[Imp]

Like others have said maybe another system is better. I have seen great results with an old Sony Nex5.

Sony might be a good idea! Get an adapter, and she can use all of your old lenses. But then, the adapter by itself is like $200 and then it is only manual focus...
Back to the T3i. You could get a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 for the T3i for about 300 used, so a total of 600 for the used camera and used lens... not cheap!

Or just get her another camcorder.

[grispie]

Is the video that much better developed/implemented than on a newer Pentax body?

you were referring to a canon body. IMO compared to k3, no.
certainly not when it comes to the combo stills/video/ergonomics and using the lenses you already have.
Not sure on the ks2.
vs other pentax bodies, i'd say yes, although all those dslrs have their limits.
I would advise against the k01 as well.

It all depends on what her expectation is & what she wants to do with it.

Something like the sony RX10 (I or II) might be a (very) nice option as well, complementing your k5 for shots where she really wants to play with shallow dof..

you were referring to a canon body. IMO compared to k3, no.
certainly not when it comes to the combo stills/video/ergonomics and using the lenses you already have.
Not sure on the ks2.
vs other pentax bodies, i'd say yes, although all those dslrs have their limits.
I would advise against the k01 as well.

It all depends on what her expectation is & what she wants to do with it.

Something like the sony RX10 (I or II) might be a (very) nice option as well, complementing your k5 for shots where she really wants to play with shallow dof..

The Canon 70D setup has optical image stabilization and full time autofocus. The K3 absolutely cannot compete with that.

[grispie]

The Canon 70D setup has optical image stabilization and full time autofocus. The K3 absolutely cannot compete with that.

not really impressed here.
OP mentions he has pentax lenses (byebye ois) his daughter wants to use and byebye AF when using an adapter.
Besides, anyone genuinely interested in video/shorts will not really care about AF or at least, should not.

I'm not really sure either whether the OP is interested to invest in another system and buying a set of lenses for that.
we all have our wallets..

[johnmflores]

Besides, anyone genuinely interested in video/shorts will not really care about AF or at least, should not.

That's a really gross generalization. Sure, manual focus is preferred for traditional cinema where the camera is locked down and the actors can be expected to hit their marks time and time again. But for interviews with a subject that likes to lean forward and back as they are interviewed there's no way to use a larger sensor camera and manually track focus. (Razor Thin Depth of Field is a Harsh Mistress | johnmflores).

In those situations, you'll either stop down the larger sensor camera to get a decent working DOF at the cost of light. Or you'll shoot with a smaller sensor camera with a more generous DOF even at wider apertures. Or use a camera with good Face Detect Continuous AF. It's not a panacea but when it works it works. I've done exactly that with the Panasonic GH2 and gotten great footage.

With that in mind, the OP is talking about his daughter being interested in making YouTube videos. If by that he means a vlogger that spends a fair amount of time speaking right to the audience (camera) in a standard head and shoulders shot, then I stand by my recommendation to look for a camera that offers good Face Detect Continuous AF.

[grispie]

That's a really gross generalization. Sure, manual focus is preferred for traditional cinema where the camera is locked down and the actors can be expected to hit their marks time and time again. But for interviews with a subject that likes to lean forward and back as they are interviewed there's no way to use a larger sensor camera and manually track focus. (Razor Thin Depth of Field is a Harsh Mistress | johnmflores).

yes, i know i am generalizing. But recommending an 70D because of OIS and AF is even more.

Btw, i have indeed read you article some time back.
That is also why i put forward the rx10 as an affordable option next to using the K5, which the OP already has, to play with real shallow dof when she wants to.

like mentioned earlier, it all depends on what she really wants to do with it..

[sholtzma]

So, it seems I haven't provided enough info. My daughter has mostly been creating youtubes of herself, sitting at a desk. And she wants better IQ than she got with her older Sony CX-220. I suggested another camcorder, newer (we got her Sony used) and with somewhat better features. She countered with the idea of a Canon DSLR. I balked initially at the Canon, in part because we'd have two DSLR systems (my Pentax and her Canon), which I would much rather avoid if possible. I'd at least rather buy another Pentax body (only), without having to invest in Canon lenses and other accessories. But if she would rather have a relatively inexpensive (probably used) T3i + 18-55mm lens package, we might be able to swing that. So, I came to y'all to see if there is another Pentax body that could do video reasonably well and easily.

Now, she also has some interest in time-lapse video as well as short film. And I would like to encourage that interest, so ideally, whatever equipment we get will allow her some room for growth.

Prefer to spend 200-300; might be willing to spend 500-600. Will not (at this time) spend 800-1000, much less more.

Hope this helps with the suggestions...

