Should I stay with Pentax?

Pentax is the only brand of DSLR I have ever had. I own a K100D, K-x, and a K50. Unfortunately, the K50 is dying the sad slow solenoid death, and I am debating on what to do next. I only have a handful of non-kit lenses, the Sigma 170-500mm and a Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8. I have been debating whether I should move to another camera system or stay with Pentax. I need to make a decision fairly soon as I am taking a big trip over thanksgiving and would like to have a good camera. I really don't have the money to spend much more than $1500. I thought I could possibly get a used K3 Mark III, or I could jump into another system's basic camera with a kit lens or two. But I figured I would ask you guys that have way more experience with these cameras than I do what you feel is the best way to go.

Adam Rich wrote:

Pentax is the only brand of DSLR I have ever had. I own a K100D, K-x, and a K50. Unfortunately, the K50 is dying the sad slow solenoid death, and I am debating on what to do next. I only have a handful of non-kit lenses, the Sigma 170-500mm and a Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8. I have been debating whether I should move to another camera system or stay with Pentax. I need to make a decision fairly soon as I am taking a big trip over thanksgiving and would like to have a good camera. I really don't have the money to spend much more than $1500. I thought I could possibly get a used K3 Mark III, or I could jump into another system's basic camera with a kit lens or two. But I figured I would ask you guys that have way more experience with these cameras than I do what you feel is the best way to go.

With your budget, your best move would be a good condition K5iis ( you can find it used in the $350-$450 range, in great shape ) and you'll have money left on hand, for both a 21 limited & 15 limited.

See what it does:

Adam Rich wrote:

Pentax is the only brand of DSLR I have ever had. I own a K100D, K-x, and a K50. Unfortunately, the K50 is dying the sad slow solenoid death, and I am debating on what to do next. I only have a handful of non-kit lenses, the Sigma 170-500mm and a Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8. I have been debating whether I should move to another camera system or stay with Pentax. I need to make a decision fairly soon as I am taking a big trip over thanksgiving and would like to have a good camera. I really don't have the money to spend much more than $1500. I thought I could possibly get a used K3 Mark III, or I could jump into another system's basic camera with a kit lens or two. But I figured I would ask you guys that have way more experience with these cameras than I do what you feel is the best way to go.

Do you like using the Pentax kit you have ? Does it do the job(s) you need it to do? If the answer to either of those is no, change. If the answer to both is yes, stay.

If I were looking to buy another APS-C body, and the K3-iii was too expensive, and the KF didn't quite cut it, I'd look at used K3 / K3-ii bodies. The K3 is new enough to work with all modern lenses, produces images that are plenty good enough, but for some uses the AF shows its age. There are lightly used MK I bodies selling on ebay for peanuts, then spend the rest of your money on lenses.

The alternative is to find another brand that you do like and does the job. Then you have $1500 + whatever your Pentax gear sells for - don't rule out buying used if you go that path either.

No-one else can say which option is best for you, and if you leave whether it should be for Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Sony or whoever.

If you don't want to spend too much money & want a trouble free experience, provided the body wasn't abused, a used K-3/3II, KP, or a used K-5II/IIs would be the ticket. The K-5II/IIs can run newer KAF4 lenses, but can't control their aperture. Lots of used bodies on eBay & sites like MPB or KEH. Pentax Forum will have some bodies in its marketplace as well.

According to several Pentax users, the latest version of the Pentax K-70 should be 100% trouble free, even though it's still using a solenoid. The KF will be replacing it soon. It's basically a K-70 with a few minor tweaks, but the cost will go up.

Keep in mind that any switch that is worth it is going to cost a lot of money. I wouldn't bother with a basic camera & kit lens. Not worth a switch. Lots of great options, but you're gonna have to pay to play. There's Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, & others.

