Best Pentax DSLR Under $150? Under $500?
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2022
- Find K200D used deals: ebay.us/EYr5VW
Find K-5 II used deals: ebay.us/XMU2rs
Great "do it all" zoom lens: ebay.us/mzDY4P
What's the best value Pentax DSLR? Let's take a look at all the current and discontinued models on the market to see where the value is. Featuring the cheap and cheerful K200D.
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Best deals on K200D (AFFILIATE LINKS): ebay.us/EYr5VW
Best deals on K-5 II camera: ebay.us/XMU2rs
Great all-around Pentax zoom lens: ebay.us/mzDY4P
I love how Pentax is a brand associated with quality. When I picked up an istDL 2 ten years ago, I was excited by the opportunities it offered. In 3 years time I sold it and bought a K-r. It still surprises me today how good of a camera it is- so far, the only limiting factor for great photos was my skill level.
Another best analysis presentation of Pentax DLSRs. I'm so surprised that more people don't shoot with them because of their excellent image quality and lenses.
Thanks! I may be wrong, but I believe this is in large part due to Pentax's (lack of) marketing efforts in the heyday of the DSLR era. Nevertheless, the brand remains very popular in Japan where people recognize how great their lineup is.
K200D user here and with all of its limitations paired with good glass I get really good results.
I just got a used first generation k-3 with a 50mm and 75-300 Tamron Zoom lens, and love it. It was $300.
Great deal!!
Got the k5.11. am in love all over again....
I have the K-70, the flip screen sold me. I use full frame lenses, a great improvement
I love the k3 matched with the da* lenses. Very happy with the results.
Link to Google doc comparing Pentax cameras and Ricoh compacts:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DJfQGVbsCvfyWN_EtcJmQl1V4ukJWVmWLnKW7QebvpE
Not too hard to find a k-30 for under $100, very good low light performance, and can take four AA's or a standard battery pack. The only issue is that the k-30 (and many of the older cameras on the 16+ mp list) have an unreliable aperture solenoid that will pretty reliably fail at some point. Plenty about that and solutions to it on the pentax forums though.
I have a K100D, a K200D and a Kx. The K100D has one thing the newer bodies (even the K10D) doesn't have.. Infrared sensitivity. Screw on an IR filter on the lens, put the camera on a tripod and it takes great IR images. The K200D is weather sealed, so it's great for rainy days. For most shooting I like the Kx. A little smaller and lighter, better autofocus. I love using AA batteries - alkalines don't work that well, but Eneloops (and the equivalents from other brands, particularly IKEA's LADDAs, which are comparatively inexpensive) work very well indeed. My next camera body will be a K30 or K50 - these can take Eneloops, are weather sealed and come in a variety of colors. Lots on eBay, mainly from Japan. I plan to visit Tokyo next year and I plan to visit all the used camera stores to look for one - might as well look at used lenses too, at the same time.
Thanks for the breakdown - I'm sure others looking to get into the K-Mount will find it useful. Also, great to hear from another enjoyer of the LADDA batteries (one of the best deals in electronics). Watch your wallet in Tokyo - so many temptations in those stores. I used to order a lot of lenses from Japan, but got tired of paying the DHL/Fedex fees.
Wow! Such an interesting information about the k100D. Will look into that
Amazing comparison! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! :)
this video gave me a good staring point to look further about Pentax
I have never held one in my hands
thanks
Thanks, Hans!
K5IIs is a standout re sharpness, K3III is brilliant.
Nice content, love it! Just bought the Nikon D90 12.3 mp!
Thanks, and that a great choice!
As a happy Pentax K5 iis owner i really appreciate this review.
Coming from my previous K5 i could benefit from the iis's better AF mainly in low light, and much better sharpness any time.
