Newbie ... convert from Nikon??

Hi guys,

Up until about 30mins ago, I was all set on getting a Nikon D90 .... but, having just read this months What Digital Camera (cheap dslr shootout) where the K200d wins, I have switched focus to Pentax and want to know a little more!

I used to own a Nikon D70, and took it everywhere with me and got some great pics out of it. I had to sell it as I needed a bit of cash at the time, but now am ready to get another dslr as we are expecting our first little one, and I want decent pictures (my compact always leaves me so underwhelmed!)

As I said, I was looking at Nikon again, but the K20d has caught my eye - the fact that it seems to be genuinely well liked by all owners, and the prime lenses are also rated highly, not to mention the price! have all made me look this way. I have also seen quite a few "Pentax" pictures on the web and colours seem amazingly lifelike.

So, what I really want to know is what would you suggest I should be looking at lens wise for (so many prefixes to lenses, not sure what the all mean and which are the best - is FA the best?!):

1. General
2. Portraits of the little one (fast glass - 50mm f1.7??)
3. Future macro lens
4. Future long range for wildlife

I also notice that Pentax lenses seem much cheaper than Canon and Nikon versions.

Finally, where is the best place to buy from, or is it just a case of looking at the Jessops / Warehouse Expresses of this world.

Your help would be great!

Thanks, James

Can't answer all your questions right now... but here's for starters:
1. The SMC-DA 16-45 is a superb lens
2. The SMC-FA 50mm f/1.4 is absolutely sublime
3. Macro - probably the SMC-DA 100mm (very compact). But any of the older ones are good too - e.g. Tamron 90mm, Pentax SMC-FA 100mm, Pentax SMC-F 100mm
4. Definitely the SMC-DA 55-300

There are "swings and roundabouts" between the K20D and the Nikon D300. But, yes, the Pentax is probably 65% of the price of equivalent Nikon gear.

As to where to go: www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk - for sure
They're a Pentax Pro centre with extremely helpful staff and 2year warranty. Perfect!

Hope that helps!
Matt

PS: Congrats on the imminent arrival

Thanks for the advice!

WIll check out srs and maybe give them a call.

Thanks again, James

I can also highly recommend the DA* 300mm for wildlife, as long as it's approachable enough. There's a 'super-telephoto' in the pipeline, but who know when that might appear, or what it actually is... Still, there are Sigma alternatives if 300mm isn't long enough, as well as older Pentax lenses.

Dan

The most modern lenses (designed in the digital era) are called DA lenses. These come in three flavours; the standard DA's are reasonably well built and offer good performance at a comparatively low price, the DA* range are pro lenses with weather sealing, SDM "silent" focussing and larger apertures, and finally the DA Limited range are exquisite little hand-assembled jewells and are fast(-ish) primes with superior imaging qualities.

The previous generation of lenses are called FA (the same standard / * / Limited suffixes apply) and some are still in production - but not many. These were AF/film era lenses so they cover the whole 35mm frame and have aperture rings (the DA's don't) but they lack the quick-shift focus system of the newer DA lenses. Many think the FA Limited range (31/1.8 - 43/1.9 - 77/1.8 ) are some of the best lenses ever made - I'd tend to agree!

The D-FA range is small (just 50/2.8 and 100/2.8 macros) but is the best of both DA and FA worlds: They are full-frame lenses that are quite happy on film cameras (I use mine on a 1976 Pentax MX as well as my K10D) due to the aperture ring, but are small and light like the DA series and share their quick-shift focus mechanism.

Anything other than DA, FA and D-FA will be older but not to be discounted! There are some cracking older lenses out there and your DSLR will take any Pentax lens ever made (although you'll need an adapter for the pre-75 screw mount lenses). The older they get the less features they'll have (like autofocus on the pre-F generation and auto-aperture on the pre-A generation) but your camera will give you metering, focus compensation and shake reduction on all of them.

Matt's suggestions for lens choices are pretty much the ones I would have made and certainly SRS is a good place to buy from. And Dan's quite right about the DA*300, it does look to be a fantastic lens, but you could buy all the lenses on Matt's list and have change from the price of just one DA*300 so it depends what sort of budget you have.

Welcome to the forum.

Should be pointed out that Pentax bodies are compatible with 23,000,000 lenses!

... but more choice normally leads to more confusion!!!

I'll go on those recommendations for now. Has anyone got / seen the 50mm f1.7 as read some great things about that as well. Think it is an FA as opposed to a DA, though. Is the da 50mm f1.4 better?