Given that you already own the Sigma 170-500mm and a Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8, replacing these for another system would likely screw your budget before you've even considered a decent body to put them on.
A K-70, if you can still find one, will suit your needs nicely.
The K-70 replacement, the KF, will be more expensive but still well within budget.
Even a K-3iii should be just about manageable, body only, seeing as you already have the lenses.
So … personal opinion … stick with Pentax
Remember, even if your K-50 is "dying", it's not irrepairable and you can still use it in manual mode as it is, with the appropriate lenses

For years, I have pledged to stop buying new Pentax lenses, but I keep forgetting this pledge.  I have tried two different high-end  MILCs, but ended up returning them with.  I am not sure what I will do - maybe transition to something else while keeping enough Pentax kit around to have fun.

What I would NOT do is buy into a new system in time for Thanksgiving.  If that k50 works ok, bring it and a nice phone to Thanksgiving and hope for the best.  You can start shopping on Black Friday, taking advantage of the very generous holiday return policies.  The new Fujis are nice, if you want to stick with APSC.  Good luck!

My experience getting a new camera right before a trip was I got poorer shots on the trip than I should have because I was not up to speed on the new cameras quirks.

Of course it depends on what camera.  Generally I have had little issue with going between older Pentax models.   But it did kind of throw me when they changed how Auto ISO works a few years ago.

The K3III has a whole new GUI compared to older Pentaxes.  I have found it easy to use but I don't know about switching to it right before a big trip.

But if you are just wanting to switch brands quickly for some reason, Canon has  the most logical and easy to switch to GUIs.  I have found it almost boring how easy it is.

As someone who has flirted with switching (or migrating, whatever you want to call it), I would suggest proceeding with caution. I've spent a lot more money than necessary, just to discover that the old cliché is true: the grass does always seem greener on the other side. In the meantime, as another poster has suggested, try picking up a used K5IIs, and use it with your existing lenses while you contemplate your future goals with photography. The K5 is built like a tank, gets great battery life, and you'll appreciate how nice it feels in your hands compared to your previous camera. And the sensor in the K5 makes beautiful files. So, save your money for more important things, and bring a K5IIs on your trip and have fun. Just my humble opinion 

Maybe you should also say what kind of shots you are doing the most. There are some weaknesses that the current offers from Pentax have and switching to another system could give you far better experience .. so it might be worth some extra cash.

Best,

M

A used k5iis and keep the rest $$$ for the trip.

Here in Europe, when used USD$ as comparison value:
2nd hand K3 (mk1) is around $450

2nd hand K5IIs is around $450 and are a bit rare

2nd hand K5II is around $400

2nd hand K5 is around $350

So the obvious choice is the K3..

K30/K50/K70.. that are all bodies with solenoid issue risk included. I just ignore those.

Somewhere between is KP which is also in $500-700 price league depending on how used it is. But if you give me hoice between K3 and KP, my reaction would be

James O'Neill wrote:

Do you like using the Pentax kit you have ? Does it do the job(s) you need it to do? If the answer to either of those is no, change. If the answer to both is yes, stay.

Depending, of course, on how you prioritize those issues. Don't underestimate the question of use enjoyment--most modern cameras will give you great pictures most of the time; differences tend to be in marginal situations, and depend a lot on who you are as a shooter.

On the money side, FWIW the US Pentax site lists the K-70 at $579.95. If it's still in stock, that's a pretty good deal.

https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/product/pentax-k-70/

Adam,

Another vote here for the K-5 IIs. They're available at KEH.com for under $300, and you get a warranty. It's a marvelous, tough little camera and feels exquisite in the hand.

I shot for several years with a K-5 and a K-5 IIs, mostly -- like you -- shooting landscapes and a few events. The camera was great for both.

These days I'm shooting with a pair of KPs -- a beautiful little camera, though more expensive and harder to come by -- but could easily go back to the K-5, which has better battery life and is built a little tougher than the KP. The main things I like about the KP are the compact size, the flippy screen, and the amazing high-ISO image quality.

I tried all three versions of the K-3, but never bonded. That's in part because I'm using a Canon R these days for birds and wildlife, and partly because I don't like the K-3 III's bulk.

Good luck with your choice.

Bob