550d fan looking for a good k-x-(plus)-accessories deal
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Ken Watanabe
New Member
TS, Love to welcome you to the Rebellion! I too was a fan of 500D. And I suspect many like us were fans of C & N simply due to lack of awareness of where Pentax currently stands. Hey, with all that advertisements running around for C & N versus none for Pentax, how to create mass awareness? But Pentaxians (I know at least one here...) don't pay for advertisements!! LOL
I did not take notice of K-x until my relative showed me his newly acquired baby back in Dec09... At that point, I really enjoyed handling the Kx but still at back of mind, there was always a doubt "but it's Pentax... Not C leh"..
DPR, before their recent new conclusion rating system, actually rated Kx higher than 500D in terms of IQ in their conclusion, and also comparable if not better within the detailed review in most aspects of IQ except resolution. But truly, I call that nit-picking... My own conclusion based on academic comparison was tt Kx was a more able camera-body.
But still I went to Canon showroom @Vivo to do a hands-on comparison...
1) 500D very plasticky.... although heavier than Kx. I think Kx build-wise is compact, well-balanced and sturdy for entry-level
2) 500D not as user-friendly in an intuitive way for 1st time user.
3) High ISO (expanded range) of 500D is more restrictive in its usage. Kx can set expanded range 12800 as upper limit auto, and also manual-specific.
4) I think the C kit lens produces poor IQ compared to Kx kit lens. based on pics I took in showroom.
I left showroom convinced Kx was indeed a better camera and (*bonus) incredibly cheaper!! I think the price gap is really all going to adverts lor!
I did not take notice of K-x until my relative showed me his newly acquired baby back in Dec09... At that point, I really enjoyed handling the Kx but still at back of mind, there was always a doubt "but it's Pentax... Not C leh"..
DPR, before their recent new conclusion rating system, actually rated Kx higher than 500D in terms of IQ in their conclusion, and also comparable if not better within the detailed review in most aspects of IQ except resolution. But truly, I call that nit-picking... My own conclusion based on academic comparison was tt Kx was a more able camera-body.
But still I went to Canon showroom @Vivo to do a hands-on comparison...
1) 500D very plasticky.... although heavier than Kx. I think Kx build-wise is compact, well-balanced and sturdy for entry-level
2) 500D not as user-friendly in an intuitive way for 1st time user.
3) High ISO (expanded range) of 500D is more restrictive in its usage. Kx can set expanded range 12800 as upper limit auto, and also manual-specific.
4) I think the C kit lens produces poor IQ compared to Kx kit lens. based on pics I took in showroom.
I left showroom convinced Kx was indeed a better camera and (*bonus) incredibly cheaper!! I think the price gap is really all going to adverts lor!
Ken Watanabe
New Member
But do note that when you get a SLR, it's pretty much the start of a relationship with the entire system.... lens, flash, bodies at next upgrade level etc. So ponder these questions if you have not...
EOS has the widest range of lens but would you use all of them? or even a rare obscure one that are out of Pentax system? There are also mount converters out there to convert Nikon/Canon to Pentax mount.
Pentax does not have a full-frame body to upgrade to. (think K7 & 645D) Only half-frames APS-C. Does that bother you? If you do not have any existing lens, it prob should not bother you too much.
C & N due to the huge population of users have higher chance of exchanging (borrowing) lens from friends/colleagues for adhoc usage.
Pentax was a late starter in DSLR arena... but you probably want to track their growth based on quality of their recent DSLRs. Even discounting the price advantage Pentax has, it is my belief Pentax has 'struck gold' or caught up in their DSLR technology around the time of the K7-Kx releases. So keenly awaiting Pentax's new releases...
Look fwd to have you in the Rebellion. (I think we are more like the 300!!! And NOT THE MASS OF BLACK ARMY!!! We minority, exclusive, special...)
Purchase stock-wise, can check SLR-R or Manly (Mr Quek). Price should be same.
EOS has the widest range of lens but would you use all of them? or even a rare obscure one that are out of Pentax system? There are also mount converters out there to convert Nikon/Canon to Pentax mount.
Pentax does not have a full-frame body to upgrade to. (think K7 & 645D) Only half-frames APS-C. Does that bother you? If you do not have any existing lens, it prob should not bother you too much.
C & N due to the huge population of users have higher chance of exchanging (borrowing) lens from friends/colleagues for adhoc usage.
Pentax was a late starter in DSLR arena... but you probably want to track their growth based on quality of their recent DSLRs. Even discounting the price advantage Pentax has, it is my belief Pentax has 'struck gold' or caught up in their DSLR technology around the time of the K7-Kx releases. So keenly awaiting Pentax's new releases...
Look fwd to have you in the Rebellion. (I think we are more like the 300!!! And NOT THE MASS OF BLACK ARMY!!! We minority, exclusive, special...)
