Photo newbie - need advice!

thatswhatshesaid

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Hello, all. I'm new to this, so bear with me.

As a total beginner with no experience, I will be looking to some of you more experienced members for help.;)

So...

I am uber-interested in the Pentax K10D. What can you experts tell me? Do you recommend it? (Before you tell me to use the search function...I've done it. I've read EVERYTHING about it.)
(note: This is my first camera...but I want to start strong...)
Also: It seems that any Pentax lens EVER PRODUCED will work with this machine. Is it that simple? Or is there a catch? And how much can I expect to spend on some older lenses? Are they easy to find?

Thanks, all.
- Tyler
 
Go and find one and if it whispers sweet nothings in your ear when you hold it close-- buy it!

If there is still doubt, go and hold the others and give them a chance to talk. ;)

mike
 
Dang.
That was fast.

Anyway, I just found the Olympus E-510.
Any opinions regarding that? Like a comparison with the K10D...side by side. What is one machine missing that the other has?
 
Firstly, a dSLR isn't for everybody. Unless you are experienced and/or have a passion for photography ... don't get a dSLR. For most people a high end P&S is more camera then they will every need.

When you purchase a dSLR you really are not buying a camera ... but rather a camera system. In order to take advantage of a dSLR advanced capabilities one needs to also buy several lenses (if you're interested only in the 'Kit' lens then get a P&S ... you'll get a lot more value per dollar.)

That being said, the first thing you need to ask yourself is "What, will I/do I, shoot?" Then look into the camera systems and see if they have camera(s) and lenses which address your shooting requirements (i.e. sports, astrophotography, macro, et cetera.)

Presently, the most complete systems (most cameras, lenses and specialized equipment) are Nikon and Canon with Canon offering more lenses and cameras, especially on the higher end of photographic equipment, than Nikon. But how many lenses do you need? For 'General" photography, you can get by quite nicely with a wide angle, medium telephoto and sometimes a long telephoto and every camera maker and third party lens makers have those lenses even for cameras like the Pentax with only has a very small percentage of the marketplace.

The K10D is full of very nice features but two points would make me think twice: 1) Sony CCDs are noisey at higher ISOs. I have a friend with a K10D and he found that at ISO 800+ the Image Quality (IQ) is so bad that it just isn't worth his time ... so he shoots at under ISO 800 and in diminishing light it is either a flash or a tripod or he doesn't shoot; 2) The 3 Frames Per Second isn't fast enough for sports ... at three FPS one has to wait until the peak of action to shoot ... at five FPS and up one can follow the action shooting an entire action sequence without missing the 'peak' (I shoot a lot of sports.)

So if you're not gonna shoot action or at high ISOs ... then this camera is a great value if Pentax has the lenses that match your shooting style/requirements. Remember that Pentax has a very small percentage of the marketplace and consequently will have less used equipment and third party accessories available when compared to Canon or Nikon.

Gary
 
I agree with...Besides reading about the different cameras, it's important to compare them in person. See how they feel in your hands. The one that feels best to you, is probably the best one for you.

I also agree with Gary; take a good look at Canon & Nikon because they are clear leaders in this field. Pentax does have a decent camera, as does Sony...and they both have a good selection of lenses...but Canon is still king, followed closely by Nikon.
 
as a long time pentax user....

yes, Sony makes the CCD for pentax, but it also makes the CCD for Nikon and Sony cameras. If Nikon thinks sony is good enough to make a CCD for them, they probably are.

3 fps (frames per second) is plenty fast. Unless you are planning on getting a 300mm 2.8 lens (think price of a small home) and becoming a professional sports photographer you probably will never miss 5 fps



as far as lenses go, pentax does not have as many new lenses on the market as either canon or nikon. However, pentax has never changed their mount and all lenses will work on all cameras. This means that taking in all the lenses pentax manufactured from the 70's-now more lenses will fit your camera then either canon or nikon. Canon changed their mount in 1987 (i think) so canon lenses made before 87 wont work on dSLR's. Nikon hasnt changed their mount, but the D80 and D40 do not work with alot of older nikon lenses. There is a catch, lenses from very old pentax's that had manual focus and an aperature ring will work on the dSLR's but you will have to shoot in stop down mode (this means you cannot adjust the aperature from the camera body....in very basic terms)

Dont think older lenses are bad. there are tons of great older lenses out there that can be picked up for cheap. i picked up a great older Nikon 50mm 1.4 for 100 bucks on e-bay that goes for 350 new


that being said, look at all the brands, Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Sony, and Olympus. They are all good, I know for certain pentax nikon and canon have a wide range of lenses. but dont limit your choice because the pro's only use nikon and canon. thats not true. i know at least one pro who posts here who would gladly tell you how sweet his pentax is
 
Yep! What he said.

