Time To Switch Brands?

[PhoenixEnigma]

I've been considering some upgrades to my current kit over the next month or two, and selling off other parts to fund that. Ultimately, I realized the only meaningful thing that would make it through unscathed would be a Sigma 10-20mm lens. This seems like a rare chance to switch things up even more if I want, but I don't know if it's worth it.



I'd be looking for a two body kit, with a particular eye to landscape and watersport photography. I don't have a problem with buying used - I'd rather have higher end previously owned gear than new, lower end stuff. As it stands, the plan is to end up with this:

• Pentax K-5 body
• Pentax K-7 body
• Pentax D-BG4 grip (possibly)
• Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6
• Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
• Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 WR
• Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8
• Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6
• Pentax AF-360FGZ flash

All told, I'm going to be spending about $3500, maybe a little more. Is there any compelling reason to consider switching systems at this point? I'm not as familiar with Canon/Nikon/Sony/etc ecosystems - what, if anything, would be comparable in both price and performance? Would there be any advantages to that, other than easier access to borrowed/rented lenses?

 

[fralexandr]

no consideration for the pentax k-30?

with all of that pentax equipment, it'd be pretty costly to go nikon/canon/sony at this point

for camera's similar to the k-5 (assuming weather resistance is important):
canon something like the 7D
nikon something like the d7000

if you don't mind spending lots of money, the canon refurb 5d mkII is often available at an ok price
i.e. buy a really cheap old body and
http://www.overclock.net/t/1088761/canon-loyalty-program-faqs-originally-from-potn

 

[PhoenixEnigma]

Having handled both, I prefer the K-5 to the K-30 - the lack of a top LCD is a bit of a deal breaker for me.

As for cost, that's what I'll own in a couple months. I do have a pile of Pentax gear at the moment, but other than the flash and the 10-20mm, everything listed above would be a new (or used) purchase, and almost all of my current gear is going to be sold. My thinking is that, if I'm selling nearly everything anyways, I don't really have to stay tied to Pentax if there's a reason to switch

 

[SecurityTheatre]

Other than the problem that Pentax limits your choices (Nikon/Canon lenses are 5-10x more available on the used market and they have 3-5x the selection in digital bodies).

I see a 400mm f/4.5 lens on Craigslist right now for my Nikon for $200. Neat! I might get it just to try it out for a few months.

Right now, in my city on Craigslist, there are no less than 15 different macro lenses available, ranging from a 50mm to a 200mm macro lens in 4 different manufacturers and apertures ranging from f/2.0 to f/5.6

There's 35 different 50mm lenses available right now ranging from $50 to $680 from f/2.8 to f/1.2.

Now, I really enjoy picking up gear and trying it out for a few months and then selling it for what I paid for it.

I'm not sure that's so easy with Pentax gear. On the other hand, they make reasonably good cameras and Pentax has a reputation of having very nice prime lenses like the 50mm f/1.7 series and several others.

 

[Heidfirst]

Having handled both, I prefer the K-5 to the K-30 - the lack of a top LCD is a bit of a deal breaker for me.

As for cost, that's what I'll own in a couple months. I do have a pile of Pentax gear at the moment, but other than the flash and the 10-20mm, everything listed above would be a new (or used) purchase, and almost all of my current gear is going to be sold. My thinking is that, if I'm selling nearly everything anyways, I don't really have to stay tied to Pentax if there's a reason to switch

re. Sony I suspect that it will largely come down to whether you prefer an EVF & it's advantages or an OVF & it's.
& if you want a top LCD on APS-C you are looking at an A77.

Certainly all the lenses that you listed are available in Alpha mount & there will probably be more available s/h than in K (not as many as in Canon or Nikon but there will also be fewer looking, I suppose that is also true of K). There are also other, some would say better, options available albeit probably at higher cost.

Canon, Nikon & Sony all have better flash systems afaik than Pentax.
& all 3 will offer the option of a FF upgrade.

 

[SecurityTheatre]

I'd be slightly concerned about Pentax too, their financials are a bit weak and I'd worry it would leave you with worthless lenses if they exit the DSLR game.

 

[Paladin3]

What do you mean when you say watersports photography? Can the AF on the Pentax gear you want keep up with the equivalent offerings from Nikon or Canon if you are going to be doing some hardcore sports photography?

But the real killer for me would be the slow 1/180th flash sync speed on the K-7/K-5, but you may never use fill flash in bright situation.

 

[GoSharks]

I'd be slightly concerned about Pentax too, their financials are a bit weak and I'd worry it would leave you with worthless lenses if they exit the DSLR game.

Those concerns are pretty unfounded considering the reason why Ricoh bought Pentax in the first place.

 

[PhoenixEnigma]

I'd be slightly concerned about Pentax too, their financials are a bit weak and I'd worry it would leave you with worthless lenses if they exit the DSLR game.

This is my primary concern - Ricoh (their current owner) seems a lot more serious about things than Hoya ever did, but the Pentax name has bounced around a lot lately and they don't have the market or mindshare the big two have.

