jjwoolls

I have a Pentax K100D and I was looking at getting a 2x Converter. Pentax Rear

Converter-A 2x-S is the one that I have found and I was wondering if it is a

good choice or if I would be making a mistake picking it up. The price is about

60 dollars, which seems reasonable to me. Is there a better option? If there is,

does it cost substantially more. What features would I not be able to use on my

camera with this lens? Thanks for all the help.

Well, I suppose this could all be speculation too. But the way it sounded as if it was a done deal. I have done a little research on the web and can find nothing else about it though. I am still interested in how this will affect peoples decisions and actions. From my past experience with mergers, they are usually a good thing. It will give Pentax more financial leverage. Better advertising, the ability to focus on camera development and production, etc.... I guess only time will tell. I am still happy with my decision.

I was just watching CNN and it seems that Hoya has officially bought Pentax....

I really do not think this will affect me negatively, but I was wondering does

this affect our pro's? In a good way or a bad way?

Well, it finally came. 24 days. Not the fault of the retailer though, things always take more than 2 weeks to get here, even packages that are mailed overnight.

When I received the camera, the first thing I did was read the manual. It says several time that Rechargeable CR V3 Batteries should not be used. :( Oh well, looks like I will find something else.

I E-Mailed Pentax's technical support about the Rechargeable CR V3 batteries, and this is the response that I received.

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

Thank you for contacting Pentax.

 

You can use regular CR-V3 batteries, but we dot recommend using the rechargable type. The reason is that when the batteries are fully charged, they provide plenty of power, but when the power starts to decrease, it spikes at a rate that could damage the camera's electrical circuits. Thank You

 

Sincerely,

Jonathan Greene

Pentax Imaging Technical Support

 

Well, it looks like I will be sending back the batteries that I did order (Unless I can find another use) and going with something else.

 

Thanks Bryan for pointing that out.

 

Still waiting on the camera...........

Well, I was disappointed to hear that the CR V3 batteries would not work in the K100D because I unfortunately already purchased them. I had done some research to make sure they would work with my camera before I made the purchase though, so I was a bit surprised to find that out. In the K100D user manual it does not say that they are not supported. It does say that CR V3 batteries are supported, but unfortunately it says nothing about the rechargeable batteries (http://www.pentaximaging.com/products/product_details/digital_camera--K100D/reqID--7717476/subsection--digital_slr). I have submitted an E-Mail to Pentax for clarification. The last thing I want to do is to damage my camera. I will post back when I hear back from them.

Alright. You all have been wonderful.

 

I finally decided everything that I would need and I did a little comparison shopping. Unfortunately for me, the fact that I live on a military base made my shopping a little easier. First stop was 17th St (They seemed to have the best prices) but unfortunately they do not ship to APO addresses. Something about the reliability or lack thereof of the USPS. Next stop B & H reasonable prices and reasonable shipping. Last stop was Adorama, even better prices but they will only ship via Super-Extrodianry-Express mail to an APO address and it would have cost me almost $100 dollars in shipping. I could have had it mailed to my mothers address and sent here, but........ So, B & H it was.

I got just about everything that was recommended. I spent more than I intended, but someone here convinced me that cameras are an investment and I could always resell it if I just didn't use it much. All in all, it looks like I am set for now. I have everything that I need...... except experience. Oh, and the camera (gotta love the efficiency of our government).

I wanted to thank all of you for your advice, especially Justin and Michael. I will be sure to share some of my photos from China when I get back.

 

Joshua Woolls

Ok, I really appreciate the quick and complete responses I have received thus far. However this has led me to the point where I will ask some more questions.

 

Scott:

Much Appreciated. The high capacity cards are an interesting option and I may switch to them one day, but I think for now I will stick with the 2GB cards. It seems that I can get 2 2gig cards for less than the price of one 4G card and the thought of having several different cards appeals to me. I was unaware that the ball head tripods are better for photography. I am glad that you pointed that out and I will be sure to look for that. In fact, I think I will get the little ultrapod 2 for now. I am going to be doing a lot of walking and portability and versatility are appealing now. I will probably be getting a good tripod later...... but for now that will do. you also mentioned the 50-200mm Zoom. I see that there is a good rebate on them from Pentax right now, so it seems like a good option to me. Someone later mentions that if i do not get into this I can always resell it on eBay. Seems reasonable to me. Thanks for the info.

 

Mike:

The Lens is an "A" model, which gives both the option of manual and auto control of the aperture, correct? (I am learning as I go here)Haha, if these aren't the lenses I need they were only 10 bucks a piece so it is a relatively cheap lesson learned.

As for the other stuff, Mirror Lockup, DOF preview, spot metering, etc.... It is exactly the type of information I was looking for. I don;t know what it really means yet, but at least I have an idea of the things I need to learn.

You also made me feel good about my decision to go with the Pentax. I loved the price and now I am confident that I have made the right decision.

 

Justin:

Point taken about the memory cards. The 80X cards are reasonably priced. From what I can tell the real limiting factor is going to be the camera. That ability to only take a few pictures in burst mode was one of the only things that did not appeal to me about the K100D, but I figure it is something that I will use very rarely anyway. I think I will prefer shooting landscape and architecture. Who knows though... Time will tell.

You (and some others) sold me on the ultrapod. For now I think that is all I will get. I am traveling fairly light to China and it seems like the perfect option.

