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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-21-2011, 05:15 PM  
DA* 16-50 selling for 10 Grand in Australia
Posted By brumby
Replies: 17
Views: 4,056
Hell, mate, that's a bargain!!

It says so right on the site -

:fedup::confused:
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-21-2011, 04:30 PM  
What's the one lens currently available you wished they'd make for Pentax dSLR?
Posted By brumby
Replies: 76
Views: 12,355
+1 with a bullet! :cool::cool:

A venerable and outstanding Canon lens. One of the great indoor sports/concert, long portrait/wildlife lenses! 200mm on a K-5

They are down to about $1100 in Oz - not much more than the Adorama price.

I'm tossing up between a Canon 7D - Nikon D7000 - Pentax K-5 (not necessarily in that order) at the moment.

Now if Pentax would make a comparable 135 mm f/2 for $7-800 ....... :)
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 02-07-2010, 01:29 AM  
Poll: If you had to pick today, would you get a K7, or a K-x?
Posted By brumby
Replies: 215
Views: 40,127
A quick and ignorant question:

Are all those who are praising the high ISO performance of the K-X over the K-7 talking about pictures taken in JPEG or in RAW?
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 06-13-2009, 12:56 AM  
The Great Aussie Rip Off
Posted By brumby
Replies: 49
Views: 7,126
The "other" shops - whether online or bricks and mortar (which charge more) are all getting their lenses from CRK. Normally, a distributor would NOT undercut its own retail network by selling direct.

If I was running a camera store in Oz - either a physical or an online one - I would be very pissed off at this action from my ONLY source of product. Or conversely, I'd decide to either stock an absolute minimum of the product available from that distributor or not to deal with it at all.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 06-12-2009, 05:00 PM  
The Great Aussie Rip Off
Posted By brumby
Replies: 49
Views: 7,126
As far as I'm concerned it's an open and shut case.

CRK and their dealership network has competitive pricing for Pentax camera bodies and body/kit lens kits.

The mark-up on Pentax lenses, on the other hand, is exorbitantly excessive, especially when compared to body pricing.

If CRK does match US online pricing if asked specifically by email, and many here have confirmed that they do, then they are hamstringing their Aussie dealerships by not allowing them to offer similarly competitive pricing. No wonder that there are almost no bricks and mortar camera dealerships in Oz which have any kind of selection of new Pentax glass.

CRK's attitude seems to be this: Most Pentax DSLR purchasers are merely P&S shooters with delusions of grandeur. So we'll give 'em a good price for a camera/lens kit. Then, when they come back for more lenses, we'll shake 'em down big time. We know most of them won't come back for more lenses anyway. And if somebody does notice that our lens prices are obscene, either they can buy overseas or they can email us and we'll price match. Not many will do either.

Doesn't matter anyway. We don't give a stuff about Pentax or photography. We just want to sell "product" and the average Aussie will buy just about anything once.

I'm very interested in the K-7 and will probably buy the body/kit lens package locally. But I'll be stuffed if I'll buy lenses from CRK - on principle. They are destroying the local market for Pentax and the head office in Japan doesn't seem to care. Meanwhile, local bricks and mortar stores simply don't bother with Pentax much and not at all with Pentax glass. In Oz, its Canon/Nikon uber alles. CRK is one very good reason why.

The only possible solution is that the Pentax head office dumps CRK and takes on a decent distributor. Or that the K-7 proves HUGELY popular and pressure is put on CRK to re-price their Pentax glass. Perhaps they might even figure out that if they did that, they might even SELL some Pentax glass. Perhaps, when I start seeing squadrons of airborne pigs passing overhead.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 05-23-2009, 11:21 PM  
Pricing - For us Australian Pentax users...
Posted By brumby
Replies: 96
Views: 15,216
Not according to their website - I quote:

"Our Australian Guarantee

All of our products come with an Australian Warranty and we offer support via phone for any technical issues."

