Canon S3

[Kelly Grannell]

The Pentax ist* DL is about the same size as RebelXT. Of course it's heavier and larger than S3.

Don't worry about the weight. Between my 30D and 70-200 alone (and battery grip), I carry around approx 6 lbs of weight and do multiple stop and go sprints, climb, squat, lie on my back for up to 8 hours. It's only a matter of getting used to.

 

[jann1033]

i have some neurological issues and when my arms get tired they get weak and they shake..not conducive to good pictures...so the more weight the faster my arms give out. i am going to break down and get batteries for my old rebel so i can tell if the lens is bad or my shaking is what caused the problems ( hoping it 's the lens since i can't get new arms )

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I don't know about the severity of your problem, but I have carpal tunnel and it used to be very severe (I was a highly skilled session pianist/keyboardist) to the point that I can't even play the keyboard for 5 minutes without my hand being so weak I can't hold a pen. I didn't go for surgery due to the off chance that I may not be able to play music anymore (if they botched the surgery).

So what I did was put glass marbles in a bucket at slowly do the alphabet by moving my wrist (making the letter A, B, C and so on). After 8 years of that (and keep pushing myself to the limit), now I can play about 40 minutes without being tired and up to 60 minutes without being hurt. I don't think I'll ever be a session musician ever again, but I can play enough to cheer myself up, write and sell a song or jingle here and there and get royalties from them.

The same goes with that heavy lens. I started with only being able to carry the lens + body for 2 hours max (no running etc) and it took me almost 2 years to get to the point I can push myself to do all those crazy things up to 8 hours without any break.

Again, I don't mean to say that your problem can be fixed with my method, neither do I mean to say my problem is anywhere as severe as yours, but maybe, just maybe, there is hope.

Good luck!

Kelly.

 

[RadioNate]

In your situation, I'd get an dSLR. I got the S2IS last christmas for a lot of the same reasons that you are considering the S3. I'm finally ready to admit that I'm not happy with the camera. I don't have any shots that I think are 'great' there are some ok and a few decents but none I love.

Dh took a lot of shots in auto at my DS's graduation. Most are out of focus and the others are noisy. It was in a school caferteria so it was indoor but not truly low light IMO.

I know a dSLR may double the budget but if you have a film Rebel can't you use those lenses w/the Rebel XT. It is currently $695 @ amazon.com plus a $100 rebate so for less than $600 you could have that to use with your existing lenses.

 

[jann1033]

i saw the rebel rebate...i think my lens won't work...someone said they had to say "ef" on them and i don't see that anywhere

beach camera has a pentax lens..smcp fa 28-90 mm, f3.5-5.7 al autofocus for $99( clearance). what would this be like? i can't find a review and am guessing it's old or lousy or something? is that even worse than the kit one?

sorry about your problem Kelly. must be why you can take those great musican shots though!

one review of the pentax did mention it has a larger sensor...so would there be any problem matching lens to it? or does that not matter

 

[Greg K.]

I took the plunge a few weeks after I got my Pentax, and got the Sigma 18-125. It's only slightly larger/heavier than the 18-55 kit lens, and works beautifully.

If you can, head to a camera store and try these things out for yourself. The Pentax is not an insubstantial camera, by any means -- but that's one of the reasons I got it. A little more heft means a litte more weight, and less chance of camera shake. It just feels STURDY and not plastic-y.

Also...I don't know what your time frame is, but in July (just three weeks from now!) Pentax is set to release its newest dSLR, the K100, which has IS. The street price for a kit (with the 18-55 lens) is supposed to be about $600. You will almost certainly find it online for less.

 

[Anewman]

28-300 is cheap because it's not wide enough. Will you buy a 35mm film camera lens that starts at 45mm? Even the S3 "wide angle" is equivalent to 35mm.

My Disney range of shooting tend to be 17-24 and 70-125 range.

I only suggested it because of the op stating they did not feel great about spending $1000+ on a package, and I mentioned that for $463 they already get the kit lens. I understand it may not be IDEAL for everyone but I think it will be very workable and gives you the reach that the S3 does which I got the hint was important.

