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K10D buying advice, should I buy one?

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Samboy

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I'm just returned to SLR photography after a longgggg break. Lived in a darkroom half my life! Had a complete MX kit with loads of lenses, and still got a few. I'm going to buy a K10D I think as I dont want all the kids stuff on a K100, I've read a small review here, which seems quite honest:

http://www.dslruser.co.uk/readarticle.php?article_id=14

If I've got a few old, but still decent Pentax lenses, is it better to go for the Pentax or chop it all in for a Nikon or Canon and start again?
 
I've a XT 350D with 4 lenes and lots of other stuff .
Paid over $2,4K
Asking $1,250
About 1000 photo taken with it .
Interested ?
 
Just opened my package and am now charging my battery. I'll let you know soon, but so far, I am impressed with the build quality, the grip, and the many features available. It feels very good in my hands, very comfortable with or without the grip, and I was surprised by its size, which doesn't seem much larger than my DS. I feel a strong desire coming on for those new lenses in March.
--
'This is more serious than I thought.....but it is still fun!
http://www.pbase.com/rupertdog Take a look- It's Free!
 
but not because of your legacy lenses which are all usable of course but because it is fully competitive with the offerings from Nikon and Canon.

The best advice is as old as the hills - try them all out and buy the one you like best. There really is very little difference between the brands in terms of image quality. The current row about "soft" jpegs is a storm in a teacup and utterly irrelevant for 99.9% of normal uses. As Phil says, below an A3 print size you won't even notice.

I went from an old K1000 to the original *istD and have not regretted it for one moment. The K10D is a better camera for sure and much cheaper than the *istD was so if I was making a choice today I would buy the K10D immediately. Coming from an MX though you may be a little disappointed by the size. DSLRs are HUGE by comparison but the handling is good and the weight is easily carried.

--
Steve

http://www.pbase.com/steephill
 
If you have some lenses already, buying the Pentax would be a good move. I'm sure you've seen all the squabbling on these forums lately, but what people are arguing about is the significance of very minor image quality issues that can't be seen unless you zoom in or print in huge sizes - and there seems to be no consensus as to which camera is best anyway.

The fact is, most modern DSLRs give pictures that are way more than good enough, and there's very little to separate the brands in terms of image quality. If you want to shoot in RAW format and make all the final processing decisions back at home on your computer, as many do, there is even less to separate them.

The MX is a fully manual camera, and it's likely that the lenses you still have from that kit are pre-A lenses without an auto setting on the aperture ring. The K10D, like all Pentax DSLRs, lacks the lever to read the pre-set aperture on those lenses; this means it cannot open-aperture meter with them. It is fairly easy to meter them in stop-down mode, however.
 
All K and M lenses meter wide open on the K10D just as they did on the ME. I originally did not think they would, but they did when I mounted them on the K10D and tried out my 50mm, f1.4 and 200mm, f2.5.
 
Hi Samboy:

Think of it this way. ALL of your "legacy" lenses will be image stabalized. I don't even want to think how much you'd have to pay to get that with a Nikon or Canon system. Their stabalization is in the lens so you would need to buy IS in EVERY lens. Do you have that much cash laying around? :-) That one feature alone would make it worth buying the K10D and there are so many more excellent features not even yet talked about.

Regards,
GregT
--
F8 and be there.
 
Do you mean just for shooting at the maximum aperture, or at any aperture? If the latter, that seems to contradict the manuals and stuff.
 
I also was expecting K10D to be bigger. I was pleasently surprised that it is not so mach bigger than my DS.

However after using K10D I pick up my old DS I immediately feel how small DS is!

--
Edvinas
 
Yes. I've got one. It's my first slr and it can definitley do more than I can. By the specs and everything i've got for it i feel better off than having gotten a D80. However, I must say my enthusiasm is bolstered by the hope that someone expands the lens catalog to make the most of such a great camera.
 
Congrats Rupert, can't see any reason, IMHO, that you wouldn't be thrilled and happy, but I'm biase, I 've had mine a couple of weeks and certainly enjoying it and I'm new to a DSLR, so I might be less demanding, look forward to your insights.
--
Jerry
http://www.pbase.com/tocarver
Equipment, to date, (+: In profile
 
Both great cameras, we are from opposite ends of the photography learning curve, but as a newbie, this camera was kinda love at first sight/touch and very easy to use, even though it was intimidating at first to me. I'm happy, but everyone's views/needs are different.
--
Jerry
http://www.pbase.com/tocarver
Equipment, to date, (+: In profile
 
Samboy said:
I'm just returned to SLR photography after a longgggg break. Lived
in a darkroom half my life! Had a complete MX kit with loads of
lenses, and still got a few. I'm going to buy a K10D I think as I
dont want all the kids stuff on a K100
Click to expand...
I considered both cameras and chose the K100. Kids stuff? Well, yeah. . . It has all those "automatic dumbass" modes that I completely ignore, and it came set to "bright" processing as the default -- which takes five seconds to change in the main menu. It has features that cater to the ignorant and the lazy, but those features are all easily ignored. They haven't gotten in my way at all.

My reasoning was, I prefer the 6.1MP sensor -- it produces much smaller files while the difference in image quality is negligible. I also prefer the use of AA batteries, since they are widely available and I have more options to power it. The K100 being less expensive was merely a bonus.

I do have slight envy for the K10's dust-and-weather seals and its prism viewfinder, I have to admit.
Samboy said:
If I've got a few old, but still decent Pentax lenses, is it better
to go for the Pentax or chop it all in for a Nikon or Canon and
start again?
Click to expand...
There's no way to answer that. I don't know what you're looking for in a camera. If I had my heart set on a Canon or a Nikon, I wouldn't let a small collection of lenses hold me back. You can always trade lenses. But I didn't have any lens collection, I just got the Pentax because it appeared to be what I wanted. So far I'm well pleased with it.
 
IMO Go with the K 10d...it's the obvious choice

It's A great deal and a great camera, You won't regret it, and you have lenses that are compatible, thats another plus.

However I will warn you, you posted this question in a
PENTAX USERS FORUM

So obviously the results you get will be slightly biased. I'm almost positive if you posted the same question in the n*k*n or Canon SLR forums you would get different results...anyhow...I still recommend the k-10d.

Thanks for asking our forum ;)
--
Hi From High In HI.

(Ask me if you don't get it ;)
 
Get one - Pentax are back in business and this is the camera that proves it.
Samboy said:
I'm just returned to SLR photography after a longgggg break. Lived
in a darkroom half my life! Had a complete MX kit with loads of
lenses, and still got a few. I'm going to buy a K10D I think as I
dont want all the kids stuff on a K100, I've read a small review
here, which seems quite honest:

http://www.dslruser.co.uk/readarticle.php?article_id=14

If I've got a few old, but still decent Pentax lenses, is it better
to go for the Pentax or chop it all in for a Nikon or Canon and
start again?
Click to expand...
--
Steve
Pixel peepers miss the big picture.
http://www.pbase.com/steve_jacob
 
Yes, I am fully aware of the size difference. I loved my chrome MX. Wish they would make a retro chrome Pentax DMX! Thanks for all your views, didnt realisejust how many passionate Pentax people there were out there
 
Yes, the K10D is an excellent choice.

Image quality and performance is excellent according to ColorFoto, Luminous landscape, swedish Kamera & Bild and Popular Photography.

Take care
R
 
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