Thanks, James

To summarize:-

SMC Pentax = oldest K-mount lens, large and heavy compared to more modern versions. Manual Focus (MF), no A setting on aperture ring.
SMC Pentax-M = Smaller, lighter range of lenses. MF, no A setting on aperture ring.
SMC Pentax-A = Updated versions of M series. Introduced for the automatic exposure cameras like the Super-A. MF, has the A setting on aperture ring.
SMC Pentax-F = The first range of auto focus (AF) lenses. Has the A setting on the aperture ring.
SMC Pentax-FA = The last range of AF lenses having an aperture ring for 35mm film cameras.
SMC Pentax-FAJ = The first range of AF lenses requiring the body to set the aperture as it has no aperture ring.
SMC Pentax-DA = The first of the 'Optimized for digital' range of lenses to suit the APS-C sensor size. AF, no aperture ring.
SMC Pentax-DFA = A range of lenses to suit both 35mm film and digital cameras. AF, has the A setting on aperture ring.

I don't think I've missed any.

Some lenses in most of these ranges also have the * (star) suffix denoting that they are of the highest quality construction and image quality. The 'Limited' lenses also have superior qualities to other lenses in the same range (FA and DA).

An excellent resource for K mount lens data can be found here.

i'm not going to help any as i'll leave that to the experts on this forum (and they are experts). Just to say that i was in a similar position about a year or so ago - baffled by digital slr technology and range. a friend of a friend got a k100d and then the friend got one based on the pictures... and i got one based on her pictures.

i tend to not like any of my shots that much (not as i'm a perfectionist, just very negative!) but i've recently entered a wildlife competition as was encouraged to do so by seeing last year's entries (and knowing some of the entrants and seeing their kit). My k100d can easily compete with more expensive kit and i agree with your point about the colours being lifelike - there is a natural clarity about the shots.

good luck with your new purchase, should you get it (i see no reason not to). as someone else pointed out, there are many many lenses... i use a Tamron 500mm mirror lens for some of my wildlife ones (and even for some close ups) as i had it from my film days and just needed a pentax Tamron adaptall mount.

don't be scared of the old film lenses either. you can get a manual 50mm lens for about £20 on ebay and you can play around. i've got to complete newbie to owner of 5 lenses (3 manual focus 35mm ones) and a set of extension tubes in a year. i love playing around with the camera and it's incredibly satisfying when you get a great macro shot with lens equipment that is old and cost less than £50.

all that and shake reduction in the body.

i'm happy with my decision to go Pentax.

Firstly, there is no DA50 (of any description) in the range - this is a focal length where the FA is still in production.

Secondly, you'll be hard pressed to find an FA50/1.7 as they haven't been made in a while and second-hand ones tend to fetch almost as much as brand new FA50/1.4s.

The 1.7 is certainly a good lens (if you can find one) but the 1.4 is favoured by most people - hence its extended production life span.

If you're happy to use manual focus and stop-down metering then may I suggest you look at the M50/1.7? These can be had on eBay / camera fairs / boot sales etc for around £10-15 (mint) and are superb performers on both film and digital.

If you want to compare shots taken with each lens then go to the Pentax Photo Gallery - navigate to Image Data > Lens and choose your optic from the drop down list. There are great examples in there from lenses old and new and might help sway any purchase decisions...

I have the Pentax F 50mm/1.7 which I rate very highly, autofocus and 'A' on the aperture ring.

OK, will look into that.

Just been to the Trafford Centre and NO-ONE has Pentax in stock!

- Jessops admitted they have given alot of space to Sony as they have been paid handsomely to do so. THey can get stock in but they had none at the time
- Selfridges no
- Curries no
- John Lewis, everything but Pentax

Really poor, so means I will have to go into Manchester Town Centre instead.

Is there anyone on the forum who lives in Stockport who would be kind enough to give me 10 minutes with a K20d?

Cheers, James

The biggest problem with being a Pentax user is finding somewhere that actually stocks Pentax items - not an easy task as you're finding out! Still, it makes the experience a little more "exclusive".

There are 5 "Pentax Pro" centres in the North West who should hold stocks (although I'd ring to check first if I were you). They are:

MATHERS PHOTOGRAPHICS LTD.
23 MARKET STREET
BOLTON
BL1 1BU
01204 522186

(I've used their mail order service and can say they are an excellent company to deal with).

CAMERA SOLUTIONS LTD
18 FRODSHAM STREET
CHESTER
CH1 3JL
01244 403540

LONDON CAMERA EXCHANGE
37 PARKER STREET
MANCHESTER
M1 4AJ
0161 236 5819

KAMERA ALTRINCHAM LTD.
3 STAMFORD NEW ROAD
ALTRINCHAM
WA14 1BE
0161 9277585

FOCALPOINT OPTICS LTD
HIGHER WHITLEY
UNIT 8 BENTLEYS FARM LANE
WARRINGTON
WA4 4QW
01925 730399

Good luck - they are out there but you may just have to hunt a bit harder than you did with your Nikon...

there's also warehouseexpress.co.uk who sell sometimes quite cheap stuff.

www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk