What Camera Should i Get?

[noah_b]

My Current Camera is a Pentax K1000. I've been using this camera for

about 9 years. Ive finally decided that i want to get a new camera.

My first thought was to get a new manual that would get me into nikon

or canon glass. From this the only camera that really seemed in my

Price range was the FM3A. After reading many posts and articles i

have begun to believe that this may not be the best camera for me.

When i started to look further i uncovered some other camera's such as

the F4. My budget of a college student is about 600 a body. the other

camera's that came up in my search are Used Nikon F300, EOS 5 and the

EOS 1N. I know all of these are good camera's and i'm just haveing

problems deciding what would be best for me to move to. Im also

interested in Lense quality and the Lenses I would get with the camera

would be a 50mm 1.8 or 1.4 (probably 1.8 due to price) and a fisheye

some where around 16mm. Any Help would be most apreciated. Any

camera's that i didnt mention that people think would be good please

mention.

[yakim_peled1]

You opened a can of worms. The Canon-Nikon debate spreads across hundreds, if not thousands of threads. Summary: Each system has it's pros and cons and you must decide which is the best "package" to YOU. After you have settled on a system, body choices become much easier.

 

Now go and search.

 

Happy shooting,

Yakim.

[ben conover]

I bought a heavy old Nikon F4s, it is very nice but in all honesty I could have gone a little more for an F5 or saved and got a lightweight body and lenses.

 

Avoid the can of worms, if you want an slr and you want to save money and get good lenses, try a Ricoh. Excellent lightweight cameras with fine lenses. Viewfinder magnification is excellent, much better than my F4 or the F5. I was outbid on this item recently but if I had to start over I would go for it again, especially with the 50mm 1.4 thrown in with flash, etc....

 

Cheers and good luck.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7515095479&ssPageName=ADME:X:ON:UK:2

 

What a cool camera! Ricoh KR-30sp Program 35mm SLR camera kit. Kit inludes: 50mm Rikenon P f1.4 lens, UV filter, front and rear caps, hard case, camera body with cap and strap, Ricoh XR motor winder-2 with soft case, Ricoh XR speedlite 300P Flash unit with case and instruction manual!!!

 

US $102.50

 

SPECIFICATIONS

 

Type: 35 mm SLR with focal plane shutter and automatic electronic exposure control.

 

Photographic Modes: Program automatic exposure mode, speed program automatic exposure mode, aperture-priority automatic exposure mode and manual exposure mode.

 

Film Format and Frame Size: 35mm film, J135, 24 x36 mm Lens Mount: RICOH system R-K mount

 

Shutter: Electronically controlled, vertically moving metal focal plane shutter.

 

Automatic: 16 sec. to 1/2000 sec.

Manual: 4 sec. to 1/2000 sec.,

B (Bulb)

 

Self-Timer:

 

Operating time: 10 seconds Vlew finder. During operation, red lamp blinks.

 

Viewfinder:

 

Field of view covers 93% horizontally and vertically.

Magnification: 0.88X (with 50 mm F1.4 standard lens)

Displays in the viewfinder:

 

Exposure adjustment, AE lock, manual, program mode, overexposure mark, shutter speed indicator, long time exposure, underexposure mark, bulb, battery low warning signal, and programmed f-stop number.

 

LED indicator: Flash ready indicator.

 

Focusing: Diagonal split-image spot in microprism band

 

Exposure Meter: TTL full open metering for center-weighted average light reading.

 

Exposure Coupling Range: EV 0 to EV 18 (with ASA 100 film, 50 mm F1.4 standard lens)

 

Film Speed Range: ISO 12 to 3200

 

Accessory Shoe: Hot Shoe (with Flash Ready Signal Contact)

 

Exposure Adjustment: Exposure adjustment system (+2 to -2, in 1/3 steps), AE lock system,

 

Film Advance: Single stroke film advance lever, 135? winding angle and 35? stand-off.

 

Automatic Fllm Advance: Possible with XR winder 2 or motor drive.

 

Exposure Counter: Additive, automatic resetting.

 

Film Rewind: Film rewind crank system.

 

Mirror: Swing back type quick return mirror.

 

Back Cover: Hinged type, opened by pulling up Film rewind knob.

 

Other Functions: Interchangeable grip and direct contact for data back.

 

Power Source: Four LR44 1.5V alkaline batteries, four SR44 1.55V silver oxide batteries

or two CR-1/3N 3V lithium batteries. 4www.butkus.org

 

Dimensions: 137 (W) x 89 (H) x 51 (D) mm (Body only)

 

Weight: 490g (Body only)

[ben conover]

High,

 

I forgot to say that all your bayonet K mount lenses will fit the Ricoh like a treat.

 

Happy shooting.

