Hows Pentax k-x against others

ToTaLKaRNaGe

Has anybody seen any comparisons of the pentax k-x against other brands slrs of the same caliber? I was interested in buying a k-x and it looks quite appealing to me but still am unsure. 12.4mp, 2.7inch lcd, on board editing options, etc. Looks great. But is it too good to be true?

Grainbelt

I haven't seen any direct comparison reviews. Here is a link to the review page on pentaxforums.

It has some other notable features - 720p video, image stabilization in the body, will meter with any pentax K-mount lens, including older manual focus lenses. I have Pentax's older entry-level model, the K200D. In discussions I've seen of the two, the K-x has a newer CMOS sensor, video capability, and much better high-iso performance.

Miguel Delinquento

It's a extremely well-priced camera that does a lot. The significant highlight is the Sony sensor that Pentax has tailored to perform very well at high ISO--shots at 6400 look quite good if that is one of your needs.

Weatherproof, smallish, compatible with all prior Pentax lenses plus the classic M42 screwmount. A few color choices in the US I think.

Speaking of which, all cameras are pretty similar and they're all excellent these days. What matters are your requirements. What are they?


M

ToTaLKaRNaGe

Miguel Delinquento wrote:

It's a extremely well-priced camera that does a lot. The significant highlight is the Sony sensor that Pentax has tailored to perform very well at high ISO--shots at 6400 look quite good if that is one of your needs.

Weatherproof, smallish, compatible with all prior Pentax lenses plus the classic M42 screwmount. A few color choices in the US I think.

Speaking of which, all cameras are pretty similar and they're all excellent these days. What matters are your requirements. What are they?


M

well i am using a d70 i am borrowing from a teacher from high school. which suits me well but i want to move on to get my own camera. i like nikon but not a fan of the d5000 or d3000. the pentax seemed it offered more of what i liked. hdr processing and small editing built in. Small compact design. And i like its offered in another color then black. I do alot of nature shots so i would have to get a bigger lens then the supplied kit lense. I also have started recently doing some photoshoots of friends. They all seem quite pleasing. And i have also wanted to do some night time shots of different things.

Miguel Delinquento

This sounds like a camera you can grow with for a long time. Plus there are a lot of very affordable old Pentax lenses available. Check Craigslist or a local non-chain camera store (if one still exists near you) or a pawn shop. They are excellent optically; some are AF, but I still use many manual focus lenses. A nice thing about Pentax DA autofocus lenses is that you can activate manual focus by just turning the focus knob. I use this a lot.

M

ToTaLKaRNaGe wrote:

well i am using a d70 i am borrowing from a teacher from high school. which suits me well but i want to move on to get my own camera. i like nikon but not a fan of the d5000 or d3000. the pentax seemed it offered more of what i liked. hdr processing and small editing built in. Small compact design. And i like its offered in another color then black. I do alot of nature shots so i would have to get a bigger lens then the supplied kit lense. I also have started recently doing some photoshoots of friends. They all seem quite pleasing. And i have also wanted to do some night time shots of different things.

ToTaLKaRNaGe

Miguel Delinquento wrote:

This sounds like a camera you can grow with for a long time. Plus there are a lot of very affordable old Pentax lenses available. Check Craigslist or a local non-chain camera store (if one still exists near you) or a pawn shop. They are excellent optically; some are AF, but I still use many manual focus lenses. A nice thing about Pentax DA autofocus lenses is that you can activate manual focus by just turning the focus knob. I use this a lot.

M

nope no camera stores around that i know of. last one was in boscovs which happened to go out of business. so by just moving the focus ring on the lens deactivates af?

Miguel Delinquento

Yup, on lenses that have the "Quick Shift" feature--which is most lenses made within the past three years. They would have the designations: DA, DA*, Limited. On the rest of the AF lenses (F, FA, DFA) you can move a switch on the camera body.

M

ToTaLKaRNaGe wrote:

nope no camera stores around that i know of. last one was in boscovs which happened to go out of business. so by just moving the focus ring on the lens deactivates af?

ToTaLKaRNaGe

Miguel Delinquento wrote:

Yup, on lenses that have the "Quick Shift" feature--which is most lenses made within the past three years. They would have the designations: DA, DA*, Limited. On the rest of the AF lenses (F, FA, DFA) you can move a switch on the camera body.

M

Now i have seen a few pentax lenses for 200-300 dollar range for a couple lenses. would these lenses still be good to use rather then the $1000 or more lenses? or would i not really see a difference as i am just starting with photography. really the lenses i want to play with are a wide angle lens and more then likely a 300mm for some nature photography.

Miguel Delinquento

All depends on specific lenses. Some are bargains; others overpriced, many just cheap and junk.
Two sources for more details:
Research the SPLOS database.
Also Pentax Forums has a lens database with lots of useful user comments.

M

ToTaLKaRNaGe wrote:

Now i have seen a few pentax lenses for 200-300 dollar range for a couple lenses. would these lenses still be good to use rather then the $1000 or more lenses? or would i not really see a difference as i am just starting with photography. really the lenses i want to play with are a wide angle lens and more then likely a 300mm for some nature photography.

ziggy53

ToTaLKaRNaGe wrote:

Now i have seen a few pentax lenses for 200-300 dollar range for a couple lenses. would these lenses still be good to use rather then the $1000 or more lenses? or would i not really see a difference as i am just starting with photography. really the lenses i want to play with are a wide angle lens and more then likely a 300mm for some nature photography.