Thanks! Pentax really hit a homerun with the K5 series. It's great when you can really tell the performance difference between consecutive bodies
@@lensvana the first photo with the same lens and the new K5 iis was a clear proof of the improvement
I just recently bought a Pentax K-5 11 after researching really enjoying the size and solid build also the colours. After hearing the hype about the 5-11s’s improved resolution I bought it too. I was surprised with the increased size of the camera and it has an extended eye viewer. A slightly better resolution but I fell instantly with the 5-11 handling and photos in the early stages it’s still a toss up between the two cameras. Both are in excellent used condition and price i am very satisfied and happy with my purchases. Your video ended when It was getting more interesting for me,lol, enjoyed the video.
Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience with the K-5 II !
You may interested in my mini review of that camera: ruclips.net/video/F6hG7D24wtg/видео.html
Very well done! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
i got Pentax K-70 in 2019 for landscape and astrophotography. It has Flip screen and great ISO performance.✅🕶
Have a ist dl which I loved. Bought a K3 recently for just £300. It had a shot count of only 4000 so as good as new! It is absolutely brilliant. Using it for macro and landscape photography and the colour reproduction is outstanding. Autofocus can be a bit slow with some hunting but the KAF mount takes all my older lenses. Even taken some great shots of the moon with it combining it with software focus stacking
That's a great pickup for £300! I think that's where Pentax excels - slower, methodical shots out and about in nature. Peace of mind with the excellent construction too
Great video. My first DSLR was a Pentax istDL. From there I went to Olympus mirrorless and now I am mostly back to shooting Pentax with a K5 II S that I got second hand in beautiful condition. I am very happy with this camera and love the resulting photos I get out of it.
I use my Pentax for pretty much everything except street photography when I use my M 4/3 cameras.
Pentax is also a great way to go if you shoot film and want to be able to swap lenses between your cameras going back to the 70s. Heck I even got an M42 adapter to use old Pentax screw mount lenses too.
You can do the same with Nikon F mount but at least here in Canada Nikon gear carries a premium so you will spend alot more to get the same level of performance. In my case I already had K mount film cameras so it also didn't make sense to have to buy all new lenses to go Nikon or Canon.
Thanks! Good to hear from a Pentax shooter. I'm also in Canada, and I have seen prices for second hand Nikon DSLRs drop fast as of late - there are incredible deals for all brands now. If one already has compatible lenses, the choice is much easier.
I just bought a k5 iis too and I was wondering what lens to get if I only bought one for travel and everything day?help?
@@nachohernandez9491 Honestly, for travel and just walking around you can't go wrong with the basic 18-55mm kit lens. It is cheap but actually a pretty decent lens. I have plenty of glass for mine but still get alot of mileage out of the basic kit lens. It is a great option unless you find yourself doing a bunch of low light shooting for whatever reason.
Good video, very informative. I have the K10D and K-3. I am addicted to user modes, of which the K-3 has 3. I wish I had more! If you ever do a follow up video, maybe that's something you could include for people like me that just can't get enough user modes haha. Being able to turn a dial and instantly change dozens of settings to go between bird in flight to landscape, etc., is such a pleasure. Enjoy your K-5ii and 18-135 (one of my favorite lenses)!
Thanks for watching! Great point about the user modes, especially useful if someone else handles the camera and changes settings around, that way you can always revert to standard settings quickly... with 5 user modes on the K-5 II there's so much customization available for the organized photographer!
@@lensvana See, I didn't know that! I saw one user slot on the dial and thought the K5 only had one user mode. The K3 only has 3. I would like more. Maybe a K5ii is in my future :)
For me the best bang for the buck is a toss up between the K5 and the K50. Both can be had for around $200. The K5 design is almost perfect, with the K50 image quality and ISO performance slightly besting the K5. For my needs 16MP is perfect. Anything above that is only useful for heavy cropping. I have grown to love the humble 18-55mm kit lens for it's close focusing ability. Pentax cameras are said to be designed by engineers who are photographers resulting in a control layout which is much easier to use when compared to Nikon or Canon. I shoot both Pentax and Nikon, and the Pentax cameras are much easier to use in the field or home studio. One thing that I noticed is that the spot meter on Pentax cameras is much more precise than on the Nikon bodies.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Dominic. Agreed that 16MP is plenty, I print great 12 x 18s easily with that resolution. The K5 is such a compelling proposition at this price point. And I've enjoyed using that little 18-55mm even more than the 50 1.8
Αlthough familiar with Pentax cameras this is a very useful video for everyone; Pentaxians included!
