Which DSLR should I get?

[jann1033]

Wow, even I don't get Pentax emails! ...

One problem with the Canon is that the kit lens seems to be pretty universally disliked, more so than other kit lenses. So someone considering an XT might do well to get the body only then pick up another lens as their primary one.

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oh yeah i've got connections email lists are so tough to get on

or buy an kit lens off ebay for about 1/2 the price if you really want one( i did it and it actually looks like brand new)

as far as the xti, the literature says it's compatible with ef or efs lenses ( over 60 if anyone is counting )

original quote edited by me

 

[Groucho]

That's true, if you can get the kits lens for cheap, it's worthwhile, for almost any camera. For a while there, the difference between a K100D with kit lens versus without was something like $17, so it was a no-brainer. Currently it's about $55 - probably pretty close to a wash, once you count in what an eBay seller will get for shipping (unless you get it REALLY cheap.)

BTW, I keep forgetting to mention, I liked the b/w self-portrait you did in the other thread.

Re: JPG+RAW - Pentax only started supporting that with the K10D. The K100D is JPG or RAW, not both.

DisneyGirl4188, the only thing about what I listed is that the Zenitar is a fully-manual lens - you set the aperture and focus yourself on the lens, then hit the AE-L button to "step down" the camera for it for it to set the proper shutter speed (and ISO if it's on Auto) and then take the picture. Focus actually isn't so much of a deal, because it's so wide, everything that's more than a few feet away is in focus when it's set to infinity. It's a lot of fun but definitely not as convenient as other lenses, which are all autofocus. You'd probably realistically be best starting with the kit + 50-200mm lens, then deciding what you want next - a wider lens, a longer lens, a faster lens, a fancy tripod, a nice bag, circular polarizer filter, etc.

Good luck! Let us know when you pull the trigger.

Also, the current rebate ends on January 9th - there's a decent chance they'll start another rebate afterwards, but no guaratee, and especially no guarantee than the K100D will be on it.

 

[0bli0]

Didn't one of our resident Canon owners mention something about that they have a higher-end Canon and couldn't go to an XTi because of a different lens mount? Or am I just imagining that? (I may have been as I don't see anything elsewhere about it.) Different lenses for different levels of SLR would be a lot more restrictive.

i have a Canon 1dmk2. it will use all of the EF lenses. When they released the 300d/Rebel a few years ago, they came up with the EF-s lens - which is supported on the XTi/400d. basically it's an EF lens with elements behind the flange. on my body, it would hit the mirror so it's not useful. also, the EF-s lenses are 'made for digital', meaning they are designed for a smaller sensor than the one i have - so they'd vignette. it also won't work on the full frame bodies (1Ds mk2 and 5d).

i don't care that i can't use any EF-s lenses. they have only released one i'd be interested in and i already have a decent lens in the same range.

 

[Jeanne B]

I own the Pentax K100D which I'm VERY happy with. I bought it with the kit lens since it was only a $17 difference but I just got back Tuesday from a 3-day Disney cruise and a few days in the parks and I was feeling a bit frustrated at times with having to switch lenses (I have the 18-55 and 50-200). Because of this I found myself using my Canon S3 the most towards the end of the trip but this vacation helped me decide that I would definitely like a good walkaround lens for the majority of my use, although I know there are plenty of photographers out there who don't mind the task of switching lenses (and they probably wouldn't call it a task ). I just found it to be a bit of a hassle although I still want to buy the 50mm 1.4 that Groucho mentioned, if it ever resurfaces. So my one suggestion would be, whatever you buy for a camera start with the kit lens and give yourself time to figure out what range you will likely use the most before buying a second lens.

Interestingly, on the cruise I used my Pentax for the first nightly show and I wasn't feeling real confident about how the pictures were coming out so during the show the next night I used my S3 and I thought those pictures were coming out pretty well but when I loaded all my pictures on my laptop Tuesday night I was pleasantly surprised to see how crisp and clear the Pentax shots were in a dark situation, a few were blurry but those that weren't I could see the quality was definitely much better than my S3 (and not to down the S3 because my S3 pictures were a big improvement over my old Kodak).

 

[Groucho]

Interestingly, on the cruise I used my Pentax for the first nightly show and I wasn't feeling real confident about how the pictures were coming out so during the show the next night I used my S3 and I thought those pictures were coming out pretty well but when I loaded all my pictures on my laptop Tuesday night I was pleasantly surprised to see how crisp and clear the Pentax shots were in a dark situation, a few were blurry but those that weren't I could see the quality was definitely much better than my S3 (and not to down the S3 because my S3 pictures were a big improvement over my old Kodak).

That's one of those things, PnS pics often look good on the little LCD screen but once you see them on the PC, the noise and blurriness is much more obvious, especially compared to a DSLR.

For the 50mm, I would just put the order in if you want one... I think Adorama has the cheapest price at the moment... as long as they get some between now and Jan 9th, you'll still get the rebate.

