K-x also for experienced photographers?

My daughter in law has a birthday coming up. Together with her parents, and my son we'd like to buy her a DSLR.
In the past she had a Canon analogue camera, and took fantastic photos with it.
We don't want to spend much more that around €500 for it, including a lens of course. Her father is currently unemployed and so they can't contribute much and we don't want to outspend them so to speak.

Now my inclination is to go for the K-x, as I have seen the results from it here, and heard how enthusiastic people are about it. But I wonder whether she would begin to get frustrated with it fairly quickly? Or do you think it would suit someone going digital for the first time, even though they know a lot about photography.

I will consider other brands for her too, but will have to do some research into what is available at that price point. I don't think she is especially loyal to the canon brand. At least I hope not, though I'll look at them too.(wash my mouth out with soap ).

Ideally we'd get her the K7 and the WR lenses since they live and work on a sailing boat but that is far too expensive for us all.

Originally I'd been toying with the idea of giving her the K20D when and if Pentax bring out a new model, but this idea came up too soon .

Sounds as if the K7 would be ideal. Is there someone you could club together with to increase the budget?

I have both the Pentax K20D and the Pentax KX. Believe me, there is nothing novice about the KX. I now tend to use the KX more than the K20D.

The only slightly negative points on the Pentax KX are the use of 4 AA Batteries and the focussing pont not lighting up in the viewfinder. The use of Sanyo Eneloop or Uniross Hybrio re-chargable batteries improves the AA battery performance though. I have set centre spot focussing, so I know where it is focussing.

If your daughter in law has a Canon EOS film camera with a range of lenses then she could re-use those on a Canon DSLR. If her Canon analog camera takes FD lenses then these do not fit DSLRs.

At a recent summer gathering of my Photographic Society, Canon and Nikon users were drooling over the features I was showing them on the Pentax KX.

The Kx is now available throughout the UK at very nice prices - has the price3 dropped in the Netherlands as well?

€460 (390 pound) with the DAl 18-55 is the cheapest price around here, don't know where the camera was at launch so can't comment if the price has dropped or not.

Yes I've been considering a 2nd hand one as a 2nd body specifically after doing a low light function where I had low light, stage lights and flash. So I was chopping and changing all the time and I needed good high ISO.

However people are looking for the same price 2nd hand as you can get a new one for!!! £390.

Numerous keen photographers have chosen a K-x for the image quality and say they're happy with it.

The extra controls and features of the K-7 appeal to the gadget lover in me, but I can't claim they're really very important to the photography.

Gwyn,

I have colleagues here who rave about their K7s, so they are probably a safe bet, for that money.

I have the K-x and a K10. The K-x has all the controls an experienced person might want, albeit some of them are accessed in different ways to the K10. It is very good indeed in low light, and with high ISOs. While it clips highlights when left to its own devices, that can be overcome with an application of Ev.

The Eneloop rechargeable AAs give me around 400 shots per charge without flash (Lithium Energisers around 800).

The marine environment may be a concern with something that was not WR. However, film SLR bodies have been taken on boats for years - even those with some electronics built in for metering, zoom, motordrive etc. Most survived, unless they were given swimming lessons.

For the price, providing you actively use Ev to safeguard against highlight clipping, you'd be hard pressed to go past the K-x IMO.

Thanks everyone.
The K-7 really is out of reach for us to give her.
I shall suggest the K-x and see what the others say.

She no longer has any Canon gear which is why I am looking at other brands too.

I may still put forward my K20D as a possibility too .

It's worth reading what RiceHigh has said about the K-x and rechargeable batteries and chargers.

He does come up with some good info now and then

But is it correct, and what about Lithium AA batteries?

RiceHigh is an electronics engineer by profession and has done some in depth tests on all kinds of batteries on the K-m and K-x so his advice is good.

Nothing wrong with Lithium AA's except the cost. I saw them in Tesco's last week for £4.99 for 4 which is a good price.

I don't have a K-x so I've no personal experience with these batteries. The *istDS used to work great on the original Panasonic NiMh batteries charged in a good pulse charger. It did have problems with other batteries such as Ansmann and Energiser.

I've still got the original Panasonic 1500mah batteries and they still work well in flashguns.

7Day seem to have a new version of Panasonics 2600mah at £8.99 link

They also have the Infiniums 2100mah at £5.99 or Eneloops 2000mah at £6.99

So the new Panasonic 2600mah has 30% more capacity than the Eneloops and assuming that Eneloops do 400 shots the Panasonics should do at least 520 shots, but might also deliver higher power.

Charging twice will usually increase the capacity. The second charge only need to be for an hour or two. A good charger is essential.

Panasonic own Sanyo who make Eneloops.

My suggestion would be the K20D with the 18-55/50-200WR.

At the end of the day, it uses the same sensor as the K-7, and if your budget can't stretch to one, the K20D is still a great choice.

The K-x is a mighty-fine camera, but I would put the weather sealing first and foremost if they live and work on a sailing boat - think of it as an insurance policy; I'd worry far less if I had a fully weather sealed camera in that situation!

Plus you can use a battery grip.

Used K20D's generally go for a little less than a new K-x too.

A k20 or even k200d body and a separately acquired WR lens would be my choice, given the cost issues and the importance of weather sealing. If you went the k200d route you'd still have £200 in the kitty for another lens e.g. 55-300.

I've the idea Gwyn wants to buy new because it's a present after all.
If so then the K20D or K200D aren't really an option, I've already looked at new ones and the K20D is very close to the price off the K7 and the K200D is €150 more then the K-X.