What's with the obsession around here with syllables?

I just learned that for $4,500 I can lay my hands on a brand new digital SLR with a battery grip, TTL flash (with battery pack), a 14mm f/2.8, 31mm f/1.8, 43mm f/1.9, 77mm f/1.8, and a 50-150mm f/2.8. What does it matter that the manufacturer is pronounced PEN-TAX instead of CAN-ON?

The K10D looks to be a very solid camera. Does anyone have any experience with it?

I'm going to be photographing horses for money and landscape for fun.

Are you a Pentax fan anyway, or did you switch from Canon? The same thing in Canon (mostly L's) would only be a few hundred more with a brand new 40D.

M.Wheeler wrote in post #4156186
What does it matter that the manufacturer is pronounced PEN-TAX instead of CAN-ON?

The K10D looks to be a very solid camera. Does anyone have any experience with it?

I'm going to be photographing horses for money and landscape for fun.

Not with K10D, but with their lenses. Some pretty good, some very bad. Overall, I will keep my Canon stuff. Want about a hundred pounds of stuff?

Tumak wrote in post #4156248
Not with K10D, but with their lenses. Some pretty good, some very bad. Overall, I will keep my Canon stuff. Want about a hundred pounds of stuff?

Gee! Just like Canon!

Tumak wrote in post #4156248
Not with K10D, but with their lenses. Some pretty good, some very bad. Overall, I will keep my Canon stuff. Want about a hundred pounds of stuff?

Sure!

Ronald S. Jr. wrote in post #4156213
Are you a Pentax fan anyway, or did you switch from Canon? The same thing in Canon (mostly L's) would only be a few hundred more with a brand new 40D.

I have always bought Canon point and shoot and I have no issues with Canon. Now that I want to move up to SLR though I am having serious issues with shelling out $1.2K for a body and almost $4K for the glass I am going to need. I want a great wide angle, a great portrait, and a decent to great zoom out to about 150mm.

If I go with the Canon lineup it would look something like this....

40D
17-40mm f/4L
135mm f/2L
70-200mm f/2.8L
580EX II Speedlight flash

Approx. cost $5.5K

If I go with Pentax it would look something like this...

K10D
SMCP-FA 31mm f/1.8
SMCP-FA 77mm f/1.8
SMCP-DA 50-150mm f/2.8L
AF-540 FGZ P-TTL flash

Approx. cost $3K

In favor of the Pentax it is fully weatherproofed which is a plus as I work in a damp environment and it has ISO priority (aperture and shutter are locked in and the camera chooses the ISO) which is also a big plus for me. And, of course, there's that $2.5K still in my pocket.

In favor of the Canon I like the wide angle zoom a LOT although I wish it was faster. The Pentax may be too close to normal to meet my needs and I may need to keep looking.

So the big question for me is simply... is Pentax that bad, or is Canon that good? Or, perhaps, are the people around here simply Canon bigots without a solid rationale for their preference?

Mind you, I have no problems with anyone being a Canon bigot. If I had more money I'd be one too. Always had good luck with Canon.

There's nothing wrong with Pentax. It's just another brand. Go for it, then report back to us how it works out.

Here's a reputable review of the K10D if you haven't already seen it.

I almost went Pentax with ther 1stD or what ever it was. Had all that glass and a PZ1p and a few other film cameras, including a nice 100 mm macro. My son gave me his D60 and I started getting some glass for it. Otherwise I would have stayed Pentax. Now that time has gone by, I have added 30D, Elan, and Elan 7e to go with it. I am happy with my set up now.

choose whatever you want, but it seems like you're comparing apples to oranges in terms of the lenses. Also I highly doubt the k10d is fully waterproof. That would mean you could shoot underwater without a housing. I don't think there are any dSLRs that are fully waterproof without a housing. The canon 1 series are highly water resistant but still not waterproof. The 40d has improve weather sealing compared to other non 1 series canons but most of the canon bodies are pretty robust as long as you don't drown them in the ocean.

Well, OBVIOUSLY I am going to do what I am going to do. And no, the Pentax is NOT an underwater camera. But supposedly the extensive sealing... which you don't see in Canon's lineup until you get into the EOS 1D/Ds series... largely... supposedly... negates the need for a rain fly or waterproof housing. You can shoot in a squall without freaking out.

ehh....a drizzle/light rain is more like it. Full on storm, and you'll likely get water inside. Sometimes it works afterward, sometimes it doesn't.

I've got a friend with a Pentax, and he's in here alot saying "how can I do this?" Sounds like some of the high end function of the 30D aren't on his K, like 1600ISO. Good luck

M.Wheeler wrote in post #4159499
If I go with the Canon lineup it would look something like this....

40D
17-40mm f/4L
135mm f/2L
70-200mm f/2.8L
580EX II Speedlight flash

Approx. cost $5.5K

If I go with Pentax it would look something like this...

K10D
SMCP-FA 31mm f/1.8
SMCP-FA 77mm f/1.8
SMCP-DA 50-150mm f/2.8L
AF-540 FGZ P-TTL flash

Approx. cost $3K

Interesting.
Now replace the 17-40 with a Sigma 17-70 or 18-50 2.8.
Replace the 70-200 2.8 with a sigma 50-150, or the Sigma 70-200 2.8
I'm not sure why you have the 135 in there? I would think the 85 1.8 would be a nice length on the crop body.

Now add a wide angle to the Pentax set up, something that's as wide as the 17mm on the Canon.

Compares the costs again


Then, and this is the most important part;

Ignore all of the above, and go down to your nearest camera store, hold, and use both bodies.
Then chose the one you are most comfortable with.

Yeah I don't know why the Canon stuff is so different in the "would be" lists. Get a 40D, sigma 30 1.4, 85 1.8, 70-200 2.8L, and a 580EX II. You're barely at $3500 even with the body, and all brand new.

Ronald S. Jr. wrote in post #4173710
Yeah I don't know why the Canon stuff is so different in the "would be" lists. Get a 40D, sigma 30 1.4, 85 1.8, 70-200 2.8L, and a 580EX II. You're barely at $3500 even with the body, and all brand new.

Exactly, you can build either system up to cost a lot more than the other.
As someone else already noted, it's comparing apples to oranges.


What he should do is look at the line in your sig, we all know its going to be in very good condition and when you say sharp we know you really mean sharp.
Then all he has do to is find a nice wide/walk around lens, and I can stop being tempted because the exchange rate just isn't were I really want it to be to try and talk you into shipping the 70-200 overseas.......