[Mike.P®]

I'd like to see Hoya's Pentax logo succeed.

However K-7 is too small for me, so I'll pass

I started reading your post but then realised it was the usual drivel ... so I'll pass.

[dylansalt]

If the Leica dslr div can survive, I'm sure Pentax dslr can too.

Talking about sensors I see the new Leica M9 is running a FF 18mp Kodak sensor and after seeing what it can deliver with old Leica lenses- kinda blows the competition (landscapes,portraits, architecture) out of the water - at a price of course

Dyl

[Jonson PL]

I understand that there were disappointment regarding the D40X, as it didn't bring much more to the table than the already crippled D40.
And as some had chosen Nikon because they didn’t fancy Canon, I see that people might want to check what else is out there.
But I thought that generally Nikon had good compatibility ?

Sometimes, the bank account only has so many $$$ in it... What takes a better picture, a Pentax in your hand or a D300 in the shop window?

I was somewhat in the OP's position (although I didn't have a Nikon dSLR to confuse the issue even more), and the D200 body I needed (at the time) was over $1000 more than the K10D and 16-45 lens. I still have my Nikkors but after experimenting with a Nikon-Pentax convertor (contains crappy glass element to fix focusing issues) and then weighing up a D300 vs K7, I bought the K7 as although I could, I was not willing to spend the extra $$$ required for some zoom's. I can't see how adding Ai/Ai-S compatability to D80/D90 level of cameras is going to hurt sales of D200/D300 cameras. I'm just about ready to sell the Nikkors and buy suitable Pentax replacements as although I'd be happy to manual focus, stop down metering or meter by trial is pushing the friendship too far!

Ai/Ai-S compatability, does that mean manual lenses ?
I thought D80 and D90 had in camera motor ?

The camera that takes the best picture at any given time is the one you own and the Nikon shooter already had a D40. In addition to my K200D, I share a D40x with my wife. It's a very capable camera in the hands of someone knowing his or her way around with a basic camera...much like the FM2N the Nikon shooter also has. If I already had, say, the 28/2.8, 50/1.4 and 105/2.5 Nikkors, all MF AI-s, I'd find a way to step up to the D300 or even a used D200. I do have three primes for the D40x including a AF60/2.8D micro so I've even considered buying an "ancient" D100.

The 28/1.4 is another lens that Nikon ought to reissue


Edit :
I found the info on some reviews :
"Perhaps the biggest negative on the D40 is that it doesn't have an internal focus drive motor and hence no mechanical focus drive pin, instead it only has CPU contacts which means it can only Auto Focus with AF-S and AF-I lenses (those with built-in focus motors). Indeed our 'standard' lens the Nikkor 50 mm F1.8D (and the F1.4D) are manual focus only on the D40."

"As with the D40 the D40X doesn't have an built-in focus drive motor which means it can auto focus only with lenses which have their own drive motor (AF-S and AF-I lenses).

No lens motor in body means non-AF-S/AF-I lenses are manual focus only"

[jsherman999]

.

Thom Hogan, writer of the Nikon guide books, has stated that the D40 was a 'mistake' because of the lack of in-body motor. This has resulted in a few Thom-worshipers among the Nikonians to fall deeply into an existential funk.

See this thread and this thread for some of the discussion.

One post, responding to a Nikonian rabble-rouser :

>moving_comfort wrote:
>>
>> Holmes375 wrote:
>>
>> I do disagree with his premise regarding the D40. Actually, not specifically the D40 but all the small motor-less models. I understand his point but then the cameras concerned would not be the diminutive machines they are if the motor were retained. I believe their small size has contributed to their tremendous popularity as much as any other feature of the series.
>>
>
> Pentax K-X, to name one, refutes this. In-body motor, in-body SR, video, tiny body, very inexpensive.
>

Interesting. Was not aware of this camera or others like it.

Certainly does throw a bit of sand in Nikon's face.

[joele]

Ai/Ai-S compatability, does that mean manual lenses ?
I thought D80 and D90 had in camera motor ?

D80 and D90 have in body motor but they don't support the non-chipped (Ai/Ai-s) manual lenses, metering issues (or lack there of)..

As with the person you responded to, my choices were to upgrade to theh D300 or switch back to Pentax for the K7, since the K-7 cost me almost half what the D300 would cost me (not exactly but near to it) I gave up on Nikons expensive bodies.. Though that said I have moved to Pentax's super expensive lenses (at least in Australia).. For starters it would be great it Pentax had a lens like the 35/1.8G...

