Pentax general discussion

[Golf4food]

OMG !! Check this out !!! I WANT THIS CAMERA !!

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/05/rainbow-colored-pentax-k-x-requires-sunglasses-to-use/

I would think this would have a market in the US, especially in San Fransisco...

 

[Swmhc]

What can I say ? It appeals to my inner child. I like the colors available in the UK as well, but alas, Wal-Mart online had a steal of a deal on the black one with the 2-lense package, so I caved and got boring black. However, if see the rainbow one on ebay, I just might have to get it and sell my black one.

Can't wait to get it and start playing around. We have a trip in July and our first MNSSHP in September, so I am hoping the night shots turn out as good as they advertise. I will probably be on here for pointers when I get it in my hot little hands !

 

[MinnieForMe]

I think I finally found my new camera. Can anyone compare the size of the Pentax KX with the Nikon D5000? I'm handicap and the lighter/smaller the camera the better (as small as a DSLR gets). Does anyone know a store than actually carries it in stock so I can try it? I would like to buy it at Ritz but they are so much more expensive for this camera than other places online. Best Buy only has it online.

I just started a 6 week photography class and feel left out with just a point and shoot. I wanted to wait until the 6 weeks were up and I had a little photography education under my belt but I could be learning so much more if I had it to practice.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[photo_chick]

I don't know about the size or weight difference, dpreview.com might have some insight with it's detailed camera specs. But keep in mind that with a DSLR the weight can vary greatly depending on the lens making it feel like a different camera. It won't matter if one body is a tad smaller or lighter if the lens is a heavier construction.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I think I finally found my new camera. Can anyone compare the size of the Pentax KX with the Nikon D5000? I'm handicap and the lighter/smaller the camera the better (as small as a DSLR gets). Does anyone know a store than actually carries it in stock so I can try it? I would like to buy it at Ritz but they are so much more expensive for this camera than other places online. Best Buy only has it online.

I just started a 6 week photography class and feel left out with just a point and shoot. I wanted to wait until the 6 weeks were up and I had a little photography education under my belt but I could be learning so much more if I had it to practice.

Thanks for any advice.

I don't know exactly what your goal is in photography but have you considered a micro 4/3rd's camera such as the Olympus PEN E-P1 or E-P2? Much smaller than your standard DSLR. Or Sony has just announced their new mirrorless camera's with aps-c equivalent sensors (NEX 3 and NEX 5) that will be available in June. Here's a link to a review on the NEX 5. Initial reviews place it similar in photo quality to the Canon T1i and the Nikon 5000. And these camera's have all comparable controls to the Nikon or Pentax.

You'll still stand out in a class with one of these but it's better to buy a tool you can use. Just to add - I personally have some arthritis which is most pronounced in my hands. The smallest camera is not the one that works best for me though and I ended up with a little heavier pro-sumer camera that was just perfect. I tried a lot of camera's and could tell right away in the store if my hands were going to become sore. Weight wasn't really the issue for me though - the ergonomics of the camera were.

Just a couple other options to consider if size is a very important issue.

 

[RBennett]

Ok, so I have a question and I know that there are SEVERAL of us out there with this camera so I thought I would post away. Has anyone purchased a remote shutter release for this yet and had any issues? The manual recommends the Pentax F remote but I have seen a few mixed reviews on this. Has anyone noticed any problems/issues with the remote they have? The other concern I have is the sensor is on the front of the camera. Has anyone tried taking shots (such as fireworks) where they did not want themselves in the picture? THANKS!!!!

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

You get used to it, just put the camera on Remote with 3 second timer, so if your hand was near the front you have more time than someone as old as Moses would need to get out of the way. And I have had no problems with the remote, just the Photographer so far!

 

[ukcatfan]

I have that remote and have had no problems. You can get it to take the shot without getting your hand in the way. Maybe if you were at 10mm, but I have had no problems at 18mm.

