Pentax K7

[casil403]

...so I'm at the camera store the other day picking up yet more lens caps (:wall-an:) and the sales person showed me the K7.... :headslap: dumb idea---------> I ask if I can hold it and try it out ...mannnnnnnnn...that thing is sweet! Fits in my hand perfectly too. :wall-an:

Now I can't stop thinking about it...and of course the price too....which is the one and only drawback. :rolleyes:

[Bambi]

hey it could be a graduation gift! :clap:

[JAS_Photo]

It will be calling, nay screaming, your name. Muahahahahah!!!

[Bambi]

It will be calling, nay screaming, your name. Muahahahahah!!!

yup.
:evil2:

[casil403]

It will be calling, nay screaming, your name. Muahahahahah!!!

Oh......it is......it is.......:yell: Worse than any tub of ice cream ever had when I've cruised the frozen food section at the grocers. :wall-an:

[Bambi]

well it is a lovely looking camera.:angel:

[Fortytwo]

Whatever you do, don't try it with the grip attached. That got me saving up for one. It's such a well build camera, great to hold and yet relatively small and light.

I'll shut up now. Sorry...

[F8&Bthere]

I know what you mean, it's a very nice camera that almost harkens back to Pentax's compact-yet-solid 35mm film DSLRs of yore like the ME Super etc.

Unfortunately I'm not a candidate for a body upgrade for quite a long time coming. But the one thing about Pentax moreso than Canikon, is that the bodies typically drop drastically in price about a year from the introduction and even more when a new model is introduced. And also factory refurbs hit the market.

The K20D was close to the same price as the K7 when it was introduced and even last year you could get one for about $900 (or less). So just how much willpower and patience do you have, Lisa?

[casil403]

So just how much willpower and patience do you have, Lisa?
lol..about as much the bank account of an unworking starving student dictates these days...but good to know that it might be worth it. I can't go into debt over a camera at the expense of another $1400 in tuition fees which are due again in April. :wall-an: If I get a decent tax return due to all the student fees and dental bills of last year I might consider it.
I tried the K20 (under $900) too but the K7 has a way better hand feel.

[Greg_Nuspel]

Camera sales people are evil :evil2: They know our weak spots and know how to get at them. I feel for you Casil, the torment is just awful.

[F8&Bthere]

I tried the K20 (under $900) too but the K7 has a way better hand feel.

Yes, definitely the K-7, I was just using the K20D as an example of the price drops over a relatively short time.

[casil403]

Yes, definitely the K-7, I was just using the K20D as an example of the price drops over a relatively short time.

Oddly enough I was going to get the k20 until I tried the k7....now that's all changed. :headslap:

[ArtTwisted]

Camera sales people are evil :evil2: They know our weak spots and know how to get at them. I feel for you Casil, the torment is just awful.

Im a camera salesman, and I can tell you no matter what the person is looking at, the second I get a mid range DSLR into there hands or better they often come back muahahahah. What can i say, i make more money that way.

[AcadieLibre]

I have seen and played with Pentax's several times but my issue with ever considering going with one is they are really, really light on the glass side. That alone would make me shy away, but if more people move to Pentax they may strengthen the lens line. I picked the Camera I did based more on my lens choices than the bodies, in two years using DSLR's I am on a second body. Film I rarely bothered to update the body because with film you can get a great shot using a shoe box a whole other game with digital where you will update your body often but your glass rarely. Sigma though does add some decent lenses to the Pentax line.

[jumpinjimmyjava]

Get your education first Lisa. I have had low price DSLRs and mid priced DSLRs and my photography NEVER improved one bit ! It's really not the camera :sorry: but it is true. Think education, education, education ;) - jimmy

[jjeling]

Lisa, I had to chime in on this one naturally. MY first DSLR was the Pentax K110D. It was a great entry level camera. It did not have Image Stabilization, and was only 6 MP. After a while, it was no longer enough. A couple years later, it was time to get a new camera. The K20D was still quite high in price, and I the older K10D was selling for quite a bit less. The differences between the K20D and the K10D were nice upgrades, but not enough to justify the difference in price. However.......... with the advent of my K10D having an untimely accident, I am also looking for new bodies as well. The K7 is where I am headed. Although I have not held it, my experience with Pentax says it should be a good one. The differences between the K10D and the K20D werent enough to justify spending the extra money. The difference between the K10D and the K7, well.....yes.

