Suggestions...what else?

[LoudPicture]

So i had joined the forum a few monthes ago after my pentax ME super broke. I posted asking what everyones advice was where i should go, some said to stay with film and keep going, and others said to switch to digital. So, i took it from there and decided that i would go digital. I still had two perfect lenses from the me super (50mm, and a 120mm) and thought that it might be handy if i was to buy a pentax camera. So i came back, posted again, and mostly everyone said to keep them and buy a pentax SLR. I sat down with myself that night, thought about it for a bit, and then made the decision to sell the two lenses...boy was that stupid. See, had i sold the two lenses for a decent amount of money, i wouldnt feel bad about it, but nope, KHE offered $115 for the two, and i took it :mad2: . *sigh*. Well, i sat around for a few monthes, started using my mothers Canon A95, and figured that ill stick with it until i finally make my decision. Well, now that i find myself using the Manual function on the camera everytime i turn it on, i figure...its time. Anyway, to get on with it, ive really narrowed it down to two choices; the pentax *IST dl, or the nikon d50; The two low budget dslrs out right now. I took a look around and found a meer $80 dollar difference between the two (both kits at $470 [pentax] and $550 [nikon] both at reputable dealers). The camera will be used for multiple things, from sports photography to portraits and so on. Ive used the nikon at stores before and i absolutly loved it, it was very solid and so on, however, i have not yet used the pentax. The nikon i dont really have any concerns about, there is no lack of reviews on the camera, but the pentax is a has a different situation. From the few reviews that i found, i got the vibe that the camera isnt really great for sports photography, and that it is really small. Exactly how small is this camera? If one of our users who owns this camera would be willing to take a photo of the camera with them holding it so that i have an idea, that would be great.

Now comes the question for the parents on this forum: Being a high school student, I dont have a steady income that would support buying a camera, so my soul dependancy is my parents. Now, how exactly do i bring a conversation to the dinner table suggesting that my parents support my photography addiction with $400 something odd dollars?

So, to the people that took the time to read this, thanks, and the people who decided to reply, thanks even more. :thumbsup:

_dan

[mwfanelli]

So i had joined the forum a few monthes ago after my pentax ME super broke. I posted asking what everyones advice was where i should go, some said to stay with film and keep going, and others said to switch to digital. So, i took it from there and decided that i would go digital. I still had two perfect lenses from the me super (50mm, and a 120mm) and thought that it might be handy if i was to buy a pentax camera. So i came back, posted again, and mostly everyone said to keep them and buy a pentax SLR. I sat down with myself that night, thought about it for a bit, and then made the decision to sell the two lenses...boy was that stupid. See, had i sold the two lenses for a decent amount of money, i wouldnt feel bad about it, but nope, KHE offered $115 for the two, and i took it :mad2: . *sigh*. Well, i sat around for a few monthes, started using my mothers Canon A95, and figured that ill stick with it until i finally make my decision. Well, now that i find myself using the Manual function on the camera everytime i turn it on, i figure...its time. Anyway, to get on with it, ive really narrowed it down to two choices; the pentax *IST dl, or the nikon d50; The two low budget dslrs out right now. I took a look around and found a meer $80 dollar difference between the two (both kits at $470 [pentax] and $550 [nikon] both at reputable dealers). The camera will be used for multiple things, from sports photography to portraits and so on. Ive used the nikon at stores before and i absolutly loved it, it was very solid and so on, however, i have not yet used the pentax. The nikon i dont really have any concerns about, there is no lack of reviews on the camera, but the pentax is a has a different situation. From the few reviews that i found, i got the vibe that the camera isnt really great for sports photography, and that it is really small. Exactly how small is this camera? If one of our users who owns this camera would be willing to take a photo of the camera with them holding it so that i have an idea, that would be great.

Both cameras are excellent. The Nikon gets more buzz because there are more Nikon users out there. Sports photography can be taken by any camera. I got some great sports shots with my little Canon S400. Photography depends almost completely on the photographer, not the equipment. Both cameras do very well regardless.

I like the Pentax because it is small, light, and has the largest selection of lenses around. Nikon does OK but their lenses are not always compatible, you have to look them up to see what works. Go to a store and play with the Pentax, see if you like it. If you don't, go for the Nikon. Also, take a look at the Canon 350D. You might like that one better than the other two.

[LoudPicture]

Well, i looked at the 350D, it seems really great and all, but, its pushing the line a little bit budgetwise.

[zrfraser]

They are both great cameras and will suit you well as you learn more about photography...about the money issue. I suggest you look into getting a part time job. Right now you are out of school for te summer and you could easily get a simple part time job and rake in $150 a week. Mow lawns, paint houses, it doesn't matter. This will show your parents that you are stepping up to the plate and willing to help out. This will in turn probably impress them and they might help you out. The best plan is they match whatever you save for a given amount of time.

Say you work for month bagging groceries. Minimum wage is $5.15/hr. Say you work 15 hrs a week. 15x$5.15=77.25 a week x's 4 weeks=$309. IF you can get your parents to match that would be 618 in a month. That would be enough to buy any one of those cameras. Then you would need some memory cards and you can get SD cards at office depot for $20 (they're having a sale).

You're young and have no bills right now so take advantage of it. Your parents might help you out, but they have to see that you are serious about your hobby.

Z