I'm curious how much I'll be switching lenses... I will be bringing six but one (the 400mm) will only be coming out occasionally... I suspect that the Sigma 28mm 2.8 will get the least usage. Either the kit or the 50-200 will get the most, and probably the 50mm as well... and the Zenitar is the dark horse, it may end up getting used quite a lot or not so much. We'll see. I have seen a few people say that the Zenitar has become the lens they use the most despite the extra work involved.

 

[Jeanne B]

For the 50mm, I would just put the order in if you want one... I think Adorama has the cheapest price at the moment... as long as they get some between now and Jan 9th, you'll still get the rebate.

I just got a notification on Amazon that OneCall finally has the 50mm 1.4 back in stock!! With shipping it will cost me about $15 more than Adorama but seeing as they're out of stock everywhere I'm not going to chance waiting on Adorama so I placed my order with Amazon, I'm looking forward to getting this lens after reading so many great reviews about it.

 

[Groucho]

Congrats. I just took some pics tonight with mine while trying out the carbon fiber legs that arrived today (tripod legs, not human ones!)... gonna post one in the ornaments thread as soon as I get it all prepped, probably in a few minutes.

I haven't used it enough to fall in love with it yet but I suspect that I will - it's been just too busy inside and too cold outside to use the camera much.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

I was given my christmas presant early this year. Yes it was a Pentax K100D with the 18-55mm and the 50 to 200 zoom. I was also given a course to take in the new year on how to opperate all the neat gaggets on this thing. I have taken many pictures so far and love it . I really like the anti shake feature it has. You wont regret the pictures you get from this user friendly camera. I am now looking for a fish eye lends for this. I read back a few comments ago and just might be looking at this before we head to Disnry in May.

 

[handicap18]

...I just got back Tuesday from a 3-day Disney cruise and a few days in the parks and I was feeling a bit frustrated at times with having to switch lenses (I have the 18-55 and 50-200). Because of this I found myself using my Canon S3 the most towards the end of the trip but this vacation helped me decide that I would definitely like a good walkaround lens for the majority of my use, although I know there are plenty of photographers out there who don't mind the task of switching lenses (and they probably wouldn't call it a task ). I just found it to be a bit of a hassle...

This is where I think Nikon has the best options. The "walk-around" lens. Nikon has 3 different ones, 18-70, 18-135 and 18-200 (probably the best in the superzoom category, though expensive). Sigma makes an 17-70, 18-125 and 18-200, also Tamron has an 18-200 (they may have others, but I don't look at their stuff to often). Both Sigma and Tamron make lenses with mounts for all the major camera makers. That being said, Nikon and Canon do make superior lenses to Sigma and Tamron (the majority of the time, there are a few excellent Sigma and Tamron's), thats why Nikon and Canon lenses are more expensive.

If you are going with Pentax and want more of a "walk-around" lens, I would look at the Sigma 17-70mm because of its aperture range of f/2.8-4.5 or the 18-125mm because it has a very good reach going up to 125mm. I don't like Sigma's or Tamron's 18-200 mostly because of the poor focus issues you get as you get closer to 200mm, it is slow to catch focus and also only goes to f/6.3 which is good only outdoors. A good bet is to combine either the 17-70mm or 18-125mm with Sigma's 70-300mm. The only problem with Pentax in this regard is that a Sigma lens with a Pentax mount is more expensive than the same lens in a Nikon or Canon mount

Good luck with your shopping.

 

[Groucho]

I was given my christmas presant early this year. Yes it was a Pentax K100D with the 18-55mm and the 50 to 200 zoom. I was also given a course to take in the new year on how to opperate all the neat gaggets on this thing. I have taken many pictures so far and love it . I really like the anti shake feature it has. You wont regret the pictures you get from this user friendly camera. I am now looking for a fish eye lends for this. I read back a few comments ago and just might be looking at this before we head to Disnry in May.

Congratulations! The Pentax Army continues to grow.

Handicap, those are fair points. Pentax themselves seem to prefer to work on a good range of primes, including some pancake lenses that are incredibly compact. Three of the new zooms coming soon are a 16-50 2.8, 50-135 2.8, and 60-250 4.0, but those are all "pro" lenses are fairly expensive. If you do want a single zoom with a very long range, you go third-party. Naturally, a cheaper one with so much range is going to be likely to have some optical deficiencies compared to zooms with a smaller range (to say nothing of primes.)

 

[Scottl]

I would go Nikon. Ritzcamera has these prices even though I think ritz is expensive, you can probably find this set cheaper.

D50 kit - Nikon D50 Digital SLR Two-Lens Set w/Nikkor's 28-80mm & 70-300mm Autofocus Zoom Lenses - $699.99.
Nikon 50mm 1.8 - Around $115.

Total = $815 and you have a great camera body and 3 lenses and $185 to buy whatever.

You could also add a flash (sb-600) around $190.