Only you can make this sort of judgement for yourself. If you wish to do work for pay, you would probably easily justify the improvement in image quality.

Quality longer focal length zooms are really tough to construct and the consumer zooms that end at 300mm are not typically that great. If you want a quality image at 300mm and beyond then it will typically cost a great deal. A very good compromise in a versatile zoom that is effective at up to 500mm in good light is the Sigma "Bigma" APO 50-500mm, f4-f6.3 EX DG HSM. I have one of the older versions of this lens and I recommend it. It isn't perfect, but the focus tends to be accurate and fast and the image quality at 500mm is pretty good for the cost. On a full-frame body the lens shines.

I do have an older Tamron 70-300mm, f4-f5.6 LD that I still use, and it works OK from 70-200mm and in the middle apertures. It is soft wide open and at 300mm, and it is slow to focus and misses focus too often for paying work. Still, it's not too bad for just my own stuff and when I want to travel light (or not risk a better lens).

The best "formula" for quality images, after you choose an appropriate subject of course, is appropriate lighting, followed by a high-quality appropriate lens and then the camera. If you shoot sports then the priority might shift a bit, but for most applications that strategy should provide consistently high quality images.

ToTaLKaRNaGe

ziggy53 wrote:

Only you can make this sort of judgement for yourself. If you wish to do work for pay, you would probably easily justify the improvement in image quality.

Quality longer focal length zooms are really tough to construct and the consumer zooms that end at 300mm are not typically that great. If you want a quality image at 300mm and beyond then it will typically cost a great deal. A very good compromise in a versatile zoom that is effective at up to 500mm in good light is the Sigma "Bigma" APO 50-500mm, f4-f6.3 EX DG HSM. I have one of the older versions of this lens and I recommend it. It isn't perfect, but the focus tends to be accurate and fast and the image quality at 500mm is pretty good for the cost. On a full-frame body the lens shines.

I do have an older Tamron 70-300mm, f4-f5.6 LD that I still use, and it works OK from 70-200mm and in the middle apertures. It is soft wide open and at 300mm, and it is slow to focus and misses focus too often for paying work. Still, it's not too bad for just my own stuff and when I want to travel light (or not risk a better lens).

The best "formula" for quality images, after you choose an appropriate subject of course, is appropriate lighting, followed by a high-quality appropriate lens and then the camera. If you shoot sports then the priority might shift a bit, but for most applications that strategy should provide consistently high quality images.

thanks that helps a bit. so really either way i look at it im going to have to get a much larger lens then 300mm to take pictures of deer while hunting lol. i tend to use my 200mm for good close ups and medium distance. i may have to take a chance and get the pentax k-x for xmas. hoping i wont regret it

ziggy53

ToTaLKaRNaGe wrote:

thanks that helps a bit. so really either way i look at it im going to have to get a much larger lens then 300mm to take pictures of deer while hunting lol. i tend to use my 200mm for good close ups and medium distance. i may have to take a chance and get the pentax k-x for xmas. hoping i wont regret it

Deer are generally very timid and a 500mm focal length is often not long enough, even on a crop 1.5x camera body. If you are "very" stealthy and use good hunters' techniques you might be able to get close enough for shorter focal lengths, but the instant they hear the shutter go off they will usually bolt.

Art Scott

I too can recommend the SIGMA BIGMA....as I have one that is almost permanently attached to one of my D300'S.

ToTaLKaRNaGe

ziggy53 wrote:

Deer are generally very timid and a 500mm focal length is often not long enough, even on a crop 1.5x camera body. If you are "very" stealthy and use good hunters' techniques you might be able to get close enough for shorter focal lengths, but the instant they hear the shutter go off they will usually bolt.

500mm would be more than enough for me. the way my box stand is setup i would be well within 100 yards of them. but the shutter is indeed something that would scare them. im using a d70 with some older sigma and quantaray lenses and they are so loud the deer just kinda look like what in the world is that god awful noise coming from that wooden shack. :P

ToTaLKaRNaGe

i have just got my new pentax k-x and also a 300mm lens for it. it was exactly what i wanted for xmas. and wow does it take good pics

ziggy53

Congratulations on the new camera ToTaLKaRNaGe.

Grainbelt

Congratulations! A lot of buzz at pentaxforums.com about the K-X and its high-ISO capability, so in your telephoto situations, it should be a treat!

RTM

I'm a little late to the party (as usual), but didn't know if you saw the DP review:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxkx/

Their high ISO test shots look very good!

ToTaLKaRNaGe

ziggy53 wrote:

Congratulations on the new camera ToTaLKaRNaGe.

thanks. i am completely happy. im still working out the kinks of learning the camera over. and it may be quite a while before i do learn most of the features. the hd video is quite good. took some samples on xmas day. i have also been taking quite a few pictures of birds with the 300mm. even though im about 15' from the birds i wish to get a full frame of bird body lol so perhaps teleconverters are in the future.