Pentax K10D or Nikon D60?

[uba gomica]

Hi!

I have the oportunity to buy Pentax K10D (kit with 18-55mm and 50-200mm) and Nikon D60 (with 18-55mm and 50-200mm too) for about the same price!

The question is simple (ok! not that simple... :(): Which one should I get?!:confused:

[Sistog]

i like Pentax K10D.. but Nikon is a good camera too! but i prefer Pentax

[GEli]

What type of photography are you using them for? What price are you paying, exactly? For anything but sports I would direct you to the K10D and tell you about the horrors of having a butchered lense lineup like the D60 does. For sports, it's a bit trickier, as the Pentax AF isn't quite fast enough for high end sports work.

So if the goal isn't "pro sports photog," get the K10D. If it is, come back and we'll talk more.

[filemanager]

Nikon. The top brands for cameras these days is Nikon and Canon.

I chose a Nikon because I prefer that my camera is made by a company that specializes in optics rather than a company that makes printers and other computer equipment!

Also, my father-in-law has lots of Nikon lenses for me to play with ;)

But anyway.... Nikon!!!!

[uba gomica]

What type of photography are you using them for? What price are you paying, exactly? For anything but sports I would direct you to the K10D and tell you about the horrors of having a butchered lense lineup like the D60 does. For sports, it's a bit trickier, as the Pentax AF isn't quite fast enough for high end sports work.

So if the goal isn't "pro sports photog," get the K10D. If it is, come back and we'll talk more.

I'm paying 780€ for the Pentax kit and 830€ for the Nikon.

And no, I don't want to do sport's photography.

I want artistic photography! And by that I mean landscapes, macro, and portait too.
I'm studying audiovisual communication, and I'm gonna choose video/cinema over Photography, but I want to have a good camera, you know, God knows if I'll change my mind!!!

I'm not saying that I'll do a professional work with this camera I'm gonna buy, but definitely it is not to casual photography neither.

Thanks ;)

[GEli]

Nikon. The top brands for cameras these days is Nikon and Canon.

I chose a Nikon because I prefer that my camera is made by a company that specializes in optics rather than a company that makes printers and other computer equipment!

Also, my father-in-law has lots of Nikon lenses for me to play with ;)

But anyway.... Nikon!!!!

Well, something being popular and something being the best (in terms of quality) are not mutually inclusive properties. They're quite often related, but not necessarily so. In this case, the brands you mentioned are only indubitably the top brands in terms of sales. The actual quality of the cameras themselves, when comparing cameras in a similar price bracket, isn't necessarily the best you can buy.

I guess what I'm saying is, buying something because it's popular is stupid if that's your sole reason for buying the item. Don't do that.

Also: Pentax doesn't make printers and other computer equipment. They make lenses and cameras, besides having a small medical imaging division. This, though, is still a ridiculous reason to not buy a Canon camera. A company having divisions other than division x does not mean the products made by division x are inherently inferior to those produced by another company that makes only x. Again, possibly related, but not necessarily. This is pretty clearly the latter case with Canon's products, as they produce some of the best cameras in the world in their given roles (the entire 1D series, for the best example).

And unless your uncle is willing to lend our friend Uba those lenses, it isn't really applicable.

Given that I'm criticizing your arguments, I should probably present my reasons for recommending the K10D over the D60:

-Ability to use every K-mount lense ever produced and M42 mount lenses with an adapter
-The Best lineup of prime lenses available
-Superior build quality, weather-sealed body
-AF is useable in every lense that supports AF (both screw driven and on-lense AF motors)
-Cheap Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4

[kittie1823]

K10D. I looked at one today over at D60 and that's what I would buy. It's got features like weather-proof seals and a far, far better selection of lenses. You can use any lens from the Pentax range, right back to the 1970's.

Also, Pentax is the oldest camera company in the world. They have a small medical imaging dept but they do not make printers or any of that gubbins.

[filemanager]

There's a reason Nikon has been "the best" so SO long. Quality!

[kittie1823]

Who says they're the best? You?

I personally find some Nikon cameras to feel a bit cheap compared to Pentax. Apart from the D80, they all feel too light to me. I like my cameras with a bit of heft to them- it makes me feel like I paid for something that was worth my money.

[filemanager]

Yep ME. They have always been a leader in the industry.

