Pentax?

Daysleeper40

Daysleeper40

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Hi all,

I have been deliberating over which first DSLR to get (well, to ask for my birthday) and thought I had finally chosen the D60... but then I saw the Pentax owners thread on here and realised I havn't given Pentax any consideration at all yet.

From the bit of research I have done so far they seem to be well thought of and good value for money but they are clearly not as popular as Nikon / Canon / Sony? Is there some obvious reaon for this that I am missing?
 
Can't think of any reason not to buy one, good solid cameras which can utilise a great number of older lenses along with some very fine new ones as well
Have a look at the K-m or perhaps the K200D, in body stabilisation, dust cleaner and in the latters case weatheproof sealing too

Very happy with the two I have had and not about to change to any other brand
 
It is the K-m that I am considering - I just don't get why they are not more popular. Jessops don't seem to stock them either which is odd :thinking:
 
Daysleeper40 said:
It is the K-m that I am considering - I just don't get why they are not more popular. Jessops don't seem to stock them either which is odd :thinking:
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Apparently Jessops stopped selling Pentax because they wouldn't give them unlimited credit unlike Canon, Nikon and Sony. This will hurt Pentax in the short term but the way Jessops have been performing recently it may be the right thing to do.
 
There is another thread on here pointing to Argos doing a K200 with 18-55 for under £400,I have never used a Pentax DSLR but have only heard good reports of the latest batch
 
Mike.P said:
Apparently Jessops stopped selling Pentax because they wouldn't give them unlimited credit unlike Canon, Nikon and Sony. This will hurt Pentax in the short term but the way Jessops have been performing recently it may be the right thing to do.
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Thanks for that - makes more sense now.

CaptainPenguin said:
There is another thread on here pointing to Argos doing a K200 with 18-55 for under £400,I have never used a Pentax DSLR but have only heard good reports of the latest batch
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Thanks for the tip - will have a look at the Argos website now :thumbs:
 
i think pentax look like a nice brand, the best thing is that the lenses are considerably cheaper for pentax fit and some of the accessories are really cheap. someone said on here that there was a battery at jessops for £10 and a battery grip for £50, if your went for the big three then you would be talking £50 for battery and well over £100 for battery grip. i always call pentax the "students camera" because many students choose this as a budget choice. have you considered sony, the a200 is really cheap.
 
Thanks mastertrinity. I'm not overly bothered about picking the cheapest although there obviously will be a budget. I just want to make sure I've considered all the options.

I have had hands on a Sony A200 and it just felt way too big - I have tiny hands so this could be a bit of a theme! I did consider olympus for exactly that reason but I have been put off by my confusion re the four thirds system and the fact the lenses seem more expensive.
 
Mike.P said:
Some people really have no idea.:cuckoo:


Anyway, thats for another time.
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Don't worry Mike - I can see that Pentax has a lot to offer and aren't just the budget option. I'm just cusious as to why they are not more popular.
 
The grip and battery were for the K20D, don't think there is a grip for the K-m. Is for the K200D though because I have one.
Cost about eighty quid and note that the K-m and K200D take AA's, got its pros and cons, but I prefer them for the ease of availability

Think a Pentax will suit you if you have small hands. Best bet is go try one and see what you think, pretty sure Currys sell them
 
From what I've read of Pentax cameras, Km aside, is that they are reasonable noise wise at high ISO, though they are maybe being passed by the competition now. Jpegs are bit soft straight out of the camera, but RAW files came out very nice once worked on.

The K20D was one of the cheapest weather sealed cameras available when it was released. Which could be handy in a British summer. ;) :lol:

If you do choose a Pentax, then don't forget that there is an equivalent Samsung model (Km aside) which is virtually the same, but cheaper. ;)
 
tijuana taxi said:
The grip and battery were for the K20D, don't think there is a grip for the K-m. Is for the K200D though because I have one.
Cost about eighty quid and note that the K-m and K200D take AA's, got its pros and cons, but I prefer them for the ease of availability

Think a Pentax will suit you if you have small hands. Best bet is go try one and see what you think, pretty sure Currys sell them
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You're right - I had a quick shufty in Curry's the other day and they had a twin lens kit. It was the K-m I think but I didn't have time to stop and have a play so I'll have to go back.