Like it has been said though, know that buying that camera will not make you take better pictures. It will allow you stretch your canvas out being more capable than the previous bodies available. Remember, any person or camera can take a picture, but you have to SEE to be able to really photograph something.

[casil403]

It is a good one JJ...I bought it last week!
Love it! :clap:

[jjeling]

:wall-an: Seems everyone is making it to the party except for me. :shrug:

[mgstudio99]

Camera sales people are evil :evil2: They know our weak spots and know how to get at them. I feel for you Casil, the torment is just awful.

I agree with you but you still have your own choice of camera that you wanted even though there is a new eye catching one offered...

[casil403]

The best part is the horizon level in camera...my photos were actually all straight and level today:clap: and for anyone that has seen some of my stuff on here...that is an accomplishment! :D

[jjeling]

A horizon level too huh?

[Wicked Dark]

The best part is the horizon level in camera...my photos were actually all straight and level today:clap: and for anyone that has seen some of my stuff on here...that is an accomplishment! :D

I know exactly what you mean...I'm so tippy I wonder if one leg is shorter than the other. I love the level in my camera.

[F8&Bthere]

...with the advent of my K10D having an untimely accident, I am also looking for new bodies as well...

Wow, JJ, what could you do that could kill a K10D? The thing's built like a tank. I must have missed that thread.

Oh well, still got mine for sale if you need something to get you through to the K-7 happy day. (shameless plug)

[casil403]

FWIW...I tried out the in camera HDR function this weekend...not so impressed at all.It takes 3 shots in sequence with one button press and merges them in camera to make a single photo.
This is the result with some tweaking in LR....It has 2 choices...soft or strong...this is the soft.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4418348649_5da634fb27_o.jpg

I'm glad I didn't buy it for this feature...will stick to Photomatrix.

[Fortytwo]

Ouch, that really sucks. Ah well, I'd figure those build in photoeditting functions are usually crap, so nothing surprising here... :)

The fact they've released a silver limited one got me thinking...

The K10D was replaced shortly after the Grand Prix limited edition camera came out.
The K20D was replaced shortly after the titanium limited edition camera came out.
The K-m was replaced shortly after the olive limited edition camera came out.

So, what history tells us that the K-7's days are numbered. I think I'll hold on just a little while to see what's coming...

[jjeling]

HA! F8, I didnt really kill the K10. It is built like a tank,and it has the battle scars to prove it. It has been dropped on a couple occasions, but nothing major until this winter. It was attached to the tripod and I leaned it against the car. A slight movement sent it crashing to the ground, cracking the body in two places and rendering autofocus non-functional. Everything else about the camera works great. Just a small crack on the bottom left and right of the camera body, no more than a couple mm in size. It is a tank and I use it way more than the K110 that I have. Even though I have auto focus on the other camera, I rarely use it.

[Lovin]

Too bad that Pentax doesn't have nice lens range :(

[F8&Bthere]

Too bad that Pentax doesn't have nice lens range :(

Well it all depends on one's perspective. Because their shake reduction is in body, and their lens mount hasn't changed in decades, you can get all kinds of old lenses to work on the DSLR bodies and benefit from newer technology...even manual focus lenses. And there's plenty of nice older lenses out there for good prices.

And up until about a year ago (maybe almost two now) even the modern Pentax lens lineup was very reasonably priced, if a bit quirky with "pancake" lenses, Ltd lenses, lenses made of steel (god forbid!), and some real gems, but lacking the completeness of, say, the Canikon range. But then they hiked their prices, and in doing so one big reason that I was so high on Pentax went out the window.

But yes, essentially you are correct...especially if you are a professional like a wedding photographer or something along those lines, you might find too many holes in the Pentax line-up.

[Fortytwo]

Too bad that Pentax doesn't have nice lens range :(

Huh? I don't know about you, but I can get a big range of Pentax lenses, rangeing from 10mm to 300mm (and more, if you're willing to travel). What exactly are you guys missing?

[Lovin]

Not so many Pro lenses, or high grade. Not so many options at all, or at least I didn't find.
I've checked official site and I was disappointed.

