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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
10-24-2012, 05:35 PM
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Just picked up mine at Mogil's on the Mountain here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Jay (owner) called to inform me to hurry to the shop, my camera had arrived a day early!!!
It is dark today as we are getting some snow, low light focus is amazing. This is my first Pentax, I am switching over from Canon after 20 years. I've done a pretty therough test of the K-5 and I am certain all of you will be happy with the K-5II/s. I am not sure if everyone will need to upgrade as it seems to really shine in lower light and not everyone needs that. At the shop I had a K-5 next to it and tested the af, it definetly appeared faster but that could also be me wanting it to be so. The new screen is noticebly better. I wish all of you good luck and look forward to getting my lens order in. By the way, I am ordering the new 560 Telephoto, does anyone know if the Sensor Shift will work with it? I had heard that it automatically shuts off above a certain focal range but don't know what that number is.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-18-2012, 06:53 PM
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Obviously this is only a decision you can make based on what is important to you. If you need weather sealing, well, there is only one choice. If you don't, then you have to consider that the sigma lens appears to be rock solid with slightly better IQ. And it's covered by a full factory warranty if you do experience a problem. The DA* will be a used lens so no warranty. The difference in image quality wouldn't be much of a concern for me since my DA* 16-50 has never disappointed me in that area. But I do have to mention that my copy has been back for repair 4 times in 3 years. The first time for a zoom ring issue and the past three times for SDM failure. I had to pay to ship it back to CRIS each time at my expense. The first three repairs were covered under warranty. This last one was not. If you add up all the shipping and repair cost for my lens it's a rather expensive lens to maintain and this latest repair (once I get it back) will only have a 90 day warranty. If the SDM quits again after that period I'll be stuck with another shipping/repair bill.
Perhaps the used lens you're looking at will never experience a problem. Many people never have any trouble. I guess you need to decide if it's worth the risk.
Oh, I thought I should add this... My DA* 200mm went back for SDM failure and has been rock solid ever since, and my DA* 50-135 has never had an SDM problem at all (knock wood)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-17-2012, 03:52 PM
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It is impossible for me without owning both lenses to give you an really informed opinion which one to get. I only own the DA*16-50 and am satisfied with the lens. If I stop down one stop I don't have a real complaint about it's sharpness and it has until now been a reliable workhorse for me. For me the weather sealing was the deciding factor. It is you who has to decide if you want a good weather protected lens which takes excellent pictures after you know it's characteristics and sometimes needs a little bit of work in post production. Or a lens that on the basis of tests seems to produce excellent pictures with a bit more ease. Reliability for me is no real concern even though my almost 3,5 years old lens is out of warranty. If 'it' happens I have enough good, relatively cheap primes to fill that gap until the lens is fixed again and I can use manual focus for the majority of my photo's to finish the shoot. And at least I've gotten shots that I otherwise probably would have missed without the weather sealing. I can't advice you to buy the DA*16-50. You have to decide how important for example the weather sealing is and perhaps come up with a strategy for the possible event of autofocus failure if only to give you a bit more peace of mind. That summed up the way I dealt with this decision.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-17-2012, 02:40 PM
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I would get the 16-50 f2.8, better build quality and weather-sealed. Sure it has SDM, but if you are to buy it today from a reputable source such as B&H then most likely you'll get a 2012 constructed one which Pentax claims to have fixed the SDM.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-17-2012, 12:06 PM
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I chose a used DA*16-50. I thought it was a better choice despite the SDM risk, because I prefer the IQ, and that was my #1 criteria. I've been happy with it, and no SDM failure so far. That doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. If I read the statistics correctly, the odds are it won't happen to you, but it still happens to a much larger percentage of customers than it should.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-17-2012, 11:33 AM
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personally I purchased the Sigma, and in no small part to the direct review on this forum. SDM complaints, Chromatic aberration, sharpness issue, no thank you Pentax 16-50. The Sigma is well made, not weather sealed, and is very sharp. When I use a zoom, I reach for the Sigma.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-17-2012, 12:15 PM
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Personally, I'd consider the weather sealing of the 16-50 worth any number of (Fixable) flaws. Sharpness wide open never seems to be an issue other than in tests.(And in reality, I'd think it just makes itself a *better* portrait lens due to the sharp center, but softer edges wide open)
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Forum: General Talk
02-19-2012, 03:23 PM
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You hope he gets a prison sentence for shooting a laptop, really... blinks in amazement.
No, I absolutely don't have kids. My choice. I've changed too many diapers helped raise too many of other people's kids for years to want any of my own. Besides which I'm single and I like it that way. I like being my own boss and even if I wanted to have kids of my own it's inadvisable for health reasons. But I do have nieces and nephews none of which are even remotely spoiled rotten. Unlike most of the kids they go to school with they don't get given everything they want. They have to earn their toys. They do have to listen to the rules their parents have established and yes, once in a while they do get punished. They lose toys and/or get grounded if they misbehave, and while I can't say their parents have ever shot something they have indeed destroyed an object to make a point if necessary. Guess what? The kids didn't like it but they got over it and they had more respect for their parents after, not less. Being made to earn that item back, to earn the money for and buy another one? It was a very important lesson for them.
News flash he didn't shoot the kid. He shot an OBJECT and he didn't even shoot it in front of her. He just shot it on video and then showed it to her. His kid was never in any danger. She knows that. He knows that. While she wasn't happy about it she got the joke and she actually respects what he did. Better the laptop than the kid. He's not out there beating his child. His child lost a favorite toy, one she absolutely abused the use of. She'll have to now earn back the privilege of having one and likely she'll have to save up and buy one herself besides. Major lesson learned. The kid and the parent are fine with each other. No one is terrified. No one got hurt. In fact if you actually read her statements on the subject she loves and respects her Dad for what he did. That he cares enough to set her straight means something to her. I read all the news articles about this one. I read his statements and hers. Before you judge this man arbitrarily I suggest you take a log look at them too.
Yeah he's a bit of an idiot but his heart is absolutely in the right place and he loves his kids. He's really trying to be a good Dad, a responsible Dad, and I'm giving him credit where due. He did kind of do a dumb thing, yes, but for all the right reasons...
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