[johnmflores]

So, it seems I haven't provided enough info. My daughter has mostly been creating youtubes of herself, sitting at a desk. And she wants better IQ than she got with her older Sony CX-220. I suggested another camcorder, newer (we got her Sony used) and with somewhat better features. She countered with the idea of a Canon DSLR. I balked initially at the Canon, in part because we'd have two DSLR systems (my Pentax and her Canon), which I would much rather avoid if possible. I'd at least rather buy another Pentax body (only), without having to invest in Canon lenses and other accessories. But if she would rather have a relatively inexpensive (probably used) T3i + 18-55mm lens package, we might be able to swing that. So, I came to y'all to see if there is another Pentax body that could do video reasonably well and easily.

Now, she also has some interest in time-lapse video as well as short film. And I would like to encourage that interest, so ideally, whatever equipment we get will allow her some room for growth.

Prefer to spend 200-300; might be willing to spend 500-600. Will not (at this time) spend 800-1000, much less more.

Hope this helps with the suggestions...

Whatever your budget, allocate 1/4 to 1/3 of it to lighting and audio. They will make a much bigger difference in the perceived quality of her videos than quibbling between brands of cameras or sensor sizes.

You'd shoot better video with an iPhone and this cheap lighting kit than a DSLR with a kit lens and available light:
Amazon.com : Esddi Photography Softbox Light Lighting kit Photo Equipment Soft Studio Light Softbox 20"X28" Video Studio Lighting Softboxes with Photo CFL 85W Bulb : Camera & Photo

For a mic, get a lavalier that you can plug into your camera. A cheap lavalier will do better than an expensive shotgun, simply because it's closer to the source. If your daughter will have guests though, a stereo mic would be more convenient than mixing 2 lavaliers.

[sholtzma]

Would you advise an external audio recorder?

[johnmflores]

Would you advise an external audio recorder?

I have an older Tascam DR-07 usually attached to a lavalier. It helps since you aren't dependent upon the audio quality of your camera and you can position both the camera and mic/audio for best quality but it adds complexity to the shoot; it becomes important to slate shots for future syncing which adds a couple of pre and post steps to your workflow. It helps that Adobe Premiere and Apple Final Cut Pro X can sync audio but I don't know if more entry level packages can also do it.

[sholtzma]

it becomes important to slate shots for future syncing which adds a couple of pre and post steps to your workflow.

It helps that Adobe Premiere and Apple Final Cut Pro X can sync audio but I don't know if more entry level packages can also do it.

Without asking you for a dissertation, can you expound some on "slating shots for future syncing"?

Also, does Audacity provide that software capability?

[johnmflores]

Without asking you for a dissertation, can you expound some on "slating shots for future syncing"?

Also, does Audacity provide that software capability?

An old fashioned Holoywoord clapper board. The clack shows up as a tall peak in the waveform.

And no, Audacity does not sync audio from multiple source. Pluraleyes does.

[grispie]

Would you advise an external audio recorder?

I have invested myself in a device like this:
FMX-DSLR
it works very nice ands avoids syncing up later on. It will eat some of the budget though.

Another more affordable option is a device as this
https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/handy-recorder/h1-handy-recorder
It will require syncing up, but if the projects are not to big, she could do this manually. Nothing wrong with that.

So, I came to y'all to see if there is another Pentax body that could do video reasonably well and easily.

Investing in lighting & audio, leaves little left from your budget for the cam.
Pentax, i'd only recommend the k3. Whether that goes in your budget is your call. But that would also be an option interesting for timelapse & shortfilm.

If you happen to have something like smc M28mm and M50mm (at least something with aperture ring), you could think of a 2ndhand canon & use them with a cheap ebay adapter.
Personally i'd avoid the canon kitlens. Adapting them to something like panasonic G6 or GH is also an option.

A newer camcorder next to investing in lighting & audio is also an option. It also depends on what kind of shortfilms she'd like to make. small documentaries or fictional stories.
On the latter one would prefer a dslr (on a tripod with videohead :-)
my 2 cents..

[TaoMaas]

Has she tried using your camera to see if she likes the video quality or not?

[sholtzma]

Has she tried using your camera to see if she likes the video quality or not?

Not yet. Hopefully, that's this weekend's project. She has seen the K-5iis pressed into service taking video clips of a recent play she was in. (Disclaimer: I was there only to take some still headshots, the videographer didn't show, and I was then begged to get any video I could. I was not prepared for video either in terms of equipment or experience.)

One question that strikes me, reading all the comments so far, is whether a newer camcorder would suffice, if it were supplemented with a nice lighting setup. Or will the clarity of a DSLR lens blow away the lenses that camcorders use?