I love how the guy bitching about Pentax not making the right gear is called "Samsungian."

I started reading your post but then realised it was the usual drivel ... so I'll pass.

I find it interesting that one person calls it bitching and one person calls it drivel when all Samsungian is doing is making points that are perfectly valid on a personal level to him. I agree with a lot of what he has to say, Pentax haven't produced anything that I consider worth trading in my K20 and K10 for.
Lithos, I never took you for a fan boy so I'll assume it's just one of you're usual digs at someone for the sake of it (I enjoy that too), Mike, I don't know you well enough to make judgement on the reasons for your comment so I won't.

[B Grace]

D80 and D90 have in body motor but they don't support the non-chipped (Ai/Ai-s) manual lenses, metering issues (or lack there of)..

As with the person you responded to, my choices were to upgrade to theh D300 or switch back to Pentax for the K7, since the K-7 cost me almost half what the D300 would cost me (not exactly but near to it) I gave up on Nikons expensive bodies.. Though that said I have moved to Pentax's super expensive lenses (at least in Australia).. For starters it would be great it Pentax had a lens like the 35/1.8G...

In my opinion, the complaints about the D40 family of Nikon cameras (no in-camera AF motor) are mostly from gear collectors on the Internet. The D40 was aimed at regular people looking for a simple, compact digital camera that offers excellent image quality and that's exactly the combo it provides. The D40x I share with my wife is a fantastic camera because my wife enjoys using it, I can use my Nikon AF prime lenses (non-AFS) with it (manually focused), and it easily fits in a small bag with the kit lens. I see it as a compact digital version of my K1000 with focus confirmation unlike my K200D which is bigger.

The Nikon cameras below the D200/D300 series do not have the mechanical means for linking to the AI coupling ring on the older manual focus Ai and Ai-S Nikkors which means the lens must have the electrical contacts for the camera to detect its minimum aperture. It also means these cameras are less expensive and practically no one who buys a D90 ever considers shooting it with a manual focus Nikkor from the '70s on. That doesn't mean I can't use Ai and Ai-S lenses on the D40x but it does mean the camera meter will not work. I've even used a non-Ai lens on the camera with nice results since the Ai metering lever doesn't exist.

Finally, the D40x simply offered more pixels than the D40. When shooting with my 20/2.8 on a tripod it's nice to be able to crop a bit. My D40x and 50/1.8 or 60/2.8 combo is very compact. Compared to the D3 and 24-70/2.8 combo of one friend or the D700 and 24-70/2.8 of another it's a point-and-shooter that under many conditions offers similar image quality at 1/8th the price.

[joele]

It also means these cameras are less expensive and practically no one who buys a D90 ever considers shooting it with a manual focus Nikkor from the '70s on.

I did, actually at least in Australia I would hardly call the D90 less expensive, here the Canon 50D, Nikon D90 and Pentax K-7 are all around the same price.. The D300 is substantially more..

[Wheatfield]

I've bought one Nikon camera in my life, D700 and I'm done buying nikon cameras.

I got to play with a D700 yesterday.
Nice camera and I loved the viewfinder, but that was the only thing I liked about it.
Pity it's as large as it is. If I want something that big, I still have a Pentax 6x7.

Seriously, the D700 is just too big a horse. I like what it can do, but I wouldn't want to carry one very far. It might be OK in the studio where it can spend it's life on a tripod, but beyond that, it isn't a very attractive camera.

[Samsungian]

Really, its too big ?

I'd agree when my nikon drive is attached its bigger but as it is I find D700 the perfect size. My smaller 5'5" wife loves my D700 too, so much so I may have to buy another one so I don't have to share. Kinda a hassle switching diopter though, but thats $2300 I don't have to spend till its really needed. Or until the China market rumour that D700 is discontinued there, announced there last month goes global and the price drops on remaining D700 inventories I'd be all in on a 2nd new D700 for $1700ish today, next month or even summer 2010. I think $1700ish is a great price point on discontinued full frame dslrs.

Me, I'm 6'4" and D700 is not too big to enjoyably use. But thats why its nice to go to the camera shops and put one's hands on cameras locally to see if it fits, what makes sense and all. I love the build quality of D700, it reminds me alot of my Eos-3 film camera, my last very best camera I ever owned. Though I do still love my remaining F-1 's ,I don't shoot film thesdays. The local shop has been hounding me to consign them all. Film is making a comeback, or film students at local colleges and high schools are driving demand up. Who knows. He gets $20 roll for developing and prints, maybe he just wants more customers?

