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First beginner level DSLR dilemma D5200 vs Pentax K-5 vs K-50 vs K-30

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Andy Kyselica

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Ive decided to buy my first DSLR, however Im not really sure which would suit me the best. I am planning on mostly doing landscape and street photography, maybe some portaits later on. I am planning on buying a used camera. Im mainly deciding between the Nikon D5200 with a 18-105mm lens a pentax k-5, pentax k-30 and pentax k-50. Or maybe some other camera with similar specs. My budget is around 500-600euros which could hopefully fit the body, lens and maybe some accessories as well.

I don't have much experience with DSLR photography, but I would like a camera that would last for some time and offers even some intermediate features. I would be glad to know your opinion on which camera is better, so I could be able to make a well informed decision. I mainly consider the specs, reliability, image quality and some overall impressions.
 
i'd be looking at a mirrorless camera for landscape shooting, because manual focusing is more accurate with an evf.

are there any sony a6000 cameras in your area? maybe used?

--
dan
 
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No, not really. I've only found lenses for the a6000, I still think I would rather prefer a DSLR to a mirrorless camera, so i didn't even think about this option.
 
I've managed to find an used a6000 with an 16-50mm lens for 490€. It seems interesting, but could you please give me a brief comparison between this and the D5200 or the K-5. What lenses would you recommend?
 
pentax offers more in the entry level bodies.

K-5 is supposedly better spec than the k-50, but the k-50 does get the job done. you might be able to compare specs between the nikon and pentax

the pentax does offer weather resistant bodies and low price lenses.
 
the sony and the nikon both have 24mp sensors, they should have similar picture quality:

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photonstophotos.net

i don't know about those particular pentax bodies, are they 24mp? pentax was offering in-body image stabilization back in 2007, or even earlier, you can't get that with the a6000 nor the d5200.

the dslrs have optical viewfinders of course, but the sony mirrorless has an evf(oled panel)... it would be nice if you could compare ovf vs. evf, because that can make a big difference for a lot of people.
 
None of these are bad choices, but I think you'll be better served with the Pentax overall- twin dials, weather resistance and generally better build quality, especially the K5. I think it will be a better camera to have as you grow in skill. Some of the DA primes are incredible. The D5200 is more of an entry level camera.

One drawback with Pentax is if you like to shoot video, the video quality and AF in video are generally considered as subpar.

I own neither brand of camera, but when I was considering going toward a DSLR I did try out all the major players and liked Pentax best. Ultimately I decided to stick with my u43 system.

Just to complicate things, if you look really hard, you might find a used A7 original generation with kit lens for $700-900, that would give you the best landscape system on the (relatively) cheap. Great image quality but I don't like the user interface.
 
osv said:
i'd be looking at a mirrorless camera for landscape shooting, because manual focusing is more accurate with an evf.

are there any sony a6000 cameras in your area? maybe used?

--
dan
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Autofocus is fine for many landscape shooters and the Pentaxes, at least my K-50 have focus peaking.
 
Andy Kyselica said:
Ive decided to buy my first DSLR, however Im not really sure which would suit me the best. I am planning on mostly doing landscape and street photography, maybe some portaits later on. I am planning on buying a used camera. Im mainly deciding between the Nikon D5200 with a 18-105mm lens a pentax k-5, pentax k-30 and pentax k-50. Or maybe some other camera with similar specs. My budget is around 500-600euros which could hopefully fit the body, lens and maybe some accessories as well.

I don't have much experience with DSLR photography, but I would like a camera that would last for some time and offers even some intermediate features. I would be glad to know your opinion on which camera is better, so I could be able to make a well informed decision. I mainly consider the specs, reliability, image quality and some overall impressions.
Click to expand...
Pentax cameras with their good dynamic range, weather sealing, dual control dials and bright pentaprism finders make them good for landscape photography. O note that the Nikon is lacking the last three features mentioned above.

As for street photography since the Pentax has built in image stabilization (IBIS), it has a much wider range of affordable stabilized lenses than the Nikon.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/sear...74&N=4288584247+4108103565+3655748806&mxp=500

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/sear...4247+3655748806+4108103566+4109120026&mxp=500
 
Pentax has some advantages (like weather sealing, twin dials) but nothing is ideal so they have also some disadvantages.

You cannot go terribly wrong with those cameras as long they are reliable and operate. As you buy second hand it is important to check them for shutter actuations and verify if there are not known reliability issues with the model you are looking to.

Also the lens that comes makes a real difference. I'd rather have 18-105 mm range versus 18-55 mm range.

Here what I found out:

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www.dpreview.com

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www.dpreview.com

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photorumors.com
 
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Thanks for your reply,

I am quite interested in the pentax k-5, because most reviews mentioned great things about it. What lenses would you recommend, something not too expensive or large as I would like to carry it around easily. I've found an used k-5 with a PENTAX SMC DA 17-70 MM F/4 AL [IF] SDM, and also one with the kit 18-55 and a 50 - 200MM both for roughly the same price. What do you think about these setups?
 
Thanks for your reply,

the pentax bodies are 16MP, and yeah they come with in body stabilization. After researching the a6000 I think it might suit me better than a DSLR also due to the size, so it would be easier to carry around during biking or traveling. Im not really able to decide between a DSLR and a mirrorless, since most of the time the image quality is very similar (atleast between the a6000 and the D5200)
 
You'll have to ask yourself what is more important for you....

If you are a pixel peeper you'll want the 17-70, even though it is more limited in its overall range, but it will ultimately offer you better rendering and IQ. It's not as good as Pentax's faster zoom lenses, but it's arguably better than either kit lens you mentioned.

If you're not going to scrutinize things at a pixel level you'll probably be fine with the two lens combination.

We all have different needs/wants from our systems, but personally, I'd go with the slightly higher quality 17-70 lens, and build up your kit from there.

...I see you're also considering mirrorless, I shoot u43 and love it, and you can get some great deals on used gear, but that would be a different thread topic..... It is nice to have lots of options. Good luck!
 
Thank you all for your insights, I think I will go for the a6000, because after rethinking it, I don't really care that much for weather sealing, and the lower weight will probably be better for me since I can carry it around while biking or hiking more easily. I've found a used one, but in good condition for 490 euros with the kit 16-50mm lens. I believe that this is a good starting point for me and there are some possibilites for lens upgrades down the line.
 
Andy Kyselica said:
Thank you all for your insights, I think I will go for the a6000, because after rethinking it, I don't really care that much for weather sealing, and the lower weight will probably be better for me since I can carry it around while biking or hiking more easily. I've found a used one, but in good condition for 490 euros with the kit 16-50mm lens. I believe that this is a good starting point for me and there are some possibilites for lens upgrades down the line.
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I hope you find photography as rewarding as it can be goo, good luck with your system.
 
Enjoy your new camera. Sony is not an affordable system.

--
Victor
Bucuresti, Romania
 
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I'll learn with the kit lens which should hopefully suffice me for some time, and I also thought about buying some legacy lenses with an adapter, because many of them are practically free, yet some create quite interesting pictures
 
Andy Kyselica said:
I'll learn with the kit lens which should hopefully suffice me for some time, and I also thought about buying some legacy lenses with an adapter, because many of them are practically free, yet some create quite interesting pictures
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exactly... you also have ff e-mount lenses and adapted a-mount lenses to choose from... plus, sony is the only mount that gives you electronic adapter choices for canon ef lenses... the selection of cheap adapters for legacy glass is much wider than any other lens mount.

bottom line, e-mount has far better lens availability than m4/3 and fuji... those are dead-end formats, that don't have any path to ff.

--
dan
 
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