Purchase stock-wise, can check SLR-R or Manly (Mr Quek). Price should be same.
Hi broChill, ya, bro?
It's the internet, sometimes the typewritten words get interpreted wrongly.
I'll tell you how some may have seen your first posting:
(1) Heart set on 550d ....... read as - since he gave no solid reasons, sounds like he's sold on the Canon brand already.
(2) According to dpreview, 550d IQ much better than K-x ....... read as - if he comes to this conclusion just from a preview, read together with (1), yup confirm sold on the Canon brand.
So many tell you to go buy Canon. And the internet being the internet, some words come out nicely, some more direct.
Your follow-up posts though now seem to show that you want to find out more and don't want to just jump on the Canon bandwagon. So, now you'll find your questions being answered rather than people telling you to go buy Canon.
.
I never lost my cool and took all comments either sportingly or constructively.No matter what they said,i'll take all pentaxians to be fellow buddies.
Wow, those brands instill instant phobia as they are very expensive.Is there a less-than-$100-tripod thread?
Since there is no cheap prime lens to start off with,i'll just stick to kit 1 or maybe even kit 2.
I am just a normal-holidaay-photographer who like to pics of frenz and family members in front of scenic background.Tats y a 50mm is a good buy for me.A canon(Absolutkev) bro recommended me in my other thread
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=658331&page=5
SD card? Many use Kingston with no problem. Seems like a batch recently had some problems (but complaints have died down already). If not comfortable, get SanDisk. 8Mb Class 4 seems to be the sweetest price point now. If you intend to shoot lots of video, dunno whether Class 6 better. As of now, I have heard no complaints about the speed of Class 4.
Filters and/or hoods for your lens? Do a search in our Pentax subforum. You'll see people using one or the other or both. Read up on the pros and cons and decide what's best for yourself. But if you get a UV filter, don't get the cheapo ones. Even a brand like Hoya has different levels/models. Get at least the mid-range ones (HMC?)
Maintenance? Get a blower (Giottos, AF Swiss are the better brands mentioned). For further cleaning, do a search again. Some use isopropyl alcohol and microfibre cloth. Some tell you don't. Use the special cleaning paper, lenspen. Whatever, go read and figure out for yourself. But I swear, sometimes, too much reading can get confusing!
Storage? Some say get dry cabinet immediately (small 36litre one just over $100), others say if you use equipment regularly, just leaving it in a well ventilated place like your bookshelf is fine. See who you believe and how kiasu you are.
Batteries? Pick up the Sanyo eneloops and charger. If you want a better charger, get the Maha branded ones. A longer charge time means a cooler battery and ultimately a battery that has a longer lifespan.
Bags? Go into the camera shops with lots of variety and choose one that you like lor.
I type too much liao. Happy hunting.
I'll get the sandisk class4 card and the sanyo eneloops battery.For cleaning i'll just stick to lens cloth for the moment.After using the cam i'll get the right cleaning kit.Is the filter and hood absolutely neccessary?can i go without one?
Dry cabinet,not sure yet.I start off with my asus backpack.
Thanks
enjoy
The canon 500D has many good qualities, so I dun think it is fair to blow it off. But pricing wise, you can never beat the value for moneyness of the k-x, and the IQ compared to 500D is because of the excellent kit lens that Pentax has managed to produced.
My friend actually bought the 500D kit, but didn't use his kit lens at all and bought a tamron 17-50mm f208. As this is a well renown lens, the picture quality is actually very sharp.
My friend actually bought the 500D kit, but didn't use his kit lens at all and bought a tamron 17-50mm f208. As this is a well renown lens, the picture quality is actually very sharp.
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watchthewaves
New Member
If you really must go below $100, check out Velbon and Fancier then. But I'd suggest that you give the $100+ to $200 tripods a try to and see how your cam feels on all of them. Take a look at the thread again, various brands mentioned, not just the expensive ones. Search for the other brands too in Clubsnap and read what people write.
Then the kit lens(es) will serve you fine as a start. Pentax kit lenses generally acknowledged to be good quality when compared to many other kit lenses. Have a look at night86mare's gallery.
Filter and hood? UV filter at best doesn't adversely affect image quality, at worst it will. It's for protection of the lens. Careful normal use, I believe filter not needed. Hood - cuts strays light so can improve image quality. Go ahead and use without hood first. Later, when you feel like trying, its only $20 or less.
Then ventilate. Store where there is air circulation instead of cooped up in a bag.
Ken Watanabe
New Member
Internal features-wise coupled with a comparable quality lens, I totally agree 500D is a very credible entry-level with many plus, in some aspects better than Kx (resolution, video, continuous fps etc.). Otherwise, I wouldn't have been an initial fan...
