[pingflood]

Pentax forum is more fun.... there are always SDM problems, misaligned sensors, faulty batteries... Actually it just seem that overall, in Pentax community, the %ge of people who know where they are going is a lot higher... As oppose to any Ca/Nikon forum mostly dominated by total noobs and complete idiots who bough a SLR camera hoping that it comes with a a magical "masterpiece"-button....

Oh bull, and please cut out this snobbery. Go visit POTN or FM and you'll see a lot of great photographers, a lot of great photography, and fun discussion and debate, most of the time WITHOUT the "little man syndrome" that's so prevalent here and leads to a lot of unnecessary brand bashing. (Hell, nobody mocks their own gear as frequently and amusingly as the Canon guys -- they are far quicker to point out the shortcomings of their own equipment rather than that of any other brand.. Case in point: when somebody posts a horribly blurred picture on FM there's usually a flurry of rather humorous "hey, did you use a Mk III for that one" comments, while if somebody dared suggest on here that a Pentax was the cause of a poorly focused shots people would fall all over themselves posting shots to "prove" how well the system works...)

[er1kksen]

Pentax forum is more fun.... there are always SDM problems, misaligned sensors, faulty batteries... Actually it just seem that overall, in Pentax community, the %ge of people who know where they are going is a lot higher... As oppose to any Ca/Nikon forum mostly dominated by total noobs and complete idiots who bought a SLR camera hoping that it comes with a a magical "masterpiece"-button....

Could I point you to the Luminous Landscape forums, by any chance?

But really, Nikoncafe seems nice so far, and I've been on POTN long enough to know that for every kool-aid-sipping gearhead there's at least one well-informed, competent poster who knows what they're talking about to balance them out. They just tend to be less shouty.

[drewx2]

As oppose to any Ca/Nikon forum mostly dominated by total noobs and complete idiots who bought a SLR camera hoping that it comes with a a magical "masterpiece"-button....

Wait, yours didn't come with a masterpiece button? I'd take that back if I were you!

Kidding aside, there are millions of reasons to own anything. I could care less about people being "total noobs and complete idiots" because I am no better than the next person (and I am not referring to photography). An elitest attitude doesn't get anywhere, especially on the internet of all places.

And thanks again jonlee for the comparison shot. Makes it a lot easier than trying to imagine what they would look like side by side in head

[grey goat]

I've been a Nikon owner for a couple decades, shooting first with a Nikormat FT2, which I eventually traded toward a Beseler 23CII XL, a Componon S, APO Rodagon, and a Zone VI timer. Before that, I'd bought a used FA and an FM. And ten Nikkors, nine of them prime, from 20mm to 400mm.

I seriously considered a used D300, but my first DSLR is a K-7.

I know the D300 can do lots of things, some better than the K-7 (AF, high ISO), but most of that didn't matter to me since I wanted to shoot manual lenses and didn't see myself shooting overmuch at high ISOs.

I really like the way the D300 lets you input your MF lens data once, for up to nine lenses, and I wish Pentax would do something like that. But the handling of older MF glass seems easy enough so far with the K-7.

I've owned the K-7 for a week now, and I'm impressed with it. Sure, I wonder sometimes if I should have gone with a used D300, but so far I'm enjoying the K-7 and the few lenses I have, especially the DA 70 and the used M and K series lenses I've picked up.

It might very well be easier to keep up with my 5-year-old using a D300. From what Jens writes, I'm sure it would be. But then, I'd be using my older AI and AIS lenses, so in my case, it wouldn't be easier--until, that is, I got an AF Nikkor something-or-other.

I like my old Nikon gear, and I've captured some great images with it. But in the end, it's a tool, and it's only as good as the craftsman or artist using it. And only so far as it's being used for its intended purpose.

I guess I moved to Pentax because, with what I usually shoot, I wouldn't have need of some of the advantages of the D300. That, and the K-7 seemed a better fit physically: I know the D300 isn't HUGE, and it's smaller than the D700, but it's bigger than the K-7: that, too, was part of my decision-making process.

But I know that the D300 would have served me well. It's a great camera.

Some of the glass Nikon's releasing--did I read about a 24/1.4?--is very cool, too, but there's no way I could take advantage of it because I couldn't afford it. As it is, I'm probably going to be listing my Nikkors and Nikon bodies somewhere. Nothing really special, just lenses that worked for me, for what I was shooting. I may decide to keep some of them, but I'd just as soon sell most of them or trade them for Pentax gear. After all, a used KX or MX isn't that much, and I already have a K1000 I can use. (Not to mention a Fujica ST801 and four Fujinon EBCs. . . .)