Own a KP, have used K70/K10D/K30 in the recent past.
Gravitate towards buying a K200D for the fun if it and the CCD sensor now I don't own the K10 anymore.
Thanks! The K200D is pure joy
Thank you!
At the time of its release, the K200D appeared to be a cut down version of the excellent and very popular K10D. Same sensor, lose a few dedicated controls (only one e-dial), gain AA battery compatibility? The K-7 was sort of the bridge between your two sheets -- it had the excellent build, ergonomics and feature set nearly identical to K-5 including the fully useful and fleshed out live view but it had an unusual 14mp Samsung sensor which offered a mild upgrade in high-ISO over the 10mp CCD but not quite the more dramatic step achieved with the newer Sony 16mp sensor (in the K-5, etc.). The 12mp sensor in some of the entry level bodies (K-r etc.) during this period were pretty good, probably slightly better than the 14mp Samsung (K20D, K-7) but not quite as good as the 16mp.
Thank you! Great to hear from more knowledgeable folks about the K-mount.
Nice video! I've got a K10d, there's something about that CCD sensor giving some of that Kodachrome glow. For more modern Aps-c and fullframe cameras, I don't see many Pentax cameras, and when they show up, they're to expensive compared to Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm.
Thanks, Kalle! Re: modern cameras, it's hard to compete with the value proposition of Nikon/Canon on the second hand market, so many great deals now. As for CCD sensor cameras, I think every photographer should have one, the colors are great out of the box, not much editing needed
K3ii can be found for as low as 300€ if you keep looking. No canikon DSLR body can match what that cam has to offer at that price point (missing a tilt screen though which I seek in cameras).
I have the K200D and the K3. The former has nice color but the latter is far better in low light. I also have a *ist DL, bought to try out IR. It works but you the whole process is slow. You have to use a tripod, focus without filter, reset focus using to IR mark (as found on old school film era MF lenses), put on filter, estimate exposure, shoot, check and adjust. If you get it right it is great.
Thanks for sharing! At some point I need to try out IR, but from reading about it... people say the novelty wears off quickly
At those prices the K-5ii represents very good value and the sensor was very highly acclaimed and a benchmark at the time. Pentax AF has never been the leader but they have always had good ergonomics and study bodies particularly since the K10D brought weather sealing (and Shake Reduction). I’ve had K-1 (which I upgraded to mark ii when Pentax offered that upgrade - never heard of another manufacturer doing that - send in your mark i, pay $500 and they replace part of the image processor to upgrade it to mark ii, give the camera a service and send it back to you as a K-1ii)
I bought a K-70 cheap second hand recently and after the all singing and dancing K-1ii I expected it to be a bit ordinary by comparison but I’m very impressed with its features and images are great. I think if you want a recent model (well they are still making it) then this represents excellent value too. I also have a Fuji system with lenses and comparing the features for Pentax K 70 has so much extra for the money it’s amazing. The Fuji X-E4 takes great images but there’s not that much in it and is really missing features that the K-70 has
Thanks, Brett! You make a great case for the K-1 series. And that's a solid combo, K-1ii for high res work and X-E for a compact kit. Fuji is great (I have an X-T1) but Pentax really is the value king especially with those DA primes.
@@lensvana being aware of course that the K-1 and K-1ii are full frame sensor so the image circle of the DA series lenses is for APS-C so in most cases will cause unacceptable vignetting unless you shoot the K-1 in APS-C mode or manually crop the images. I usually use the K-1ii with the lovely FA Limited lenses 31mm f1.8 or 43mm f1.9 or 77mm f/1.8 but I’ve got a couple of zooms too and 100mm macro and FA 300mm f/4.5. The Fuji is my small, discrete walk around camera with great IQ but it’s controls and body are not the solid feeling I get with my K-1 or K-70
@@shred3005 Oops, of course yes :) DA or FA for APS-C, FA for full frame. That's a great collection of primes!