But practically in terms of external build quality and usability, I simply LOVE my Kx!:bsmilie:
kengoh
Senior Member
I thot 500D only 3.4fps while K-X is higher at 4.7fps?
Yup, 500D is slower than Kx in terms of Fps.
Anyways, if u still unsure then join us on our outing. We would love to assimilate...I mean show u the right of path. lol.
well, get a double kit lens. like 18-55 & 50-200(Only available in Black). At least it still doesnt hurt ur pocket. Plus point, u can still go wide or zoom ur cute neighbor...eh I mean zoom any birds flying...*sweat* . Dun follow me. I die2 wanna white color. So I bought single kit lens and add DA 50-200 together. Which total up to 1k+ *faint*
Dry cabinet, during the pre-IT Show, some online did a sale on them which is quite cheap. Like Aipo 30l from 180 down to 150. I bought the 40l which from 220 > 180(plus special discount I would not tell). its a good INVESTMENT.
Like the borg says to the trekkies, "Resistance is Futile, you will be assimilated" heh heh.
But seriously ah, u will be addicted. I started with two lens. Now in my dry cabinet...I got 8 Lens and 1 flash. And I just bought the camera last month... XD
Anyways, if u still unsure then join us on our outing. We would love to assimilate...I mean show u the right of path. lol.
well, get a double kit lens. like 18-55 & 50-200(Only available in Black). At least it still doesnt hurt ur pocket. Plus point, u can still go wide or zoom ur cute neighbor...eh I mean zoom any birds flying...*sweat* . Dun follow me. I die2 wanna white color. So I bought single kit lens and add DA 50-200 together. Which total up to 1k+ *faint*
Dry cabinet, during the pre-IT Show, some online did a sale on them which is quite cheap. Like Aipo 30l from 180 down to 150. I bought the 40l which from 220 > 180(plus special discount I would not tell). its a good INVESTMENT.
Like the borg says to the trekkies, "Resistance is Futile, you will be assimilated" heh heh.
But seriously ah, u will be addicted. I started with two lens. Now in my dry cabinet...I got 8 Lens and 1 flash. And I just bought the camera last month... XD
If we were to be the 300 Spartans ah...then I got a problem. I dun have a 6-12pack muscle but only 1 big 18litre pack available leh.... :bsmilie:
Ken Watanabe
New Member
If memory serves me right, 500D outperforms in terms of the confinuous fps buffering i.e. the 4.7 fps of Kx does not last beyond 17 frames... after which it drops off to slower than 500D... something like that. So within initial buffering, Kx is faster than 500D.
But HECK!!! Do you really need to squeeze off a continuous servo of >15 shots?? I can't imagine I would ever need to. IMHO some of these comparisons are purely academic. On a more or less even playing field, ease in operating the camera is most important I feel. 3.4 fps or 4.7fps... not much diff to me. F1 is once a year anyway... LOL
:thumbsup: for keeping your cool on this matter.
Pls don't get the ppl here wrong. We certainly welcome more Pentaxians.
In fact the initial replies here speak of their frankness and honesty. They were basically just recommending another brand if the user (ie. you) preferred it. That is better than just trying to say things like "Get a XXX, nuff said"; " Once you feel a XXX you won't turn back" etc, good as an advertisement, but simply lacking in substance.
Think many of the replies also touched on how a Kx is the better choice with well laid out arguments and links.
Hope to see you soon in the outings
I never said it is wrong to be a fanboy of a certain brand/model. I am just saying if you are such a big fan of a particular camera, just go get it so you will not regret what could have been.
Everyone has different needs, be it emotionally, budgetary, IQ or in specific needs in features/functionality. What is right for me may not be right for you. I am a big fan of Pentax and have used Pentax film slr in the past. But now I am on Nikon system, just because it fit my set of needs, and it saves me money due to the large collection of nikon glass in my family.
Everyone has different needs. There is no single camera or system that is right for everyone.
This is a very good point. From all the feedback I heard from many friends using different systems, it seems Canon's kit lens is one of the weakest among the pack.
Yes bro wat u say is true.Maybe no awareness through advertisements,but the awareness has been created by the people using it.
I have narrowed down to getting kit2 black colour.And as u say,i'll just stick with the kit lens which are very good.If i think tat i might not need the 50 to 200mm L lens then i'll just sell it off to a fellow pentaxian who had bought a different coloured model.
I am trying to find night86mare's gallery.
Hi daredevil,
Thanks for sharing your views.Now i see that u only asked me to get the camera so as for my satisfaction.
Anyway k-x would just be the right model to start off.
Yes ,i had seen them before.Some wonderful amazing pics.He has mastered in capturing the sunset.But i thought he is using a canon system.
beniz
New Member
Better dun let him see this, he might kill you ,lol (joking of cos)
He's using pentax k20D . I have seen wonderful pics from all system so far, but his collection is one of my favorite
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