Link to page - scroll down to the bottom for the quote.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 05-23-2009, 08:32 PM  
Pricing - For us Australian Pentax users...
Posted By brumby
Replies: 96
Views: 15,216
Cheapest I've found for online Oz camera stores

Pre order
K-7 body only $A 1479
K-7 body with 18-55 WR lens $A 1699

Dirt Cheap Cameras
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 05-22-2009, 06:19 PM  
SO...Who's Placed a Pre-Order?
Posted By brumby
Replies: 103
Views: 14,054
The Camera Warehouse site in Oz have the K-7 body only at $1579 and the body with the 18-55 kit lens at $1809

Pentax K7 | Camera-Warehouse
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 05-22-2009, 03:07 AM  
SO...Who's Placed a Pre-Order?
Posted By brumby
Replies: 103
Views: 14,054
I've heard the RRP here in Oz is $1499. Is that what you paid, Eagle? Oh, and where did you order it. I haven't seen it listed yet on the Aussie online stores I frequent.
Forum: Post Your Photos! 04-21-2009, 01:06 AM  
oh no, she smokes
Posted By brumby
Replies: 19
Views: 3,029
Oh my, that chair is HOT!

So's the lady in it

She smokes? Meh. I'm old enough to remember a time when many if not most "glamour" shots were accompanied by - a smoke :eek:
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-20-2009, 03:48 AM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
Ben, that is a well laid out, thoughtful and most helpful post. Thank you.

The LCD screen thing is not a huge concern. I have looked through both viewfinders - using similar lenses - and the D300 is definitely better. The D700 is better still, but that's a whole other story. Having said that, I haven't had a chance to do any serious comparison between the D300 and K20D. I don't know too many DSLR shooters and the ones I do know all have Nikon or Canon bodies. It is getting increasingly hard around here to even find a Pentax body in a shop, so it's hard to compare directly.

I must admit to being a bit miffed at the HUGE jump in Pentax lens prices here over the past few months. Even with that, it is true that Pentax does have a better selection of prime glass (my main concern) than does Nikon. It is also true that Nikon's "pro" grade glass is VERY expensive.

With all the talk about an upgrade to the K20D on here and elsewhere, and with the persistent rumours of a D300 replacement soon, I might just wait a little while and see what actually happens.

The other alternative is to start to look actively for used Pentax glass. Specifically

12-24 DA Zoom
35 DA Macro
70 DA or (preferably) 77 Ltd

A telephoto or telephoto zoom can wait.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 04-19-2009, 08:39 PM  
Canadian Pentax users: Who else is disillusioned?
Posted By brumby
Replies: 37
Views: 8,014
You're right for those of us who were contemplating buying a Pentax outfit when prices were good late last year, but what about everybody else?

Pentax had two BIG advantages over CaNikon. One was the availablility and the quality of prime glass. And the other was the price advantage of ALL Pentax glass. The first is still there but the second, at least outside the US, is all but gone.

Someone newly on the market for a DSLR is going to look at prices, of course. Pentax body is cheaper, Pentax glass is not.

And for those of us who are looking to get into a system, it's strange that while the price of Pentax glass has rocketed, the price of the K20D has not budged. It's all very well to assume that the big jump in lens prices is pointing to a new top level body, but there are no signs of one yet as far as I've seen.

The saving grace is, of course, that we can still buy the K20D (at least in Oz) for the same price (or maybe even a bit less) that we could late last year. And we can buy our glass new (or used from those who will ship worldwide) from the US. At least we can for the moment. In Australia, if an item is priced under $A 1k, there's usually no hassle with customs. Right now, $A 1k is about $US 720. That takes care of most of the lenses I'd be wanting to buy. Pretty well all of them if I can buy used from the US.

On that note, a diffident suggestions for Americans selling lenses on here. Your prices look a lot more tempting to people outside the US than they do to your fellow Americans. In this economic climate, offering to ship worldwide could well help your sale more than you may have considered. I've seen many deals on here I would have been sorely tempted to go for except for the dreaded "CONUS" clause.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 04-19-2009, 02:39 PM  
Canadian Pentax users: Who else is disillusioned?
Posted By brumby
Replies: 37
Views: 8,014
Wow, your prices have gone up! I thought the 50-135 had gone stratospheric when the price jumped to $1.6k here in Australia - and that price is inclusive of a 10 percent GST (Goods and Services Tax).
Forum: Post Your Photos! 04-19-2009, 03:12 AM  
Brisbane at night (cityscape)
Posted By brumby
Replies: 4
Views: 1,608
Nice shot.

Right at the tip of Kangaroo Point?

I'll be down there in a few days :D
Forum: Post Your Photos! 04-19-2009, 02:06 AM  
DA12-24 and the little red church
Posted By brumby
Replies: 15
Views: 2,269
All those shots are good but the last one is terrific. What lovely light and what a great day.

