a very old lady? Best regards all. Palu p.s. - Please forgive some English errors... With all modern electronic equipment you will see that every year new equipment will have better specifications at lower costs. Just like Moore's law (Moore's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) you can count the technology push to produce better specs next year. However, newer is not always better. A few examples: - My Sony receiver from 1978 will produce sounce 2 ms after I turn it on, while my latest Panasonic Bluray home cinema set recently bought takes a minute or more to start-up! - Or, my Pentium i486 at 75Mhz running Windows 3.11 did start up faster than my current Pentium Core duo at 2.2 Ghz and - my Word 2007 still has problems my copy of Lotus AmiPro had solved 15 years ago...., or: - My Ricoh Singlex TLS plus Rikonon 55mm f1.4 lens bougth in 1975 with a good slide film will still produce pictures you can easily enlarge to A0 size or more. Your K10D will still take excellent pictures in 2025, just as it does today. Do not worry too much about the technology push and marketing hype. It will take more then a few camera generations to produce something that really makes your current cameras obsolete. It is you take makes the photos, not the camera. Be happy with you have and enjoy your hobby! - Bert

03-26-2010, 01:29 PM	#4
mauri Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bain's Vlei, FS Photos: Albums Posts: 61	If your camera still does its job as a photographic tool, then what's the problem? Unless you like to let other people decide what's good for you. My MX from 1979 still takes lovely photos, no matter how many times I'm told it's a piece of old junk. Regards Maurits

03-26-2010, 01:38 PM	#5
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	With film cameras, if you want different resolutions or spectra or other qualities, you buy different films. With digital cameras, the camera IS the film. So, changing the quality of image capture is more expensive. I chose my K20D because I thought that the quality of its 'film' (the sensor) would keep me happy for a longer time than any other cameras I could afford. Is it obsolete? Yes, of course it is. Every digital product is obsolete before it leaves the maker's door. EVERYTHING WE OWN IS OBSOLETE ALREADY!! But, is it still functional? Yes yes yes. Even the 1mpx point-and-shoot (Sony DSC-P20) I bought in late 2001 still functions, and does things none of my other cameras can do. Be happy with your obsolete Pentaxen. Unlike Canon and Nikon, whose every product is crippled and demands an immediate upgrade, Pentax cameras are built to be usable for quite some time. Mine should be good for at least another six months, eh?

03-26-2010, 01:40 PM	#6
dragonfly Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: on the wall Photos: Gallery Posts: 715	Just be glad you aren't forced to buy new lenses, too!

03-26-2010, 02:04 PM	#7
the swede Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2,310	Remeber you are an Pentaxian! Yes, the Eos "rebels" are good cameras....but they are realy boring mainstream plastic cameras. I strongly feel that every Pentax camera is unique and full of smart solutions and inovative design. Dare to be different!

03-26-2010, 02:16 PM	#8
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	I think obsolete is a marketing tool. It's a tool used to convince us that what we have will simply no longer do. In my honest view, the only thing that can make an item truly obsolete is the inability to use it. That is, our film cameras and absolutely no more film is available. Or those old analog cell phones in the digital age. The only thing that will make our DSLRs Obsolete is the inability to power them. That's my 2¢ anyway..

03-26-2010, 02:19 PM	#9
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	These are really good points. Seems to me that it all depends on the reason you're buying the item. if it's to make shots then it'll be as good tomorrow as it is today. If it is to have the latest greatest digital device then you're doomed to permanent disappointment. One point I'd also make is that one of these cameras takes a while to master. So as you own it longer you get to understand all the functionality better, and use it better. It becomes a better friend to you. So I'd rather not have the latest greatest but an old friend I can rely on

03-26-2010, 02:26 PM	#10
Graham V Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Thornbury, England Photos: Gallery Posts: 187	Originally posted by JeffJS I think obsolete is a marketing tool. It's a tool used to convince us that what we have will simply no longer do. Absolutely agree Today I took delivery of my latest camera aquisition, a 1957 Agifold thats 10 years older than me! It looks in pretty much mint condition and I wouldn't be surprised if it's still working in another 50 years (that's if you can still get the film)

03-26-2010, 02:36 PM	#11
Oddity96 Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 81	I have a compaq i bought back in 1998 and it still performs as well as my dell at work which was bought last year. sure its larger and has a CRT but it is not obsolete cause it serves it purpose. Obsolete - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary that word gets used incorrectly a lot.

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03-26-2010, 02:43 PM	#12
Mallee Boy Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,904	Originally posted by Palu Guimaraes For how long will I love my K10d, before she will be a very old lady? Hi Palu, I'll try and answer this from a different angle. Are you happy with the photos you are taking ? That does not mean that you can not improve, but to start you must be happy with what you are doing now. (hope thats making sense ). IF you are not 'happy' then you owe it to yourself to ask why. Part of that process will be analysing what it is about your photography that you are not happy with and then seeking to improve it. A very good 'tool' for this is a workshop, where you can be with peers and get a really good understanding of where your photography is at. Workshops need a lot of research before committing and are better if they are not too heavily 'gear orientated', you can establish this by talking to the workshop host. If your search for 'happiness' leads you to the conclusion that the hardware (that is the camera) is the sole source of your problems....then change it. Cheers.

03-26-2010, 02:52 PM	#13
omega leader Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Niagara Region, Ontario Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 417	I too am enjoying my obsolete K10D, got back from a flower show last weekend with my wife and mother and editing them I'm seriously impressed with how good ISO 800 is. Its strange, my camera still works? How odd. Now my mother was shooting with a manual RF from about 1970 and, you know what, I bet it still works too

03-26-2010, 02:59 PM	#14
Urkeldaedalus Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,369	After selling my K10D to buy a K20D, and then my K20D to buy a K-7, I too felt the update malaise. To combat this, I decided that whatever I do with buying a new camera in the coming years, that I should make the K-7 a camera that I use until I wear it out completely. I bought a personalized camera strap for it, because I thought, I am going to make this my camera, not just another piece of electronics. You may say, well that's easy for you to do now that you have nowhere to upgrade to while staying Pentax at the moment, and there's some truth to that. But to be honest, when I look back at it, some of my favorite photos were still from when I was learning with my K10D. So I think your old girl has some life in her as long as the shutter still works

03-26-2010, 03:09 PM	#15
Palu Guimaraes Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Porto - Portugal Posts: 29 Original Poster	Hi all Pentaxian friends. Thank you for all your points of view. I'm an habitant from the Pentaxian world since always (well, at least from the first shoot with the K1000 in school). I'm still in love for my K10d, and I guess that we will be married for a long time... As some of you said, I love to use it. I'm used to it's balance, weight and controls. Please don't think that I have any kind of doubt. I just felt a bit philolosophical. Best regards to all. Palu.