Opinions invited . . .
Posted 08/08/2021 - 21:34 - Helpful Comment
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Hi Mannesty , Have you taken into consideration,the camera bag or camera backpack
You are finding your current system is a heavyweight
I have just have upgraded my camera bag (originally a shoulder strap 1986 London ,quality at the time)
I’ve bought a WANDRD 21 version 3 yesterday
I must say it’s on the small side for DSLR and certainly not for full frame the WANDRD 31 is of course
Early days but I’m most impressed with the weight distribution, i chose the camera bundle , which provides chest strap and lower back waist straps and camera cube .
It suits my needs as a day tripper.
I wore it dis evening nearly fully loaded on a bicycle containing Pentax k70 , 16-50 da, 50-135 da and my 200 da star
That load of heavy glass would normally give myself back and neck ache on the bike
It was easy in this set up
I chose the WANDRD 21 because of it’s compactness as a backpack , not cheap by the way
But great deals currently on the version 2, which is essentially the same thing except for the padding for your back.
Hope this helps
You are finding your current system is a heavyweight
I have just have upgraded my camera bag (originally a shoulder strap 1986 London ,quality at the time)
I’ve bought a WANDRD 21 version 3 yesterday
I must say it’s on the small side for DSLR and certainly not for full frame the WANDRD 31 is of course
Early days but I’m most impressed with the weight distribution, i chose the camera bundle , which provides chest strap and lower back waist straps and camera cube .
It suits my needs as a day tripper.
I wore it dis evening nearly fully loaded on a bicycle containing Pentax k70 , 16-50 da, 50-135 da and my 200 da star
That load of heavy glass would normally give myself back and neck ache on the bike
It was easy in this set up
I chose the WANDRD 21 because of it’s compactness as a backpack , not cheap by the way
But great deals currently on the version 2, which is essentially the same thing except for the padding for your back.
Hope this helps
Posted 08/08/2021 - 22:03 - Helpful Comment
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Further to John Riley’s comment I wonder why you are getting rid of some really nice lightweight primes and keeping the heavier zooms? I have experimented with going out with just a 50mm prime for a coast walk and it surprised me how versatile it was; similarly I used just the 77mm for a photo shoot and the results were all I could wish for, whilst an equally fast zoom would be far heavier.
As for a long supertelephoto I tried one once on a top end Panasonic and the combination was quite unbalanced: all the weight of the lens was carried by the left hand as the camera had insufficient grip, which meant zooming was quite awkward. There is a lot to be said for trying out stuff first.
As for a long supertelephoto I tried one once on a top end Panasonic and the combination was quite unbalanced: all the weight of the lens was carried by the left hand as the camera had insufficient grip, which meant zooming was quite awkward. There is a lot to be said for trying out stuff first.
Posted 09/08/2021 - 12:02
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Flan wrote:
Hi Mannesty , Have you taken into consideration, the camera bag or camera backpack
Thanks for your comment. I'm well sorted on the bag front thanks. I have 2 x Tamrac Expedition 7X bags, 1 with my Macro kit, the other is in storage. I also have a Lowepro Vertex 100AW, which I love, and a Lowepro Fastpack 350 for around town. All of them back packs with waste belt and chest straps. I have 2 other shoulder bags and a slingshot bag for storage, I can't stand all that weight on one shoulder anymore, even If I carry just one body and lens. I know there are lighter bags available, but I'm happy with those that I have.
Hi Mannesty , Have you taken into consideration, the camera bag or camera backpack
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
Posted 09/08/2021 - 12:20
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RobL wrote:
I wonder why you are getting rid of some really nice lightweight primes and keeping the heavier zooms?
Good point, but . . .I wonder why you are getting rid of some really nice lightweight primes and keeping the heavier zooms?
I'm just not using the primes; I much prefer the ability to frame a shot with a zoom lens rather than cropping in post. I did a weekend trip to Valencia a few years ago and took only one body and the DA 12-24mm 1:4 lens. When I got back and looked at the images, I wondered why I'd spent so much money on all the other glass I have. That one lens was all I would need for most of our city breaks.
The primes I have are an A 28mm 1:2.8 (I use it reversed sometimes for macro), M 50mm 1:1.7 (never used), DA* SDM 55mm (never used very much), and the three FA Limited lenses 31, 43, and 77mm. I've used them so rarely and having decided against going full frame, I no longer need them.