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Its funny, I have my 5 year old take my night shots. I set it up and she pushes the button, we love the F Remote!

 

[MinnieForMe]

I don't know exactly what your goal is in photography but have you considered a micro 4/3rd's camera such as the Olympus PEN E-P1 or E-P2? Much smaller than your standard DSLR. Or Sony has just announced their new mirrorless camera's with aps-c equivalent sensors (NEX 3 and NEX 5) that will be available in June. Here's a link to a review on the NEX 5. Initial reviews place it similar in photo quality to the Canon T1i and the Nikon 5000. And these camera's have all comparable controls to the Nikon or Pentax.

You'll still stand out in a class with one of these but it's better to buy a tool you can use. Just to add - I personally have some arthritis which is most pronounced in my hands. The smallest camera is not the one that works best for me though and I ended up with a little heavier pro-sumer camera that was just perfect. I tried a lot of camera's and could tell right away in the store if my hands were going to become sore. Weight wasn't really the issue for me though - the ergonomics of the camera were.

Just a couple other options to consider if size is a very important issue.

Thanks for this suggestion. I'm going to look into it!

My aspirations are to take pictures of my children, Disney/vacations and the occasional soccer game without blur (my P&S just can't snap the picture fast enough). I have no aspirations to be a professional photographer. I'm currently taking a college photography class which is helping me understand the basics.

I'm still drawn to the Pentax K-X. My limitations are not hand related. I walk with a cane so having the ability to take pictures with one hand (I'm guessing with the camera on auto) would be fantastic. When I need to use the camera with two hands I will need to be in my wheelchair or in a sitting position. The Pentax (with the exception of the 4/3rds) is the only DSLR that says it can be operated with one hand. Any thoughts on this?

How does the Pentax rate in image quality on the dreaded Auto button?

Am I misunderstanding the concept of a 4/3rds? It does not have a peephole but only live view for photo taking? Doesn't this put me back in the P&S range for speed?

Sorry to sound so ignorant but I can't learn if I don't ask the experts!

 

[JoeDif]

Thanks for this suggestion. I'm going to look into it!

My aspirations are to take pictures of my children, Disney/vacations and the occasional soccer game without blur (my P&S just can't snap the picture fast enough). I have no aspirations to be a professional photographer. I'm currently taking a college photography class which is helping me understand the basics.

I'm still drawn to the Pentax K-X. My limitations are not hand related. I walk with a cane so having the ability to take pictures with one hand (I'm guessing with the camera on auto) would be fantastic. When I need to use the camera with two hands I will need to be in my wheelchair or in a sitting position. The Pentax (with the exception of the 4/3rds) is the only DSLR that says it can be operated with one hand. Any thoughts on this?

How does the Pentax rate in image quality on the dreaded Auto button?

Am I misunderstanding the concept of a 4/3rds? It does not have a peephole but only live view for photo taking? Doesn't this put me back in the P&S range for speed?

Sorry to sound so ignorant but I can't learn if I don't ask the experts!

To keep things simple, the Olympus micro 4/3rd cameras and the Sony NEX cameras are basically mirrorless DSLR's. So instead of using optical viewfinders you would the LCD display to compose, focus, etc.

These cameras also give you the option to use different lenses. In terms of performance, they most likely blow any P & S out of the water.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

While on a double decker bus tour we drove past this unique building. Taken with a K10D, f/8, 1/125 sec, IS0 100, 28 mm

 

[RBennett]

^^ Very nice! I bet the double-decker bus was a blast.

This was taken weekend before last at a martial arts championship.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

It was fun. It gave a different perspective to the buildings and offered some great photo ops!

