Advice re Camera Choice

Hello again, as I mentioned on my Just Joined post I am looking for advice about my first digital slr. To set the scene I have been using Pentax film slrs for many years now with Fuji Velvia and other slide films.

My present setup is quite simple, a MZ5N and a Sigma 28-135 lens. I also a Canon G10 as my first foray into digital. This has been mainly used in copying my slides so that I can print them.

I will be 80 next month and am looking for the next step into the digital world.

So I was looking at something like a K50 + lens, but a local shop has a K5 + a Pentax 18-135 lens for £560.

So advice please, is this a reasonable buy and what should I look out for, sensor clean? Actuations? Anything else.

G10 or walk about and copying and Pentax slr for flowers etc.

Looking forward to your help.

Ross.

Thanks John and jeallen, lots to think about. My flower shots are not ultra close, but full flower portraits, make a change from all the girls I shot for the old Pentax Magazine! When I have managed to work out resizing I will try and post an example or two. I would prefer a prime lens if possible but I do have budget of about £600 plus any help I get on my 80th.

Hi, me again, just a thought, if I bought a K50 new body plus 50 1.8 from SRS, would I be able to use my Sigma 28-135 lens for close up work?

(Edited) That should certainly work, especially as the Sigma does have an "A" setting on the aperture ring - OTOH some older lenses don't work too well on digital bodies

PS - do still consider a K-30 as you could save quite bit of money over the K-50, for a virtually identical camera.

Thanks again, yes the Sigma does have an A position. It's full description is 28-135F3.8=5.6 macro aspherical if. It has given very good results on Velvia

So a K30 or K50 plus standard lens for now plus my sigma, and later a 55-300 if funds allow.

Many thanks for both your posts. they have gone long way making my mind up.

John,I must admit to have been reading your posts for some time.
Again thanks.
Ross.

K30 or K50 would be very nice, the 55-300 could very well pick up on here for a very nice price, they have been going very cheaply of late for what you get.


Is this not just SRS now? I cannot find anything that confirms 2 year warranties from Pro dealers.

Ross wants to take close-ups, which may require manual focus adjustment, so he needs the "DA" version with "quickshift", and not the "DA-L" version which does not have it, of the 55-300.

John A

Agree with this. As John says the field of view of your lenses will be different coming from film.

I have the K-30 and find it really good. It's a newer software than the K5, so you pick up things like focus peaking on the rear screen, which helps with focusing when you're using a tripod mostly. There are real differences between the K5 and the K30/K50 but I don't personally think there is enough to justify the present price difference between the K30 and the K50.

As a Kx user currently considering a used K5, would it be fair to say then that a K30 might be a better bet, or am I still going to get a better camera with a K5? In terms of resolution of course they're the same as each other, but I hear a lot about how great the K5 is but not so much about the K30, and I saw another post recently where someone described the 'desirability order' as K3 / K5 / K30 which implied that an old K5 is still better than a new K30.

Apologies for hijacking the thread. My usage is general with some motorsport / air show stuff, though I'm always looking for other things to shoot.

The K-5 has structural advantages, having a magnesium alloy shell, plus 100% pentaprism finder (not sure if the K30 is pentamirror or pentaprism.) In any event, the K-5 is the tougher beast of the two.

The K5 has (compared to any of the budget models) a much larger battery,connections for a battery grip,socket for external microphone,HDMI out,five custom settings,much better build,quieter in operation,very useful and battery saving top LCD info panel,stop down preview on shutter button useful for older lenses, more options on speed versus accuracy settings, the list goes on. You get what you pay for with the top models (K5, K5II,K3 now) BUT of course you have to decide if you want all that.

Having had a KX, KR and used a friends K30 I wouldn't go back but the gap has closed especially it seems with the newer K50 which is sealed, metal bodied and full pentaprism I think. John's comment on newer AF relevant if you are into action photography. Personally my K5 remains excellent throughout and i will not part with it for the current model round unless prices drop a lot.

I switched from the K30 to the K5 last year. Convinced myself i needed all the extras Bill outlined above. So far only the larger battery in the K5 has proved truly useful. I could of, and probably should of, stayed with the K30.
The K30 (and K50) have some advantages over the K5:
Focus Peaking in Liveview - oh i miss that
Lighter body - also miss that sometimes
Better grip - its a personal thing but i thought the K30 grip was better
Info button - main reason for the K5 was the external controls but i still use the Info button.

Wouldn't part with my K5 now though. It does everything i need from a camera. Its just the K30 also did everything i need.

I have a couple of old Sigma zooms, the 18-125 and 28-300. Both work well with the K5. I had the Sigma 28-135 previously and that too worked well with the digital bodies.