Which DSLR help

photogincollege · Jan 4, 2008

KC10Chief said:
Pentax might have a few less lenses, but I GUARANTEE that they have any kind of lens that an amateur could ever want. Primes, zooms, macro's, etc. There's about 80 lenses available for a K10D that I'm aware of. Also, the K10D has the shake reduction built into the body. Canon and Nikon have it built into the lenses and that makes the lenses more expensive and it wears on your battery more too from what I've read here. Go to www.dpreview.com. Read reviews. The K10D has the BEST reviews and the highest rating of ANY digital SLR and for good reason. Even the SLR's that cost thousands of dollars. It's an awesome camera. Most people use Canon and Nikon because they are common and easy to find. Pentax doesn't put as much into advertising at Canon or Nikon, but in my opinion, it's a superior camera. They're all good. If you don't already have Canon or Nikon lenses, then the Pentax is the way to go. I don't think you need to spend the extra money on the high end SLR's. From the sounds of it, you're an amateur and won't ever be doing photography for a living. The K10D is way more camera than you'll ever need. Also, it has a ton of weather seals to keep dirt and moisture out. Even the lenses have them. Canon and Nikon don't. This is a good feature for anybody who likes to shoot outdoors. Seriously though, go to www.dpreview.com. All of the reviews are from consumers who actually bought and used the cameras. It's an excellent site. Read reviews for the K10D, the XTi and the D40x. They all get good reviews and ratings, but the Pentax is the best.

No offense but a lot of that post is miss quoted, it doesn't say its the best of all dslr's it says it has some advantages to the competition, that doesn't mean they don't have advantages too, and also it didnt get the highest rating of any digital slr. Also another consideration, that review was at the end of 2006, a lot of new cameras have come out since then, also you say it is superior to cameras costing thousands, sorry but a d2x or mark will be far superior to that camera, not to mention the d3 and d300 and 40d etc that have come out. Canon and nikons do have weather sealing on some of their cameras as well. Sorry i'm not trying to bash your post but your giving a lot of your opinion as fact and saying some things about the other brands that just arent true, which could mislead someone.

Stratman · Jan 4, 2008

Pop Photo gave the K10D the ADVANCED dSLR of the year award, for..............2007 And of course a D3 or Canon Mark1 whatever will be better, but they cost thousands more than a K10D

photogincollege · Jan 4, 2008

He was speaking of dpreview for 1, and 2 he even said that it will be better then any dslr even the ones costing thousands, im not saying its not a good camera, but he was somewhat exaggerating. Im not trying to start a fight i was simply making sure no one is mislead.

KC10Chief · Jan 4, 2008

No, I think your misunderstood my post. I'm not saying it's better than one of the Nikon's that's thousands of dollars. But it DOES have the highest overall consumer rating of ANY, yes, ANY digital SLR on that site. I've looked. If the people who run that website rate cameras, I haven't read it. I don't read reviews from people that run websites or write for a magazine. I read reviews from people that actually buy the product and use it and don't have sponsors to piss off. The Pentax has an overall rating of 4.81 out of 5. The last review was on January 1st, 2008. That's pretty recent. There have been 17 reviews in the past two months. There's 212 consumer reviews for that camera. 4.81 is an EXCELLENT rating, especially for over 200 reviews. That tells me that the Pentax is an excellent product. The Comparable Canon and Nikon's don't have as high of a rating. Or ANY Canon or Nikon for that matter. However, the K10D is Pentax's top of the line DSLR. If somebody were into super fast sports photography and did that for a living, they'd be a bit limited with Pentax. But for the average consumer like me and the OP, I don't think you can beat the K10D. I'm certainly not saying that the Canon or Nikon's are bad cameras. There's plenty of pleased customers out there with them too.

Here's the link to the reviews I'm talking about.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/read_opinions.asp?prodkey=pentax_k10d

DavidBailey · Jan 4, 2008

Guys this is good stuff I do appreciate your time:thumbup:, the Pentax does seem to get good rating's, I have also had the Samsung camera recommended which I believe is basically the same unit? The Tamron A18 18-250mm lense I fancy is also compatible with it, shame it doesn't have liveview like the panasonic (I use this a lot!) but I suppose you can't have everything!

May I ask is the autofocus on the Pentax good for fast moving things, I take a fair amount of animal & bird photos, these are always on the move (particularly birds in flight) & I'm always on big zoom even when fairly close to the subject! Hence my interest in the tamron A18!