Must show these to wifey. She grew up in Edmonton.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-17-2009, 08:49 PM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
Hi Guys (and Gals) :)

I am NOT trying to bash Pentax here. If anybody has read it that way, I can only say that I regret them having done so. It was not my intention. If anything, I'm bashing myself for not taking the opportunity to get into a Pentax system when prices were lower.

With Pentax, I have the opportunity to make use of in camera stabilisation. That's a REAL bonus. With Nikon, I can probably use higher ISOs with a more success. That's also a bonus. A wash? Maybe, maybe not.

Please note that the Nikon lens which does have VR is the tele-zoom, where it is a bigger bonus that at wide/normal focal lengths.

At any rate, my long ago experience with (film) SLR cameras was at a time when the only stabilisation available came from steady hands or a beanbag/monopod/tripod.

I like Pentax because they make cameras for photographers and because their selection of good prime glass is unequalled. I also like them because, like Nikon, they are primarily an optics company. I have, BTW, a pair of Pentax 8 x 42 SP binoculars which are superb - unequalled by any other company in my experience at the price level. And yes, I also like Pentax because they are "different" ;) Hell, I've got a top loading CD player, that's bizarre in this day and age.

I like Nikon because their viewfinder/LCD is the best in the business, because they are also primarily an optics company, and because they resisted the "pixel wars" with the D300/D700 and instead chose to optimise the low light/AF/speed aspects of their cameras. Canon lost me completely when they upped the 5D II pixel count above 20m without doing anything to improve their AF and stuck in an HD video camera. If that's the route they're going in, I don't want to know.

But when I look at what's coming out now from Pentax in the way of glass, I start to wonder. The new Pentax 60-250 f4 DA Zoom is being priced for future delivery in Australia at $2850. The Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VR is $2750.

It makes me stop and think, mainly because I'm so used to seeing Pentax lenses for about half the price of their Nikon equivalents, I suppose.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-16-2009, 06:30 PM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
Ok, I expected the input about the difference of the lenses, especially at the long end. I agree that the more apt comparison would be the Nikon 70-300 with the Pentax 55-300 instead of the superior Pentax 200mm prime lens.

Of course, a Nikon "afficionado" would point out that the K20D should not be compared with the D300 but with the D90. I happen to disagree.

Please remember that these are Australian best prices and let's see if we can be more scientific:

Body: - $1000 advantage Pentax - unless one compares with the D90
Pentax K20D - $1230
Nikon D90 - $1315
Nikon D300 - $2250

Wide Angle (Zoom) - not much in it
Sigma 10-20 - $830 (HSM - fast AF - available on Nikon mount but not on Pentax)
Nikon 12-24 - $1395
Pentax 10-17 - $820
Pentax 12-24 - $1000

"Normal" - price advantage Nikon - selection advantage Pentax
Nikon 35 f 1.8G - $430
Nikon 35 f 2 D - $540
Pentax 35 f2 FA (can't find a new Aussie price)
Pentax 40 f2.8 Pancake - $465
Pentax 35 f2.8 DA Macro - $1170 (price has DOUBLED in three months)
Pentax 31 f1.8 Limited - $1490


"Portrait" - slight advantage Pentax
Nikon 85 f1.4 - $1595
Nikon 85 f1.8 - $625
Pentax 70 f2.4 Pancake- $580
Pentax 77 f1.8 Limited - $1100

Telephoto (Zoom) - nothing in it
Nikon 55-200 f4.5-5.6 - $345
Nikon 70-300 f4.5-5.6 VR - $800
Pentax 50-200 f4-5.6 - $330
Pentax 55-300 f4-5.8 - $670

I am aware that I can and probably would get many of these lenses from the US, where prices are comparatively much cheaper even when taking the exchange rate and shipping into consideration. I am also aware that many used Pentax lenses come up for sale here. Problem is that the majority of them are marked for sale in CONUS (Continental US) only. Again, I'm writing this from the perspective of an Aussie whose access to good glass - new and especially used - is comparatively limited

Finally, I am aware that the disparity in prices between Nikon (and Canon) and Pentax glass, at least here in Australia and I hazard to guess in many other places outside the US, is not what it used to be.

This is not a complaint, merely an observation. I should have got off my duff and done the deal on Pentax six-nine months ago - when prices were much more in favour of Pentax - but I didn't.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-16-2009, 07:47 AM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
If I bought that Pentax package exclusively in Australia, it would cost considerably MORE than the price I quoted. The local Pentax distributor is NOT doing the parent company any favours.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-16-2009, 07:45 AM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
Thanks for that, a well thought out comment. The lens line up is tentative, basically set up in an attempt to form a rough parallel between the two systems. Any suggestions for a different line up would be gratefully received. I'm a prime lens fan boy though - from way back. :D
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-16-2009, 07:42 AM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
Do you think so? So, in all likelihood, will a new version of the D300.

