What Would You Do?

[ellz]

I've been offered a very well cared for Eos 50D (body only) for $500.

Other than that, I'm thinking along lines of a Pentax K-7 (provided I can sell a horse to pay for it anyway).

Would you go for the Canon or should I just keep playing with my point and shoot and save the pennies for the Pentax?

[kja]

I wouldn't buy the Pentax

[ellz]

I wouldn't buy the Pentax

Why not? I loved it when I used it the other day. Have been researching and it scores highly with most reviewers as well.

Would be interested to hear why you wouldn't buy it.

[huga]

I would take the Canon, save up another $150ish and then you can buy the 50mm 1.8. Then you're totally in the land of DSLR.

[Rappie]

I would get the Pentax

Everyone is going to have a personal preference. We have a Pentax ist*D and a K200D here - neither of us have any aspirations for going pro, but we've never tried to do something and thought, "Oh wait, no, we need a Canon to do that" . They're affordable, they're nice to hold, as long as you pick a K-mount lens you can use Pentax lens your little heart desires.

[ellz]

Thank you for the replies so far.

I know it is such a personal thing.....and I guess it's the camera version of the Ford vs Holden argument!

I would never aspire to being a professional photographer but the appeal of taking nice photographs is very strong. And I enjoy doing it so much that thought of having a really nice camera to do it with is a bit of a buzz.

It's not about instant gratification so I don't mind waiting to buy something new...I'll be like a kid at Christmas anyway!

And if I bought the Canon, I'd have to wait a while to use it whilst I saved up the money for the lens so one way or another, it would take a while.

My mentor did say that whilst he would sell me the Canon at a good price, he personally doesn't feel that it is the right camera for me so I should put in some thought about it.

[~*Shell*~]

I would always go for canon or nikon - as it is i shoot on a canon.

I never had aspirations of going pro either but I'm now very glad I bought my canon 450D. When I wanted to upgrade because I outgrew the 450D, i didn't have to get rid of all my lenses. I have heard of quite a few people outgrowing their pentax and olympus cameras, only to discover the things they want to do with their photography simply aren't possible with those brands. They then had to outlay a huge amount of money to upgrade, where for me (which was still a lot of money) I was able to keep the things i wanted to keep (lenses and speedlite) without having to outlay the money for a whole new set up. As far as accessories go, the canon mount is easier to buy for and from what i've been told, cheaper with more options.

The 50D is a beautiful camera. You would never be disappointed with it. Personally, that would be my choice.

The way we describe the argument (some of my friends are nikon users) is that holden and ford are canon and nikon - pentax, olympus and sony are your brands like hyundai, kia and suzuki.

Edited October 31, 2010 by ~*Shell*~

[kja]

It's not really Holden vs Ford

Pentax does make nice gear, no doubt.

But...better resale value on all things Canons vs Pentax, far more options with Canon (though you may not think this is an issue right now with an investment like this thinking of the future isn't a bad thing so you don't have to start over) especially when you talk about 2nd hand gear, excellent support not only from Canon but from tons of people right here on DOL - important for questions, maybe you'll desperately need to borrow something on short notice, who knows; and more shops anywhere you are will have more Canon items in stock, which again you never know when you'll need that but when you do need it, you need it right then.

Also, the software that comes with Canon - DPP - is fabulous by all accounts.

It's not that the Pentax won't work, it's just I feel the Canon is a better overall, big picture (no pun intended) option.

Edited October 31, 2010 by kja

[TerraNik]

It's not that the Pentax won't work, it's just I feel the Canon is a better overall, big picture (no pun intended) option.

Agreed...

Plus the 50D is a great little body!

[Rappie]

The way we describe the argument (some of my friends are nikon users) is that holden and ford are canon and nikon - pentax, olympus and sony are your brands like hyundai, kia and suzuki.

Well we think Canon users are like Apple FanBoi's :

Following your comparison, I'd think of Pentax more like Peugot or Volkswagon, smaller market, a bit different, but still perfectly capable. I'm not sure cheap Japanese car is the right comparison.

Ellz, have a look at the Pentax forums. See what can be done, what lenses are available (including the second hand ones) etc.

For all the Canon users - genuine question - what are the technical or quality reasons that choose a Canon over other brands? Not how easily you can get gear, or the size of the support groups etc.

[kja]

imho it's not a question of the technical (though they are there) so much as pretty much every one of the big players does a mighty fine job on that.

It IS about all the other things - dslrs are not independent units, they are systems and you have to be comfortable with every aspect of the system or at least willing to put up with any "short-comings" said system might have.

Support, reputation, selection of lenses, selection of compatible extras, ease of use, ease of getting what I need when I need it and many other intangibles are important.

I could be using the most technically fabulous system ever to be built but if I can't get it serviced in a timely manner, if I can't go in and buy something when I'm out and about, if I can't easily find an answer or get the support I need it wouldn't matter - I use my cameras to shoot and anything I can do to make that easier is worth something to me.

I use Canon because that brand fit my needs the most closely when I selected a system in the first place and now there is no reason to change as no other brand offers enough difference in the things that matter to me.

There's no one camera brand that is perfect for every single person. You need to do a little homework and decide for yourself - my goal is not to be a fanboi coz frankly I don't care what anyone else shoots with LOL My goal is to put some information out there that people may not have thought of and that might be important.

There's no right or wrong answer. OK, I lie, there is a wrong answer and that's no camera at all!