[rob_murray]

$600 buys a lot of film camera body these days. Even the low end cameras have a ton of bells and whistles over your K1000. Remember

its the lens that makes the photos...send money there. Oh that 16mm

fisheye look will get real old in about 2 rolls of film..

[brian_southward]

I agree with Ben. There's no reason to spend your money on a new kit of Nikon or Canon stuff. Pentax lenses are equal to the best, and the Ricoh bodies with K-mounts were superb. I say this as a long-time Minolta user.

[stemked]

Hi Noah.

 

I'm a Pentax person and would say a ZX-5n (MZ-5n outside the US) would offer you a LOT of camera for the price, the use of all your old lenses and the ability to get more lenses. A MZ-S is another beautiful camera to consider, but significantly more expensive. If you want a pro body and can live with autofocus (and spotmeter) the LX is a dream camera to use, including the ability to meter off the film plane, so if the lighting changes DURING exposure the camera can correct for the light change. And then there is almost a cult following of the PZ-1p/PZ-1 users who swear the hypermode thumb switch is the best option ever placed on a camera (I'm not one of them though).

 

By the way sticking to Pentax even your old manual lenses can become autofocus lenses (no, that's not a typo) with the Pentax 1.7X teleconvertor (yes, it is 1.7 longer, yes the lens are slower, but its a neat tool to have).

 

Pentax mount likely offers the most options of any mount for fisheye lenses. In addition to the two Pentax K mount fixed focal fisheye and a zoom fisheye, with the cheap screw to K adaptor you have access to several other Pentax screw mount fisheyes and, my personal (cheap) favorite the Russian/Ukraniane fisheye lenses which are actually quite good. If you move into medium format it is a pain, but you can also use Pentax 645 and 67 fisheyes on K mount bodies with the correct adaptors. Sigma also offers additional fisheye lenses that mount on Pentax bodies.

 

If you want IS technologies, need to rent equipment, have need for dedicated studio flash systems, or really need specialized lenses such as special tilt/shift (all exteremely expensive lenses) then you have a logical reason to switch to Canon or Nikon. Otherwise you might reconsider dumping your Pentax equipment.

[stemked]

Correction:

 

If you want a pro body and can live withOUT autofocus (and WITHOUT spotmeter) the LX....

[ben conover]

Hi again, I just thought that I would still be happy to sometimes have a lightweight body with fast primes, as stated above. However, like the previous poster says there are wonderful lenses like the 85mm f2.8 PC Micro Nikor which are not available to any other system.

So, contrary to my previous post I would say get a Nikon F4, not because I have one but because if you are interested in lenses, there are many for you to aquire. The traditional layout of the F4 is very easy to learn and practical. I am sure $600 will get you a very good F4.

 

This is the best link I can provide for the F4:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf4/index.htm

 

Cheers.

[Jochen_S]

Whenever Douglas praises the LX I can't resist breaking a lance for the MX.

 

Nothing against Canikon, if you can afford it, but if you consider a F4 with its outdated AF you should come up with a very good reason to need either sophisticated TTL flash or a fast motordrive. - Both happened rather rarely when I shot 50mm or fisheye lenses.

[ben conover]

Hi, the easiest answer is use what you have and buy an OLYMPUS ZUIKO 50mm f 1.4 MC LENS off ebay for $80.00

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7515554595&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_ReBay_Pr4_PcY_BIN

 

Cheers.

[bengt_rehn]

What are your reasons to change camera? What lenses do you have? Pentax 50/1,4 and 50/1,7 F/FA are among the best in the market and they are cheeper than Canon,Nikon and minolta equivalent.

[peter_phan]

I would get a used <a href="http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/canon_eos3.htm">Canon EOS 3</a>. There are several used EOS 3's at

 

 

 

 

<a href="http://www.keh.com/shop/product.cfm?bid=CE&cid=02&sid=newused&crid=11001020">KEH.com</a>

 

at very good prices for an awesome pro body. The great thing about Canon EOS bodies is that they will accept a very wide range of non-Canon lenses, including Nikon F, Leica R, Leica Visoflex, Contax/Yashica (RTS), Pentax 42mm Screw Mount, and Olumpus OM lenses when you use the appropriate adapters. Of course, you'll have to manually focus these lenses, but the EOS 3 has a very good viewfinder, and it accepts interchangeable viewfinder screens. You can also pick up a new Canon 50/1.8 EF lens for only $70. It's super inexpensive, very sharp, but it feels a little cheap. No matter though because it produces great images for hardly any money. If you want better construction quality, there's the Canon 50/1.4 EF USM for about $300.

