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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-19-2011, 11:21 PM
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hi, this is my second post on the forum. I'm about to transition from Canon and purchase a K-5. I'm attracted to the high-quality prime lenses, but I would also like to have at least one aps-c "normal" zoom for travel. Right now I'm considering the 16-45 f4 ($400), the 17-70 f4 ($480), and the older Tamron 17-50 f2.8 ($460) for purchase. I'm leaning towards either the 16-45 or the Tamron right now. Having the brighter 2.8 would be nice, but I'm feeling like if I buy into a new camera company, I should want their in-house lenses as well (right?). The 16-45 seems to be well-regarded on this forum. But based on specs & zoom range alone, the 17-70 would fit me the best; better build quality, better range, ultrasonic AF. Photozone gave this lens a very good review, but on the Pentax Forums this lens gets a relatively poor rating (7.8/10)... primarily it seems due to AF-errors and SDM-motor failures. To be honest I find this kind of worrying. Is this a lens I should steer clear of? I would appreciate hearing your suggestions, recommendations or any experiences you've had with these lenses. Thanks for your time. Sincerely, Chris
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
06-08-2011, 08:08 PM
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Thanks einstrigger. I'm able to do a 3-day rental of a K-5 and lens for ~$130 from BorrowLens, including courier service to the East Bay. I think I'm going to use the service to demo the K-5... its not exactly cheap, but it appears to be the only way I can try out some Pentax gear before purchasing.
I'll most likely rent the K-5 with a 12-24mm f/4. They also have the 21mm, 35mm, and 40mm Limited Primes, and I know how great the Ltd primes are. But I would most likely start out my kit with a zoom, either the 16-45mm or 17-70mm, and this seems like the closest approximation.
Thanks again for the help.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
06-07-2011, 06:41 PM
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hi. I'm new to the Pentax forums. I'm contemplating selling some older Canon gear and upgrading to either a the Nikon D7000 or the K-5. I know they have essentially the same sensor, but it seems to me from the reviews that the K-5 has more of the features/ergonomics that I'm looking for.
However, I can't find the K-5 body in a B&M store anywhere... and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so its not like I'm out in the middle of nowhere. The Pentax Corporate web-site listed 3 authorized retailers in SF; and they all laughed when I called and said they carried no Pentax at all. And none of Fry's, Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, nor Wolf/Ritz stock the K-5.
I guess my question is, do all Pentaxians buy their gear strictly online now? For such a large $$ purchase as a new DSLR is, I'd at least like to hold one in my hands first before pulling the trigger. I live in one of the larger metropolitan regions in the whole U.S., so is this problem endemic to the entire country?
I'd like to support a smaller brand like Pentax, but I feel like they're making it difficult to take that leap. This is a sincere post; I'm not trying to bash the brand. I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you might have.
Thanks,
Chris
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