Pentax and Students

I saw a quote somewhere that said most of today's photographers made their bones with Pentax. After returning to SLRs in a digital age, I naturally went for a Pentax (ist DS). It was after all, what I cut my teeth on and was a stalwart of photography at university. I still have a box of M and K bodies. So, when a friend's daughter wanted to try out an SLR for her A'level studies I enthusiastically lent her mine.

Now I've been asked which model would be appropriate for her to use. Bearing in mind the budget is quite low and really the ability to have manual control is a major need in these studies. Naturally I thought just pick up another ist DS. But now I find the model range has changed in the short time since I bought my ist DS.

I seem to remember that in the days (before digital) I could get my head around the K range (K1000, Km, KX etc) and the M range (ME, MX, MEsuper etc). But I have to admit to being a little confused by the range.

So, can anyone help me in understanding:

(i) what are the new models
(ii) what are the current (though perhaps no longer produced) models
(iii) which would be appropriate for A'level studies (entry level [the budget is tight])
(iv) any recommended places we could source used-cameras?


Hope you can help,

Cheers
Derek

Hello Derek, welcome to the forum.

I'll go straight to the question so sorry for the not so long reply

(I)+(II)
Here you've a time line link
ps. they need to update it though, the K20D is now stopped and the K200D was stopped when the KM came.

(III)
For student you might be better off with a bit more advance camera, I think the basic entry models would limit them.
The K20D can be get for new still and at a fair price and it's and advance camera model. Penta prism, two e-dials and it should offer anything needed probably for the whole course.

(IV)
Here of course, in the classified adverts.
SRS microsystems also have sometimes second-hand models or else e-bay

I hate to say this (and not intending to start a war here) but what course does she intend doing at University?

If she is thinking along the lines of making a living from using a camera then she may as well choose a Canon or Nikon from the start (ducks for cover). It seems to me 99% of students that start with a Pentax/Sony/Olympus body do just that in the end anyway due to a) Peer pressure and b) The university normally has more equipment that can be used with the 2 main brands.

Right ... I'm off and running.

Isn't that what Fib mentioned a few weeks back? Something along the lines that one of the reasons she was moving to D700 also was that she could borrow equipment/lenses etc from the college as they seemed to have more of those brands.

Well, I do remember that she started also some huge controversy with the thread getting quite heated.

I did step into DSLR with Pentax gear but I never got to do any college course, and if K7 had come out with the AF system/speed similar to the body that was displayed during the open day at SRS then there would be one more K7 user at this moment.

Having said that I still am a Pentaxian at heart and I have got the goods to prove it

My daughter did A-level photography and used my MZ-S film and *istD digital bodies.

She was told (2 years back) that the *istD was too advanced ! and most of the others in her class used compact digitals along with old MESupers.

Even with advances, I would suggest that a *istDS would be fine or even a K10D/K100D.

You don't need a complex camera to learn photographic technique. In fact you don't need a complex camera for much. The only variables are shutter speed, aperture and ISO after all.

However, any of the current Pentax digital cameras would do fine, as would any of the discontinued ones.

The idea that you have to use Canon, Nikon or Olympus (why Olympus, that's a bit obscure....) to do a college or university course is IMHO just not true.

I know that, you know that .. try telling a student who's friends and university use mainly Canon and Nikon equipment that.

Who said anything about having to use Olympus??????

Keep telling yourself that while using your Canon 7D Amin

"Alwayz pakin a Pentax"

Dual or Multi systems are not an issue. It stands as testament to Pentax that they can still deliver the vitamins....

Vitamin A = Student
Vitamin B = Pentax SLR
Vitamin C = Crackin Resultz

Regards

Around here the uni students using film spend a fortune on ME Supers, Mxs P30s, in fact any Pentax body with aperture and shutter control.

Makes it hard to get good used kit at reasonable prices!

Surely brand is insignificant when using film or digital. Some Universities may have a stock of canon lenses, others may hold Pentax, so long as results can be gained from the camera used it doesn't matter who makes the body.

Go to any non Pentax forum and see how many students start with a Pentax film camera and then move to a Canon/ Nikon DSLR

Then try and find anyone who starts with a Canon/Nikon film body and moves on to a Pentax DSLR.

Well they wouldn't would they. If they chaged to a Pentax DSLR then they wouldn't be on a Canon or Nikon forum, they'd be here....

First of all I was talking about an open forum, not Canon/Nikon based

Secondly.. hands up all the students on this forum currently at university that are using a Pentax DSLR after having a Nikon/Canon film body.

Anyway, if she gets a Pentax DSLR I would be interested to see if she is still using the brand in 12 months time.(and if she is then good for her)

Seriously, any students will be the wrong age to have used any film SLR at all. I think we're now at the point where new, young photographers have always been digital in one way or another.

Mature students maybe, but not young ones.

Actually I think all new photography students (at least) have to use a film SLR before moving on to digital.

Hence HG's comment about them buying all the ME Supers etc.