Kx or Kr anyone?

It's a while since I last posted on this site - about 2 1/2 years by my reckoning. The truth is I sort of lost interest in photography for a number of reasons amongst which was the weight and bulk of my K10D. After lugging it around Canada for three weeks and around New Zealand for four weeks, I realised there was no fun in it any more.

Now I am planning a trip back to New Zealand and I am looking for a suitable "lightweight" SLR to take. I have been looking at the Lumix four-thirds system, but with a few Pentax fitting lenses in my collection I reckon I am really restricted to staying with Pentax.

Which brings me to the question of the Kr and Kx models. Not exectly lightweight, but almost the same as my old istD.

Has anyone had any experience of these cameras? How would they compare performance wise with the istD?

Any advice would be much appreciated

Regards

I've got a K-x and think its a great litle camera. The pics in my PPG were taken with it, as were those on my flickr account prior to last Saturday (now have a K-5 too).

Lightweight, great at high ISO, easy to use menus. I do believe the K-r is even better. So, just go and buy either

Thanks Alan.

Which leads to the next question - where can I get one body only?

Everyoneseems to sell a kit only and I already have enough lenses to cover all my needs.

Those two will be much quicker, with faster AF and FPS, and higher resolution and high ISO quality.

Pentax are rumoured to be bringing out an APSC mirrorless camera this year - it might be worth hanging on!

I have a ds2 and a kr.
The kr is an incredible upgrade... all across the board... except viewfinder, the all glass prism in the ds2 is a little brighter....easier to read.

That would be interesting. I thought Samsung used the Pentax mount, but on their mirrorless cameras they use their own mount which is a shame because they same considerable weight.

Here's the K-r link

If you after 2nd hand, then I wouldn't worry too much if a kit lens were to be included. There won't be much added to the price because of it

Hi Graham

I've had a similar photographic journey to you. I've got a K10D and kinda fell out of love with it because of the weight and, until recently, unresolved back focus issues. I even went outside the fold completely and got a Panasonic Lumix LX3 which I used almost exclusively for a while.

But I really missed my Pentax glass and got a K-r a few months ago. Whilst the body is certainly smaller and lighter than the K10, once you put a zoom lens on and maybe a throw couple more lenses in the bag the weight difference becomes negligible. I'm not trying to discourage you, but getting a lighter body like the K-r, whilst a step in the right direction, is probably not the panacea that you're looking for. That said, it's a really capable camera, outperforms the K10 in image quality (IMHO) and the kit lens is by no means shoddy.

Not sure if that helps any.

Adrian

Graham
I've recently gone from a Kx to a K5, and as AdrianP mentions with the K10D, the weight difference is negligible in day to day use.

BTW, there's a Kx currently for sale in the Classifieds here.

Regards
Adrian

Many thanks, to you all. I have to say I have never been let down on thias site. Even the grumpy folk are usually well worth listening to.

I don't take a "couple more lenses in the bag" unless I am going in the car - just a Tamron 18-200mm zoom. The all-up weight of the K10 is around 1235 gms. I calculate the equivalent all up weight of the K-x or K-r is around 1030 gms - a reduction of almost 20%

I still have the ist-D with a comparable weight of 1185 gms - not much lighter but considerably less in volume which makes a difference probably more so than the weight. Trouble is it takes 4 AA batteries which is why the K-r and Kx are so much lighter still. It is time to dig it out of the store room and try it out again for size.

I note that SRS have a S/H K-x for £299. Is there really any significant difference between the two?

Now it off to try and find out a bit more about the alleged mirrorless Pentax.

Cheers

The K-x takes 4 AAs, the K-r takes a proprietary Li-on battery with but you can get an optional AA battery holder. The K-r has illuminated AF points which the K-x lacks, and is fractionally larger and squarer, like a mini K-5. These are the main differences I think... oh, the K-r also auto-aligns HDR shots so you have more chance of shooting HDRs successfully without a tripod. Not really a deal breaker!

I got to pick up both cameras last weekend, and the K-5, at Jessops in Brum! They didn't let me touch the 645D though.

I missed the fact that the K-x takes AA batteries, but surprisingly that leaves it still lighter than the K-r so there must be something extra in the slightly larger body, or is it all down to the larger screen and the illumination of the AF points.

Still looking. If in doubt I have got a few months to decide.