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Pentax *ist DL

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bushwhacker

bushwhacker

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I would take my time before buying a digital camera. I am also a professional photographer and before you buy, you should determine what the purpose of the camera will be for. What will you want to photograph, where, etc. A slr is very bulky esp on a motorcycle. Research indicates that the smaller the camera, the more it is used. sometimes the cameras with the interchangeable lenses are heavy and cumbersome and often stay in the case, esp., if you are on the go......i would be more than happy to advise you further......Mark
 
I would also get a least a gig. of memory for the card, esp if you are going to use the camera and use settings for the best quality of image possible.
Good luck and let me know if i can be of any help., Mark
 
mittleman@houston.rr.com said:
I would take my time before buying a digital camera. I am also a professional photographer and before you buy, you should determine what the purpose of the camera will be for. What will you want to photograph, where, etc. A slr is very bulky esp on a motorcycle. Research indicates that the smaller the camera, the more it is used. sometimes the cameras with the interchangeable lenses are heavy and cumbersome and often stay in the case, esp., if you are on the go......i would be more than happy to advise you further......Mark
Click to expand...

My current main camera is an old Minolta Maxxum 8xi w/35-105 zoom. So the size of this one is actually diminutive by comparison.

I have had a couple of point and shoot digitals but was not happy with them. I recently (a year ago) got a Minolta Z3 and it is ok but I just prefer the heft and feel of an SLR and I hate automatic (push button) zoom. I just feel I have so much more control over the composition of the picture when I have my grubby little fingers on the zoom ring and can put it exactly where I want it. Plus, although I seldom use them I like the manual overides available on an slr (ie shutter preferred, aperture preferred, etc)

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I have this camera and it's typical Pentax good, all your old Pentax lens work, intuitive, low noise level through iso 800 etc...The one thing you might consider is that it has no anti-shake feature as more & more dslrs are beginning to have..still a heck of a deal and the kit lens is a good one also...

T'sipper
 
I noticed it this weekend. Wolf has it and a lens w/ it for $400 after rebate.
Far a D-SLR that is a pretty good deal. Nothing wrong w/ Pentax. I shoot weddings so I went w/ a Canon 10D for Canon's line of accessories and support.

If you want a good D-SLR and not a pro, the Pentax would indeed be a very good deal. I have mucho luggage space so carrying it is no big deal on the bike.

Check out dpreview.com for and exhaustive review of the camera and owners comments.
 
The Pentax is quite small comparitavely speaking. Plus I have a few lenses with my MEsuper that has been around the block a few times.


This looks like a pretty good deal to me. Does anyone have a link to a review of this cam?
 
thats a sweet looking camera and after reading the review i like it even more...i am alos a fan of the hefty feel of the slr type cameras...i have a pentax me super and an sf7, a few lenses, and a bunch of filter to go with...i have always had fun taking trips with my cameras and looking for landscapes, sunsets, sunrises etc....time to get back out there again and take some pictures...i might even be interested in this one...
i agree that a small camera is more convienent on a bike, but this is definitely a nice camera..
so where did ya find it for 311$ after rebate..????..
 
Kind of hard to shoot when riding with your grubby fingers all over the camera. Apparently your not going to take any of those in motion shoots we see, as in my avitar :lol2:
 
That looks like a good camera, but I'm a Canon man through and through. I would be interested to know what the shutter lag is on it.
 
oldbmw said:
That looks like a good camera, but I'm a Canon man through and through. I would be interested to know what the shutter lag is on it.
Click to expand...

From Steve's digicam review -

Shutter lag, the delay between depressing the shutter and capturing the image, was 1/10 second when pre-focused, and between 2/10 and 8/10 second including autofocus time for a high-contrast subject, depending on the degree of focus change. Shot-to-shot delay averaged about 1/2 second without flash; the internal flash recycle time extended shot-shot delay to between 1 and 3.5 seconds, depending on subject distance. Continuous Shooting mode captured 5 shots at 2.5fps, with subsequent shots at 8/10 second intervals as the camera emptied its full buffer. It required ~5 seconds to write a buffer full of JPEG images to SD card before being ready to capture the next burst at full speed. The above times were observed using a SanDisk Ultra II 2GB SD memory card, 18-55mm kit lens, flash off, continuous AF, daylight lighting, 3008x2008 JPEG/Fine.
Click to expand...
 
mittleman@houston.rr.com said:
I would take my time before buying a digital camera. I am also a professional photographer and before you buy, you should determine what the purpose of the camera will be for. What will you want to photograph, where, etc. A slr is very bulky esp on a motorcycle. Research indicates that the smaller the camera, the more it is used. sometimes the cameras with the interchangeable lenses are heavy and cumbersome and often stay in the case, esp., if you are on the go......i would be more than happy to advise you further......Mark
Click to expand...

I'm in the market for a digital camera and I'm far from being a photographer, so I'd like some advice please. I've considered one of the Nikon D50 kits but it does seem a bit large for scooter duty. Right now I'm looking at Cannon Power Shot S2 IS, smaller than the D50 but still larger than most digital cameras. I'm open for advice.

Thanks,
 
V2 Roger said:
I'm in the market for a digital camera and I'm far from being a photographer, so I'd like some advice please. I've considered one of the Nikon D50 kits but it does seem a bit large for scooter duty. Right now I'm looking at Cannon Power Shot S2 IS, smaller than the D50 but still larger than most digital cameras. I'm open for advice.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

For compact Digitals try this article -

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6501_7-6513788-1.html

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I agree with Mittleman that you need to really consider what you will be shooting and how you will use the camera. SLR's can definitely be a hassle for everyday shooting if you carry multiple lenses. Unlike Mittleman though, I'm a professional "amateur". :mrgreen:

I have been using a Canon A60, 2 megapixel that I bought at Target for $200. I bought it as a point & shoot that I could just keep in my truck or motorcycle. I never expected much at all but it turned out to be one of the best cameras I've owned. The 2 mp was plenty for me since I could get tack sharp 8x10's out of it. I hate to admit it but I've abused the little camera something terrible and it just won't die. I have frequently used a Canon 520 and a Canon 620 with equally good results. However, the latter two didn't recycle nearly as quick as the cheaper A60. I've also used an Olympus 730 3.2 megapixel with a 10X optical zoom for a while now and it is a fabulous camera but a bit awkward to use with it's cumbersome menus and controls.

I swear by the Canon SLR's and have a chunk of money tied up with them. My only complaint with the small Canons is that the flash output on Macro shots is not very accurate and takes some fiddling. Sony's cameras are top notch for macro shots. I do a lot of closeups so this may not be an issue for some people.

A few of my personal opinions(your mileage may vary):

Don't spend a fortune on megapixels if you aren't going to do any prints larger than an 8x10. 2 has been plenty for me.

Look for optical zoom and ignore digital zoom. Digital zoom rarely holds sharpness.

XD and SD cards are really hard to handle if you are arthritic, have big hands or fat fingers. :lol2: Compact flashcards are really easy to handle...bigger.

Go to the camera store and hold several cameras. Some are poorly designed and aren't really comfortable to use. If you can't figure out most of the features without the manual then you might find youself with a camera where you have to grab the manual everytime you use it. Some are just darn confusing.

Don't be skimpy when it comes to flashcard size. A 256 meg is a good minimum. You don't want to be in a position to catch that once in a lifetime shot, only to have your camera say "Card Full".

You can't go wrong with Canon, Nikon, and Sony.

Just my opinions....I could be wrong.
 
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