Thinking of Upgrading, but not sure what to!

Erin

Erin

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Erin Shaw
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Currently have a Samsung GX20 with the 18-55mm D-Xenon kit lens and a Sigma 70-300mm APO DG Macro. (and also the non-APO version which I havent got round to selling yet)

The vast majority of my photography is of moving animals (horses and dogs generally) so my kit needs to be geared to this primarily.

I have a budget of £1000 + whatever I can get for any of my current kit that ends up surplus to requirements.

I am open to all suggestions on the best way to 'upgrade' whether that involves a whole new kit, or just a new lens or 2.

I love the handling/layout of my GX20. The only other SLR I have handled was a Canon 350D and I wasn't very keen on it.

Thanks in advance to anyone taking the time to reply, its much appreciated.
 
Sorry, i'd written quite a long reply but the forum ate it when i tried to submit :bang:

The gist is I'd be tempted to stick with the samsung, sounds like a fine camera but I'm not too sure where to go on the lenses, I think a 70-200 should suit you for dogs and horses running around in fields (maybe?) so a sigma 70-200 f2.8 would eat your budget and look nice but if its not what you need i'm not sure where you go, maybe a sigma 150-500 (they are big beasts tho) and put the change towards a 17-50 f2.8?

but if you went to canon you could get a 2nd hand 40/50D, 70-200 f4 L, 17-50 f2.8 like above and you'd maybe have enough left over for a nice prime. Or do one of the sigma 500mm or canon 100-400. In this scenario you'd gain a better fps and probably better AF (maybe?) but your glass wont be quite as high end (the f4 70-200 is a gem tho, if you don't need that extra stop) and you lose in-body IS.... but... in the future you have many more upgrade options, full frame? 10fps? 600mm f4 lens?

Its a tough decision, i'd lean towards switching to Canon or Nikon (if the budget was a tad higher) with a nod to the future but if you don't really plan on upgrading again sticking is a good option.
 
I also lost a message so here goes again

For moving targets you need good AF capability including speed, unless Pentax has improved their SDM system it falls a bit short of the Canon and Nikon equivalents. In-body stabilisation that your camera has is very useful, so paired with the Pentax 60-250mm you have all you need.

Think I would be tempted to stay with what you know and if you buy a decent lens or two the option to upgrade to something like the Pentax K5 is always there (damn fine camera by all counts)
 
nano said:
The gist is I'd be tempted to stick with the samsung, sounds like a fine camera but I'm not too sure where to go on the lenses, I think a 70-200 should suit you for dogs and horses running around in fields (maybe?) so a sigma 70-200 f2.8 would eat your budget and look nice but if its not what you need i'm not sure where you go, maybe a sigma 150-500 (they are big beasts tho) and put the change towards a 17-50 f2.8?
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I have been looking at the sigma 70-200 f2.8 - 200mm should be fine for what I'm wanting to do :) Idon't think I'll need upto 500mm, but the 70-200 would be almost the whole budget

but if you went to canon you could get a 2nd hand 40/50D, 70-200 f4 L, 17-50 f2.8 like above and you'd maybe have enough left over for a nice prime. Or do one of the sigma 500mm or canon 100-400. In this scenario you'd gain a better fps and probably better AF (maybe?) but your glass wont be quite as high end (the f4 70-200 is a gem tho, if you don't need that extra stop) and you lose in-body IS.... but... in the future you have many more upgrade options, full frame? 10fps? 600mm f4 lens?

Its a tough decision, i'd lean towards switching to Canon or Nikon (if the budget was a tad higher) with a nod to the future but if you don't really plan on upgrading again sticking is a good option.
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How do other Canon bodies compare to the 350D? I only had my hands on it for 10mins, but didn't like the layout and got frustrated with it!

And I am tempted to go over to Nikon (specifically the D300s), but like you say, my budgets not really big enough at the moment.

tijuana taxi said:
I also lost a message so here goes again

For moving targets you need good AF capability including speed, unless Pentax has improved their SDM system it falls a bit short of the Canon and Nikon equivalents. In-body stabilisation that your camera has is very useful, so paired with the Pentax 60-250mm you have all you need.

Think I would be tempted to stay with what you know and if you buy a decent lens or two the option to upgrade to something like the Pentax K5 is always there (damn fine camera by all counts)
Click to expand...

I am tempted by a K5, but that again would be most of my budget, so wouldn't give any scope for new lenses.

Is it best to invest in lenses now, and then a potential change to a K5 later on down the line? Theres just too much choice and Im rubbish at decision making!
 
If you don't want very long zooms or primes the Pentax range of lenses is excellent and the new cameras are very good too
I would buy lenses for now and upgrade the body at a later stage, only switched to Canon myself for the longer lenses and a great deal came along that I couldn't realy refuse
 
If you want to change I'd also look at sony with the 5 series a560 & a580 and also the slts a33 & a55. The latter have faster fps and better video. The a580 is only £500 ish with the kit lens which would leave £500 to spend on lenses. Sigma do some nice ones. You can often find their 150-500 for about £500 second hand which would give you massive choice of subject. You also have the advantage of IS in body so any old minolta AF lenses will be stabilised.

I can understand your frustration with canon. I read some of the 7d manual and realised it would drive me bonkers. The d7000 and other nikons are more sensible and at least call aperture priority AP not something else. D7000 if you blow your budget and d5000 from nikon are worth comparing. They have the same sony sensors as the sonys. Have a sneaky feeling I saw the d7000 offered with an 18-200 VR lens for about a grand somewhere. Whether they have stock or not is another matter.

I don't know anything about the samsung lens range so if they already do a really good lens and you already really like the samsung body and handling then getting the right samsung lens might be the easiest and simplest option if it would do everything you want.
 
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don't know anything about the samsung lens range
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Samsung used the Pentax mount on their DSLR's,the GX20 is identical to the Pentax K20D apart from a few menu differences so a wide choice to pick from
 
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