Nikon d80/Pentax K10D

[wpb]

I am in a quandry and am hoping that someone that isn't looking to make a sale and has some knowledge can give me some insights. I have shot with film SLR's (Minolta and Nikon) for many years. I went Digital with the Nikon 5700 3 years ago, but am now ready to spend the bucks for a DSLR. I was all set to get the Nikon D80 and then I saw the Pentax K10D. The Pentax looks like a better camera for the money, but is it? I have no experience with Pentax and haven't been able to lay hands on the K10D. I do not like the kit lens, or any of the Pentax lenses because of the zoom range. Tamron makes one that has exactly the range I am looking for 18-135mm. The down side of this combination is that I know nothing about Tamron lenses in general and nothing about this particular lens, and I don't know where to look. If you are serious about photography and have experience with Pentax or Tamron lenses I would like to hear what you have to say.

[deckcadet]

Pentax isa great company that makes great cameras- but you without a doubt must consider the lens, flash, and accessory systems above the camera- a good camera is never worth it without a good lens.
You can find some Tamron lens reviews here in our review section.

Tamron makes decent lenses, there are one or two really excellent ones, a few good ones, and some mediocre and poor ones too.
Pentax makes some nice lenes too, but some of the best are more specialized and may not be what you're looking for.

Nikon has one of the most extensive lines out there and the consumer lenses are of very good quality.

If you feel that either system will suit you well, then move on to the body consideration: the main one being how does it fit you.

[trog100]

"The Pentax looks like a better camera for the money, but is it"

without going into too much detail.. yes i think it is a better camera for the money.. and both tamron and sigma produce some very nice lenses for it.. plus u can use all the old legacy lenses.. cheap and fun to play with even if some of them are duds..

trog

ps.. "the main one being how does it fit you".. yes.. but it has to fit and your wallet as well.. going the pentax way would fit more wallets than going the nikon way..

[Photo-John]

Pentax makes great glass, including their wonderful pancake lenses. I am very excited about the K10D and think it offers something completely different for people looking to buy a digital SLR. The combination of weatherproofing and built-in image stabilization should make for a great camera. I am looking forward to getting a chance to try one.

[lagerhead]

I have almost the exact situation that wpb has: I was struggling between the Canon 30D & Nikon D80 (or maybe, the D200) until I stumbled across the Pentax 10D. Now I'm really confused & scared to pull the trigger on either of the cameras. The Pentax seems like a very good value....a lot of bang for the buck. I like the in camera stabilization & weatherproofing. A local Wolf Camera had one in & I was able to hold it & feel it: it feels more solid & sturdy than the K100, and the controls at first glance seem intuitive & well thought out. I'm really drawn to the Pentax. I've shot solely with Canon since the early 80's, but don't have any lenses that will necessarily keep me in the Canon camp. I was actually leaning towards the Nikon D80 before I saw the K10D.

I'm into just about every style of photography, macro, landscape, fine art, candid people shots, sports, etc.

My quandry is this: I have no Pentax equipment & after making a hefty investment of $2000 or more in a few nice lenses, what happens 5 or 8 years from now when it's time to replace or upgrade the camera body? Will Pentax still be around, or will they still be making DSLRs? I know Nikon & Canon aren't going anywhere, but neither of these two behemoths have a camera with the benefits of the Pentax 10D, as far as I can tell.

And, will Pentax ever make a "pro" DSLR, or could the K10D be considered a bottom end pro camera?

I've been struggling with this for about a month now, & would appreciate any advice.

[cyberlord]

lagerhead,

See my reply to your post on same subject in the DSLR forum.

Tim

[cyberlord]

The Pentax looks like a better camera for the money, but is it?

Yes, when U add "for the money". It's probably worth buying at a higher price. The retail price on a DL (my camera) is higher than when I purchased it. Figure that one out! The quality of the camera is not in question, they make solid cameras with a solid feel (composite over metal) that balance well even with a 75-300 zoom on front.

I do not like the kit lens, or any of the Pentax lenses because of the zoom range.

The Pentax kit lenses are far superior to Canon's kit lens. I can't speak for Nikon's kit lens, but I believe it is as good.

Tamron makes one that has exactly the range I am looking for 18-135mm. The down side of this combination is that I know nothing about Tamron lenses in general and nothing about this particular lens, and I don't know where to look. If you are serious about photography and have experience with Pentax or Tamron lenses I would like to hear what you have to say.

I bought my camera with the 18-55kit lens and a Tamron 75-300LD macro. Both are great casual lenses with minor deficiencies at the extreme ends of the zoom and aperature (as is with most zooms). All in all Tamron is a fine lens maker. I have heard (rumor mill as it is) that most of the major lens manufacturers use the same glass anyway made from a few select glass makers in Japan. I'm not sure on the time period that this statement was made so it may not be true in todays market. The webpage I read that on seemed to be reputable and the author knowlegable. He had toured the lens and glass factories. Anyway, take that for what it's worth.

Pentax glass, the high end stuff, is amazing. I don't know why more people don't know about it. All you hear about is how good Nikon glass is if you ask anyone. A little secret, the second hand market for used pentax glass is taking off with the onset of the Pentax DSLR boom. I have been following it since I bought my DL and prices are close to 2 times what they were a year ago. I'm still scrounging pawn shops looking for glass. I may have to go the e-bay route here soon, if it's not too late already.

If you are not into the used lens scene, then the limited series of lenses are excellent. Go find some pentax only galleries and look at the photos. They will amaze you. If only I could afford one of those. :drool:

Hope this helps,

Tim

[danag42]

The advantage of the K10D is that you can still use lenses going all the way back to the M42 screw mount. There are some real gems floating around.

Pentax made the first 35mm SLR, the first behind-the-lens meter, the first instant-return mirror, and so on. They're not going anywhere anytime soon.

They make optics for medical equipment, CCTV cameras, telescope optics, rifle scopes, and so on. I think they're going to be around for a long time.

[benjikan]

"The Pentax looks like a better camera for the money, but is it"

without going into too much detail.. yes i think it is a better camera for the money.. and both tamron and sigma produce some very nice lenses for it.. plus u can use all the old legacy lenses.. cheap and fun to play with even if some of them are duds..

trog

ps.. "the main one being how does it fit you".. yes.. but it has to fit and your wallet as well.. going the pentax way would fit more wallets than going the nikon way..

I have used everything from Canon to Bronica to Sinar to 'Blad and now to Pentax. The Pentax I started with years ago at architectural school was the K1000 and during my career as a commercial photographer I have used the Pentax 645's and 6x7's. I love the HMC coating. I have just started to use the Limited Edition Pancake lenses of which I have 3. The 21, 40 and 70. They look rather strange on my K10D bodies especially with the grip. They are tiny. They remind me of the Leica Lenses. Very sharp, good contrast and lovely Bokeh. They are quite sharp wide open and stopped down a couple of stops simply amazing.