Or more specifically, running 2 systems to reap the benefits of both.
I was a long time pentax shooter, film, and then an ist DL- but sold my pentax kit and switched to a canon pro rig when I started to shoot assignments- I was gifted a canon 1dmk3 (lucky me I thought at the time)
Although the camera is great and it impresses clients with it's heft and image quality, i'm finding I only ever bring it out if i'm being paid to do so. So my personal photography has gone out the window as it's just no fun to carry it around unless there's a heavy lens on it to balance out the weight.
The problem with canon is that it's a system designed for full frame, the best of canon's lenses are huge, heavy, and expensive- canon and inconspicuous are words not heard together very often. Unlike pentax with it's LTD lenses, and comparatively small 50-135 telephoto
the problem with full frame is that you have to work so hard to make every image, you can get a better (in certain aspects) image out of a FF cam but you need more light (which can easily double the amount of lighting required for a shoot) and lack of depth of field hinders more often than helps
I am planning to get a second body that I can take with me everywhere (and I mean everywhere), get great shots (document my life and improve my general shooting awareness) and not get asked 'what paper i'm shooting for' every time i'm out and about with the camera. It would be nice if the second body was up to pro standard and could reliably be used on assignment, and if it could be used for video (we have access to 550d's for video but the more cameras we can have rolling the more coverage we can get).
I have limited the choice down to the fuji x100, an olympus pen (any model), 60d/600d/5dmk2 or pentax k5
The canons would probably be a logical option, but the 600d AF sucks in low light, the viewfinder is tiny, the shutter sound is annoying and the camera is ugly. Good IQ though, and lens compatibility. Wireless flash control, but feels uncomfortable in the hand
The 60d is a fine camera- maybe a little big for a takearound, but I used to take my DL everywhere so maybe the 1d has just killed my love for a d-slr. Also has wireless flash control and fits my hand like a glove
5dmk2- full frame (pro's and con's), 21mp (I am seeing the limitation of printing 10mp files as I work in advertising so my work is often printed poster size), great video but no 60fps. Big, heavy, pro looking. Could probably sell my 1d to use the 5d instead.
The x100 is small enough for me to take everywhere, and good looking enough to go with my hipster look (:p), but the lack of interchangeable lenses is killing me, I'm just not sure I like a 35mm focal length- and i'd like to be able to carry a 90mm around with me in my other pocket. The leica m8 was an option, until I saw the price, and it doesn't shoot video. The x100 does shoot video but with no manual focus during shooting (WTF) and only 720 (would be ok for 720 steadycam work though)
Pentax k5- 1080 video, great IQ, looks sexy, silent shutter, ltd lenses and 50-135, tiny wr macro lens. Most lenses not silent focus, no wide angle weather sealed lenses. Fits my hand. I've heard bad things about the live view display though- although it seemed ok to me.
Olympus pen- no viewfinder, too small, uncomfortable to hold, looks amateurish (could be a good thing). 2 lovely new zuiko lenses released with LTD level build quality. I'd really have to spend more time with this camera to see if I like it.
So my questions- I know pentax has always lagged behind in AF performance, but has anyone tested the k5 against a canon in low light? Because if it has similar performance to a 600d then it would be unacceptable to me.
As far as I can see the only weather sealed lenses are mostly bigger zooms, and there is no sealing on the LTD lenses, nor is there a sealed ultra wide zoom
video quality- how does the quality stack up against the canon's- I know there's no 60fps, but I can live with 25p instead of 24, and i've got plenty of HDD space so IQ is more important to me than a space eficient codec. How well does IS work in video?
Flash and flash sync- how does wireless flash work on the pentax system, is the pentax wireless flash system any good? (I currently use canon flashes but triggered manually using radio triggers, I planned on getting a e-ttl compatible trigger system but decided against it). Is the flash sync really only 1/180 on the k5? That seems slow, can you use high speed sync with pentax to shoot faster than 1/180?
If I was to use pentax as a casual system I would get:
k5 and use my 28mm for a while, then get
15 ltd
31 ltd
100mm wr
50-135 (maybe)
and the canon would fill in with
17-40 (wide angle wr zoom)
85mm portrait
150mm macro (if it won against the 100wr, could be replaced with a 135mm f2)
and maybe a wide angle tilt shift down the line if I shoot more architecture
My current lens line up is:
sigma 15-30 which was just sold to make way for a canon 17-40
canon 85mm 1.8
sigma 150mm macro 2.8 (which is also a potential sale item)
and some manual focus lenses
pentax 28mm f2.8 (tiny)
helios 44 58mm (just for fun really)
zeiss 135mm f3.5 (love how compact it is)
I have a gap in the 50mm range, and i'm looking for a 70-200- although the canon f4 is too slow, and the 2.8 too big
Canon lenses are so expensive that a pentax system could fill in those 2 lens gaps and provide better value for my shooting needs, I think my heart says pentax, but my professional requirements say canon...
I'm not sure if this makes any sense, I will try to condense it