Newbie dispear :)

[blawrie]

Hi all,

Firstly let me thank you for tolerating my idiot newbie questions, I will embarrass myself I am sure, so please bear with me

I am have a complete nightmare trying to choose my first dSLR. My intention is to migrate up through camera's, but in the first instance to start off with an entry one. It seems the world of camera makers is against me as they seem to insist upon replacing the product line up every five minutes

So, I have narrowed my choices down after reading countless reviews to a small selection of cameras after reading a number of reviews. Each has its own merits and are all reasonably similar price.

So here's my selection:

Pentax K100D - Has a stabilisation system, seems to be touted as a very good camera for beginners, and accessories seem cheap. On the other hand, the sensor is 6.1mp which seems low in comparison. I so worry it will be shortly usurped.

Nikon D40x - Seems to have some very furvant users who sear by it. As i understand it, its quite little (not so good as i have big hands) and there is some speed issue or another. Some lenses seem not to be AF either.

Canon EOS 400D - This camera would appear to be very prolific. I have not read many reviews on this, and some people seem to dislike it immensely. Accessories are expensive in comparison, and the camera is at the upper limit of my price range.

Well thats what I've got, happy for any opinions there might be, and thanks again

- Benjamin

[reverberation]

Looks like a great list of cameras. Going with a pentax k-mount would enable you to use a wider number of lenses as you could use older lenses with the camera as well as newer ones. When you moved up to a 10 megapixel dslr (the K 10D) you could use all the same lenses. I personally would skip a 6 megapixel camera and get a 10 megapixel. Just some thoughts, you might even check local thrift shops to grab a 35mm film slr real cheap to shoot with while saving for the dlsr.

[Photo-John]

Unless you are particularly attracted to the Canon or Nikon systems, I would encourage you to buy a DSLR with built-in image stabilization, like the Pentax you mentioned, or a Sony or Olympus. I've been using Canon cameras for years and own a 400D. But for people who aren't already invested in Nikon or Canon, I think built-in image stabilization makes the other cameras a very good choice. It means you'll get more usable photos with less effort. I also don't think resolution (megapixels) is as important as a lot of camera companies and photographers would have us believe. I shot with and sold photos from a 6-megapixel camera for years. Sure, newer cameras are better. But that doesn't make an older, lower resolution camera bad. And it's almost always better to invest in lenses than a new camera.

So, I think the K100D is a fine choice. I used the K10D for a few weeks and I think Pentax is making great cameras right now. Actually, I think all of the current digital SLRs are very good. It's just choosing the right one for you that's important. Make sure to take a hard look at all the systems and try each camera on for size. You are concerned about larger hands. My hands aren't small and camera size is never something that makes a difference to me. In fact, I like smaller, lighter cameras because they're easier to carry and travel with. So consider your real needs and how you'll be using the camera. It may be that portability is more important than how the camera fits your hands.

I hope that helps. Feel free to ask more questions. Newbie questions aren't a problem. We were all beginners at one time and there are no stupid questions. We're here to help :-)

[blawrie]

thanks both for your replies

You both mention the k10 there, is there a large difference between the k100d and the k10 other than the resolution?

[Frog]

side by side comparison at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/comp..._k10d&show=all

[Photo-John]

side by side comparison

Thanks for that, Frog. But did you know you can see a side-by-side comparison here, too?

http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...737&catID=3127

In fact you can compare any set of cameras in the same category by going to the category page and checking the compare boxes and then clicking on the compare link.

[Frog]

:blush2: Nope. Didn't know but now that I do I'll use it.

[fx101]

I only recently have had a chance to shoot a K10d and I must say its quite impressive, apart from being quite the light one. I have not shot the K100d, although I think for the 100'ish difference you might as well just go for the K10. Resolution is great, colours are respectable (require a tad more tuning than nikon or canon) and the one feature that amazed me was built in VR. I have long been a skeptic of in camera VR, thinking that it would be inferior to the lens VR, but I have to say I'm not so sure anymore. I have not shot with one of the larger Pentax telephotos (i.e. larger than 300mm) to verify the true power of the VR, but with a 80-200 (f2.8 I believe) zoom lens I shot, the VR worked as well as with any Nikon or "L" class Canon lens with VR I've used. I would say the VR might tempt you to go for the Pentax line, and I would suggest it over the Canon 400D. Have you considered the Nikon D80? If you are considering the D40x, the difference to the D80 is not enormous, and you gain considerable improvements. Take a look at it.