Does it REALLY matter what brand of camera I buy?

[Senor Hound]

Don't let lengthy deliberations over which camera to buy get in the way of getting one and getting shooting.

Sometimes we hear a piece of advice that somehow clicks, and this statement is clickable.

I hear the Pentax's IS is not as capable as the Minolta/Sony IS. BUT, as everyone else said, there's trade offs to everything. It was interesting to see the answers, as it seems the key is to whether or not you believe you are buying into a system. If so, then it does matter, but if not, then no.

Thanks for all the answers so far. Feel free to keep going if you'd like!

 

[RubyMagic]

I hear the Pentax's IS is not as capable as the Minolta/Sony IS. BUT, as everyone else said, there's trade offs to everything.

You probably wouldnt be able to see any differences.
ESPECIALLY if you are shooting with lenses under 100mm.

All in all, Pentax is your best bet. You wont be sorry.

 

[bahandi]

i noticed that Canon's shutter buttons are just a hair too forward... feels awkward in my hands. Sony, Nikon, and Olympus cameras fit much better.

 

[reg]

If you want fast glass, the Olympus is quite good. They're compact, good glass, fast lenses and they're cheap. I know I'd have a hard job to choose anything other than Olympus is I was going to do a lot of travelling.

Dude, I shoot Olympus. But what do you define as cheap?

 

[Joves]

It doesn't matter what brand you buy as long as you buy a Canon or Nikon.

Too funny. Just get what feels best to you. It is the one you will use the most. So go in to a store and, try them all out.

 

[croomaniac]

i was on your shoes few months back, bought a sony and never regrets since.. if i'm not buying sony, i might be buying pentax, but after all, all cameras is about the same, am i brand oriented? well, its my first sony though and it really like no other.. hehe.. why i bought sony? coz i have the opportunity to buy Carl Ziess lenses, but i'm yet to have one!~ :hail: waiting the FF CZ..

 

[passerby]

And Tirediron: I totally agree with you on the IS. I don't need it, but it is REALLY nice. I was taking photos at my friends house with his A700 (Sony) and was shooting at speeds of, like, an EIGHTH of a second without a tripod

If that is what you like, Pentax camera will fit in your budget plus it has anti shake built in it as your priority. Canon and Nikon anti shake built in their lens.

 

[elemental]

Sometimes we hear a piece of advice that somehow clicks, and this statement is clickable.

I hear the Pentax's IS is not as capable as the Minolta/Sony IS. BUT, as everyone else said, there's trade offs to everything. It was interesting to see the answers, as it seems the key is to whether or not you believe you are buying into a system. If so, then it does matter, but if not, then no.

Thanks for all the answers so far. Feel free to keep going if you'd like!

Glad to be of service. Does this mean you're going to buy one now? Which one?

 

[Senor Hound]

Glad to be of service. Does this mean you're going to buy one now? Which one?

I still haven't decided yet. But I'm between a a Maxxum 7d, and a K100. I REALLY want a camera with two control wheels, as I forsee my learning curve being steeper in a manual mode (and two control wheels ROCK in manual mode). But the cheapest Pentax with two control wheels is more than I want to spend.

And I do not want a camera that is less than a generation or two old. I promise I will be content with a camera of past generation (like the KM Maxxum), and at this phase in my learning, where I still haven't decided what is important to me, buying a new camera, even an entry-level one makes no sense (especially since they wouldn't have the one feature I want, which is the two wheels).

 

[Stratman]

Look for a lightly used Pentax K10D if you want two wheels, and ALL of the manual controls you can imagine..

 

[elemental]

I still haven't decided yet. But I'm between a a Maxxum 7d, and a K100. I REALLY want a camera with two control wheels, as I forsee my learning curve being steeper in a manual mode (and two control wheels ROCK in manual mode). But the cheapest Pentax with two control wheels is more than I want to spend.

And I do not want a camera that is less than a generation or two old. I promise I will be content with a camera of past generation (like the KM Maxxum), and at this phase in my learning, where I still haven't decided what is important to me, buying a new camera, even an entry-level one makes no sense (especially since they wouldn't have the one feature I want, which is the two wheels).

I was in a Ritz store yesterday that had K10D bodies for $650 (no sign, you had to ask for the body only). I think the kit (18-55) was $750. If you hunt for it, I bet you could find an even better deal. Thanks Pentax for the K200/K20!

On the other hand, my K100D is an amazing little camera (but not as little as a Rebel - eww). I have learned more this year about photography than I could ever have imagined there was to know, and have taken 5500 shots essentially for free. The image quality of the K100D is also top drawer, so much so that one review wondered why the jpeg processing in the K10D paled in comparison. While two wheels are nice (and I admit, I pictured myself with that K10D, fingers blazing at both wheels while I dialed in the perfect exposure), I find that in full manual I am almost always moving one setting to compensate for the other, like watching the meter as I increase the shutter speed on an f/3.5 macro shot. Though two wheels certainly are nice, i find the vast majority of the time I am only changing one setting at once (with moving to a new shot that requires different settings being the exception). While two wheels is a nice feature, I don't think you'd miss it as much as you think. Another thing that can help compensate for the lack of a second wheel is this nifty feature:

Though it may seem gimmicky, I use this a ton in manual mode. Just pressing the AE-L button will adjust the settings to zero the light meter, and you choose whether it adjusts aperture, shutter speed, or both. This means that when I have the camera set to 30s f/22 from some bizarre night experiment and need to set it for an afternoon urban shot, I simply press the AE-L button instead of spinning through one or two wheels until I reach the other end of my settings (I use "Program Line"). Depending on how you set this feature up, it can really reduce the time you spend spinning your wheels by at least getting you into the ballpark.

I would definitely take the K100D over the Maxxum, and at the prices K100Ds are going for these days, I think it's your best bet. The K10D is more solid and has easier access to its manual settings, but I don't think you'd miss it if you don't have the cash.

 

[MRivera]

Thats fair.
I got the Pentax K100d super last September because for my skill and lack of knowledge in the area despite my enthusiasm it didnt make sense to spend an extra $300 on a Nikon or Canon.
I don't have any regrets so far.

+1
I bought my Pentax K100D on November of '07 no regrets I like it because it is light, user friendly and affordable. At that time I was looking fpr a camera I wanted an entry level camera. I had the Nikon and Cannon at top choices but the Price of pentax beat both. I think Pentax is a great camera for beginners. It has IS built in so you don't have to worry about buying pricy glasses with IS system, They could be expensive, you could find cheap glasses and they would work well with the camera. Goodd luck on your search but i give it 1 point to Pentax. "it takes cool images"

 

[manaheim]

...one setting at once (with moving to a new shot that requires different settings being the exception). While two wheels is a nice feature, I don't think you'd miss it as much as you think. Another thing that can help compensate for the lack of a second wheel is this nifty feature:

Hm. My d300 has a similar feature... I've not ever really used it, but it is pretty cool.

 

[RubyMagic]

I cant justify the idea of taking a second wheel instead of a better camera (with cheaper glass).