The Canon 40d does also seem to get great reviews from the pros, will this camera give better images out the box compared to the Pentax & would the A18 be a good enough lense, particularly without anti-shake built in??

peterbj7 · Jan 22, 2008

If cash isn't a major constraint, I'd go for the Canon 40D and whatever lenses you feel you need. After a while you may want to get further lenses and maybe upgrade some you already have, and the 40D will be good enough to go with you all the way. Remember that whatever brand and format you start with you'll be stuck with. By "format" I mean CCD size - with a full frame Canon I can't use quite a few lenses made for smaller CCDs.

I've been in photography for many years, but for the past 6-7 years I've only been using digital compacts.

I bit the bullet recently and bought a Canon 5D, mainly because I've always loved available light work and there's nothing better for that out there, at any rate at anything like the price. I've started with a couple of lenses, both high quality zoom, and when I know what I want I'll buy some high quality primes. I'm also now hooked on the idea of the Tokina 12-24 zoom.

Anyone want a Canon A1 with 9 or 10 really good FD lenses? I can't see myself ever using it again

ashadiow · Jan 22, 2008

If you can afford the 40D... Get it. period. The one thing everyone here has failed to mention is the "Live View" feature. I got an XTi and this is the one thing that I miss the most between my advanced P&S and my DSLR. I have a feeling that when the 450D is announced with Live View I will be upgrading my camera.

sabbath999 · Jan 22, 2008

I have a D300 (I know the OP doesn't like Nikon) and it has live view... personally, I don't see the attraction of the feature... it works, but I just never use it. Then again, I shoot pictures of moving things, if I were shooting landscapes then I prolly would have a different approach.

I agree with those who have said spend as little as you can get away with on the body, and buy as much as you can afford on the lenses.

Glass is more important, by far, than the body... because whatever body you buy today will be obsolete in two year... or less... and the lenses you buy will be with you for the next 20 if you take care of them.

Stratman · Jan 22, 2008

i don't get the live view thing either... DSLRs have a REAL viewfinder in them, unlike P&S cameras, all live view will do is eat up your batteries.....

Holy Ghosted · Jan 24, 2008

The biggest things to always remember when moving to a DSLR is you are buying into a system One lenses will generally always out last bodies so look at if the mount of that body has the glass to support your photography. Two the camera should be comfortable and easy to use for you. I can tell you what I like but that may not fell good in your hand or just be plain annoying to operate. If you have ever had to work with a tool that just rubbed you the wrong way you know what I mean it will leave blisters and you do not want to use it. I have found a few cameras out there that give me physical or mental blisters. A camera like that does not matter if it is faster or has better ISO or was cheaper I will not want to use it. So It is best to do your self a favor and try and spend as much time with a camera as you can before you buy it or at least make sure ware ever you buy it from has a good return or exchange policy. You may also want to check out Olympus as well. They have some good glass and bodies. That is the direction I went when I moved from my FZ-50.
Hope this helps

johnmh · Jan 25, 2008

Ditto on the 'system' comment.

Something to consider for the long run. If you intend to invest in good glass - which makes sense for the long run, you're committing to the 'system' you choose - be it Canon, Nikon or whoever. If you expect to be serious about this, it's better to go with a 'system' that gives you a lot of options - in function, features, price than one with inherent limitations.

Note: You can later get 'divorced' from your choice (and many do - with some 'remarrying' as well) but it could get expensive. Resale value might not be a concern now but if you commit to one 'system' now and decide to change to another later, at least you get some $$$ back with Nikon and Canon....

If you are serious, that is the only reason I'd have for staying with the 'majors' (or a body that uses a 'major' lens mount system) - you have more options - and will ALWAYS have more options. Bodies come and go but lenses can be 'forever'.

We chose Nikon a while back for lens quality and selection - and are unlikely to ever change at this point. We've got a range of bodies to go with the glass - not having a need to sell off older bodies, they stay as b/u.

This is also one of those fields where - in general - it's worth buying the best (in glass) that you can afford right off - a lesson I wish I learned earlier. It makes a difference.

Mike_E · Jan 26, 2008

A lot of people in the world like Holgas, but that doesn't mean that they are right for you.

Practically any DSLR you buy is going to be a better camera than you are a photographer. At the end of the day, it's what you want hanging around your neck that matters most.