Another what to buy...

[Junior_co]

I've recently decided to dig out my old camera to again start taking B&W photos... It's an old Pentax Asahi K1000. Like the one talked about here: http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?AsahiPentaxK1000.html~mainFrame

And I got to thinking what it would be like to up grade to a digital SLR (we have a point and shoot digital used for random picture taking...) This Pentax has always been a solid performer, and using only the 50 mm lens (I think that's what it has...) it has allowed me to take some decent photos. But I'd like to be able to play around with a photo op, to see how a picture can be tweeked with shutter speeds, apperature settings, and maybe even different lenses, and I don't know what else. I guess I'm looking for a basic SLR camera (not any specific brand) to basically start learning again...

So, My question is this... What would you suggest that is comperable to my old camera. Again, I'm not stuck on any one brand, but a friend does have a canon, so I might go that route to be able to share lenses...

Since you'll be asking about a budget... I can't dump a lot of money at this, so I may even be looking used or refurbished...

So, What are your thoughts...

Junior

[jdepould]

Unfortunately, there's nothing really comparable to a K1000 when it comes to digital.

If you're looking at the used route, I would seriously consider a Nikon D50. Biggest reason to consider it over a D40 or D60 is the internal AF motor. It'll let you use a wider variety of lenses, including Nikon's excellent 50 f/1.8.

Pentax just came out with two new bodies if you're looking to stick with a K mount, but I don't know a whole lot about them. Used prices on the older bodies will be coming down. You might even be able to get a K10d at a decent price.

The sharing lenses is a valid point as well. Any of Canon's triple digit bodies would be good to look at. The higher numbers are newer.

[glyphon]

If you can share lenses with your friend, that that is a huge benefit. Depending on the lenses that you have (do you just have the 50mm lens) for the pentax, you might want to look at the k100d. you might be able to use your existing lenses (but possibly only in manual mode, if that matters to you).

if you want used/refurbished, then basically look around see what you can find.
The entry level cameras right now are the Pentax K100d, Canon Rebel XTi (400d), Nikon D40, Sony A100, and the Olympus E-410/E-510.

IMO, the Olympus models are some of the best values around (even if their popularity is dwarfed by the Canon and Nikon). The kit lenses that come with them are very good pieces of glass, some people complain about the plastic construction, but to me they are solid and well constructed, but i am new to the SLR world :)

I picked up the E-510 (with 2 lenses) from Amazon for $650 shipped. the E-410 is ~$100 less. it has a slightly smaller body, and no IS, but otherwise is pretty much the same camera.

the nikon and canon cameras have a larger lens library, and probably have a larger choice of accessories, but for me, the Olympus has enough to cover anything that I may need in the future should i outgrow the kit lenses.

a big selling point (to me anyways) for the pentax is that it takes battery packs AND regular AA batteries. That alone almost swayed me to the Pentax. AA batteries are pretty much eash and cheap to find anywhere, so that makes a dead battery a much easier problem to solve. Battery packs can be expensive, especially Name-Band, but if you shop around, you can find good deals on generic battery packs.

basically, any of the cameras that i mentioned are very good cameras. even some older cameras like canon rebel xt (350d) are still very good cameras, if you can find one for a good price.

Also, the new cameras for this year were just announced, so if you can wait a couple of months, last years models should be getting price reductions soon.

talk to your friend. i'm sure he/she will recommend you get a canon. and sharing lenses is nice, but could leave you SOL should you need a particular lens and your friend unavailable or using that lens. do a little research to see if the lens you have for your old film slr is compatible with the K100d. being able to pick up old, manual lenses for cheap is always a good thing.

[jdepould]

Entry level bodies have actually all changed in the past week.

Nikon is now D60, Canon is now 450D/XSi and Pentax is K200d.

[Saralonde]

Entry level bodies have actually all changed in the past week.

Nikon is now D60, Canon is now 450D/XSi and Pentax is K200d.

That may leave room for some good buys on the ones they are replacing.

Junior, Nikon users will suggest Nikon, Canon users will push Canon, etc. If you think you will be wanting to buy many different types of lenses, I'd go with Canon or Nikon. If you can use your friend's Canon lenses (make sure first!), Canon might be a good idea. If you are happy with the Pentax system, stick with them. Perhaps your friend will let you borrow his camera for a day. That would be an excellent chance to try one type of system and see how it feels to you.

Check keh (http://www.keh.com/onlinestore/home.aspx) and B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/shop/2891/Digital_Cameras_Accessories_Digital_Cameras.html) among other places for used equipment. Both are reliable.

[Doug Pardee]

I've recently decided to dig out my old camera to again start taking B&W photos...

I'll go off in a different direction. If you're interested in B&W photography, that's something that you'll need to keep in mind. Most digital photography is color. All modern digital cameras are color cameras with color sensors, and to get B&W you convert the picture from color to B&W. Some cameras can do this in the camera if you want, but most people seem to prefer to do the conversions themselves. In any event, the results tend to be different from B&W film photography.

Printing B&W is an even larger challenge. Fortunately, last year the printer manufacturers finally started producing some B&W photo printers. These are first-generation printers, but they still do better than color printers do at printing B&W pictures.

[mattdm]

Pentax just came out with two new bodies if you're looking to stick with a K mount, but I don't know a whole lot about them. Used prices on the older bodies will be coming down. You might even be able to get a K10d at a decent price.

In short: the K20D looks really nice, but at a much higher price point than the current K10D -- it's got a new 14.6megapixel CMOS sensor that goes up to ISO 6400, plus live view, and a raft of other little improvements.

The K200D isn't so exciting -- it's basically the K10D sensor shoved in a K100D body, albeit at least with many of the above-mentioned little improvements.

The K10D is, meanwhile, a great value -- a next-tier camera at entry-level prices. But if you do want a K10D, decide quick -- there's a $100 rebate which ends tomorrow, and since the camera is discontinued that won't be extended. Plus, they're already getting to be in short supply.

You might also want to look at Samsung's GX10, which is basically a rebadge of the K10D (same K mount and everything). It's priced even lower and is apparently not discontinued at this point. (Which makes sense as Samsung has no separate entry-level model.) They're also coming out with a GX20 soon, mirroring the K20D.

Which 50mm lens do you have for your K1000D, by the way? The 50mm f2 Takumar, or something nicer?

[mattdm]

I'll go off in a different direction. If you're interested in B&W photography, that's something that you'll need to keep in mind. Most digital photography is color. All modern digital cameras are color cameras with color sensors, and to get B&W you convert the picture from color to B&W. Some cameras can do this in the camera if you want, but most people seem to prefer to do the conversions themselves. In any event, the results tend to be different from B&W film photography.

This is because the photosites in digital sensors are all covered by individual color filters (from which the final RGB image is composited). To get a color image, of course, those "subpixels" must be combined in a certain proportion to get an image resembling the colors in the word. But if you're going for black and white, you can mix them in many different ways to get different effects, all valid B&W interpretations of the scene. Similar to how you might shoot with a red filter on a B&W camera, except you get to choose how strong after the fact.