Whether I can actually bring myself to sell them . . . time will tell.
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
Posted 10/08/2021 - 00:41 - Helpful Comment
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have ventured into M4/3rds with OM-D E-M10 mk2 plus 4 lenses , just everyday ones . 40-150 f4-5.6 nice sharp lens, 25mm f1.8 same, 45 f1.8 really good , bit of a sleeper lens and 14-42 kit lens . Tried a couple PL cameras in the past but found them too small. My findings so far are that Pentax win hands down on ergonomics and menu. The Olympus i find the menu system a nightmare to navigate ,even something like bracketing is a faff to set up compared to Pentax where it is very simple. Hence i shoot in full manual with the only thing customised is changing record button(not interested in video) to become back button focus. The one good thing is that you can bring up the Super Control Panel screen which shows all your settings on the rear screen and allows them to be changed but still not as easy as Pentax having all the buttons there where you want them. As i shoot using my left eye the touch screen is turned off as my nose is liable to touch it and change something , i struggle to compose with a screen as well so use the EVF which i don't find too bad but Pentax OVF better. Image wise i shoot RAW , the Olympus files i find more difficult to process as they are smaller than the Pentax i find i can't get the same out of them but could be just me.
Do like the light weight of the Olly kit though and have used that mostly so far this year purely down to that and what i have been shooting does not demand any "arty" style but if i want oof backgrounds with decent bokeh or any other artistic look it will definitely be the K3
At this point in time bottom line is the APS-C kit is better for me being so simple to use and producing images that i like, the M4/3rds is great on portability due to less bulk but with the images the jury is still out, they seem to end up looking over sharp yet no real sharpening done to them, i also see this on Olly forum images .
Like you the K3ii is still a definite keeper for now.
Do like the light weight of the Olly kit though and have used that mostly so far this year purely down to that and what i have been shooting does not demand any "arty" style but if i want oof backgrounds with decent bokeh or any other artistic look it will definitely be the K3
At this point in time bottom line is the APS-C kit is better for me being so simple to use and producing images that i like, the M4/3rds is great on portability due to less bulk but with the images the jury is still out, they seem to end up looking over sharp yet no real sharpening done to them, i also see this on Olly forum images .
Like you the K3ii is still a definite keeper for now.
Posted 10/08/2021 - 07:22
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redbusa99 wrote:
"they seem to end up looking over sharp yet no real sharpening done to them, i also see this on Olly forum images."
Thanks for sharing your experience. I ran a local camera club for a few years and one member had an OM-D camera, I don't know which model. All the images he posted always looked over-sharpened to me."they seem to end up looking over sharp yet no real sharpening done to them, i also see this on Olly forum images."
You may have just convinced me to stick with what I have. Thanks.
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
Posted 21/08/2021 - 16:19
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Hi Mannesty,
If you want some more info or questions asking about the Olympus kit then let me know. I only have the EM-1 ii and 40-150 2.8 Pro so can't comment on the other stuff.
I'm doing the opposite and switching back to DSLR's from Mirrorless. Oly stuff is getting sold. Still deciding between Canon, Nikon and Pentax...
Cheers,
Ross
If you want some more info or questions asking about the Olympus kit then let me know. I only have the EM-1 ii and 40-150 2.8 Pro so can't comment on the other stuff.
I'm doing the opposite and switching back to DSLR's from Mirrorless. Oly stuff is getting sold. Still deciding between Canon, Nikon and Pentax...
Cheers,
Ross
Posted 21/08/2021 - 17:55
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thursty wrote:
Hi Mannesty,
If you want some more info or questions asking about the Olympus kit then let me know. I only have the EM-1 ii and 40-150 2.8 Pro so can't comment on the other stuff.
I'm doing the opposite and switching back to DSLR's from Mirrorless. Oly stuff is getting sold. Still deciding between Canon, Nikon and Pentax...
Cheers,
Ross
I'll be interested in what you decide and why, thursty. Hi Mannesty,
If you want some more info or questions asking about the Olympus kit then let me know. I only have the EM-1 ii and 40-150 2.8 Pro so can't comment on the other stuff.
I'm doing the opposite and switching back to DSLR's from Mirrorless. Oly stuff is getting sold. Still deciding between Canon, Nikon and Pentax...
Cheers,
Ross
This is an interesting thread.
