Please help me think through a possible system change. (cross post) Thanks!

bob5050 wrote:

yoyoma007 wrote:

My current kit is:

Pentax k20D

Just an observation on that. The K20D came out in 2008--you keep your gear for a long time, but neither of the replacement options you're naming are actually the latest models. Given a 14 year amortization period, maybe you should consider the a7 iv or v, and Pentax K-3iii (the latter of which, if not both, are currently on sale).

Either Sony or Pentax are going to give you great pictures, so you might want to rent the Sony for a week and see whether you can adjust to its ergonomics. My wife carries a Sony and I don't see anything to criticize in her results, but I simply never pick up her camera because I don't enjoy how it feels in hand.

According to cameradecision, the K20D is 800 grams, the K-3iii is 820. So virtually no adjustment there (other than the performance blowing you away <g>).

I know the K-3iii is just an APS-C with a 26mp sensor, but my own experience was that at 16mp (K-30) I felt limited by the resolution, and at 24-26 I don't. Do you routinely crop so much that you need 36+mp?

Given that this isn't a livelihood question, don't carry a camera you can't love using.

It's not that I crop so much. That's a nice advantage, but I tend to take my time and compose so that I do very little cropping.

The high megapixel count means something to me because I do like to print large prints, both to hang in my own home, and for family. Especially landscapes. That's why I want a decent megapixel count.

I don't want to invest in more APS-C lenses, because I would like to have the advantages of full frame whether I stick with Pentax or move to Sony or Nikon. I know that lenses are the real investment.

I wouldn't mind buying new lenses, like the amazing Pentax HD 85mm because I love portraiture, but I just have no idea what Pentax has in mind for the future.

That's becoming more and more of a concern and irritation for me. I've thought about it a great deal and tried a K1 MKII and I love everything about it but the autofocus.

If I knew Pentax was going to continue to develop full frame cameras, and offer better auto focus that was truly competitive I would just buy lenses, wait and be happy. However Pentax isn't only slow, they are incredibly tight lipped about what they're doing. Maybe in the end that is the big issue. It's not so much the the K1 isn't the most advanced system now, it's that I have no way to know if there is going to be a future for any of the high end lenses I might buy. I have my great Pentax 50mm 1.4. I have the 70-300mm sigma with macro for sports/wild life/macro. If I got the 85mm and 15-30mm that would be pretty much everything I need for the things I want to do, personally and professionally. However... who knows what future Pentax has anymore.

The Nikon Z5 is less camera, but it's better auto focus, only 1k new and the excellent Nikon 85MM z lens is only 700$ It's then a system that I know has a future.

A Sony A7 IV is a bit more, but once again more lens selection and I know there is a future.

Ultimately I don't want to switch, but what I can't know, and no one can tell me, is if Pentax has any plans to make a camera that is worthy of that amazing 85mm lens, and it's other * series lenses.

It's frustrating. Pentax is so slow it's just hard to justify for professional use, and Sony is so fast It's ridiculous. Nikon may be a middle ground. Cannon.... just is terrible value for money. Their mid range full frame cameras aren't very good, and their higher end cameras and lenses are absurdly expensive so I don't see the point of even considering Canon with Nikon and Sony as an option. Especially now that they aren't going to allow third party lenses. I don't understand how they keep so much market share, they are a terrible value, and the quality isn't beyond Sony and Nikon to justify it.

After a couple of months of thought, I'm more confused than when I started.

At one moment I've settled on the K1, the next I'm thinking the smartest move is a Nikon Z5 and 85mm S series lens, that together will sot me the same as just the K1, with the comfort I know Nikon is going to keep developing bodies. The ergonomics aren't as good, and I lose the OVF... but maybe I'm weighting those things too highly.