Again, it's not so much the camera bodies, it's the lenses. My basic problem is the huge recent surge in the price of new Pentax glass here in Australia while Nikon glass has not risen in price by anything like the same extent.

My predilection, formed in my film camera days, is for good primes. This is the MAJOR reason, perhaps the only reason - as far as I'm concerned - to buy into the Pentax system. Nikon has two things going for it. The slight superiority of the D300 over the K20D - at a price premium I hasten to add. And the existence of affordable FF in the D700. Seen the Canon D5 Mark II. Forget it.

This last point is debatable since there are also advantages, especially at the long end, to the APS-C format. But knowing consumer "fashion", FF is the coming thing, no doubt about it.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-16-2009, 06:00 AM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
Basically stationary or slow moving subjects. Sports or fast action photography are not in the mix. I am, however, a great fan of low light photography. Camera would be used for landscape - wildlife - portrait - indoor/street photography in that order.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-16-2009, 05:57 AM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
I would agree that the D300 is superior to the K20D. I would not agree that it "smokes" it by any means. The areas of superiority I have found after examining both would be:
  1. Better viewfinder

  2. Better rear LCD screen

  3. Better low light/high ISO

  4. OK, better AF, but not as much better as everybody seems to think it is


The D300 also costs more than $1k more than the K20D here in Oz

Yes, I know that the rumours of a "D400" are rife. And I would expect that Pentax is at least working on an upgrade to the K20D (I hope they don't up the pixel count but deal with the more obvious and more widely discussed issues in any upgrade).

Nikon and Pentax can take legacy lenses. Nikon has NOT made the same effort as Pentax has to upgrade their selection of good primes at the "shorter" (10-100mm) end. Nikon's long glass is fantastic - with prices to match.

Like I said, it's a tough choice. I have more qualms about the longevity of Pentax than I do about Nikon, but I'm not too fussed over this. I DO have qualms about the recent HUGE increase in Pentax lens prices here in Oz.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-16-2009, 05:17 AM  
A Tale Of Two Systems
Posted By brumby
Replies: 54
Views: 9,723
I presently do not have a DSLR nor any lenses, so I am completely open about which brand/system to buy into. My choices, after a great deal of research, have boiled down to Pentax or Nikon. I have had a play with both the K20D and the D300. As far as bodies are concerned, I must admit I am swaying towards the Nikon D300

BUT.

I'm buying into a system. In other words, lenses and only then the camera body.

Here in Australia, I have priced out a Pentax and a Nikon system, going by the best lens prices I can find, not necessarily Aussie prices which have rocketed upwards lately for Pentax glass - especially the DA lenses. Here are the systems:

Nikon D300
Sigma 10-20
Nikon 35 f2.0
Nikon 85 f1.8
Nikon 70-300 (VR)
Total cost - $A 5020

Pentax K20D
Pentax 12-24 (Aussie price $A 950-1050)
Pentax 35 DA Macro (from Adorama - Aussie price is now $A 1100 plus)
Pentax DA 77 Ltd (Aussie price $A 1000-1100)
Pentax DA 200 f2.8 (from Adorama - Aussie price is now $A 2400 plus)
Total cost - $A 5254

This is a VERY tough choice. The unparalleled selection of Pentax prime lenses is tempting indeed. The Nikon D300 is a superb body. The cost is pretty well even.

Any comments, suggestions? Were it not for the fact that, lens for lens, the Pentax selection here is probably superior, I would probably go for the Nikon. But I reckon that the Pentax lens selection IS superior. The point is that nowadays, the old HUGE price advantage of Pentax over Nikon glass (at least here in Oz) is nowhere near what it used to be.
Forum: Post Your Photos! 12-16-2008, 02:33 AM  
For those feeling a little chilly.
Posted By brumby
Replies: 11
Views: 1,281
Great shot!

Lovely day, today, wasn't it mate :cool:
Forum: Sold Items 12-15-2008, 02:48 PM  
For Sale - Sold: Pentax DA 55-300mm
Posted By brumby
Replies: 8
Views: 1,964
Yes, they're about $AU 650 ($US 435) new here - price recently went up. Too bad it's CONUS :(
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