Help with decisions :)

I mix film and digital work and have the following kit :-

Pentax Me Super, Me F, K110D, A3 bodies

with a selection of lenses from PK fit 50mm 1.7 through to 80-300 AF.

and a Yashicamat LM TLR

I'm debating selling the A3 (A3000 I think in the US) with a 1.7 lens and flash and possibly the K110D and upgrading to a K200D or a second hand K10D.

I am overall happy with the K110 with just one main problem that I am finding the 6mp is reaching it's limits at A3 print size which I do a fair bit (it'll print fine at A3 but if I do need to even modestly crop it starts to struggle).

But then I do like film too and film (especially the LM's) will scan and print to over A3 size. But then the K200D is well weathersealed which could be handy as I do photograph in all weathers.

the k200d is a great camera, i have one take a look at my portfolio pics,
but if you can afford it go for the k20d i just have and it just has more to offer and the 14.6 meg gives extra scope for cropping.
dont get me wrong the k200d is top, and i will still be keeping mine.
i found my friends k10d to have more iso noise than the k200d, starting at iso 400, but i cant say that they are all like that, the k200d is great up to iso 1100 and then it gets abit noisey after that but well useable at iso 1600.

I would keep an eye out from some 2nd hand K10D's. - there are some amazing deals on ebay and the like.

I think it's because the K200d applies more noise redution then the K10D because the sensor and other hardware is the same basicly, don't know if that's correct though. It might be that the hardware has been optimized with the experience gained with the k10d.

to go back to the topic, i don't know much about film so wont start with that but both the K200D and K10D are useable for A3 prints. The sensor is the same on both so the quality it's the same it's just the handelling of the camera that is different. If you can get a new K10D it will cost the same as a new K200D so I would search for some leftovers if you intend to buy a K10D.
If you want to shoot high iso (800+) I would recomment to save some money for the K20D because the photos are still very usable at high iso.

edit: typo

OK I think the sensible option seems to be to keep an eye open for used K10D bodies? The kit lens will be the same on the K10D, K200D and mine I assume?

Selling the A3 with its standard lens will not raise much money at all. It might fetch £10 for the body and a bit more than that for the lens depending on which one it is.

The kitlens on the K200D is the mkII version, it's sharper on the edges, see here the topic https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/topic/1855-kit-lens--mk1-v-mk2-9734

If you live in the UK this month you will get some cashback on the K200D and the K20D

Since you have older lenses the K200D and the K20D would be better since the K10D had some eposure problems I believe, I mostly use DA lensses and only borrowed some older lenses but I shoot with them on Manual mode.

I'm sure other users can tell you more about the problems

Yeah your probably right on the A3 ( although I've seen the lens alone go for 30-40 on ebay ). That cash back makes the 200D and 20D both very tempting.

£100 cashback on the K20D is too good to miss

Checking my database, A3/A3000 averages about £20 on ebay (4 sales), the M series 50mm f/1.7 averages £28 (12 sales) or the A series averages £40 (again 12 sales).

HTH.

Cheers, Kris.

Well just contacted a local store who also do part exchange and after exchange/cash back they'll do me a K200D in silver with kit lens for £125.

Sadly they're out of 20D's but I'm leaning towards the convenience of the 200D with it's AA batteries anyway.

I am not certain why AAs are "more convenient". The battery in the K10/K20 lasts for an age whereas from other posts here AAs can be more problematic depending on the ones you buy.

125 quid is, however, a good deal!

Cheers, Kris.

The K10D/K20D battery is much more convenient. Changing one battery that only inserts one way is much easier that inserting four that have to all be the correct way round.

You will probably never have to change one when out and about, they last so long.

You'd be changing more than 4 John.... 7.4v each cell is probably just over 1.2v per battery = 6 batteries.... probably why they went for one wimpish 7.4v 1.65mah instead of 6 AA's at 2.7mah (almost double the capacity) but changing 6 cells is a pain That's what goes into the Super A motordrive.

shim

Well, 1.65 mAh is as measly as 2.7 mAh. If you are talking 2.7 Ah (2,700 mAh), though...