$600 for a DSLR package with coverage from 18-300mm is not bad IMO.

beach camera has a pentax lens..smcp fa 28-90 mm, f3.5-5.7 al autofocus for $99( clearance). what would this be like? i can't find a review and am guessing it's old or lousy or something? is that even worse than the kit one?

I would get the kit lens, since it starts at 18mm.
And for $40 more you can get the 28-300mm tamron, it will surpass the reach you expected with the S3.

 

[Anewman]

Also...I don't know what your time frame is, but in July (just three weeks from now!) Pentax is set to release its newest dSLR, the K100, which has IS. The street price for a kit (with the 18-55 lens) is supposed to be about $600. You will almost certainly find it online for less.

$600??

I was under the impression that Retail was $899, I can not see finding it for a third off very soon after release.

 

[geetey]

Not sure if this info will help you, jann1033, but I also have some neurological issues that cause shaking (I have multiple sclerosis). I was torn between the S2 (the S3 wasn't available in my time frame of "need" ) and the Rebel XT. I went with the Rebel and a lens with IS.

I hate being limited by the MS (I can't always get down in the position I want. Well... I can get down. I just might not be able to get back up! LOL) so I decided not to be limited by my camera! I will admit that the IS lens is heavy, but by the end of our trip, it wasn't *as* bad as when we started.

I am no longer frustrated with my camera and what it can't do. Just frustrated with myself and what I didn't do. With practice I will get better though!

 

[jann1033]

Not sure if this info will help you, jann1033, but I also have some neurological issues that cause shaking (I have multiple sclerosis). I was torn between the S2 (the S3 wasn't available in my time frame of "need" ) and the Rebel XT. I went with the Rebel and a lens with IS.

I hate being limited by the MS (I can't always get down in the position I want. Well... I can get down. I just might not be able to get back up! LOL) so I decided not to be limited by my camera! I will admit that the IS lens is heavy, but by the end of our trip, it wasn't *as* bad as when we started.

I am no longer frustrated with my camera and what it can't do. Just frustrated with myself and what I didn't do. With practice I will get better though!

we have similar dx, totally get the "not getting back up", I've found you can only crawl so long and then people start noticing ...that is why i was concerned about the IS factor.. i am guessing most cameras have IS lens available now and if the Pentax with the IS in body comes out soon maybe they will go down in price...does the IS help in your case? i wasn't sure it would anyway but it depends on the day.

as far as the is Pentax goes, i think 2 models are coming out( from what i read somewhere and the $600 doesn't have the in body IS, (if you want that they tack on more $$...typical) i thought that would be the answer but it's unfortuantly getting up there price wise

 

[Kelly Grannell]

sorry about your problem Kelly. must be why you can take those great musican shots though!

It does help a lot with the timing and anticipating the shots

 

[geetey]

we have similar dx, totally get the "not getting back up", I've found you can only crawl so long and then people start noticing ...that is why i was concerned about the IS factor.. i am guessing most cameras have IS lens available now and if the Pentax with the IS in body comes out soon maybe they will go down in price...does the IS help in your case? i wasn't sure it would anyway but it depends on the day.

as far as the is Pentax goes, i think 2 models are coming out( from what i read somewhere and the $600 doesn't have the in body IS, (if you want that they tack on more $$...typical) i thought that would be the answer but it's unfortuantly getting up there price wise

LOL! Yep - people do tend to stare. I mentioned the weight, because in a case like mine (and possibly yours), it isn't a matter of getting used to it. It is a matter of how long you can physically carry it.

For me, the S2/S3 is just about the perfect size/weight for me, but felt rather awkward in my hards. The Nikon felt very good in my hands, but I already have some Canon lenses so I went that way. The Rebel XT is a little smaller than the other Canons but that's a good thing for someone like me.

