Which DSLR brand to choose?

voeboe · Jun 6, 2008

Hi all,

I have a Pentax Optio digital camera and I want to by my first DSLR. So far I have been happy with Pentax as a brand but I am not sure how good are their DSLRs. Many people recommend and use Canon or Nikon, but I also want to be different than the rest. I am not a serious photographer I just want to get a better image quaility pictures.

I read somewhere that Pentax supports old film camera lenses on their DSLR cameras. How good the image quality would be if I put old lenses on a DSLR? Would it void the warranty of the camera?

I would really appreciate it if you can give me some advice on which way to go.

Thanks.

Iron Flatline · Jun 6, 2008

Pentax makes great dSLRs that are considered a good deal if you consider features like weather-sealing, image shake reduction, and LiveView. Many of their older lenses fit, but might be slightly limited in their ability to interface with all the features - they might have to be used more manually, but their quality is excellent. Their current lenses are good, too.

Nikon and Canon are the current market leaders, they make great products. A very strong up-and-comer is Sony.

Go to a big store, hold the cameras, see which strikes you as natural.

tirediron · Jun 6, 2008

Decide what features you want and don't want, spend a day or four reading on-line reviews, go to a couple of local camera stores, pick up the different models, try them, ask the clerk for their recommendations, take home the nicest feeling one in your price range.

In short, for the requirements you've mentioned, any of the major brands will work for you. It's much the same as a person saying, "I need to drive to work, what car should I buy?".

As far as the lenses go, with some exceptions and/or reduction in features all of the major bodies will usse most of their brand/mount lenses that have been made in the last fifteen, twenty, or more years.

Just my $00.02 worth - your milage may vary.

voeboe · Jun 7, 2008

Thank you guys. I will go to a photostore and follow your advice.

Zorac · Jun 7, 2008

what do your friends shoot? always nice to be able to borrow/try/sample friends' gear.

my brother shot nikon, so i natrually went nikon as well.

voeboe · Jun 7, 2008

none of my friends have DSLRs

Overkill-F1 · Jun 7, 2008

I considered quite a few dslr's and I ended up with a sheet of paper on each one. On the left hand side I listed the features that were positive to me, right hand side I listed the features it didn't have. Some features seemed more important than others and just listing them helped me decide.
...Terry

amba · Jun 15, 2008

Sorry to be conservative too...
I think there are good reasons to rule out anything that isn't Nikon or Canon, especially if you think there's a chance you'll want to upgrade your system in the future.

Nikon and Canon are by far more serious in the DSLR business than any of the other companies, this means your odds of still being able to use your system ten years from today if you buy a Canon or a Nikon DSLR kit today are much higher than if you by any other brand DSLR.
In addition, Nikon and Canon have better selection of lenses and steadier supply of replacement parts and disposables (e.g. LiIon rechargable batteries, remote release cables or wireless controllers, replacement charger should you lose the original charger some day, etc.) to local photography equipment retailers around the world.

Agree, on day 1, Canon and Nikon might not be significantly better DSLRs then some of the other brands, but as time goes by, the investment in Canon or Nikon equipment pays off.

If you are 100% confident that you will not want to upgrade your system in the future, then pahaps restricting yourself to these two brands is less important though.

Cheers.

Mike_E · Jun 15, 2008

Resale value holds up pretty well for Nikon and Canon too.

Alpha · Jun 15, 2008

Leica R8, clearly.

shorty6049 · Jun 15, 2008

hope nobody has said this already, but sony also takes any old minolta AF lens (they bought konica minolta) and i THINK canon and nikon also take their respective film lenses, (all will still look great if they were good lenses) .

Pentax- weather sealing, in-body stabilization, dust shaker

Sony- in body stabilization, dust shaker, (some weather sealing on a-700 model)

Canon- most popular, stabilization offered in some lenses (at a premium) dust shaker.

Nikon- most popular, stabilization offered in some lenses (at a premium) . I dont know if these have the dust shaker or not)

sorry if i missed something, i know sony best, but this should hopefully show, that you really cant go wrong in today's market. Dont let other people tell you, just buy what YOU like.

JimmyO · Jun 15, 2008

My first camera was a nikon and was a gift so im all out Nikon. But to be honest, i played around with an Olympus e-410 and really like it, super small and handled really nicely. Theres times when i like a big body (like when you have a big lens) but for just casualy family shots i really liked it.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1294

Senor Hound · Jun 15, 2008

There is no perfect camera out there, believe me I've been looking for it. I think what you have to do is make a list of your priorities, and then just pick one based on what you want the most and what you can afford. Writing down what you want puts it in a new perspective, you know?

Also, check out dpreview.com. But don't get too in to it where you start racking your brain wondering if a higher flash sync speed is worth slightly more noise at 1600... you'll start going INSANE (like me... haha).

I know I probably didn't help you much, but I have a feeling if you actually do write out your pros and cons list, or a priority list it would work. No one believes in that sort of stuff until they actually do it.

I feel like a guidance counselor or something... lol

usayit · Jun 16, 2008

As Senor Hound is discovering, there is no perfect camera. The challenge is to find one that fits you. Some will prefer the lens offerings from Nikon... some will prefer Canon's full frame CMOS sensor. Some will prefer the value minded Pentax or Sony. All of them feel different in use due to build, layout, and controls. As already mentioned, often the best way is to go and try them out for size at a store.

As for a recommendation on where to start, I'm with Iron in recommending Pentax. They bring a lot of value to the table and the current line-up is feature-rich.

voeboe said:
I read somewhere that Pentax supports old film camera lenses on their DSLR cameras. How good the image quality would be if I put old lenses on a DSLR? Would it void the warranty of the camera?

Yes... Pentax DSLRs do support older film camera lenses; type "A", "M", and M42 screwmounts (with an adapter). Type "A" has an "A" on the aperture ring which allows the camera to control and stop down the aperture diaphragm. Type "M" does not have the "A" setting on the aperture ring, must be used in full Manual mode, aperture being set on the lens' aperture ring, and the shutter set on the camera. As with previous type, automatic stop down of the aperture diaphragm is still operational. The even older "M42" screwmounts lenses can be attached via a relatively inexpensive adapter. With these lenses, everything is manual including stopping down the lens (metering after you manually stop down the aperture). Since the adapter stays attached to the body during lens changes, I found mixing and matching K-mount lenses with M42 screwmounts type lenses a bit cumbersome.

As for warranty, I do not believe it should void your warranty. Assuming you are in the U.S., this falls under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. You will have to read the warranty for the Pentax camera itself to determine what might void it. In general, the manufacturer would have to prove "unreasonable use" in order to deny warranty. Coming from my other interest in cars, a manufacturer could not deny warranty on a defective radio due to aftermarket rims for example. On the other hand, I'm no lawyer so please check.

As for image quality, Pentax/Takumars primes (especially the later SMC versions) were considered very good for their time and even by today's standards. Zooms on the other hand are probably not as good as present day zooms... they were "newish" technology back then and there have been lots of design improvements since.