[jjeling]

I think at this point, you need to establish the definition of PRO. Personally, I would be more than willing to take a Pentax K7, with most any of their DA* lenses(200mm, 300mm, or their 400mm) and put them against Canon or Nikon. They may not be considered "Pro" level products, but I can almost promise, that if you were to compare the images side by side on our monitors we would not notice much of a difference. For that reason, I would have no problem taking a K7 or two with a couple nice prime lenses and standing right next to some of the more expensive Canons and Nikons commonly used for "Pro" events. You may catch some funny looks, but I didnt think we cared about that.

This is why Ive chosen Pentax, because the level of quality they bring to the table is much more appealing than that of a similar quality of Nikon or Canon. To be quite honest, I believe that Pentax is much more flexible than any Nikon or Canon out today due to the availability of their older lenses as well.

To me, photography is about learning and adventure. I do this because I like it. I have no real need for a specific function. I can understand why you would buy a Canon or Nikon for certain needs, but really there isnt anything Pentax doesnt, or hasnt already offered.

[Fortytwo]

DA* (or anything with a star in it) is more than a match for Canon L lenses or top spec Nikkors. Just because they're more affordable doesn't make them less. Pentax has a tendency to be very reasonalby priced compared to the compitition...

[Wicked Dark]

jj - Olympus is the same way - image stabilization in the body and it works with all my old glass, so given that Pentax and Oly are two very old companies who produced a lot of excellent lenses there's a huge variety for those willing to look. And yeah, the pro thing is funny. I wonder if I had a Leica if I'd be allowed to be one.

[casil403]

This guy is a National Geographic PRO photographer who shoots with Pentax cameras and lenses...one of the few.

Bio-Images (http://www.bio-images.com/)

:shrug: He seems to be doing okay with the equipment.

[Wicked Dark]

It takes guts to go against the crowd and win success. One really has to believe in one's work and that it can stand on its own, unsupported by the perceived cachet of a brand name. Look, I have respect for other brands, but not the idea that only two brands are worth using or can produce quality. It's ridiculous.

[casil403]

It takes guts to go against the crowd and win success. One really has to believe in one's work and that it can stand on its own, unsupported by the perceived cachet of a brand name. Look, I have respect for other brands, but not the idea that only two brands are worth using or can produce quality. It's ridiculous.

Well said WD! :clap:
To me it's the same old song and dance as a guy who loves his Chevy verses the guy who loves his Ford verses the guy who loves his Dodge. :)

[Wicked Dark]

thanks for the props. Yeah, it's one-upmanship brought on by low self-esteem much of the time. I made my choices of various hobby gear, motorcycles and cars and am happy with how those fit my needs. I don't usually have to defend any of them, but the camera thing gets right up my nose.

[F8&Bthere]

Funny, I thought it was just a conversation about Pentax's variety of lenses. There was no need for any knights in shining armour to come to anyone's rescue. Nobody was slagging any brand, they were just observations.

Don't make me pull out my well endowed lens guy photo again!
(http://www.photography.ca/Forums/f15/4-7-rant-7870-5.html#post56525)
He'll put an end to all our low self-esteem...

[casil403]

Funny, I thought it was just a conversation about Pentax's variety of lenses. There was no need for any knights in shining armour to come to anyone's rescue. Nobody was slagging any brand, they were just observations. Don't make me pull out my well endowed lens guy photo again!
(http://www.photography.ca/Forums/f15/4-7-rant-7870-5.html#post56525)
He'll put an end to all our low self-esteem...

LOL...that's odd....I thought it was a conversation about the Pentax K7.:D

[F8&Bthere]

you're right! but as conversations often do, i guess it meandered off course a bit

[masp]

DA* (or anything with a star in it) is more than a match for Canon L lenses or top spec Nikkors. Just because they're more affordable doesn't make them less. Pentax has a tendency to be very reasonalby priced compared to the compitition...

Hi, pardon me for jumping in the middle of this thread. :)

Are Pentax's lens prices still competitive since they raised them last summer? I'm shopping for my first DSLR and I am considering the K7 (I would go with the Kx except for the lack of AF points in the viewfinder). However I was rather disappointed to see that they hiked the price on the 50mm f1.4 so much.

Also, what would be some good beginner lenses to go along with the K7 on a $1500-2000 (US) budget? Mainly, I would like to try to do some amateur birding with a sharp telephoto that is not too heavy, but also landscapes, maybe night photography and macro. Does Pentax have a good telephoto zoom that would fit the bill? Thanks!