The used lens issue isn't a major concern for me. Used exotic autofocus lenses are rare and expensive, sure, but more pedestrian lenses are common enough, and non-autofocus lenses in K mount (and M42, as I've got an adapter ring here somewhere) are about as rare as sand on a beach. Being able to borrow or rent lenses easily would be handy, though, which would likely mean Canon (Canon seems to outnumber all the other brands, Nikon included, by about 3:1 here).

I'm also not too interested in a FF upgrade path - I'd be most interested in a larger sensor for landscape and maybe the occasional portrait, and I'd sooner spend a bit more for used MF digital (or even 6x7 film) for that.

Autofocus is a bit of an iffy point - I have a K10D now, and it's generally good enough, given that the light tends to be pretty good (people rarely wakeboard indoors or at night). There's certainly a little room for improvement, but most of that is down to me and not keeping the AF point on the subject. Low light AF is worse than I'd like, but also less critical for me.

Overall, I don't think I'm seeing anything really compelling - nothing that would let me do something I couldn't do otherwise, or at least not within my budget. I'm guessing I'd have to be looking at a 7D+40D setup, or a D300s+ D200(?) setup to reach parity, either of which leaves me a lot less cash for lenses than the Pentax option.

 

[SecurityTheatre]

This is my primary concern - Ricoh (their current owner) seems a lot more serious about things than Hoya ever did, but the Pentax name has bounced around a lot lately and they don't have the market or mindshare the big two have.

The used lens issue isn't a major concern for me. Used exotic autofocus lenses are rare and expensive, sure, but more pedestrian lenses are common enough, and non-autofocus lenses in K mount (and M42, as I've got an adapter ring here somewhere) are about as rare as sand on a beach. Being able to borrow or rent lenses easily would be handy, though, which would likely mean Canon (Canon seems to outnumber all the other brands, Nikon included, by about 3:1 here).

I'm also not too interested in a FF upgrade path - I'd be most interested in a larger sensor for landscape and maybe the occasional portrait, and I'd sooner spend a bit more for used MF digital (or even 6x7 film) for that.

Autofocus is a bit of an iffy point - I have a K10D now, and it's generally good enough, given that the light tends to be pretty good (people rarely wakeboard indoors or at night). There's certainly a little room for improvement, but most of that is down to me and not keeping the AF point on the subject. Low light AF is worse than I'd like, but also less critical for me.

Overall, I don't think I'm seeing anything really compelling - nothing that would let me do something I couldn't do otherwise, or at least not within my budget. I'm guessing I'd have to be looking at a 7D+40D setup, or a D300s+ D200(?) setup to reach parity, either of which leaves me a lot less cash for lenses than the Pentax option.

It all sounds pretty reasonable. I have a similar kit, but settled on a D700+D90. That's about $2400 (maybe as low as $2100) given current used prices.

If you can do better shopping Pentax, I'd stick with what you have.

 

[JoeyM]

Supposedly Pentax is coming out with a K5 replacement next month that might be worth waiting for if video and autofocus improvement are worth the extra money to you. It could possibly be full frame as well but that is just speculaation. Either way it might be worth waiting a little bit to see. That's what I'm going to do. Otherwise I'm looking at the k30 which I really like with the Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens as my every day lens and the Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for wildlife and sports. These two lenses should be all I need until I move to the next level of photography skills. I'll probably also get a Tiffen close up set for Macros. I figure I can get it all with filters, extra battery/AA battery holder, bag,etc. for under $3k.

Joe M.

 

[magomago]

The question you need to ask is "What can't I do with my current setup that others can do much better with other setups?" If there is a good reason, and you believe it is worth the cost of switching, then do it. If there is no compelling reason to do it, then...don't


lololo

When I bought my first pentax in 2006 I was told the same thing - 'weak financials, gonna die, bla bla'. The same people who told me to not listen to that said they heard it for years as well.

6 years on...Yup, they were right

 

[Muse]

The question you need to ask is "What can't I do with my current setup that others can do much better with other setups?" If there is a good reason, and you believe it is worth the cost of switching, then do it. If there is no compelling reason to do it, then...don't


lololo

When I bought my first pentax in 2006 I was told the same thing - 'weak financials, gonna die, bla bla'. The same people who told me to not listen to that said they heard it for years as well.

6 years on...Yup, they were right

Pentax has been around since the earlier 20th century. They don't advertise here these days but they are a bigger presence outside the USA. IMO, you get a lot for your money. There's more versatility in Canikon if you can afford it. My requirements are modest and I like not following the crowd. I love my K-x.

My favorite lens is my Pentax SMC DA 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 ED AL IF Lens (great all-in-one lens). I picked it up used off Craigslist in mint condition. They stopped making it, maybe Tamron still makes their version.

 

[PhoenixEnigma]

They're actually a pretty strong brand in Canada - for some reason, there's Pentax Canada that actually does a decent job of advertising, and Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company of the Americas, which seems to do roughly zilch.

Anyways, between seeing how the K-5 compared to the D4 and 5D mk III w.r.t. noise (check out the RAW graphs here, though I am not sure how much I trust them*), and the guy at the camera shop knocking $100 off the lowest price I'd found for no apparent reason, I think I'm happy to stay a Pentaxian.

*I have a hard time actually believing a $900, APS-C K-5 can go toe-to-toe with a $6000, FX D4, regardless of what the numbers say, and sample images seem to bear that out. Still, it's damn good.