Help, I'm Considering moving to Pentax and maybe Canon

[pperez1981]

Currently I own the D40 and am ready for an upgrade. I will be moving to south america and am looking for a great DSLR that also shoots video. I addition to shooting photos I plan on doing short interview clips and shooting video of work projects.

I've been looking at the D90 and was just about set on it and then I heard of the new Pentax k7 and that got me thinking. The K7 seems to be a pretty good camera on paper (since its not released yet). It shoots near full HD video and I'm hoping it doesn't have that awefull jello effect the D90 has. The k7 also has an external mic jack which is critical for interviewing, 5.2 fps, 77 segment metering, an in camera HDR feature, weather sealing, 14.6 mega pixels, and in camera shake reduction. And all a a reasoable price point. This is pretty appealing to me.

I really like Nikon and trust there product, so, I need your help to tell me why I should stay with Nikon. I know availability of lenses goes to Nikon, but I plan on purchasing glass at a slow rate due to money so, finding a lense quickly isn't that important, besides I can alway purchase lenses online. so, again tell me why I should stay with Nikon.

Oh, The T1i also appealed to me also because of the price, lack of jello effect in the video, and the dedicated buttons for ISO, WB, Metering, AF modes. . .which the D40 doesn't have. i hate having to go layers deep in the menue just to change WB or ISO.

And, Can Pentax do wireless off camera flash with out a Pocket wizard, like Nikon can?

[crazzy88ss]

As far as I know, pentax cannot do PWless off camera flash.

If you NEED to shoot video, I cannot suggest Nikon. They're video recording is terrible. I can, however, suggest you just buy an HD camcorder. They're pretty cheap now.

Don't be fooled by the T1i's HD. It's really only 720. The 1080 video is 20FPS, which is even worse than the D90's 24FPS.

What I would do if I were you is this:
Get a D90 or D5000 AND a cheaper HD camcorder.

[pperez1981]

Hey thanks for the response, but I have a question . . .why would I get the D5000 and an HD camcorder? The D5000 is essentially the same as the D40 with video and I'm getting rid the my D40 because of all of its limitations (no motor in body, poor high ISO performance, all controls are buried in menu, etc.)

I also don't really want to carry around two cameras (DSLR and a camcorder). It would be nice to have it all in one.

But still my question remains, why nikon over pentax?

[kencaleno]

Why Nikon over Pentax?-Pretty obvious really. Nikon have a far greater range of lenses and accessories- and the availabilty will be more universal than Pentax-Most Nikkor lenses from 1959 to today will fit the D40-why does it matter that there is no autofocus motor in D40 body?-learn to be a photographer-manually focus for greater accuracy.Or purchase D lenses which have a motor in them. Are Photographers getting wimpier?

Ken

[inkista]

Uh, I'd be a little careful about the backwards compatibility statement if I were you, Ken. The Pentax K mount only goes back to 1975, true. But it can be adapted to use M42 (aka "Pentax screwmount") lenses, which go back to 1949, and wasn't limited to a single manufacturer. You can get cheap old M42 Zeiss Jenas that you can use on a Pentax digital body. With stabilization.

Yes, Nikon has more 3rd party support and more lenses in their current lineup. But Nikon's the only brand with that weird autofocus motor issue on its entry-level bodies. And Pentax certainly has more to choose from in the normal-on-a-crop body or pancake lens areas.

But. I think one reason to go Nikon over Pentax is if you plan to shoot full frame someday. Nikon's got full-frame bodies. Pentax doesn't. Another is if you shoot sports or want to use supertelephoto lenses. Pentax doesn't offer anything over 300mm in their prime lineup, and the only f/2.8 zoom in their current lineup is a 50-135. I'd also say that if you like buying your lenses new, Nikon's just flat out got more lenses to offer. If you shoot architecture, landscape, or product photography, Pentax has no tilt-shifts. And if you get into the Strobist thing? Nikon has arguably the best off-camera lighting of any system.

But the main reason I'd say you may want to reconsider swapping systems is that given the digital photography technological advances that are coming thick and fast, the landscape changes rapidly. Two years ago, Canon had the only full frame bodies and tilt-shift lenses in town. Two years ago, Canon was the champion in terms of digital bodies with the best high-iso noise performance. Now look at what Nikon's accomplished. You sure you're still gonna be happy in five years, if you switched because this year's model wowed you? What happens in September when Nikon comes out with a D400 announcement, and you suddenly find they've got 1080p video that blows away the 50D's year-old technology? And maybe a pixel-binning feature that would allow for in-camera HDR or choosing resolution vs. high-iso noise? (I'm just pulling that one outta thin air, btw, because I've been so psyched that the new PhaseOne back and a Fuji P&S are doing this--I don't wanna be starting any rumors).

