Pentax K10D or Nikon D80?

[bobbollinger]

I own neither Pentax nor Nikon lenses, so I will be buying into a new system

either way. The prices on these two bodies are comparable, but Nikon lenses

cost a little more than Pentax equivalents. Any suggestions to help me make

this decision? Thanks.

[ronald_moravec1]

They are comparable optically. I would buy one that will focus in the same direction as what you are used to doing IF you will use manual focus. Leica, Pentax and Canon go one way, Nikon another. Personally I can`t switch easily. It would be like moving the keys on the keyboard.

 

Also look at the range of offerings like wide zooms and macros to see if they sell the total range of what you want.

 

Nikon will offer better support and be in business longer.

 

I would want the image stabilization in the camera, not lens.

[harryo]

"Nikon will offer better support and be in business longer."

 

Why would you say this. Pentax has tradionally had great support and they have been in business for longer than Nikon.

 

I would look at the entire system and decide which suites you better. The new Pentax body is very interesting with it's weather sealing and built in IS. It's "pancake" lenses are also interesting, especially if you want a very light outfit. Nikon on the other hand has more experience with digital so it's offerings might be more refined. Either choice would produce excellent pictures.

[godfrey]

As a thirty-year user of Nikon film SLRs and lenses, I have a great affinity for the Nikon

System, but Nikon bodies from the 1990s until recently did not thrill me: I moved to

Canon EOS when I went to DSLRs.

 

I bought a Pentax *ist DS body and lens kit in January 2005, after using a Canon 10D and a

selection of Canon's higher end USM and L class lenses for a couple of years. I never had

any particular problems with the Canon gear but I found I just didn't like the renderings

their lenses provide as much as I had the Nikon System lenses (or my Leica RF gear).

Pentax lenses produce nicer rendering qualities, in my opinion, even if the *ist DS body

was a lower-end body than the Canon 10D. They're also smaller and lighter, easier to

carry about. The Pentax lenses produce results more alike to my old Nikkors and the Leica

RF lenses.

 

With the introduction of the K10D, my investment in Pentax lenses is increased in value.

The K10D body is more comparable to the Nikon D200 body than the D80 in features and

build quality, and most importantly with respect to the viewfinder. My brother bought a

D200 ... if I didn't own the Pentax lens kit I do now, that's the Nikon I'd buy.

 

But I prefer the Pentax K10D for its lenses, for the body features and ergonomics. The

prices for body and lenses are a little lower than the Nikon equivalents and, for my

purposes, the mix of available focal lengths and options is a touch better. (I generally do

not buy third party lenses and use mostly prime lenses in the 14mm to 135mm range.)

 

If I were a heavy telephoto user, the fast Canon long teles are exceptional and there are

more options in the Nikon range as well. Pentax is still ramping up to produce new lenses,

optimized and designed for the DSLR generation, and I expect they will be extremely good

as well ... there just aren't many of them available as yet, but they are on the road map for

the coming year (16-50/2.8, 50-135/2.8, 60-250 and other prime lens choices all coming

within the next 12 months).

 

What I'd recommend, since you're starting from scratch in either case, is to find a retailer

who has the equipment you're interested in on the shelf so you can feel how they work

with your hands. Given that all the gear is so evenly matched in quality, it's personal

preferences like this that become the real decision point.

 

Godfrey

[steven_moseley1]

Hi,

 

"Nikon will offer better support and be in business longer"

 

This is complete supposition and has no basis in fact whatsoever..

 

cheers Steve.

[frank_skomial]

You need to do your own analysis in detail feature-by-feature, and you will come up with decision what is more valuable to you.

 

As stated already, Nikon has better selection of third party lenses, but then how many lenses do you intend to get ? Nikon iTTL/CLS flash system is great, but I do not know what Pentax offers recently.

 

Best is to spend some time with both cameras in a good photography equipment vendor shop, or rent them.

[howard_slavitt2]

There's a user's review of the Pentax K10D on the Fred Miranda alternate digital forum by

someone named Herb Chong, I think. He's a longtime Pentax user. His review is not very

favorable. I'd read it before I chose the Pentax K10D.

[sfcole]

I just got into a Pentax system (k100d), but if I could afford it, I would have gone Nikon or

Canon. Pentax is a perfectly good system, but if you look around, you might be frustrated by

the lenses and accessories out there. In everything from flash to 3rd party lenses to

underwater housings, there is a lot less for Pentax. Their own lens line is limited, and what

there is is often backordered now. My Pentax is good for what I do, but if I had $ or were a

pro, I'd stick to Canon or Nikon.

[dbcooper]

My 2 cents: the long-term investment in any system will be in the lenses. Nikon has a hands-down better record of backward-compatability and variety of lenses, meaning that it's likely you can move your lenses to a newer camera body for some time to come. That can save some serious money, if that's a concern. I used Pentax cameras back when they had 'Honeywell' on the name plate (anyone remember when the Spotmatic was 'in'?), and curently use a Nikon D70s, and they've both done everything I've asked them to do within their design limits. I can't see Pentax leaving the camera market any time soon, and I'm sure that if they're serious about getting a bigger share of the DSLR market, they'll make high-quality gear. But I don't envision them being a market innovator, and can't for the life of me think of any 'classic' Pentax lenses that hold any value, either financially or in terms of usefulness on a current camera. So for my money, I'd get the Nikon, but why aren't you including Canon in this hunt, especially if you're starting on the ground floor with the glass?

