Pentax

CMan · Dec 26, 2006

I was looking at the specs on the K10D the other day; looks like an impressive camera. What are your opinions on Pentax overall? Lenses, cameras, the whole package.

Although I am impressed by the camera-for-the-money factor, and I've heard great things about Pentax glass, I know that Canon and Nikon have a larger support base and quite a few more lenses available, so I can't really say.

Torus34 · Dec 27, 2006

If money is not important, go for it. If final cost matters, go for a body which can use your existing lenses, either directly or with adapters.

ksmattfish · Dec 27, 2006

I think the new Pentax DSLRs look impressive for the price. Pentax glass rocks, and I think you'd have a hard time finding a photographic situation that couldn't be covered by something available from Pentax, if not all the other lens manufacturers who make K-mount lenses. I hope that they are able to keep competing with Canon and Nikon. In the past you could always count on Pentax to make quality a little bit more affordable than the big 2. I think that makes the market better for me as a camera buyer.

I'm using 20Ds, but if I was buying my first DSLR today I'd take a serious look at Pentax. They are supposed to be trying to release a sub-$2000 medium format digital SLR system. Go Pentax Go!!!

mysteryscribe · Dec 27, 2006

Funny you mention lenses... The thing I always liked about Pentax was the number of good quality third party lenses available for them. If the digi will take Kmount lense that are not auto focus my god you have a world of good glass that is inexpensive. On the used market there will be tons right now.

Torus34 · Dec 27, 2006

Yup! Ebay is loaded with M42 and Pentax K lenses. Been picking up some myself lately.

Don Simon · Dec 27, 2006

The Pentax digital SLRs accept all K-mount lenses (and with an adapter M42 lenses too). It will meter with all as well. The only real limitation is that on the older K-mount lenses without an 'A' setting on the aperture ring you have to stop down to meter. All the lenses are perfectly useable however.

The K10d looks very impressive indeed. I don't think any sane person would try to tell me that weather sealing on a dSLR is just a gimmick. Also the 'shake reduction' in the camera body might not be quite as effective as a built-in mechanism on longer telephotos, but that's a price I'm willing to pay for what is still an effective system that works on any lens. In fact the K10d isn't the only camera that offers very good value for the money; the K100d still costs less than the equivalent entry-level models from the big two, and offers ISO 200-3200 (producing excellent images throughout; I consider 3200 entirely useable), plus the shake reduction system, DOF preview, mirror lock-up, and a relatively solid and well weighted body. Oh, plus the small fact that you can use any K-mount or M42 lens on it. Not any one with a certain designation, any one.

I don't want to give the impression that it's only worth looking at their old glass though. Their current range is very impressive, and what's around the corner looks to be even more so.

CMan · Dec 27, 2006

The K10D is starting to look more and more appealing to me. The weather sealing, IS, and the sensor cleaning features are impressive, there's no other way you can put it.

I'm shooting to have a camera and 3 or 4 lenses by September, so with any luck the price on the camera will have dropped even lower. I've been looking today, and I was surprised at the large number of lenses available.

Unless somebody comes out with something revolutionary, I forsee this as being a strong candidate in my search for a camera.

boclcown · Dec 27, 2006

I was in very much the same train of thought until I read the DPreview of the K10D, which pointed out that the D80's Jpeg photo quality was much, much better, and that the K10d's high iso performance was not nearly as good as the D80. Any contradicting conculsions are certainly welcome as I was well set on the K10D until that point.

OttawaPhotog · Dec 27, 2006

i've been waiting and reading for the last couple months, will be going to purchase my K10D (First DSLR) this week or next! I currently use a film pentax (ZX-30) with about 4 lenses. So when I get the K10D I will have my 2 bodies to share the lenses!

Pentax has done very well with this camera!

OttawaPhotog · Dec 27, 2006

boclcown said:
I was in very much the same train of thought until I read the DPreview of the K10D, which pointed out that the D80's Jpeg photo quality was much, much better, and that the K10d's high iso performance was not nearly as good as the D80. Any contradicting conculsions are certainly welcome as I was well set on the K10D until that point.

This is true in the review done by Phil i believe, but you should read in the pentax SLR forum, as people have been testing thier own cameras, and have not seen this to be an issue! Especially if your shooting in RAW, which I think most do now a days. Also with K10D you can do the RAW + JPeg at the same time!

ksmattfish · Dec 28, 2006

boclcown said:
I was in very much the same train of thought until I read the DPreview of the K10D, which pointed out that the D80's Jpeg photo quality was much, much better, and that the K10d's high iso performance was not nearly as good as the D80. Any contradicting conculsions are certainly welcome as I was well set on the K10D until that point.

I've read the review. I don't see where it says that about high ISO performance. Here's what I read

dpreview.com said:
At ISO 800 the K10D delivers about the same detail as the Nikon D80 and Sony DSLR-A100 with the Canon EOS 30D looking cleaner and sharper. At ISO 1600 it's more difficult to pick a winner, levels of detail are similar however the Canon EOS 30D perhaps has cleaner shadow (dark) areas.

The jpeg photo quality thing is apparently a software issue, and hopefully can be fixed with a firmware upgrade (I see Pentax released some recently). There isn't a problem when shooting raw. Definately something to look into if you shoot jpeg.

Overall I think it got a higher rating in the dpreview.com review than I would have guessed. Looking at their list of cons the jpeg processing issue seems to be the biggie to me.

Don Simon · Dec 28, 2006

Interesting that you should say that; I was actually expecting pretty much that exact rating and was slightly disappointed by the reservation of "Highly Recommended (Just)". But then I never shoot Jpeg if I can avoid it, and otherwise I think it's a winner. Thom Hogan rated the K10D above the D80 and the 400D on features; that's weather sealing for you. Of course if you shoot Jpeg and weather isn't an issue then it might not be the best.