The top dSLR body changes all. the. time. Every six months, we get new product announcements. The generation of models in the consumer/prosumer tier is anywhere from 1 year to 2 years. These things aren't particularly long-lived. Are you sure you're not just under the glamor of the current media darling? In three weeks are you suddenly going to find yourself wanting the Olympus digital PEN because it will have all the media attention as a completely new kind of digital camera? Or do you sincerely know that the entire Pentax system is a better fit for what you shoot?

Right now, because Canon and Nikon have the highest volume of sales, they're probably making more money on SLR gear than the other companies, and as a result, they're probably putting more money and resources into R&D of same. That's just my personal warped view of things. But there are reasons those two marques are the most popular systems.

[jdepould]

Originally Posted by crazzy88ss

As far as I know, pentax cannot do PWless off camera flash.

If you NEED to shoot video, I cannot suggest Nikon. They're video recording is terrible. I can, however, suggest you just buy an HD camcorder. They're pretty cheap now.

Don't be fooled by the T1i's HD. It's really only 720. The 1080 video is 20FPS, which is even worse than the D90's 24FPS.

What I would do if I were you is this:
Get a D90 or D5000 AND a cheaper HD camcorder.

You do realize 24 fps is the standard for film, right?

They all have the jello effect, it's just a function of the way the video is implemented right now. It's really not a problem 90% of the time.

If you must buy an HD video camera (don't), get one that doesn't use tape. Capture is a giant pain.

Regardless of SLR shortfalls, the image quality and low light performance blows anything under $25k out of the water. I use "professional" (HA!) Sony V1Us fairly regularly, and they drive me insane. The image quality isn't there, and you need a ton of light.

[pperez1981]

Ken, saying that real photographers learn to focus manually is like saying real drivers should drive with power steering. . . thats sort of ridiculous. As if pro photographers do not use auto focus. Frankly I find that extreme purist attitude annoying and snooty. Maybe your the best and quickest manual focuser around. . . good for you. . . but for most of the rest of the world, we more than likely use autofocus at least some times, and I'd like to have that option. Call it wimpy if you want, but the photographs speak for themselves, not if you focused them manually or not.

inkista, ya I'm aware of the influence of media hype, and that fact that I'm sort of a hardware junkie doesn't help. But, you make some good points. I just would like to spend as little as possible on a nice system and Pentax it looking pretty affordable.


jdepould, ya all have jello effect to an extent, but from my experience the D90's is pretty bad, even compared to the t1i.

[pperez1981]

typo: without power steering not with. . .

[RichardT]

You might also want to consider weather sealing. I don't know how humid it gets where your going to move, but moisture can really mess with the internals of a lens. A good weather sealed lens will stand up a lot longer than one that isnt

[inkista]

Originally Posted by pperez1981

Ken, saying that real photographers learn to focus manually is like saying real drivers should drive with[out] power steering. . . thats sort of ridiculous. . . .

OTOH, I would argue that real drivers learn to shift gears for themselves. (and insane gearheads know how to double-clutch in pre-synchromesh cars and what the granny gear and differential lock are for..but I digress). Using autofocus as a tool is one thing; relying on it to do all your focus thinking and never mastering it is another. Every person who drives stick can drive an automatic and use the flappy paddles. I know more than one automatic driver who can't drive stick and is mildly confused as to why you'd even want the flappy paddles.

There is something to be said for learning on an all-manual film camera, after you've reached a certain level of expertise. Having only 24 or 36 exposures on a roll and paying for developing and printing materials teaches you like nobody's business to be selective of your shots, to try to get it right the first time, and to increase your keeper rate. And not having EXIF means you have to remember what you did to get them. Messing in a wet darkroom seriously teaches you to be careful about your exposure and tonal range, and that there are limits to manipulation. Shooting in B&W teaches you see light differently. The recent TOP posting Leica as Teacher made me laugh and think, "No way am I doing that!" but it also made me think and remember. Digital has definitely made me lazy/flabby in a few ways, photographically speaking.

inkista, ya I'm aware of the influence of media hype, and that fact that I'm sort of a hardware junkie doesn't help. But, you make some good points. I just would like to spend as little as possible on a nice system and Pentax it looking pretty affordable.

Yeah, I have the exact same problem with being a gearhead. But if you want low-cost? Olympus E420 while it lasts.

Originally Posted by RichardT

You might also want to consider weather sealing. I don't know how humid it gets where your going to move, but moisture can really mess with the internals of a lens. A good weather sealed lens will stand up a lot longer than one that isnt

Yeah, but the weather-sealed Pentax DA* lenses are kinda like those Canon weather-sealed Ls: top of the line, expensive. And there are always home-made dry boxes for those living in the tropics.