Be well, stay safe, but most of all, invest in memories
Posted 23/08/2021 - 20:23
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I've used a lot of M43 kit over the years, mostly Olympus and have to say the EM-1 mark ii was a very enjoyable camera to use. It's solid and a lovely camera once you have set it up to operate the way you want; getting to that stage however can be a nightmare for those who are not used to Olympus menus - the Pentax ones are much easier to navigate. Image quality from the 20MP m43 sensors is pretty good unless you need to head beyond ISO1600 on a frequent basis, but best to shoot raw to avoid over-sharpened and rather digital looking output.
The Olympus Pro lenses are glorious. Sorry to say it on this forum, but I really wish Pentax made zooms to compete with the best Zuikos. The build quality is fabulous, image quality great, and focussing generally faster and more reliable (and I am comparing with the K3 mk iii on that point).
That said, I prefer the K3iii which replaced it. I'm very pleased with the image quality I'm getting from it even at some higher ISOs (6400 is extremely usable which is a real bonus for my indoor theatre work), the handling is outstanding, and the shooting experience lovely. I don't however have big fast zooms for it (my largest is the Sigma 50-150/2. and have no desire to carry around that much bulk or weight. If long telephoto was my thing, I'd probably have stuck with m43.
The Olympus Pro lenses are glorious. Sorry to say it on this forum, but I really wish Pentax made zooms to compete with the best Zuikos. The build quality is fabulous, image quality great, and focussing generally faster and more reliable (and I am comparing with the K3 mk iii on that point).
That said, I prefer the K3iii which replaced it. I'm very pleased with the image quality I'm getting from it even at some higher ISOs (6400 is extremely usable which is a real bonus for my indoor theatre work), the handling is outstanding, and the shooting experience lovely. I don't however have big fast zooms for it (my largest is the Sigma 50-150/2. and have no desire to carry around that much bulk or weight. If long telephoto was my thing, I'd probably have stuck with m43.
Posted 24/08/2021 - 09:19
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The grass always seems greener on the other side so I'd recommend trying out other equipment before buying or selling.
Some things are easily adapted to, such as zooming direction etc, others are simply worse, and you may find that a lot of things you take for granted with your Pentax gear is far more complicated or difficult on other brands. Even simple things, like Canon and Nikon both put their lens release buttons in about the most uncomfortable place it could be, making lens changes more difficult. Stuff like that.
Pentax ergonomics are the best there are and smaller cameras, while likely lighter, will be less comfortable to hold.
As for Pentax focusing being more precise than that of other brands, that's simply nonsense. The biggest problem Pentax has is accuracy of focus and mirrorless cameras are far more accurate because they use the sensor to focus.
There are certainly advantages to mirrorless but Pentax cameras are simply very well designed and many others aren't.
Some things are easily adapted to, such as zooming direction etc, others are simply worse, and you may find that a lot of things you take for granted with your Pentax gear is far more complicated or difficult on other brands. Even simple things, like Canon and Nikon both put their lens release buttons in about the most uncomfortable place it could be, making lens changes more difficult. Stuff like that.
Pentax ergonomics are the best there are and smaller cameras, while likely lighter, will be less comfortable to hold.
As for Pentax focusing being more precise than that of other brands, that's simply nonsense. The biggest problem Pentax has is accuracy of focus and mirrorless cameras are far more accurate because they use the sensor to focus.
There are certainly advantages to mirrorless but Pentax cameras are simply very well designed and many others aren't.
Pentax hybrid user - Digital K3, film 645 and 35mm SLR and Pentax (&other) lenses adapted to Fuji X and Panasonic L digital
Fan of DA limited and old manual lenses
Fan of DA limited and old manual lenses
Posted 24/08/2021 - 19:55
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redbusa99 wrote:
As Jon says the PRO lenses probably are excellent but at quite a premium ,Olympus 300mm f4 a tad over £2000, Pentax DA*300mm f4 around £1000, as an example
True although in terms of field of view/reach it should be compared to a 400mm lens for APSC.As Jon says the PRO lenses probably are excellent but at quite a premium ,Olympus 300mm f4 a tad over £2000, Pentax DA*300mm f4 around £1000, as an example
My experience was with the 45, 12-40 and 40-150 PRO lenses, which were all excellent performers and available at comparatively reasonable prices given their capability and build.
Cheers,
Jon
Posted 08/03/2022 - 06:55
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Thank you all so much for your comments last year, I thought I would update you all with my decision.
