Pentax k10d vs. Canon XTI vs. Minolta E410

[robotfood15]

I'm a noob who is looking to get a DSLR. I have never owned a SLR camera before and am completely new to the photography world. I was hoping that you all could help me make a choice.

I am considering the Pentax k10d, Canon XTI and the Olympus E410. For both the Pentax and the Minolta i was considering just getting the camera with the kit lenses. But for the Canon I wanted to just get the body and get a good prime lens to start with. The reason being I hear that Canon's have some of the worse kit lenses out there and my budget is around $700. I've seen test shots on both dpreviews and camerlabs and I could see where the Canon kit lens falters.

I have yet to go and handle the Pentax or the Olympus. I plan to do that soon. However I am most concerned with image quality. Thanks in advance.

 

[Cero21]

You might want to look at the olympus line (E-500, 410 or 510) as well. They come with excellent kit lenses which will hold you over for a while and they have and continue to develop a nice series of lenses for later too.

 

[Stratman]

The Pentax K10D would be the best camera out of those, BUT it is more for more experienced photographers, it has none of the "scene" modes of beginner SLRs, you might also want to consider the Pentax K100D, or the Pentax K100D Super. It will be less expensive than the Canon, not sure what the Minolta costs, The K100D has in body image stabilization, which means ANY lens that you attach to it is image stabilized. And you can find used primes for it pretty cheap on ebay. And from the reviews i have read, the pentax kit lens is the best of the lot...

 

[S2K1]

I'm a Canon person, but I am really impressed with the specs of the Pentax. My sister has one. It's just hard finding accessories for it(flashes, lenses, etc.) and a lot of things are menu based, so it's harder to adjust things. I'd personally go with the XTi for the amount of industry support it has, but strictly based on camera build and capabilities, I'd go with the Pentax.

 

[Don Simon]

Hello and welcome to TPF!

However I am most concerned with image quality.

Then you have nothing to worry about

Any current digital SLR - the ones you have listed and plenty of others - will deliver excellent image quality, provided there is a decent lens on the front of the camera and, of course, a decent photographer behind it

To be honest, with your budget you could consider saving a bit on the camera body (for example going for a 6 or 8 megapixel model) and spending a bit more on a better lens or two; that would go further towards improving potential image quality.

I'm going to avoid recommending any one in particular... I suspect you will find it easier to do this for yourself when you handle the various models in store... all I'll say is that for image quality, none will disappoint.

 

[subimatt]

I use canon, however the camera is still only a tool. it takes the person to make the photo. I have used canon for years and that is just my comfort level. The major benefit of Canon is the large amount of accessories that are available. Remember, once you chose your platform, in most cases your lenses and accessories will wind up costing you more money than your original body, so once you head down a certain path it is harder to switch. Find the body that is right for you.

 

[robotfood15]

I went to take a look at the cameras in person yesterday. The Olympus E410 actually felt the best in my hand. It feels much like the old film slr cameras that I am used too. The Canon felt a bit crampled in my hand but not really a bid deal. The Pentax felt good but it felt a bit big and heavy.

I mostly likely will not be buying an extensive collection of lenses and accessories. Perhaps 2-3 basic lenses and a tripod. I've been reading that the Pentax is a great camera but you have to shoot in RAW format to really get the most out of it. The Canon seems like the safe bet. The Olympus intrigues me because of its size. But I don't know about the 4/3 system. It seems like a good system and perhaps others will follow but it's still new.

I participate in a lot of sports like surfing, mountain biking and snowboarding and I also travel quite a bit. I want a camera that is going work well in these situations. I really like crisp vivid images. Is there one in that group that would be the best fit?