Probably the same reason you prefer Pentax - because you own one.

[KyleMc569]

Kittie1823,

Do you still shoot with your K1000? I had one in 1982 and learned most of my photography using one. Nothing like a manual camera to make you think about what you're doing.

[hector49]

Can we all agree that initially we are going to recommend what we bought because we feel that what we bought is the best.
But in actuality, you have to make the choice for yourself - what feels right to you - what features do you like on each camera, and what could you live without - think of maintenance and what will be required - think about the lenses and what you want to try out and use, and see what is available in the market you live in.
These are some of the things that I went through when I was reviewing and comparing - and I received a lot of great advice from the many generous people on these forums.
I chose the K200d recently, and am happy with my choice - there is a lot to learn on it and I am enjoying trying things out, and actually being able to see what the image looks like - which is unlike my film slr, which is obviously not immediate - its whenever you get it developed.
I compared the D80 - my friend has one and he let me try it out - I liked it - it felt good in my hand - but what it came down to for me was I could get more features I was interested in, and in future (hopefully near) I will be able to buy the lenses I want at a great price (in my opinion).
So, all this to say that you have to understand what you want and what feels right you to - you will get a gut feel eventually for one of the cameras - if one turns out to be the one you ask more questions about, pick up more at the store, read more about on their website, then that is likely the camera for you.
thats my 2 cents as a recently researcher/purchaser.

[kittie1823]

Kittie1823,

Do you still shoot with your K1000? I had one in 1982 and learned most of my photography using one. Nothing like a manual camera to make you think about what you're doing.

Yeah I do. It's the only way I'll shoot a roll of film- you can push it a little more than what you can using a digital. I learned the basics on it too, I was bought it for my first day of college when I was 16 and I've never ever looked back.

[uba gomica]

I'll go to Pentac K10D and that's it!
I'm looking for it for a mounth now, and I'm tired of searching information about every DSLR in the world! It's time to take photos and have fun with the art!
Yhank you all!!

P.S: And yes, Pentax K1000 is something I'll never forget! The first SLR I've ever used, and I loved it!

[filemanager]

Really, I think it's the photographer that creates great photos, not the camera ;)

[Pasq]

Really, I think it's the photographer that creates great photos, not the camera ;)

i like how you think! :D

[mattdm]

Also asking in the Pentax forum is going to produce Pentax-biased answers. :) That said, here's another vote for the K10D. Nikon does make good cameras and the D60 seems nice and all, but the K10D is a class up for a lower price, and Pentax has a beautiful lens lineup for artistic work.

[tattoodjay]

There is merit in both options depending on the type of photography your planning to take, I considered them both recently in my options of what to get and read many reviews and forums, once I had my options narrowed down to 3 or 4 I went into a camera shop and got hands on with them and thaten made my final choice

Sure Nikon and Canon are the top selling brands at the moment, and people have strong feelings for one or the other often and rule out all others as a personnel preference, especially if you already have that brand and a selection of lenses, as i didnt the field was open for me.

In case anyone is interested in the end i went for the Pentax K200D for the reasons GELi mentioned earlier, it felt good in my hands, and it has the auto and scene modes for if my wife or sun want to use it sometimes

[albasphoto]

The two cameras you mentioned are very different. The K10D is a more professional model with more features aimed at prosumers: a weather-sealed body, in-camera shake reduction, etc.
The D60 is more like an advanced entry-level model, one step up from the D40(X) aimed at amateurs. Both cameras can produce stunning images, and will give you hours and hours of fun. Given the choice between those two specifially, I would go for the Pentax since it is a better camera at that price bracket.

However, having said that, you should look at the whole system you're buying into, not just the body. Bodies change every couple of years, whereas good glass will last you a long, long time. Nikon has an excellent lineup of lenses, flash units, etc. One thing that's very important to me is also that their lenses are easier to find for renting than Pentax lenses.

I'm not too familiar with the Pentax system, but a while ago I looked at the K10D extensively and almost bought one. The lens lineup and overall system from Nikon convinced me to go with Nikon however, and I haven't looked back since. Now I have the D300 and am very happy with it.

Instead of the D60, why don't you look at the D80? It would be at about the same level feature wise as the K10D.

Hope that helps.

Either way you decide, you'll get som great images from the camera. It's not really the camera that's important, but rather the person holding it.