Thanks for all the information. The pictures were a nice touch. I feel that joining an online community like this was a better idea than I even imagined it would be

 

Peter:

Haha, thanks for the warm welcome. Hopefully I enjoy photography as much as I think I will. If so, you will see me around a lot I am sure. Cable release? Looks like it is time to do some research.

Thanks for the info. As far as the lens, I think you sold me. The Pentax 50-200mm DA lens looks like the way I will go. The rebate right now is pretty good (although I lose out on $50 dollars of the rebate because I either jumped the gun on the buying of the camera, or drug my feet too much on the purchase of the lens.) and the thought of having only two lenses to drag around for almost all my shooting needs is appealing. Price seems to be reasonable and if I upgrade down the road there is always someone like me looking for deals on eBay. I'll look at it as an investment.

I will also look into a rocket blower. I have read several places that dust is one thing that you have to be careful of with any SLR and I may as well be prepared. With all of these extras though, I am glad I didn't break the bank with a more expensive body.

 

Andrew:

Thanks for reaffirming the thoughts on the memory card. Looks like 2gig is the way i am going to go. I also have other devices that do not have the HDSD capabilities and it will be nice to be able to use them in those devices if I want. Seems like it is more cost effective at the moment to get the 2Gig cards as well.

Ultrapod must be the way to go. Several people recommended it and my momma always taught me to listen to those that know.

Rechargeable batteries. Good idea and I am glad that you brought it to my attention. When I bought my Kodak easyshare 5 years ago I thought the fact that it had a rechargeable battery was a great idea, but when the batteries died halfway through my day a couple of times I started to think differently. The fact that the K100D uses AA batteries was actually a selling point for me. Never dawned on me that I could get rechargeable AAs and have the best of both worlds.

 

 

 

Wow, great advice so far. Looks like I am gong to pick up 2 2gig high speed SD cards. An Ultrapod. The Pentax 50-200mm DA lens. A rocket blower and a few more things.

 

But first......A few more questions.

 

1.) Rechargeble batteries are a great idea. Does anyone else have any input as to what I should look for. I am currently in Europe and like I said earlier I will be going to China, so I guess I need to pay attention to the power options of the charger.

 

2.) Do I need to get filters or polarizers(I really don't even know what a polarizer is)? Seems to me that some people think that they are bad because they get in the way of a good lens. Others feel that they are very good because they help protect the lens. If I do need them, is there anything that I should look for.

 

3.) I have noticed in several different forums that people really like the Pentax 16-45mm zoom. Is this a need, or just something I should look at down the road? If I do need it or want it, why? Is it really that much better than the kit lens that comes with the camera?

 

4.) Why prime lenses? I picked up a few because of the good price and I am looking to to play with the manual lenses for learning purposes. Are they really that much better? If so, which primes should I look for(especially for architectural photos)?

 

5.) Are there any online stores that people really recommend? I am a deployed soldier and I am currently located in a(safe) place that unfortunately has no access to.........anything other than the internet. I would like to get everything at one location(otherwise shipping will cost me more than the stuff I am buying), preferably reasonable prices and dependable.

 

Thanks again for all of the advice. Like I said, I am deployed right now, so it is impossible for me to walk into my local camera store and ask questions there. All of your information has been greatly appreciated.

 

Joshua

So, for years I have been wanting to upgrade from my point and shoot to a

DSLR. The entire time I have been looking at the Nikon systems (I wanted entry

level and they seemed to have everything I wanted at a reasonable price), but

when it came time to buy I decided to do a little research. The more research I

did, the more i liked the Pentax K100D. It has almost all the features I wanted

for a very reasonable price. I think the 2 biggest selling points for me were

the Shake Reduction and the backwards compatibility of lenses. That and I am

somewhat of a nonconformist and Pentax seems to have more of an underground

following.

Now that I have made the purchase I have some questions about other things I

will need.

1.) I know I need memory cards. I have two 512mb cards from my point and shoot

and they will get me through for a minute, but I am getting ready to take a trip

to China and I want to get some larger cards. Does the speed of the card matter?

I have done a lot of research on the net. I have been to Pentax's website and

read the manuals(Camera is still in transit) and all they say is to use SD

cards. Some sites have told me that cameras do not write fast enough to warrant

a high speed card, others have said that high speed cards make a big difference.

If anyone knows more, I would appreciate the input. Also, does brand matter? Is

there a difference in quality?

 

2.) I bought the kit that came with the 18-55mm lens because many people said

that it was a very decent lens, but one of the things that intrigued me about

the K100D was the compatibility with older lenses. I know that I could probably

shoot for months with the kit lens and have great fun and create some beautiful

photographs but I was wanting to experiment and have fun with my new camera so I

have picked up some lenses on eBay for very reasonable prices. I have the Pentax

28mm f/2.8, 50mm f/2.0 and the Vivitar 85-205mm f/3.8. Are there any other

lenses that I should be on the lookout for? I am looking for bargains, down the

road I will make bigger investments if the photography bug really catches me.

 

3.) I think I want to get a tripod because I am interested in doing some night

photography. I will be doing a lot of walking though, so I do not want anything

too big. Is there anything in particular to look for in a tripod?

 

4.) Is there anything that I should know? Honestly I have never used an SLR and

everything that I know comes from my Point and Shoot and research on the net.

 

5.) Thanks for any help and/or information.