 

[Golf4food]

Back from our trip to WDW this past weekend - first trip with the K-7. I've had it for a couple of months now to get used to it a little but this is the first big trip to a place where I have a working knowledge of how my older ist*DL would react, etc. and could truly compare the K-7 head-to-head with the same shots and lighting and such. As expected the upgrade is huge. No surprise there. The problem areas of dark rides and high contrast areas were a mixed bag, however. I found the AF system much, much better, but noise at high ISO is not very good (as has been discussed). In fact, in some ways it almost seems worse than it was on the ist*DL. So while I could AF on things in the dark much better the resultant photos are still very grainy, even if using the coveted 35mm Macro Ltd f/2.8 that I love so much for everything. I'll rent or buy a 55 f/1.4 or similar for our next trip to see if the faster speed helps at all. All ISO levels up to 1600 are fine, but the 3200 is almost useless. I have joked about buying a K-x to use just on dark rides...

I also finally got to play around with the in body HDR a little and while I have not had a chance to view them on the Mac yet they looked great on the LCD screen. The time required is annoying - mostly to my wife, haha - and difficult to deal with when there are people walking around - about a minute from shutter click to final processing. Still, a cool feature that I'd love to play around with more - the shots I took don't look nearly as overprocessed as most HDR shots I see around the net (which I hate).

I'll post some examples once I get them all processed. Right now I've only loaded 50 onto Flickr (DW makes me start with the shots that will go into our dining review, haha).


First two using 18-55 WR:

35mm f/2.8 Macro Ltd:

I liked the WR lenses - good performance for the price, but especially nice not being overly concerned with water on rides or a light rain shower.

That said, I did leave the camera in the room/car for the night in DHS and for a few hours in the MK the day we left - a little freeing not having to carry it around (or the heavy backpack) but still left me feeling a little twitchy for not having it because there's always something you see you want to photograph...

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

When you start the dining review post a link, the Missus and I love our Food Porn!

 

[ukcatfan]

I have joked about buying a K-x to use just on dark rides...

I have to say that I am impressed with the high ISO on the K-x. I am also impressed with the Auto WB. This shot is straight out of the camera JPG at ISO 4000.

 

[Groucho]

Thanks. And, I'd like to give a to your username and avatar as well. After all, as the wise man himself once said: "I've got the brain of a four year old. I'll bet he was glad to be rid of it."

Hats off to G. Marx - the funniest guy to ever walk the planet!

The problem areas of dark rides and high contrast areas were a mixed bag, however. I found the AF system much, much better, but noise at high ISO is not very good (as has been discussed). In fact, in some ways it almost seems worse than it was on the ist*DL. So while I could AF on things in the dark much better the resultant photos are still very grainy, even if using the coveted 35mm Macro Ltd f/2.8 that I love so much for everything. I'll rent or buy a 55 f/1.4 or similar for our next trip to see if the faster speed helps at all. All ISO levels up to 1600 are fine, but the 3200 is almost useless. I have joked about buying a K-x to use just on dark rides...

3200 shouldn't be useless but the sensor is starting to show its age. The Sony sensor in the K-x definitely works better in low light. Samsung has a new sensor but the relationship between them and Pentax seems to have cooled so who knows what the next Pentax will use... K-x has Sony, K-7 has Samsung, and 645D has Kodak!

If comparing noise vs the DL, I'm guessing that you're viewing at 100%... which really isn't fair when you're talking 14mp vs 6! Still, I was generally pretty happy with the DL at 1600, but 3200 was usually pretty rough, whereas the K-7 can often do pretty good at 3200 and you can get away with 6400 in the right conditions.

As for the K-x... well, just convince your wife that she needs one, and off you go. I posted some of these in the long-delayed conclusion to my latest trip report, but I'll put 'em here too along with a couple more. These are taken with the K-x with the Pentax 50mm F1.4. 12,800 ISO on the first two, then 2,500, then 10,000, then 2,500.

Now, they don't always look like this - some of the 10,000 and up shots look a bit rough - but in the right circumstance, 12,800 is definitely usable.

 

[ukcatfan]

I have one of those

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

I cant wait to get back to WDW in August so I can get me one of those too!