[twmeyer]

compare lenses... t

[fred_c1]

>Nikon has a hands-down better record of backward-compatability and variety of lenses

 

Surely you mean Pentax.

 

Unlike Nikon who deliberately disables metering with older lenses on the D80 and cheaper bodies, all Pentax DSLRs offer metering with all M42 (via a cheap adapter) and K mount (all variety) lenses.

[godfrey]

Herb Chong is a disgruntled Pentax user who predicted that Pentax would be out of business

and complained that he spent too much money on Pentax lenses. He switched brands.

 

I wouldn't put much faith in the credibility of any review he presents.

 

Godfrey

[rcoder]

Even as a Nikon D70 shooter, I've been very tempted to switch for the K10D body -- all I really care about from the D80 feature list is the slightly larger, brighter viewfinder, and the Pentax adds image stabilization and weather seals.

 

If I were starting from scratch today, I'd have a hard time deciding on a brand, and would probably use the same metric I did when buying my D70: pick up the most durable, affordable body that's available in the used inventory of my local camera shop.

[dbcooper]

Gee, I thought my comment was nice, and fair at that. Fred, I'll stand by my comment. My understanding is that all Nikon lenses from 'AI' (1977) forward will work on current DSLRs, albeit with impaired metering function with some lenses. Only (manual-focus) AI, AI-S and E lenses totally lose internal metering function with only D70/D70s, D50 and D80 cameras (but they will otherwise work fine), and you lose TTL on-camera flash distance readings with all the lenses marked 'AF', but Nikon speedlights will perform this function, if this is important to you. This is all without ANY adapters - just put 'em on the camera. There is no way Pentax has EVER produced the variety of lenses Nikon has in 35mm or digital SLR sizes. Oh yeah - you can't use any lenses made for the F3AF camera on any current Nikon, but they were Nikon's failed first attempt at autofocus, and I've never seen one outside of a camera show.

[fred_c1]

There is no need for ANY adapter if a K mount (any variety including manual focus) lens is used on any Pentax DSLR.

 

Again, you have metering for ALL Pentax-mount lenses, MF or not. True, Nikon made tons of SLR lenses but if you count them from 1959, most of them have been manual focus. Nikon has many strong suits, but compatibility is clearly not one of them. There are incompatibilities even within the AF system, UNLIKE Canon. This information is easily found on the net, including Nikon's official sites. I'm just stating the ugly truth as a humble Nikon user since the late 1970s.

 

Besides, you have to be a serious pro to need and afford that kind of lens variety. Somehow I don't think Bob's gonna need that.

[bobbollinger]

Thanks, everyone, for your opinions. I don't reasonably foresee a need to own the extensive lens catalog of Nikon or Canon, and I have put Canon on the back burner because I have not identified a Canon body I really like--I guess the 30D would be the logical choice but the new XTi is worth considering. The Pentax appeals to me because of the seals, the internal IS, the 10 MP, and the good lenses. Godfrey, your comments about the rendering of the Pentax lenses are very helpful. I guess it really does boil down to personal preference. I will go to a store and handle the Pentax, the Nikon (D80 and D200) and the Canon and go from there. Thanks again to all of you. BB

[robert goldstein]

If Pentax has high quality lenses in the focal lengths that you desire, what advantage is there to Nikon, just because they have more lenses in other focal lengths? If you're like most photographers, you will only use a handful of lenses and have no need to fill your cabinet with extra gear.

 

With the introduction of the K10D, Pentax have shown that they can and will compete with the big boys. I expect this camera to be a big success, although it will hardly make a dent in Canon's and Nikon's total share of the DSLR market.

[chetan_dighe]

Hi,

 

First post needs relevant introduction - chetan from mumbai, been using slr for past 15 years, always learning (sophisticated way of justifying your mistakes ;-) ).

 

I own a few pentax k mount lenses (all manual focus), so was waiting for a long time for pentax to come up with a good (price and specs) DSLR. Now with K10D, I don't need to wait any longer.

 

Today, when I went to pick up the k10d body, I tried all my MF lenses (pentax 50/1.4 and 24/2.8, ricoh 28-105/2.5-4.x, tamron 28-200/3.5-5.6, all giving great results on my pentax and cosina bodies), none could focus correctly. Body showed error F. The image formed thru the viewfinder was always hazy, whatever we did. We tried another body (K100D), but had the same result. Both bodies worked properly with the kit lenses.

 

Question : Assuming that pentax claim of any K mount lens made in the past 30 years fitting these bodies is correct, are there any specific settings to allow MF lenses to focus correctly? I remember when I bought the tamron 28-200 two years ago, I had to try a few adaptall mounts before I could get the infinity focus right.

 

Thanks in advance, -- Chetan

[don_e]

Bob, I'm in a similar position, buying a dslr, my first. I own an FZ30 with a 35-420mm equiv. zoom. Most of the exposures are at less than 150mm. I feel a need to go wider than 35, maybe 28 or 24. Shooting the available and existing light is kind of a religion with me, so compatibility some accessories is not an issue.

 

 

 

Since each make has the lenses I need and because I am unconcerned about lighting accessories, means my choice will depend on the viewfinder and 'ergonomics', including manual operation -- what camera seems smoothest and most natural to me in use. That means a trip to the big city and working them until the choice becomes obvious.

 

--

 

Don E