Digital SLR Cameras (part II)

[griffiths_r]

Hi All

with the impending arrival of the sprog I thought it was an opportune time to upgrade the cameras in our household. i know there are some camera guru's out there...

We currently have a Canon Ixus 430, which has been a great camera over the years but is getting on a bit (and shutter lag drives me mental!). Thought I'd replace the point and shoot with another Ixus (like the 80IS or similar) and also get a base level DSLR for the artistic shots (and more challenging shots like fast moving cars)...

not looking to spend more than about $1K for the DSLR (don't want to divert too much funding away from the car obviously!).

hard to go past the pentax k-x - entry level dslr to cut my teeth on without investing too much cash.

The obvious choice on the pentax k-x is:
- $850 for the twin lens kit (pentax 18-55mm and pentax 50-200mm)
- $900 for single lens kit (Sigma 17-70mm)

previous thread on dslr's is here...

http://www.typ901.org/showthread.php?t=1956&highlight=camera

Anyone want to throw there 2 cents in on the camera or lens choice?!?

cheers

rich

[John S]

Hi Rich,

that's a well reviewed camera, great value compared to the Canon and Nikon offerings.

I'd choose the Sigma kit. The 17-70mm lens will give you a nice range. Better one decent lens than two mediocre ones...

Good luck

ps If you were to increase your budget, I'd look at the Canon 500D.

[griffiths_r]

thanks john

probably still leaning towards the twin lens kit... reading up on opinions on the sigma 17-70 and it comes across as not as good as the 2 pentax lenses. odd given you're probably right with the economies of one lens kit vs twin lens kits though.

[John S]

Rich, I better qualify my choice.

One of the Pentax lenses is good, 18-55mm, whereas the 50-200mm is not so good. Since the Sigma has an apparently better range at 17-70mm and is faster at f2.8 at the wide end, it would be my choice.

Shop around, you may be able to buy the camera with the Pentax 18-55mm w/o the 50-200mm at a better price. I just think you wouldn't get much joy out of the long lens...

Cheers

[griffiths_r]

thanks john

so if i take it that the pentax 18-55mm is a good kit lens and the pentax 50-200mm not so much i see there is 2 ways to go:

1. get twin kit (and keep $50 in my pocket) and accept for long zoom stuff I might need to upgrade the 50-200 (to a better 50-300mm or something)

2. get the single sigma lens ($50 more) and accept that to do longer zoom stuff I would need to get a long lens... (see point 1. above)

...either way results in needing another lens?

[John S]

[QUOTE=griffiths_r;24352]

...either way results in needing another lens?



Rich, as an "early 911" owner you'd know that life seems to be full of "slippery slopes", the photographic one is fortunately not as painful on the hip pocket as the Porsche one. Once the bug bites you though, there will always be another lens you "need".

In this case I would choose the sigma lens. Have fun with it, and find out exactly what type of photos you like to take. You might find that zoom will be of no interest to your type of photography, and if it is then go and choose a zoom lens YOU like, not some crapy one which came with the camera kit. My 2 cents.

Some more reading:

http://www.photozone.de/pentax/147-sigma-af-17-70mm-f28-45-dc-pentax-k-review--test-report?start=2

http://www.photozone.de/pentax/138-pentax-smc-da-50-200mm-f4-56-ed-review--test-report?start=2

http://www.photozone.de/pentax/135-pentax-smc-da-18-55mm-f35-56-al-review--test-report

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/10911-sigma-17-70mm-vs-kit-lens.html

Cheers

[griffiths_r]

thanks john! some good food for thought...

hoping the bug won't bite too badly...

[1729ray]

i'd say if you;re on this site, then you are pre-disposed to getting in to hobbies. if you're thinking of getting into dslr's, you may as well spend the extra and go for the canon 500d as there are heaps of lenses available for when the bug bites. and it will.
if you have a kid on the way, the pics are priceless anyway so go for it.
my 2c, when they're newborns, they don't do much moving and you're going to want to take pics in the nursery etc so get a 'fast' lens (one that performs well in low light). the bugger is these are expensive but the canon 17-55 f2.8 that i bought to go with my 450D was probably the best purchase i've ever made. was exxy but have easily got my moneys worth out of it.
the other direction (which i took also) was a canon s90. it's a compact point and shoot but again, performs really well in low light which is what you're going to need.

[griffiths_r]

pulled the trigger on the pentax k-x (and an ixus point and shoot). very happy with both - the pentax is quite light as well....

camera is far beyond my skill level - just like my car!!

[John S]

Happy snapping Rich!

[griffiths_r]

will post some of my better photos when i get a chance (and not the ones where i forgot to turn auto-focus back on!!)...

[griffiths_r]

will post some of my better photos when i get a chance (and not the ones where i forgot to turn auto-focus back on!!)...

OK... so took lot's just to get a couple - assuming I will get better at this!!!