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Backup For K10D


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I've been learning all about my K10D these last few weeks and am finally

getting to the point where I can say I might have a chance figuring out this

digital thing. I check here every day or so for new information and "Thanks

All!" for the tidbits I've picked up. Helps a lot.

 

Here's a few photos taken yesterday as my wife and I and our dogs went in

search of snow to play in. The dogs love it and my wife being Australian born,

grew up in Hong Kong is still working on it.

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Sorry, forgot my reason for the post in my excitement to share some photos. A local store has a few too many K100D bodies and are selling them off for quite cheap as they make space for the next generation of Pentax DSLR's. I've been thinking of picking one up.

 

I've seen many of you have other models (*ist, etc.) as well as K10D and thought I'd see your thoughts on what you find as a good backup in case the main machine goes down. I have plenty of film cameras around (Minolta SRT and Zeiss Ikon stuff) so I don't think I'd get a Pentax film but one never knows...

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Nice shots... love the dog... it's reassuring to know not all Pentaxians are... err.. cat people :)

 

I bought my K100d about 8 months ago to try out Pentax and recently added a K10d. I think they make a nice pair. And the K100d has a couple of advantages over the K10d. It's a bit better in low light, smaller lighter and uses AA batteries (I think a plus for travel)

 

Biggest down sides compared to the K10d to me are: a lot more is done in menus... less dedicated buttons and the SR is not as good; expect 1.5 maybe 2 stops from the SR on the K100d; where the K10d seems to delivers 2.5 stops from the SR. And other than a battery grip any thing you own/buy that for the K10d will work on the k100d. If the price is righ and you need a backup I'd say go for it. Right to me at this time would be about $350 for the body.

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Yes, the closeout prices on a K10D are tempting! But I like having a compact model as well as a full size one. Despite the fact the K100D is not a pro style camera, as it has many control settings in menues, it is a terrific camera. Although I prefer a pro style control setup, I don't find the K100D's controls troublesome. The fact that it does still have the advanced tools is great.

 

I love what Javier says! It goes against the grain, but the baby K does rock! Put a compact Limited lens on it for happy carrying. At $369 at Beach Camera, or $429 for the Super, it is a very good value. Its JPEG shooting quality is excellent, as is its higher ISO quality. Even If I get a K20D down the road, I might still get the Super as well myself.

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The ist D most resembles the K10D. Speed is an issue, but if you don't mind the slowness, the Ist D pretty much mirrors the K10D. But it's more compact, the build is really nice, and with an eagletec CF to SD adapter, there is no need to spend tons of money on CF cards.

 

2 eagletecs cost about $40 (maybe less) and you should have no compatibility issues, I'm using mine with 4 different brands of SD cards ranging from slow speed, to Extreme III.

 

Oddly, the Eagletec does not work on my D1H so I was forced to buy another 4GB of CF anyway.

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The larger advantage to having something smaller, is having something smaller.

 

Two K10D's are good, but there are times I prefer the size of a smaller body. The ist D or my Program PLus (my ist 35mm is now on it's way to a new home).

 

Unless you are shooting both side by side, having a smaller more compact backup is a nice thing.

 

And having a larger camera is also nice. I just noticed the other day that as nice as the ist D is in summer, in winter, I prefer the K10D with the larger size because handling the D with even light glove liners can be a challenge, shooting in manual helps (no need for AE-L, or EV comp).

 

Definitely a lot of reasons to choose various cameras.

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So, an update on the "Back-up" camera. Went back yesterday to see what was left of the "extra" K100D bodies. As luck would have it...None! He had sold all five in a day and a half. You guys head down to my local camera store and buy him out?? Nice buddies!

 

Anyways, I proceeded to talk him out of his last Pentax DSLR in stock. A K100D Super (sans 18-55mm lens, didn't want the lens). As it was the display model he was willing to part with it for the same price as the K100D (sort of, there was a lot of ?loosing my a__ on this one? kind of talk). A bunch of folks cashing in on the last of the stock, I guess.

 

It is a nice little camera when all is said and done. I agree with Justin concerning having a lighter camera for those times...like throwing in the back-pack. In the past for long hikes I have taken my Zeiss Ikon Ikonta folder as it's light, folds down to a very manageable size and has a fantastic bunch of pixels in it?s 6x6 memory card. But with only 12 shots per roll of 120 film one has to make every shot count. Or carry a lot of film.

 

I'd say that the K100D Super and a small standard prime or wide angle would be ideal for the back-pack. I find it feels a bit front heavy and unbalanced with my 16-45mm lens and not so much so with the 50-200mm.

 

The controls are a bit different but not so much so that it?s like learning a whole new system. Having learned (and still learning) about DSLR technique on the K10 the K100 seems rather simple. Not quite as intuitive (for me anyways) as the K10 but very manageable.

 

Yea Dave, I know it might be a luxury but I do quite a bit of semi-professional and/or volunteer work with an animal hospital, SPCA and so on so I have a need for something to save my a__ in case the K10D dies. At least with my film SLR stuff, I have half a dozen bodies so there is always a few if not all working at any one time. And I?m not ready to unload a bunch of money for the K20D (besides it doesn?t seem like that much of an upgrade, to my uneducated mind, to be worth a serious look. I very well could be wrong but I think I?ll wait for the K30D should there be one). And other than another K10D, this seems like a good compromise.

 

Good input guys. It?s interesting to see how others think on these matters.

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I don't know Michael. He could have been up to his eyeballs in that brown stuff but when I went in after work on the 3rd he said he had 5 in the storage room and when I went back on the 5th he had none. I have to say I only saw one so who knows....?

 

I'd like to pick up a nice limited but I think I'll play with what I have for a while. With my Minolta SRT 35mm film stuff I use the 35mm, 58mm and 24mm primes (in that order) the most so you might have just hit the mark with the 21mm Limited suggestion. That's why I like my DA 16-45mm, it covers my favorite range. But I'd like a little less weight and a little more speed...those two requests are mutually compatible for sure....I think?

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