[peter_phan]

But if you are going to get a new body, I'd go for an Elan 7N for only $300. The body isn't as tough as an EOS 3, but it may be all that you need. Plus, the Elan 7N has Canon's latest E-TTL2 flash metering, which does a great job. And it's quieter than the EOS 3, which might be important if you like to be stealthy. And like all other Canon EOS bodies, it will also accept a lot of non-Canon lenses when you use the appropriate adapters. But for the Elan 7N, I would recommend sticking with Canon autofocus lenses because it doesn't have the pro viewfinder that the EOS 3 has, so manual focusing won't be as good with the Elan 7N.

[noah_b]

Lense wise i have a sigma 28-70 2.8 and a sigma 70 - 300 with macro. I have a few reasons for deciding to upgrade from my K1000. One reason is being able to have to types of film ready while going somewhere. mainly black and white or color. Ive also begun to find limitations of the k1000 such as only haveing a maximum shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second. Other things i find at times that would be nice to have are aperture priority as it would be simply nice to be able to take exposures more quickly. In addition to those reason my amount of shooting has increased alot over the past year and i think another camera would be quite usefull, especially as i was planning on doing some stuff for my schools year book.

 

My reasons for thinking canon or nikon is that i acknowledge that i will eventually be getting a Digital SLR and am so far not horribly impressed my Pentax's offerings so getting a camera now that would have lenses compatible with my future purchases would be best. I guess much of what i was asking does come down to canon vs Nikon and i suppose this is a very subjective matter and not one that has any real specific answer.

 

Thank you every one for your help so far. I certainly see the advantage of sticking with pentax, which was my original intention but as i said i eventually plan on moving digital or at least having one for certain projects and id like to have that totally compatible with what ever i get now.

 

Used is deffinately the way to go as i dont need all of the new bells and whistels as i obviously have been making due with a K-1000. The LX ive had some problems locating and the price ive found at adorama was so i high that i dont tink the price is worth it. As of now i think my main things to go for are a EOS 1n or an F100. The K-1000 will probably become my back up when manual is needed.

[peter_phan]

As of now i think my main things to go for are a EOS 1n or an F100 The EOS 3 is newer and better than the EOS 1n-- newer and better technology. The EOS 3 has faster autofocus, more sensitive autofocus, 45-point autofocus array that covers a large portion of the viewfinder screen (the 1n has only 5 autofocus points, positioned in a row), the center cross sensor is fully activated with f/4 or faster glass (the 1n needs f/2.8), has a shorter mirror blackout (105ms versus 140ms), is compatible with E-TTL flash (the 1n is not), can do high speed sync flash (which is a function of E-TTL which allows you to use flash at any shutter speed), and can do wireless TTL flahs (also a function of E-TTL flash). Oh, and the EOS 3 also has Eye Control Focus. The EOS 3 is also a little lighter than the 1n (780g vs. 855g). In comparison, a K1000 weighs about 600g. For a side-by-side comparison of the EOS 1n and EOS 3, look <a href="http://photonotes.org/reviews/1-1N-3-1V/">here</a>.

 

 

 

<p>

 

 

 

 

As for choosing between the EOS 3 or Nikon F100, both are very good cameras. But the EOS 3 has several advantages. Firstly, the EOS 3 has a large, dense 45-point autofocus array that does a fantastic job of autofocus tracking; the F100 has 5 autofocus point. The EOS 3 also has Eye Control Focus. Some people love it, others don't care for it. I personally loved Eye Control Focus and can't wait until Canon finally brings it to their digital SLR's. If you don't like Eye Control, you can always turn it off. The EOS 3 also has more metering options like multi-spot metering (you can spot meter up to 8 different spots and the camera will average these points together and calculate the appropriate exposure) and partial metering, in addition to the standard evaluative/center-weighted/single-spot metering found on the F100. The EOS 3 also has mirror lock up, which the F100 does not have. The EOS 3 will also do wireless E-TTL flash with multiple flash units. And like all EOS bodies, it will accept many non-Canon lenses, including Nikon F lenses. And as a side-note, I prefer electronic cable releases (which the EOS 3 uses) over mechanical plunger-style cable releases like the F100 uses. It just gives you more options, like being able to use Canon's .

<a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/tc-80n3.shtml">TC-80N3 timer remote control</a> for time-lapse photography.

 

 

Plus, I find electronic remote are more flexible and do a better job of isolating any user-induced motion. The standard Canon electronic remote is very expensive ($50) but now there are cheaper knock-offs sold on ebay for much less (less than $20). And electronic remote release also allows for things like electronic long distance RF remotes. I just bought the Adidt wireless RF remote on ebay, which allows you to trigger the camera from 100 feet away and through walls. It's only $100, and it has the benefit of also acting like a wired remote when you're not using the wireless RF function, so it kills two birds with one stone. But this product, and products like the TC-80N3 timer remote, only work if you have a camera that accepts electronic remotes-- which the F100 does not.

