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migrating from SLR to DSLR

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MattMatic
Posted 27/05/2009 - 15:39 Link
The prices of the K20D will only plummet so far. Second hand K10D go for around £275 - £300. Compared to that, the price of a new K7 will drop rapidly over the coming months.

So, from a long-term point of view, I would see it something like this:
K20D now for £500, sell for £300 in 6 months. (loss of £200)
K7D now for £1200(?), available for £700 in 6 months. (£500 cheaper)

So, if you bought a K20D and traded up in 6 months then you're still £300 up That'll get you most of a DA* lens


Seriously consider the cost of the glass For example, the DA*50-135 is utterly sublime. Yes, the K7 will probably be better in some respects - but I'm not sure by just how much
The Pentax digital glass though is well worth shelling out for (e.g. DA*50-135, DA17-70, DA12-24, FA50/1.4 etc).


Your other option is to consider the slower and older cameras like the *ist-D and *ist-Ds. You can pick them up for around £200 with a kit lens. I still have the *ist-D that I paid around £1100 for With good glass it can still take seriously good images (and I mean seriously good ) Very tiny size, still packed with features, and very configurable. The *ist-D & *ist-Ds are TTL flash compatible too, and work very well with manual focus lenses. That way you'll get to try all your old LX glass.

Let us know your location - maybe there's a Pentax User who could let you try the various dSLRs

I'm not knocking the K7, but I'm just pointing out that one of the older bodies may cover 80% of your photographic needs for not much outlay

Matt
http://www.mattmatic.co.uk
(For gallery, tips and links)
Mannesty
Posted 27/05/2009 - 15:44 Link
The K-7 is smaller and lighter than the K20D. It is not likely that we will see any more firmware updates for the K20D.

Pentax's past history shows that once a body reaches it's end of production (probably imminent in the case of the K20D) they make no further updates to it's firmware. EG: Version 1.03 was recently released for the K20D which supposedly improved the performance of it's shake reduction (SR) system. That same mod was not offered to K10D owners, a body which shares the exact same SR system. If it's only a firmware change, why not offer it for all cameras that might be improved?

If you were to get a K20D now, then get a K-7 when it's price drops to the same level you will end up with two cameras for less than the price of the K-7 at launch, but you will have had lots of fun in the meantime.
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
Snootchies
Posted 27/05/2009 - 16:18 Link
I've had my K20D also since last January; and it's been an absolute pleasure with no issues at all.
Bob

My website (Hadfield Photography)

Pentax Gallery Artist page:link

Flickr Photostream: link
Pentaxophile
Posted 27/05/2009 - 17:46 Link
Matt makes a very good point. An older 6mp model like the K100D would be a great c.£150 second hand choice to get you started. The K10D is certainly worth a mention too at less than £300 second hand!

Down the road you may wish to upgrade to the apparently flawless K7, or you may even prefer the K20D - either way you can take advantage of falling prices and could keep the older body as a spare or flog it - it won't lose much value at those prices!
[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]
BODYHEAT
Posted 27/05/2009 - 18:11 Link
Unless I am looking in the wrong places, like eBay, I don't see too many K100Ds or similar coming up second hand - I guess that's a good sign though
FILM - Pentax: LX, K2 - 24/2.8, 40/2.8, 50/1.4, 120/2.8, 80-200/4.5, 28-105mm 2.8 macro, AF 280T

DIGITAL - Nikon : D300 - 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX
Snootchies
Posted 27/05/2009 - 18:26 Link
Bob

My website (Hadfield Photography)

Pentax Gallery Artist page:link

Flickr Photostream: link
BODYHEAT
Posted 27/05/2009 - 18:36 Link
wow thanks, how did I miss those? doing a saerch on ebay for K100D came up with virtually nothing
FILM - Pentax: LX, K2 - 24/2.8, 40/2.8, 50/1.4, 120/2.8, 80-200/4.5, 28-105mm 2.8 macro, AF 280T

DIGITAL - Nikon : D300 - 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX
BODYHEAT
Posted 27/05/2009 - 18:49 Link
at the rate the bids keep increasing for the K100Ds I might as well buy a new KM!
FILM - Pentax: LX, K2 - 24/2.8, 40/2.8, 50/1.4, 120/2.8, 80-200/4.5, 28-105mm 2.8 macro, AF 280T

DIGITAL - Nikon : D300 - 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX
Snootchies
Posted 27/05/2009 - 18:52 Link
BODYHEAT wrote:
at the rate the bids keep increasing for the K100Ds I might as well buy a new KM!

