Pentax K-5, Canon 7D, Nikon D7000

[Z O O R O P A]

Loving Pentax new K-5 prospects

great weatherproofing

any opinions on how it will measure up to the 7D

I think the pricing on the D7000 is persuasive

any remarks on the K-7?

the K-7 has gotten good reviews

 

[DrMoab]

I've had a lot of Pentax stuff over the years. My dad has an older DSLR and from the reviews I've read one thing that concerns me a little is they all seem to be more noisy than their Canon or Nikon competitors.

Another reason I would stick with the other two companies is that is where the product support is. The whole world shoots Nikon or Canon. If you need something it will come to them first, then the second tier companies and then maybe it will come to Pentax...if it happens at all.

 

[Z O O R O P A]

agree with all those points

although Nikon/Canon are much more expensive and Pentax seems to have a solid rep in reliability for half the cost of C. or N.

I also like the smaller body on the Pentax and the cold proofing, magnesium body, etc.

to say nothing of less expensive lens options and any lens they have ever made fits a modern camera

there are 1000+ Nikon and Canon owners to every Pentax for sure, but if the K5 comes in around $1200 it will be a good choice over a legend like the 7D or the incredibly well priced D7000

imo

Pentax marketing and North America suppliers are atrocious compared to the smooth operation that Nikon and Canon have. I can go to any one of 8 stores for C or N but just finding a K-7 to hold or a K-5 in the next 6months will require a 4 hour drive

 

[AYIAPhoto]

Loving Pentax new K-5 prospects
great weatherproofing

All but my grab'n'go/fun/keep in the car camera are Pentax. They're tanks(anything above the the budget models). From my first SLR, a K1000 to my *istd, up to my current K20D all work like new. The K-5 would be an obvious upgrade for me, but with no need for video I can't justify the price. The weather sealing is great. The only real down side is lack of some items you can easily get from the big two. There are few flashes that work with Pentax's high speed sync(without the correct flashes they will not fire above a sorry 1/180th)the best being Sigma's "EF-530-super" price wise at +/- $220. Or the Pentax "Af-540" which is more powerful but costs about $400. If action shots are not an issue however there are cheaper alternatives. The Sigma EM-140 ringflash also supports the HSS at around $400. $620 for two flashes(I have the 530 and 140) was more than I paid for my body. Either can be used as a master or commander for cheaper P-TTL compatible flashes giving you lots of creative control(if you're into that sort of thing).

I've had a lot of Pentax stuff over the years. My dad has an older DSLR and from the reviews I've read one thing that concerns me a little is they all seem to be more noisy than their Canon or Nikon competitors.

True the high ISO image quality is better on the Nikon or Canon so far, but without seeing the results of the new K-5s 12800ISO performance it's hard to judge where it stands now. Even 12800 is ridiculously high. Unless you plan on shooting in total darkness it really isn't needed. Fast glass makes a world of difference in low light. I don't care what the ISO specs are, I don't use glass less than a constant 2.8 and usually use primes for low light. If you don't mind doing thigs the old fashioned way there are lots of manual 1.8's or better from old Pentax film cameras to be found cheap on flea-bay or CL.

Another reason I would stick with the other two companies is that is where the product support is. The whole world shoots Nikon or Canon. If you need something it will come to them first, then the second tier companies and then maybe it will come to Pentax...if it happens at all.

Yeah, get used to buying aftermarket/3rd party. Most of my glass(all the digital specific stuff) and all of my flashes are Sigma.

That being said, they are great cameras if you work within their parameters or do a little research as to how to work around them. I went Pentax because I already had lots of manual and AF lenses from their 35mm's. The weather proofing and tougher body of the K20D for half of any offering from the big 2 with comparable builds kept me.

 

[Z O O R O P A]

great stuff AYIA

I've been waiting on a K-7 purchase to see what the K-5 would be like but now I'm just going to pick up a K-7 for the price is just awesome

I love Pentax for all the reasons you mentioned although the marketing bit drives me a little nuts.