[Michael R Freeman]

<i>And as a side-note, I prefer electronic cable releases (which the EOS 3 uses) over mechanical plunger-style cable releases like the F100 uses ... and products like the TC-80N3 timer remote, only work if you have a camera that accepts electronic remotes-- which the F100 does not.</i><P>

 

The F100 uses an electronic cable release (MC-30, also expensive) via a 10-pin socket. It does not accept a mechanical cable release. Remote control up to 100m away is also possible via a ML-2 remote control set (albeit a very pricey option).

<P>

Noah - if you are interested in Nikon glass, the F100 is one of the best "bang for the buck" pro quality options available in the Nikon lineup, with clean used samples easily found for $500 or less (I own both the F4 and F100). It will also meter with manual focus lenses if you want to take advantage of manual AIS bargain glass in areas where AF has little or no advantage (wide angles and macro lenses), but you will probably want to stick with AF glass for a future digital upgrade.<P>

I would also agree with your assessment that the LX, while probably one of Pentax's finest MF camera, is available in such small numbers that it is hardly an affordable alternative. It is sort of in the same situation as the Canon T90 - a superb manual focus camera but made in limited quantities, and current prices reflect that.

<P>

Michael

[noah_b]

It certainly seems an EOS 3 would be superior to get than the EOS 1n. EOS 1n certainly wins out in price and its ability to handle IR films such as EIR and HIE. I suppose the film is a minor thing as i will Have my K1000 still. Many of the advantages that the EOS 3 seems to offer over the EOS 1n arent especially important to me. It does seem that the EOS 3 does for the most part win out.

 

F100 vs EOS 3 seems to be harder to choose the better. The main advantage in my eye that the EOS 3 gets between the two is, Mirror lock up. F100 gets the IR compatibility. Also Nikon lenses atleast interms of feeling seem much more well built. I also liek the idea of having the aperture ring on my lenses.

 

This is a harder task then i was hoping it would be. I Think i will spend some more time deciding what would be the best option for me.

[bengt_rehn]

Dont think too much about which digital system you will buy in the future. Its close to imposible to know right now. Dont count on much backwards compatible from digital to film, since the development is in the direktion to special lenses for DSLRs with to small imagecircle for film. Bodys in the segment just below the pro or semipro like Eos 5 or Nikon F70 have a little built in flash that is very handy for fill in outdoors. The aperture ring is nice but if you change from aperture priority to time and forget to lock the ring in automode, its less nice (happend to me a couple of times in stressed situations). Nikon seems to make more and more lenses without a aperture ring.

[dave_moeller]

Speaking as a Nikon user for the last 20 years, and a Canon user for the last two years (and still a Nikon user as well), my advice would be to stick with Pentax cameras. Seriously.

 

Pentax made some of the best lenses ever, especially their fast primes. There are plenty of Pentax bodies out there that will meet your needs. And if you think digital is in your future, remember that you can use your Pentax manual focus lenses on a Pentax *ist. (I can't use my Nikon manual focus lenses on most Nikon digital bodies unless I want to give up metering...Pentax wins hands-down for the usability of old manual focus glass on the newest digital bodies.)

 

Unless there is something in the lens line of another manufacturer that you absolutely cannot live without, then I really believe you'll be happier in the long run if you keep the stuff you have and add a body that will meet your other requirements. There's no magic to a Nikon or a Canon camera or their lenses...the pro's loved 'em because they had extensive lens lines that included exotic items that 99.999% of the population never needed and you could rent equipment everywhere. But millions of amazing photographs have been taken with Pentax cameras, and millions more will be made with them in the future.

 

As an example of why I'd say to stick with the Pentax: A few years back I got together with some friends to compare fast 50mm lenses from as many major SLR and rangefinder manufacturers as we could gather together. All of the lenses were great...but in a blind test the Pentax was the almost unanimous choice of those involved. The lens was better wide open than the others, and the transition to the out of focus areas was smoother and more pleasing. Now understand that the differences were very, very small, and that none of us could tell which picture came from which lens until we looked at what was written on the back of the prints...but the Pentax glass was ever-so-slightly better than the best that Canon or Nikon had to offer. This isn't to say that the Pentax lenses are always the best...but in my experience it's never the worst. (If I could go back 20 years knowing what I know now, I'd have started off with Pentax rather than Nikon. I love my Nikon and some of the glass is truly amazing...but the Pentax would have saved me a lot of money and I'd have been just as happy.)

 

OK...enough rambling for now...the Pentax system is great and well worth sticking with if you want to expand your horizons. Those are my thoughts...and they're worth exactly what you paid for them.

[larrydressler]

To keep this can of worms in check. A Vivitar camera made by Chinon but if you want to go Autofocus and still use all those great lenses. Well a Vivitar..... and forget the autofocus.