You do have a point!

I Suppose it's quite indicative of how well an older Pentax body can retain it's value
Bob

My website (Hadfield Photography)

Pentax Gallery Artist page:link

Flickr Photostream: link
Edited by Snootchies: 27/05/2009 - 18:54
MattMatic
Posted 27/05/2009 - 20:25 Link
Personally I would recommend the Pentax cameras that have a pentaprism, rather than the cheaper penta-mirror.
So that's *ist-D, *ist-DS, K10D, K20D (if I haven't missed any!)
LCE Group have some e.g. K10D £280
...and you could always phone Chris at SRS Microsystems - I'm sure he gets second hand ones too

Matt
http://www.mattmatic.co.uk
(For gallery, tips and links)
scottthehat
Posted 27/05/2009 - 20:31 Link
i think the k100d super is an amizingly underated camera, worth a good look, but if you wont weather proffing the k10 or k20 or k200d,
just keep snapping,

https://pentaxphotogallery.com/scottbenson

http://s727.photobucket.com/albums/ww272/scottthehat/


CAMERAS = k200d + battery grip.
nikon d300 + battery grip.
LENSES = tamron aspherical DII 18-200mm f3.5/6.3,
nikon 18-200mm afs vr f3.5/5.6 g dx
sigma 150-500mm apo dg hsm os
sigma 170-500mm apo dg
FLASH = samsung sef36pzf flash + more.
BODYHEAT
Posted 28/05/2009 - 22:54 Link
Based upon the eBAy prices that these cameras go for, I am tempted to buy a brand new KM or K20D instead of buying an older model something secondhand and paying over £250 for it. Here's the email I just received from eBay on one K100 I was bidding on:

This one got away but there's plenty more fish in the sea. Find similar items now.

Pentax K100D Super Digital SLR Camera Digital Camera...
Sale price: £255.00
Your maximum bid: £180.00
Search for similar items
FILM - Pentax: LX, K2 - 24/2.8, 40/2.8, 50/1.4, 120/2.8, 80-200/4.5, 28-105mm 2.8 macro, AF 280T

DIGITAL - Nikon : D300 - 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX
BODYHEAT
Posted 28/05/2009 - 22:55 Link
If someone can find a K100D for £150 you should snap it up as the more realistic price is £100 more!
FILM - Pentax: LX, K2 - 24/2.8, 40/2.8, 50/1.4, 120/2.8, 80-200/4.5, 28-105mm 2.8 macro, AF 280T

DIGITAL - Nikon : D300 - 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX
greynolds999
Posted 28/05/2009 - 23:09 Link
LCE have one for £189. link.
BODYHEAT
Posted 31/05/2009 - 19:34 Link
interesting. As it happens, I went into LCE in Guildford the other day and the manager only had a solitary KM and was not even aware of the K7's existence. I asked him when he might have one to play with (as I wanted to compare the size with the KM - they sound a similar size) and so he phoned Pentax while I was there.

They told him July and started telling him the specs...his eyes lit up and he sounded very interested and ordered one immediately for the shop.

Now this tells me one thing: Pentax have great cameras, but lousy sales and marketing. Why would a store manager of LCE not even be aware of the camera, let alone have had a rep visit and been shown a pre-production model to get his juices flowing?

Come on Pentax, get your act together and show the world how good you really are. Stop hiding your light under a bushel
FILM - Pentax: LX, K2 - 24/2.8, 40/2.8, 50/1.4, 120/2.8, 80-200/4.5, 28-105mm 2.8 macro, AF 280T

DIGITAL - Nikon : D300 - 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX

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