Does the IS help? I *think* so, but I didn't do any side-by-side testing. I had to use a tripod for my firework pictures but I was expecting that. I did leave the camera in the room (at WDW) two days. It was just getting to be too much/too heavy for me to carry. Of course, I missed a *completely* beautiful day at MK but I figured that would happen.

This probably confuses things more for you. Sorry!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

The IS helps, sure. But you can "simulate" IS 2-stop effective advantage by boosting your ISO on a dSLR by 2 stops. Since the dSLR have a much larger sensor and far cleaner high-ISO, the IQ (Image Quality) of S3 at ISO 400 with IS at (say) 1/60 sec shutter speed will be about the same on a Pentax or RebelXT or D50 at ISO 1600 no IS at 1/240.

Confused yet? Upping the ISO by 1 step = doubling the shutter speed, 2 steps = doubling the double shutter speed (quadrupling the shutter speed). Which is essentially the same (for most shots) as using a 2-step lower ISO with IS.

 

[Greg K.]

$600??

I was under the impression that Retail was $899, I can not see finding it for a third off very soon after release.

www.dcreview.com says the k100 will retail for $699 ... the k110 (without anti-shake) will go for $599.

Both of those are with a kit lens.

 

[jann1033]

The IS helps, sure. But you can "simulate" IS 2-stop effective advantage by boosting your ISO on a dSLR by 2 stops. Since the dSLR have a much larger sensor and far cleaner high-ISO, the IQ (Image Quality) of S3 at ISO 400 with IS at (say) 1/60 sec shutter speed will be about the same on a Pentax or RebelXT or D50 at ISO 1600 no IS at 1/240.

Confused yet? Upping the ISO by 1 step = doubling the shutter speed, 2 steps = doubling the double shutter speed (quadrupling the shutter speed). Which is essentially the same (for most shots) as using a 2-step lower ISO with IS.

of course i'm confused, that's just a given
but i think that means since the shutter is faster the shake won't show

i think we are going with the pentax( husband doesn't care about the movie and stuff on the c3) although when i read the info for the k110( or what ever the cheaper one is...) i was tempted. i did find a sigma lens 18-200 for $319 for pentax which i think would be ok for everything but macro? i'd like to have one lens for most occasions. the sensor on the ist dl is 23.5x 15.7 so i'm not sure if that would still fit the "smaller "sensor i think that one was made for...even though it's getting up there in price( well not compared to some lenses but for my pocket) that would be about the only expense except for the macro. i was looking for some IS lens just in case but didn't find any and probably would have fainted from the price anyway


terry, i left my camera in the room most of last trip just because it was either carry the camera and stay in the room or leave the camera and go to the park and without a lot of hesitation i chose the later i like the size of the s2 also and this pentax is a lb so i am hopping with the lens not a whole lot heavier..so i should be ok for normal pictures and if worse comes to worse will borrow or get a little point and shoot to stick in husband's pocket if need be for wdw. i'll still have fun with the big one other times.

now that my mind is made up i'm getting excited to get it

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I personally find the 18-200, although versatile, doesn't have IQ that passed my threshold of acceptaqbility. The 18-125 does, by far (I used to use this lens for professional applications).

For Macro, just get a set of Kenko Macro Auto Focus Extension Tubes for about $100. Your lens will 'magically' turned into a macro lens.

 

[jann1033]

I personally find the 18-200, although versatile, doesn't have IQ that passed my threshold of acceptaqbility. The 18-125 does, by far (I used to use this lens for professional applications).

For Macro, just get a set of Kenko Macro Auto Focus Extension Tubes for about $100. Your lens will 'magically' turned into a macro lens.

what would the 125 be in terms of film 35mm. my old lens went to 300 which was more than i needed truthfully. and so i could get the 18-125 and the extension tube for about the same price as the 18-200

 

[Kelly Grannell]

125mm on a dSLR is equivalent to approximately 200mm on a film camera.

 

[jann1033]

well then that's perfect! the extension tubes are a great idea and very versatile

Thanks Kelly, i couldn't have figured this out with out all your help

 

[Kelly Grannell]

no probs!