Thinking about upgrading my *istD SLR.

Should I stick with Pentax and my lenses, or bite the bullet and move to Canon of Nikon?

Funny you should ask. That's exactly the decision I had to make about three and a half years ago. My *istD had let me down something rotten while trying to photograph a Radio One DJ at a night club opening - just wouldn't focus in the available light. My partner's Nikon D100 was firing away like a goodun but I was stuffed!

It was about the same time as the Canon 5D came out so I bent the plastic and bought one. Never looked back since. It just does what it says on the tin. At the time Canon were streets ahead of Nikon. Nikon have since made up a lot of ground and I think it's fair to say that Canon and Nikon are head and shoulders above the other marques, tho Sony are catching up fast and have a declared intention of breaking into the pro market that Canon and Nikon have had to themselves for so long.

If you're looking for a system camera with a wide range of lenses, flashes and other goodies then go for Canon or Nikon. If you really want to use your existing Pentax lenses then go for another Pentax - but I'd recommend a serious appraisal of how good your Pentax lenses really are before you decide. And check how up to date they are too as Pentax have (I think) recently moved over to in-lens focus motors and some of the older lenses don't work with the latest bodies. All Canon EF and EFS lenses have in-lens focus motors.

Biased? Maybe - but I've been exactly where you are - I bought the *istD to use my existing Pentax lenses (but never did) - and regretted it.

What did you do in the end? The lack of accessories etc. for my K10 frustrates me a little bit - but then I have to consider that I'd probably never buy them even if they were available. If you get a Canon or Nikon you can hire underwater housings and exotic lenses - but really, I doubt I ever would.

The AF is slow on my K10 too, but it's accurate when it does focus, and that's fine for me. It's a darn sight quicker and more accurate than I am.

I've thought about moving to Nikon because I'd love the focus speed of the D300 and the long lenses - perfect for bird pictures - but my K10 has the massive advantage of not costing £1000 plus lenses. If I won the lottery I'd probably buy a D300 and a few lenses, but here in the real world, for 99% of what I use it for, my Pentax is perfect.

make the jump before you start acquiring to much pentax kit, otherwise you are going to lose out on a lot of money!

I am not sure Canon have ever been miles ahead of Nikon. Both a great companies and have been regularly pushing the boundaries of photography for years. Both have their advantages. I hate how complicated Canon make controls on their bodies but prefer the Canon flash system to Nikon. I love how simple Nikons are to use and think they have a serious edge on Canon in terms of build quality (the pro bodies are made from metal and Canon are made from plastic, apart from the Canon 1D). Canon have some great lenses that Nikon don't, like the 50mm 1.2, etc etc etc. Both have pros and cons.

Go talk to the guys at Harrisons on London rd, tell them exactly what you want to spend and what you are looking for and they will sort you out with what is right for you.

make the jump before you start acquiring to much pentax kit, otherwise you are going to lose out on a lot of money!

Unless you stick with Pentax and carry on sticking with Pentax. Then you'll find that third party glass is the same price in K mount as it is in any other mount, and that Pentax lenses are similarly priced to Canon and Nikon lenses.

. I hate how complicated Canon make controls on their bodies but prefer the Canon flash system to Nikon. I love how simple Nikons are to use and think they have a serious edge on Canon in terms of build quality (the pro bodies are made from metal and Canon are made from plastic, apart from the Canon 1D).

And the lowly little 'amateur' Pentax K10d also has a metal chassis, ss does the k20d, the K-m, K-x and K-7. In fact all Pentax SLRs have a metal chassis. The K10d, K20d and k7 are also weather sealed.

Go talk to the guys at Harrisons on London rd, tell them exactly what you want to spend and what you are looking for and they will sort you out with what is right for you.

Unless 'what is right for you' happens to be Pentax, in which case they won't even offer to order a lens with a K mount for you in my experience - lovely shop if you want a Canon or a Nikon though.

It's horses for courses. Every camera has it's issues - weight, price, system, metering, high ASA performance, AF performance, image quality. I've decided that the advantages I'd get from swapping horses are irrelevant as long as I still have things I'd rather spend the money on. Any modern dSLR will give you images that would have been remarkable 30 years ago if you use it with care.

Why not try hiring a camera or two - or borrowing some if you can - before making such a big decision about changing?

Thinking about upgrading my *istD SLR.

Should I stick with Pentax and my lenses, or bite the bullet and move to Canon of Nikon?

Surely the answer to that question is "it's down to your own personal preference"

And the lowly little 'amateur' Pentax K10d also has a metal chassis, ss does the k20d, the K-m, K-x and K-7. In fact all Pentax SLRs have a metal chassis. The K10d, K20d and k7 are also weather sealed.

Cool, I didn't know that about Pentax because I have never used them but I know that is not true for Canon. I can only speak about things which I know.



It's horses for courses. Every camera has it's issues - weight, price, system, metering, high ASA performance, AF performance, image quality. I've decided that the advantages I'd get from swapping horses are irrelevant as long as I still have things I'd rather spend the money on. Any modern dSLR will give you images that would have been remarkable 30 years ago if you use it with care.



I completely agree every camera has a it's flaw but that does not mean it 'horses for courses.' Maybe for an amateur this is true, but for someone who makes their living from it, they need to choose which flaws they can live with and which flaws they can't live with.

So i couldn't live with the plasticy build quality of Canon, partly because I am a bit rough with my equipment and need something more robust. That is not to say Canon stuff doesn't produce great images. And i couldn't(don't want to) live with the complication of the buttons on Canon and the menu layout.

And you are right that camera's now a days produce remarkable images, but because now those remarkable images are common and no longer remarkable, we always need to be looking for the edge.

But in all honesty, it is way more about the user than the camera. But when you really know photography well then the best camera you can afford will be a major benefit!

I completely agree every camera has a it's flaw but that does not mean it 'horses for courses.' Maybe for an amateur this is true, but for someone who makes their living from it, they need to choose which flaws they can live with and which flaws they can't live with.

My bold - isn't that the same as saying it's horses for courses?

no because saying it's horses for courses it is essentially saying it doesn't matter, when in fact it does matter a lot! All cars are pretty competitive but I can't imagine you or anyone else saying just buy whichever because they are all the same. They differ in build quality, mpg, style, design, space, storage, seats, etc etc etc and so do cameras! So it is important to work out what you need and pick the camera based on what it can offer for your needs.

no because saying it's horses for courses it is essentially saying it doesn't matter, when in fact it does matter a lot! All cars are pretty competitive but I can't imagine you or anyone else saying just buy whichever because they are all the same. They differ in build quality, mpg, style, design, space, storage, seats, etc etc etc and so do cameras! So it is important to work out what you need and pick the camera based on what it can offer for your needs.

"Horses for courses" means that what is suitable for one person or situation might be unsuitable for another - which is exactly what you are saying.


EDIT - and I'm not saying 'just buy anything' either! I'm saying if you've got Pentax kit already and it meets your needs you're probably as well sticking with them rather than having to replace everything.

sorry, must be a cultural difference as in the states if someone says 'horses for courses' it means there is no real difference in your choice so either is just fine!