I have a large collection of quality Pentax lenses, ten in all, a mix of primes and zooms. I also have 3 Sigma EX DG lenses, the 180mm f3.5Macro, 70-200 f2.8 , and the 150-500mm.
I rarely used my Pentax Limited primes except for the 100mm macro lens and always preferred to attach a zoom lens to whichever body I took out. The lenses that got the most use was my DA12-24mm and DA*16-50mm. I don't even use the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens I bought specially to cover the events of a local car racing club which I did for 5 years but they are now defunct. I tried using the DA* 60-250mm f4 lens for that but it just wasn't up to the dark winter lighting conditions at the track in Cartagena.
So, I bought a used Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk1 kit with their 14-42mm and 40-150mm (approx. 28-84mm and 80-300mm FF equiv.) lenses to try out their system and I get on very well with it. Yes, the menus have no comparison with Pentax, but after a little time I got used to it. I particularly like the focus bracketing and focus stacking in-camera which I have always hoped that Pentax would add to their firmware, but they haven't.
I have decided to invest in the new OM-1 body + 12-40mm f2.8 lens as a kit which includes a second battery, 5-year warranty, and a substantial saving on the 12-40mm lens. I will add their 60mm f2.8 macro soon, and a 40-150mm f2.8, and one of their wide-angle zooms later.
For now, I am keeping one of my K-3II bodies, my three Sigma EX DG lenses, the two DA-L kit lenses, and my MX-1. The rest have gone to MPB.com for evaluation, but their initial quote realized enough money to fund the OM-1 + 12-40mm and the 60mm macro lens. If I am happy with the results from the 60mm Macro lens, my Sigma 180mm f3.5 APO DG (non OS) lens will be available if anybody here is looking for one. Do take into account any possible post Brexit import duty if you live in UK though.
The new Olympus kit has been shipped and should arrive with me today. If I do end up selling all of my Pentax DSLR gear, I´ll keep the MX-1 so I can still hang around here.
I have a large collection of quality Pentax lenses, ten in all, a mix of primes and zooms. I also have 3 Sigma EX DG lenses, the 180mm f3.5Macro, 70-200 f2.8 , and the 150-500mm.
I rarely used my Pentax Limited primes except for the 100mm macro lens and always preferred to attach a zoom lens to whichever body I took out. The lenses that got the most use was my DA12-24mm and DA*16-50mm. I don't even use the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens I bought specially to cover the events of a local car racing club which I did for 5 years but they are now defunct. I tried using the DA* 60-250mm f4 lens for that but it just wasn't up to the dark winter lighting conditions at the track in Cartagena.
So, I bought a used Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk1 kit with their 14-42mm and 40-150mm (approx. 28-84mm and 80-300mm FF equiv.) lenses to try out their system and I get on very well with it. Yes, the menus have no comparison with Pentax, but after a little time I got used to it. I particularly like the focus bracketing and focus stacking in-camera which I have always hoped that Pentax would add to their firmware, but they haven't.
I have decided to invest in the new OM-1 body + 12-40mm f2.8 lens as a kit which includes a second battery, 5-year warranty, and a substantial saving on the 12-40mm lens. I will add their 60mm f2.8 macro soon, and a 40-150mm f2.8, and one of their wide-angle zooms later.
For now, I am keeping one of my K-3II bodies, my three Sigma EX DG lenses, the two DA-L kit lenses, and my MX-1. The rest have gone to MPB.com for evaluation, but their initial quote realized enough money to fund the OM-1 + 12-40mm and the 60mm macro lens. If I am happy with the results from the 60mm Macro lens, my Sigma 180mm f3.5 APO DG (non OS) lens will be available if anybody here is looking for one. Do take into account any possible post Brexit import duty if you live in UK though.
The new Olympus kit has been shipped and should arrive with me today. If I do end up selling all of my Pentax DSLR gear, I´ll keep the MX-1 so I can still hang around here.
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
Posted 08/03/2022 - 20:50
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Good for you Sir, I wish you well with the new experience
It will be interesting to know in the future of course if you pick up your remaining K3ii and some lenses the odd time or mabye more times than you would think😉
It will be interesting to know in the future of course if you pick up your remaining K3ii and some lenses the odd time or mabye more times than you would think😉
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6415 posts
17 years
As you say, "try at least", but try long enough for the wow factor to wear off and get the feel of the camera and how you accept the viewfinder, controls etc.
Final call will be down to you.
Best regards