But really, both the K-7 and D300 can make great images. Their uses overlap, but they have their little niche-markets, too. It comes down to what you want to do (think of the majority of your shooting needs), and what feels good in your hands. What you feel comfortable with, physically and mentally, is what you'll shoot best with, I'm thinking.

[dylansalt]

I must admit as well that the lenses size dimensions from Pentax are much smaller than from Canon/Nikon

I handled (again) a 7d with the 17-85 is lens and its a HUGE combo compared to the little 18-55 kit lens from Pentax on a K10D

Also the 70-300 IS from Canon is HUGE and with 7d, a really HUGE combo compared to the 55-300 on a k7/k20d from Pentax.

I think we can all agree that Pentax is the most portable, rugged 3/2 aps-c system on the planet - if they had just kept up with the Jones in terms of technology (to keep gearheads happy) - had a FF dslr with some lenses to go with it

I reckon it would be the best seller its supposed to be.

Dyls

[er1kksen]

I suspect a lot of the difference in lens size vs. Canon has to do with the EOS mount being all-electronic, necessitating in-lens focus motors. Screw-drive allows smaller AF lens designs, like the limiteds. Take a look at the 35mm limited and the Tokina 35mm macro. They share the same optical design, but the Tokina has a completely different lensbody that's much larger, a requirement for them to be able to accomodate in-lens focus motors for the Canon version.

[Alfisti]

I must admit as well that the lenses size dimensions from Pentax are much smaller than from Canon/Nikon

I handled (again) a 7d with the 17-85 is lens and its a HUGE combo compared to the little 18-55 kit lens from Pentax on a K10D
Dyls

Well you should be comparing it to the 16-50 2.8 of course.

[er1kksen]

The Pentax lens it's closest to is really the 17-70 f4.

[jsherman999]

Oh bull, and please cut out this snobbery. Go visit POTN or FM and you'll see a lot of great photographers, a lot of great photography, and fun discussion and debate, most of the time WITHOUT the "little man syndrome" that's so prevalent here and leads to a lot of unnecessary brand bashing. (Hell, nobody mocks their own gear as frequently and amusingly as the Canon guys -- they are far quicker to point out the shortcomings of their own equipment rather than that of any other brand.. Case in point: when somebody posts a horribly blurred picture on FM there's usually a flurry of rather humorous "hey, did you use a Mk III for that one" comments, while if somebody dared suggest on here that a Pentax was the cause of a poorly focused shots people would fall all over themselves posting shots to "prove" how well the system works...)

.

I think alexy may may been referring to the dpreview Nikon and Canon forums. FM, Nikoncafe, Nikonians, those are fairly well regarded sites where the maturity level is pretty high.

dpreview, on the other hand, gets all the bitter ADD kids who transform directly from newbie to troll in a matter of weeks, and then never go away until they finally get banned.

Pentaxforums is a better place.

[pingflood]

I agree dpreview is full of morons, but he did say "any" Canon/Nikon forum.

[er1kksen]

I would tend to feel that the Pentax DPReview forums are about as bad as the rest, from the topics I've followed... if DPReview forums were indeed the intended subject, I hardly see much point to the post.

[Alfisti]

The Pentax lens it's closest to is really the 17-70 f4.

Yes you're right, i thought you wrote 17-55 /2.8

[jensm]

Hi, OP here,

Having spent some more time with the d300, I've got some more impressions to share.

Metering - The tendency to underexpose by a stop sometimes annoyed me on the K10d, but the tendency of the d300 to overexpose by ½-1 stop in matrix metering is just horrible. Whenever there's skin tones in direct sunlight, you will get blown highlights if using matrix metering without dialing in -0-7 or -1 stop exp. comp. Massively annoying, I've lost countless shots to that

Base iso "cleanliness" - K10d still comes out on top. But on the other hand, when exposed properly iso 3200 shots on the d300 can be usable.

UI - still prefer the k10d. Chaning auto iso settings on the d300 needs deep menu navigation.

And the AF is still so much better - but only with the right lenses. I managed to get a Tokina 50-135 (optically identical to the da*), and with that, AF tracking is nothing to write home about. I did try out a Sigma 50-150 which was impressive in that regard. AF in low light is still great with all lenses I've tried.

Also, the poster comparing sized - there's nothing pocketable about a d300, not even with the 35 or 50. And there's nothing comparable to the limiteds.