 

[Don Simon]

The K10d is certainly a great camera; I have seen a couple of reviews suggesting the Jpeg performance could be better, but to be honest I find those comments a bit strange since those reviewers could quite easily get the sharpness, colour, saturation etc they want by simply changing the default settings! Camera reviewers are odd creatures sometimes
The bit about being able to get more out of the camera by shooting in RAW could probably apply to any dSLR, for those of us who prefer to shoot in RAW

The 4/3rs system is new, but consider the companies using it... Olympus, and Leica!. Even without any other companies joining in, that is a fairly impressive line-up. Anyway the four-thirds system has its advantages (e.g. allows for smaller camera bodies and lenses) and, just like any other format, it will continue to be advanced and refined over time. I guess the question is whether the advantages of the Four Thirds system are advantages for you.

The Canon is the safest bet in terms of availability and range of lenses and accessories, lenses with image stabilisation, choice of different camera bodies etc. They do everything. Which is not the same as saying they do everything best, just that they do everything... that may be important to you or not.

Reading your last paragraph, I get the impression that you might be looking for some kind of all-weather camera that can be knocked around and splashed with water... is that the case? If so - if for example you actually want to take the camera surfing with you - then really none of those cameras would fit the bill. For that, I believe you would need a camera with really strong build ($$!), lenses to match ($$$$!), and a waterproof housing (not exactly cheap either).

If on the other hand you want a camera for travelling and carrying around all day, for general use... let's say for photographing other surfers; not for photographing while surfing yourself - then all of those cameras would be fine, though no one in particular would necessarily be the best fit, unless it comes down to a matter of size and weight. All of them will produce crisp vivid images, no doubt about that.

 

[xfloggingkylex]

The Pentax K10D would be the best camera out of those, BUT it is more for more experienced photographers, it has none of the "scene" modes of beginner SLRs, you might also want to consider the Pentax K100D, or the Pentax K100D Super. It will be less expensive than the Canon, not sure what the Minolta costs, The K100D has in body image stabilization, which means ANY lens that you attach to it is image stabilized. And you can find used primes for it pretty cheap on ebay. And from the reviews i have read, the pentax kit lens is the best of the lot...

not surprising that you are a Pentax user.

The XTi has the backing of any camera store you might wander into.

Pentax has been around forever and has a true underdog of a camera line, constantly producing bang for the buck.

Either way you WILL be happy with your purchase. The only reason I regret owning the K10D is that I can not upgrade to a full frame camera thus far. Luckily I wont need to upgrade for a while, and hopefully by the time I do Pentax will have released a more-pro level camera.

But I promise the K10D takes great picture in RAW and in JPEG, as you would expect from any pro-sumer camera on the market.

You wont find a DSLR on the market that doesn't perform well, because with all the competition there is no room for poor performance.

If you would like any info on the K10D (specs, example pictures of whatever, my opinion on anything about the camera) just let me know, and I'm sure if you were interested in more information on the XTi, one of our Canon users would love to help as well.

 

[HatMan]

I'm a Pentax user from way back and still carry my K1000 and cannot seem to give it up.

I shoot with a K10D and would agree that it may not be the best for a noob - although I believe it is the best camera I have ever had at my disposal. It is a bit heavier that a lot of the others out there, but I actually like that. it *feels* right to me.

The biggest drawback for a new users is the simple fact that there are no preconfigured scenes. There are, however, some great automatic modes and a couple that are unique to the K10D, such as Sv - Sensitivity Mode, where you set the aperture and shutter and it picks the appropriate ISO.

The built-in shake reduction and dust removal is an absolute dream.

I do find it more difficult to walk into a store and buy accessories for my Pentax, that just means that e-Bay has become my best friend! I recently purchased a Pentax SMC 28-80mm f3.5 AF lens on e-bay for under $25 CDN. Try to buy a Canon or Nikon lens with anti-shake for 10x that and you'll find it can't be done... Since the anti-shake is in the body, even some of the old screw mount lenses I have in my arsenal now work with the anti-shake function. There are a lot of older lenses out there that you won't find in the stores.

As a fair comparison, a fellow I work with at my regular "day job" has an XTi and although I certainly agree that it is a great camera, even he likes my K10D and is thinking about Pentax for his next shooter.

All this boils down to one thing. There is no right answer. Each manufacturer has their advantages and shortcomings. At the end of the day, it is all about what works best for you as an individual.

Good Luck!!!