Pentax or Canon

I am going to buy one or the other but cant decide between the $595 Pentax istDL and the $995 Canon Rebel XT. There doesn't seem to be much difference other than Pixels. I will be using it for family pictures and youth sporting events and doubt the 2 pixel difference would be noticed.

Any suggestions or recommendations or reasons I should choose the more expensive Canon over the Pentax?

Thanks

David

I recently looked at the Canon, the Nikon D50 and D70 and the Pentax *ist DL among others. I was purchasing the camera for my wife and she chose the Pentax. My choice was made because of price and the fact that it fit my wifes hands best of the ones we checked. However, I have had the chance to play with it also and even with my "large" hands...it is very comfortable. As for quality, between the cameras at this level...I can't really justify the extra $$$'s....The Pentax is a great camera...but so is the D50 at about the same cost. But then so are the D70, Rebel XT, Maxxum, Konica Minolta, etc. Best thing to do, is go down to your local camera dealer and play with each one before you make your final decision, because if the camera is uncomfortable for you, you'll never truly like it.
Ken

I really like the Pentax and Olympus DSLR's, the one thing that really turned me off about them was the availibility of lenses and accessories though. If you're going to be happy with just one or two lenses a you should be fine, if you think you might want a few primes you'll be SOL.

I should clarify my last statement. My experiance went like this, I was in the largest camera shop in San Diego when a guy walks in with a brand new Pentax, he says he's looking for a lens and the guy behind the counter says "I'm sorry we don't have any Pentax lenses that you'd be interested in. We just couldn't sell them fast enough to make any money." There are lenses out there, but you will most likely be limited to mail order or special order from a camera shop, you might not be able to try before you buy.

That may all change in the near future though, Pentax seems to have finally broken into the Digital market and a lot of people including myself really love their ergonomics. They have the most affordable DSLR on the market too which should at least get people started with a kit lens, maybe after plenty of bodies are out there they'll beef up their selection of updated lenses.

In the end it's down to how you feel about the camera.
How your hand fits it, the weight.
Also how it fits your needs, the greater camera system you're buying into with this investment.
The lenses in particular are going to be a far greater investment than the cost of the body - if you progress beyond the kit lens.

I'm based, I have a Canon 20D, 1D and 1DS.
yet I still spent more on lenses than those bodies !

Like others have said, your best bet is to go to a camera store and get your hands on them and see how they feel.

If you want to read some specifics on each of these models, check out the current (March) issue of Popular Photography & Imaging. It has a side by side shoot out between these two cameras, as well as the D50, KM Maxxum 5D and the Olympus Evolt E-500.

They comp. these cameras in 4 categories: 1. image quality, 2. ease of use, 3. control and 4. system flexibility.
This is how the article summed up these two cameras.

Image quality: XT #1, *IST DS2 #5.
Ease of use: XT #2, *IST 3
Control: XT #2, *IST #5
System flexibility: XT #1(tie with D50), *IST #4

Take all that info with a grain of salt and go get your hands on them and decide for yourself. :)

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