Hi, there.
I am a complete noob to DSLR cameras. My P&S camera is a Panasonic DMC-LZ7, and it's okay for outdoor daylight shots but not much else. I've been impressed with the photos some of my friends have taken with their DSLRs, so I decided I'd like to try DSLR photography. For my birthday, my husband told me to shop for a camera, so I started researching.
I wasn't sure what I wanted, and I was overwhelmed with the choices. Mirrorless? What was that? After doing some research and wading through pages and pages of reviews, I narrowed it down to a Nikon 5200, a Canon T4i, or a Pentax K-30 in my price range. (The Olympus mirrorless that also interested me was out of my price range.) I really liked the sounds of the Pentax, but many sites advised going with Canon or Nikon for reasons you've all probably heard before. Then, I had a bright idea. I have used Air Miles before for merchandise (got our Weber bbq that way), so I thought I'd check to see if any of those cameras were available through Air Miles. If so, I would choose that one, as it would be essentially "free," and then I would have funds for accessories and maybe an additional lens.
It turned out that Air Miles had the Nikon 5100, the Canon T4i and T5i, and the Pentax K-30 available, all with basic kit lenses (unfortunately--otherwise I would have ordered a kit with an upgraded lens), so I focused on deciding among the Nikon, the Pentax, and the T5i. I went to a store to physically look at and hold all three. I liked the way the Nikon felt in my hands, but hated the viewfinder. Of course, I loved the viewfinder on the Pentax, as well as its solid feel. The Canon (T4i, since the T5i wasn't in stores yet) seemed to be a decent middle ground. The store clerk was really steering me towards the Canon. However, I had pretty much decided on the Pentax and had even placed it in my shopping cart when I got home, when my husband came home from work and said that he had asked the two photography teachers at his school, and one had said Canon and the other, Nikon. So, I went through all the reviews again, went through dozens of photos at camerashowdown.com and settled on the T51, in part because Air Miles also had a additional Canon lenses I could order, and I would have enough Air MIles left to do so.
Almost immediately, I had misgivings. I went through more reviews and more photos at camerashowdown.com, and I started wishing I had ordered the Pentax. I tried going onto the Air Miles site to cancel my order, and there was no way to do so. I tried going into Live Chat, and it was closed for the next couple of days, as it was the beginning of the weekend. I tried calling on Saturday, and the recorded message said that the phone number was only for travel and entertainment rewards.
So, I called first thing Monday morning. Because the T5i was not yet available, AM was able to cancel my order. Otherwise, the order would probably already have been processed. They are fast! It was too late to cancel the lens order, as it had already been processed. (AM has given me instructions on what to do, and are going to allow me to return it, even though they don't usually accept returns.) Then, just so I didn't have second thoughts again, I spent the next two days researching and rereading, and I spent a fair amount of time at this site in the process. I did a search for Pentax lenses in my area, just to see what was out there and what the pricing was like. Both are good cameras, and I'm sure I would be happy with either one (or, more likely, either one will serve to affirm my lack of skill and knowledge :o). However, the Pentax really appealed to me. With a similar sensor, the Pentax simply seemed to outclass the Nikon with its weatherproofing, its pentaprism viewfinder, its built in image stabilization, and its ability to accept AA batteries (with an adapter) in a pinch. Plus, it's just downright purty, IMO. The only option available at Air Miles was the Stormtrooper white, but that was the one I was leaning toward, anyhow. Somehow, the K-30 was the camera that called to me, so here I am, a brand new Pentaxian.
I received an email this morning saying that my baby has been shipped, and I'm very excited!
Thank you all for helping to guide me to this camera, through your enthusiasm for the brand and through your informative posts. I hope the K-30 and I will be very happy together, once we learn how to get along.