I'd love to hear more form you on lenses. Can you share more recommendations?

I am using the K-7 for serious winter mountaineering, fly fishing, family, etc.

I am so excited, I just sold my Harley to pick up some lenses but I'm struggling on which ones. I really like the option for manual or any glass for that matter

all the best and highly looking forward to more of your expertise

by the way the P forums are great, nice people

 

[squeezer]

Another vote for the Pentax... Picked up a K-X a few months back just to see how it would work with the half a dozen or so lenses I had in a dusty camera bag in the basement. The in body shake reduction really makes using the legacy glass a treat. Pentax has some GREAT glass out there and it can be found at more than reasonable prices. A K7 or K5 with the 3 DA Limited primes are a compelling Expedition solution that almost fit in a jacket pocket. (The KX with the 40mm pancake does fit in a jacket pocket...)

Cheers

CB

 

[AYIAPhoto]

great stuff AYIA
I'd love to hear more form you on lenses. Can you share more recommendations?

First thing to do is check out the Pentax lens compatibility chart over at
http://www.mosphotos.com/PentaxLensCompatibility.html
ALMOST all lenses are usable, but a few aren't or work with limited metering. But an example would be a used Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 runs about $300 where a digital specific 55mm f/1.4 is about $640. The 50 is great for shots of the kids(both are really) or head and shoulder portraits, but the price difference leaves you enough money for a second lens. The Sigma 28mm f/1.8 EX Aspherical Macro would be great for landscapes at around $340. Right there you have 2 lenses for the price of 1 that cover a large portion of uses. Both are also very sharp, the advantage of primes.
For a hundred more than the kit lens(18-55 f/3.5-5.6) you can get a Sigma 18-50 HSM(hyper sonic focus motor) f/2.8-4.5.
I generally carry a Sigma 17-50 f/2.8, 50-150 f/2.8 and a 10mm f/2.8 fisheye. You really don't need constant 2.8 however if you're not shooting in low light all the time.

I am using the K-7 for serious winter mountaineering, fly fishing, family, etc.

Winter mountaineering you have plenty of light, usually very harsh light light reflecting from snow and ice, so polarizing filters for the lenses would be recommended. For the outdoor stuff find a lens that doesn't go over f/4.5 at its longest zoom and don't worry about high ISO because you'll most likely be shooting in day light. A TTL cord for your flash will allow you to move it around to light those darker shots around the camp fire.

all the best and highly looking forward to more of your expertise

As I've said elsewhere I'm no expert just a guy who got lucky enough to spend his weekends taking pictures of hot woman getting drunk:wings:. My best advice is to not worry about buying a ton of lenses right away, even inexpensive manual lenses, and buy the body alone to save $120. Put that towards a Sigma 18-50 f/2.8-4.5. The glass is better, the focus is quicker and the price is hard to beat if you're already willing to drop almost 9 bills on a camera. It doesn't have the zoom of a 70-200 or even the 50-150/50-135 but it is a great all around lens. Besides you have two perfectly cheap zooms attached at your hips. Just walk a little closer.
By the way, the camera is environmentally sealed but the lenses and mount are not. There are sealed lenses(mostly primes from Pentax's DA* line) but the price does jump quite a bit.

 

[Z O O R O P A]

wow AIYA!

just wonderful, thank you

if you come by more information please come back and share. As a new Pentaxian I have a healthy appetite for all things Pentax

Would love it if you'd share more, really, don't hold back!

 

[Z O O R O P A]

doing some research the DA* lenses are really quite nice even compared to the FA and Limited but pricey

I am looking into all the recommendations above


thanks so much everyone!

 

[AYIAPhoto]

if you come by more information please come back and share.

I do have one more bit of advice, something I learned the hard way just today, back-up your pictures at least twice. I've been dumping all my RAW files onto a 1terabyte external drive but keeping all my converted files(jpg&tif) on the hard drive of my work computer. Vista not being the superior product Microsoft makes it out to be, I now have to reinstall everything and reconvert a whole lot of images.