Considering my first film cameras were F-1 and those required drives for easy film advance and easy frames per second I am quite happy with D700 and 5D sized bodies that do not require drives for most functions. I still wish everyone built in vertical release inbody, but camera makers like selling additional drives.

My K20D isn't that much smaller than my D700 or my 5D Classic. And the Canikons have full frame sensors in them.

I got to play with a D700 yesterday.
Nice camera and I loved the viewfinder, but that was the only thing I liked about it.
Pity it's as large as it is. If I want something that big, I still have a Pentax 6x7.

Seriously, the D700 is just too big a horse. I like what it can do, but I wouldn't want to carry one very far. It might be OK in the studio where it can spend it's life on a tripod, but beyond that, it isn't a very attractive camera.

[Wheatfield]

Really, its too big ?

I'd agree when my nikon drive is attached its bigger but as it is I find D700 the perfect size. My smaller 5'5" wife loves my D700 too, so much so I may have to buy another one so I don't have to share. Kinda a hassle switching diopter though, but thats $2300 I don't have to spend till its really needed. Or until the China market rumour that D700 is discontinued there, announced there last month goes global and the price drops on remaining D700 inventories I'd be all in on a 2nd new D700 for $1700ish today, next month or even summer 2010. I think $1700ish is a great price point on discontinued full frame dslrs.

Me, I'm 6'4" and D700 is not too big to enjoyably use. But thats why its nice to go to the camera shops and put one's hands on cameras locally to see if it fits, what makes sense and all. I love the build quality of D700, it reminds me alot of my Eos-3 film camera, my last very best camera I ever owned. Though I do still love my remaining F-1 's ,I don't shoot film thesdays. The local shop has been hounding me to consign them all. Film is making a comeback, or film students at local colleges and high schools are driving demand up. Who knows. He gets $20 roll for developing and prints, maybe he just wants more customers?

Considering my first film cameras were F-1 and those required drives for easy film advance and easy frames per second I am quite happy with D700 and 5D sized bodies that do not require drives for most functions. I still wish everyone built in vertical release inbody, but camera makers like selling additional drives.

My K20D isn't that much smaller than my D700 or my 5D Classic. And the Canikons have full frame sensors in them.

That's nice for you.
Like I said, I like the capabilities of the D700, but not the bloat.

[Ratmagiclady]

Me, I'm 6'4" and D700 is not too big to enjoyably use. But thats why its nice to go to the camera shops and put one's hands on cameras locally to see if it fits, what makes sense and all. I love the build quality of D700, it reminds me alot of my Eos-3 film camera, my last very best camera I ever owned. Though I do still love my remaining F-1 's ,I don't shoot film thesdays. The local shop has been hounding me to consign them all. Film is making a comeback, or film students at local colleges and high schools are driving demand up. Who knows. He gets $20 roll for developing and prints, maybe he just wants more customers?

Considering my first film cameras were F-1 and those required drives for easy film advance and easy frames per second I am quite happy with D700 and 5D sized bodies that do not require drives for most functions. I still wish everyone built in vertical release inbody, but camera makers like selling additional drives.

My K20D isn't that much smaller than my D700 or my 5D Classic. And the Canikons have full frame sensors in them.

Actually, it *is.* But the K20D sans grip is almost exactly F-1N sized.


Ie, camera-sized.

I carry both. They fit in the same places.

Big cameras don't bother me, but, seriously. Big difference. Canon and Nikon *mandate* you carry a camera that chunky as K20d and at least half a grip, even in the prosumer classes *before* you even put a grip on. Not that it's a bad size for me, the D700s and 5ds, but they don't get any smaller, either, and I can't afford them, anyway. Canon and Nikon could probably work a vertical release into those basic bodies and I'd be happy as a clam with it..... If I had a thousand dollars or so extra to spare..

If you want to sell your F-1s, maybe I could give one of them a good home in a few months, if anyone can verify your existence, ... then you could sell off any of this irksome Pentax gear that vexes you so, and everyone might be happier.

How bout?

[pingflood]

I don't want to hear any crying from you guys, I have to lug a 1-series Canon around

[Ratmagiclady]

I don't want to hear any crying from you guys, I have to lug a 1-series Canon around

1-series? What's that? Everything's been '1' since 1976.



'

Seriously, though, it's a camera brand named after a Goddess of Mercy, one did not fuss about the nomenclature. I find recent fabnboyism quite unbecoming of that, even if they add references to a bright Maiden.

[pingflood]

Well, she had 1,000 arms or so to lug all the crap around with.