Too many people get worked up about what 'Pros' use!! A real Pro uses whatever pays the bills. Canon and Nikon are prevalent because they have spent the most money and effort making products that are PROFITABLE to own. You would have to beat on your equipment to use it as hard as some one who shoots for a living. I have an uncle who retired as a wedding photog after 40+ years and he used nothing but Hasselblads. Why? Because over time- for him- they were the cheapest cameras on the market!

What ever you get, it will be quite an investment so think hard about what you want it to do. And if it doesn't make you happy you are going to spend a lot of time unhappy (go pick them up and BOND!)
 
Firstly, a dSLR isn't for everybody. Unless you are experienced and/or have a passion for photography ...
I'm quickly forming a passion for photography...
When you purchase a dSLR you really are not buying a camera ... but rather a camera system. In order to take advantage of a dSLR advanced capabilities one needs to also buy several lenses
I know. I'm planning on building my arsenal as soon as I aquire the camera.
That being said, the first thing you need to ask yourself is "What, will I/do I, shoot?"
Everything. And more. I LOVE pictures. I LOVE memories. I travel. I want to take a butt-load of pictures while I'm out of the country for three months.
Then look into the camera systems and see if they have camera(s) and lenses which address your shooting requirements (i.e. sports, astrophotography, macro, et cetera.)
Well, what lenses would you recommend getting my hands on first if I want to shoot EVERYTHING in every environment?
Remember that Pentax has a very small percentage of the marketplace and consequently will have less used equipment and third party accessories available when compared to Canon or Nikon.
Every lens Pentax ever made...isn't that a pretty big market?
Gary
...
 
I too am a newbie to photography. Just bought the Samsung GX10 with 2 kit lenses, which as you are probably aware is just about the same as the Pentax K10.

At the moment I haven't had chance to 'play' with the camera, just a few moments to take a couple of snaps. I will try and post them for you to see. I'm sure other DSLR cameras would give equally good results but for the first couple of days I am more than happy.

I'm sure I will have lot's of questions when I really start to use the camera.
 
I used to be a Pentax guy years ago in when I was in the newspaper business... I was the only guy on our staff (a small daily newspaper) when I was in the photography department who shot a Pentax (a pair of titanium bodied Pentax LX bodies, plus assorted Pentax lenses)... while everybody else was shooting Nikon F-2's and F-3's (with a couple FM bodies stuck in their bags as second bodies).

Want to know the big secret I learned?

It didn't make one doggone bit of difference the brand of camera that was taking the pictures. The only thing that mattered was the skill of the photographer. I could take the exact same pictures with my LX or a borrowed F-3. I had a friend who shot F-3's and we switched back and forth for fun. Didn't matter a whit on output quality.

When I got back into digital, I switched to Nikon simply because it was one of the big 2, and therefore the investments I make in lenses should set me up for the next 20 years. I have 2 D80's and I just bought a D40 as a third body (both my wife and I shoot), and I expect to throw them all away in a couple years and buy modern equipment again then... I consider the cameras basically 3 years MAX use, more likely a year and a half or two... but... I expect the lenses to last a LOT longer...

Keep in mind we take a LOT of pictures... my wife's "new" D80, which is 2 months old, has 12,000+ images on it already...

I figure buy the system for the lenses, and not worry about the cameras. Way too often I see people scrimp on their lenses, buying cheap compromise lenses so they can afford a fancier camera body... this is, IMHO, exactly backwards.

Yes, I would much rather have had 2 D200's than the 2 D80's I bought, but with the price difference between the two that I saved, I picked up a new Nikon 18-200 VR zoom which is... frankly... stunning.

I picked up the D40 instead of the D40X or another D80 and I used the difference that I saved to pay for a new Nikon 70-300 VR lens (well, I am still saving to buy that one).
 
Well this is the third time Ive tried this.
The piccies below where taken in point and click mode, only editing was to reduce the size in windows paint. As a newbie I realise they may not be the best (we all have to start somewhere) but it may give you an indication of the quality of this camera and the K10.

CopyofSG100248.jpg


flowers.jpg


gull.jpg
 

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