Buy what you are comfortable with and go shoot. Even if you make a blooper and end up hating what you buy, you can always resell it or buy into a different system. Nothing's forever.

Edited October 31, 2010 by kja

[~*Shell*~]

The way we describe the argument (some of my friends are nikon users) is that holden and ford are canon and nikon - pentax, olympus and sony are your brands like hyundai, kia and suzuki.

Well we think Canon users are like Apple FanBoi's :

Following your comparison, I'd think of Pentax more like Peugot or Volkswagon, smaller market, a bit different, but still perfectly capable. I'm not sure cheap Japanese car is the right comparison.

Ellz, have a look at the Pentax forums. See what can be done, what lenses are available (including the second hand ones) etc.

For all the Canon users - genuine question - what are the technical or quality reasons that choose a Canon over other brands? Not how easily you can get gear, or the size of the support groups etc.

I didn't mean to compare them to a cheap japanese car, i just picked 3 other car brands at random and I was actually talking about the rivarly between canon and nikon/holden and ford, not about the brands themselves. :D

I have found with my camera that if i want anything, it's a whole lot easier to borrow the equipment than if i had another brand. Between my friends and the things available at work, I pretty much have a lens for any situation that i either own or can borrow without too much of a problem. I also work across from the sydney canon headquarters and when i did have a problem with a lens, i was able to take it in there and have them look at it straight away (is it was, it fixed itself - the lens hadn't been used in a while and so the auto focus motor was sticking but a couple of hours of use at flyball and it was as good as new).

When I was looking at getting my first DSLR, i stayed away from pentax because quite often you're looking at 3rd party lenses and the reviews i read of those lenses were mixed (it is also the reason why I will tend to buy canon lenses rather than 3rd party, even if they are a cheaper option). While I didn't have fantastic lenses at the time, my kit now is quite good and the canon L series lenses are the best I have used. Pentax simply don't have the range that canon or nikon do. It's just a few simple things that got me. Since I'm enjoying being able to now crop my images, pentax also doesn't have anything in it's range that can rival my camera atm. I think their maximum sits at about 15 or 16mp, whereas mine is 21mp. When I'm cropping, that 5mp is quite a lot. I also prefer the video functionality of the canon over the pentax. I found the menus a lot clunkier and slower to use and I liked the look we got from the canon more than the pentax, even though the pentax lenses were supposed to be motion picture film like. I chose the canon 5D mark ii partly because it's a full frame camera - again, pentax has nothing to rival it because they don't have the option of a full frame camera. I'm not saying that it's a cheap brand, I'm just saying it doesn't fit my needs and unless i wanted to outlay the money for everything i could want in the future, it wouldn't be an option for me.

[RallyValley]

I am perfectly happy with my Olympus, (I know way off topic) but it's small, leightweight and lenses are better value for money then brand new canon lenses. Of course I don't have the MASSIVE range but I am a hobby shooter and I don't really need it.

I know a Pentax shooter and there pictures are mindblowing- brilliant and when they shot on my Olympus it looked so good, when I shot on thier Pentax it looked horrible. :D

Go with what you want.

[Mason_Gibbs]

I would go with the 50D because I love my Canon :D The 50D is an awesome camera.

[Linda K]

would go with the 50D myself too - lot easier to get service and parts, and both Canon (and Nikon) lenses whilst thye may be a dear outlay initally will hold their value, and have a great resale value, unlike 3rd party lenses

[huga]

FWIW, I am in no way bagging Pentax. I learnt on a Pentax But Canon and Nikon are (IMO) better choices because of the reasons listed above. The 50D is a great camera (and I'm not a Canon person).

[rubiton]

As a price comparision I was took the general market price for a second hand 50D is about $650 so if its a good 50D $500 is a good price. Dont like the camera for sports but would be fine as a snapshot type camera (too clunky and I just dont like it compared to teh 40D for sports)

[Guest belgian.blue]

Talking from experience .. I used to own a Pentax DSLR and recently sold that for a Canon 550D

Canon all the way!!! The difference is amazing for a small extra cost

[ellz]

Thank you all for your input.

I've had another play with BOTH cameras...and I have to say that I'm still leaning towards Pentax. There are just certain things about it, the way it feels in my hands and that kind of stuff that is influencing me.

I also visited the forums that Rappie mentioned and did a lot of reading and have done a heap of comparisons online at quite a few different sites. All of my questions and concerns have been answered, or at the least met and thus far for what I'm wanting, the Pentax does come out slightly in front.

That said....I've also been pointed towards a different version of the Pentax which may be more suitable.

One of the major differences seems to be taking video and that doesn't bother me because I don't want to take video.

I've been put onto a very very good, reliable and CHEAP source for lenses as well and have also been pointed towards a supplier for the camera itself who is buying in bulk and the cost of the new camera (with 2 lenses) isn't that much more than the all-up cost for the used Canon and then saving to buy a new lens.

And as has been pointed out....if I don't like the Pentax or I find it isn't suitable, then I can always sell it and the place I would probably purchase from, will allow trade-ins and upgrades at competitive prices on other models and brands.

So...for now, that's where I'm at. I really did like the feel of the Pentax and I'm still liking the photos that I take with it. But of course, all is a moot point because I'm still saving. Something else may come along during the timeframe that I'm working towards.

So I've kind of decided, but am flexible (and still learning and researching) for now.

[huga]

If you like the feel of the Pentax, keep your eye out for a Nikon bargain too. I decided on the Nikon because it felt similar in my hands to the Pentax (the weight, where the dials were etc).