I don't particularly like the idea of AA batteries but I'm trying to have an open mind at this point!
 
redhed17 said:
From what I've read of Pentax cameras, Km aside, is that they are reasonable noise wise at high ISO, though they are maybe being passed by the competition now. Jpegs are bit soft straight out of the camera, but RAW files came out very nice once worked on.

The K20D was one of the cheapest weather sealed cameras available when it was released. Which could be handy in a British summer. ;) :lol:

If you do choose a Pentax, then don't forget that there is an equivalent Samsung model (Km aside) which is virtually the same, but cheaper. ;)
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...and it gets more confusing! Are the Samsung models literally the same camera with different branding?

I take it from the above that the K-m has noise issues? Not a big surprise I suppose as it seems to be their entry level model.
 
Daysleeper40 said:
Don't worry Mike - I can see that Pentax has a lot to offer and aren't just the budget option. I'm just cusious as to why they are not more popular.
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Basically things moved on and Pentax didn't.
They have been playing catchup for the last few years but lack the money to really push the brand. They were taken over by Hoya last year and there is a new model being announced on the 20th that could actually get them noticed again if its half as good as the rumours are saying.
Mind you its going to be well over a grand to start with I would think.
 
no too much difference between rechargeable AA's and camera batteries, use them in flash guns and hold them together in 4's with an elastic band and have diff coloured bands for charged and discharged.... you could also buy a load of cheap alkalines to use as a fall back

have you looked at what glass is available, all the decent oly stuff is silly money there's not much middle ground and very little secondhand kit, this is a problem my mate is having
 
david1701 said:
no too much difference between rechargeable AA's and camera batteries, use them in flash guns and hold them together in 4's with an elastic band and have diff coloured bands for charged and discharged.... you could also buy a load of cheap alkalines to use as a fall back

have you looked at what glass is available, all the decent oly stuff is silly money there's not much middle ground and very little secondhand kit, this is a problem my mate is having
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That is the kind of excellent idea that I would never have had!

Re the glass - yep, that is my biggest turn off for olympus. I have pretty much ruled them out of the equation.
 
Daysleeper40 said:
...and it gets more confusing! Are the Samsung models literally the same camera with different branding?

I take it from the above that the K-m has noise issues? Not a big surprise I suppose as it seems to be their entry level model.
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I don't know too much about the Km having not read any reviews yet. :shrug: I have read reviews of all the other Pentax/Samsung models, which is why I didn't want to include the Km in what I was saying. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I would assume that the Km would have better high ISO capabilities, being a newer model.

AFAIK there are minor differences between the Pentax and Samsung equivalent models. Obviously different menus, they may also be set up to give slightly different colours straight out of the box but more importantly (possibly) the Samsung uses the dng RAW file format, whereas the Pentax can save in its own RAW format or dng.

The Samsungs can be quite a saving over the Pentax versions, but best do a bit more research to see the actual differences if you decide to go down that route. ;)
 
Energizer Lithium AA's are a good standby for rechargeables too, last for ages and been getting them from Superdrug at £6.85 for six
Reckon to get between 700 and a 1000 shots from them, so ideal for holidays

I like AA's because you can pick up ordinary alkaline ones (good for about 100 shots) almost anywhere, much better than having to worry about a camera specific battery running out or buying expensive spares.

Think if I were buying it would be the K200D before the K-m, give them a both a go, about the same price so all down to personal choice
 
I don't think there's anything wrong with Pentax, there's just nothing special about them, so why should you? Other brands have much more choice and big system backing, so unless Pentax can pull a rabbit out of the hat, or sell at significantly lower prices, then they are likely the remain second division. But the Hoya group has a lot of clout, so we'll see.

Pentax used to be a massive film SLR brand, bigger than Canon if you go back far enough, and they pioneered a lot of great camera innovations, in both SLRs and zoom-compacts. Shame they missed the boat with digital :(
 
Pentax K200D has been great for me, got me into Photography and got me where I want to be, good robust camera and I like the Pentax look and feel, everyone has their own fav's. I'm now looking to sell the 200d and move up to the 20d because I'm happy with the results the Pentax gives me, I certainly would recommend the 200d as a good place to start.
 
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