I get to play with a new toy for a while...
A certain military gentleman and Pentaxian sent me his much traveled K-7 to borrow for a few months while I am saving up for my K-30 or K-5 so I could actually try out a more professional level WR cam than my K-x and maybe take a few more lucrative assignments that didn't have me avoiding dust, dirt, and water in fear of losing my precious K-x for a while. (The deal is I kill it I have to pay for it!) I've mostly been playing with it around the house, getting used to it, as my first job since getting it isn't until later this week actually. But I am going to take both that and the K-x with me and see how it goes. Next week I may actually do something I have never dared do with my K-x, go to the beach and take some fabulous shots of the birds, and some really scantily clothed and maybe even wet people!!!
I am hoping I'll have a model or two (not pro) to go with me and I can get some sexy outdoor portraits done to add to my portfolio. I'm negotiating that as I type, and since they won't be clients, just people I will be swapping with, I might actually be able to share some of that day's work with you all. If I pull it off there will be pics here. This thread will be ongoing, basically about me exploring using a K-7 over the Summer to see if maybe I might want a K-5 instead of a K-30.
Thoughts on the K-7 so far?
This sucker is awesome but truly HEAVY compared to my K-x. For some reason it just feels like a brick in my hands compared to the K-x. The alloy vs plastic thing, I guess? I like it, like it's fuller capacity, but it's a big change from my little K-x in terms of handling. It's funny. It doesn't feel so much larger in terms of how it works in my hands, my hands still fit all the buttons okay, but the muscles in my arms and hands sure notice it more after a shoot. If the K-5 is like this think I will have to start lifting heavier weights if I want to get one! I feel like a bit of a wimp when carrying this cam around. It's been rather like carrying my original SP and the heaviest old zoom lens I own. Not impossible but it certainly takes more heft and has me using a tripod a bit more than I like and am used to.
I think compared to the K-x the K-7 is actually a more usable, no nonsense cam. It's been a bit of a step back in term of the iso, true, but really it's not been that much for me. I just don't shoot above 800 anyway so that lack of a really high iso just doesn't bother me. Worst comes to worst I've got the K-x for that anyhow, though that cam is not going anywhere near water ever again. (One near dunk in the pool was enough warning for me, grr.)
I was tempted after a couple of hours using this one to just call it a day, grab a K-7 and be done with it. That combo K-x, K-7 I could do what I have to do with that, so easily and I'm almost there with what I have saved. Another $100 or so in the kitty and I could have my own K-7 in my bag, but the K-30 and WR 18-135mm is still calling me pretty hard. I don't think the K-30 will be as heavy as the K-5 and I really want that lens. The K-7 it's much better than I thought. I'm really quite surprised by how much it can do. So far, I like a lot. Maybe a little too much, lol. I'm going to cry when I have to hand this baby back unless by then I have something even better to replace it with!
Consider this thread a sort of Summer diary, complete with pics....