I think there is something difficult to explain with the joy of using some camera.
I've had a KR and a K50 : where really good, loved them!
Got a Fuji mirror less : hum, good image but stayed at home most of the time.
Got Olympus e-m5 : as fun as Pentax to use.
Got the original 5d and 350d : as fun as shooting film
6d : fun is gone...
Really, camera are so much more than spec sheet...
My Pentax cameras in 2005 I bought a Pentax *istDL in 2006 I bought my son a Pentax K100D in 2014 I bought a Pentax K50 in 2017 I bought a K70 I was worried about Apature block failure my son's K50 failed. In 2020 I about a a K3-11 gave my son my old K50 for his K100D. I leave my old istDL and K100D in my cars and use them for daylight photography.
My observations I have had zero problems my the istDL the K50 is a great camera if you use it in Apature Priority the block problem mainly happens if you use auto mode . the K70 is a great camera I like the flip screen but it can suffer from Apature block failure as well if used in auto mode . the K3-11 is on another level much better build quality I always end up taking more pictures than I realize with it . I would rate it my best Pentax DSLR camera I have owned even though the K70 will work at higher ISO and take equally good pictures as the K3-11. The K3-11 is just a more solid camera
Thanks for sharing your experience with these cameras, I'm sure others will find this info useful! Looking forward to trying one of the K3 series of cameras one day, they look like they're truly built tough!
I love you for this thank you!
Glad it was helpful :)
K10D & K50, i own both.
Thanks a lot 😊
Very interesting, we early Pentax DSLR cameras and have always been impressed with the colors. Pentax still seems a bit clunky in performance compared to some other brands but they are reliable. I am tempted to get an older model with a CCD sensor to try its film style colors. Thanks for your detailed chart.
Thanks for watching! If you're patient, sometimes really excellent deals come up for these older bodies. Had lots of fun shooting the K200D and kit lens.
CCD`s rule! If you dont mind for my reccomendation, look for a k10d instead of k200d, the price difference is not a lot and k10d will give you some more considerable buffering cappabilties when raw shooting (had and have both)
I have a K-r for 11 years now and Im not intent to change it.The only thing I'd like to do better is lower noise at hight ISO.But I cant spent the money just for that. I've seen on flickr images from k-r and more experienced photographers that are realy masterpieces.The adverts for the last models of nikon canon, pentax and so on, says nothing to me.
Thanks for sharing! Yep, lower noise at higher ISOs was the #1 reason I upgraded cameras in the first place. With that said, it's all fine as long as you can get sufficient light on the subject.
Thank you for the video.
DSLRs are real cameras. Photographers stand solid by these wonderful imaging equipment. I use Canon DSLRs and will never switch to mirrorless cameras. Because those are just smartphone updates.
If necessary; I'll pick up Pentax if all my Canon DSLRs die but never ever contemplate mirrorless.
Hats off to Pentax.
Thanks for watching! Long live the DSLR :)
Lenvana - you might have mentioned that Pentax maintains a good and better line up. The K10, K20, K7, K5, and K3 are the best, a bit heavier, more buttons, and a continuity of design. There have been 1 or 2 lesser bodies in the line up, with lighter bodies, fewer buttons, maybe not weather sealed, fewer focus points, smaller battery, and the design can change quite a bit between models. It gets confused too, since the vicissitudes of the release schedule can have the lower series gaining tech before the big guy.
Thanks for weighing in! Lots of model numbers. At least there's some consistency between Japanese camera brands: the smaller the number after the letter, usually the more "pro" the lineup is. Canon 5D vs 500D, Nikon D3 vs D300, etc.
Nice video. My take, anything K5 and above is going to do you well. K5 has plenty of resolution for prints and has nice color. If you need more auto focus performance and possibly more pixels then look at the K3 or KP....
Thanks, Michael!
I bought a k5 for 140€, with the 50mm 1.7 f series its a great camera. With an m42 adapter it works great. Overall an awesome camera, esp for the money. Price/Performance it even beats the gx80 and em1ii.
@@lensvana After having the KP for 3 years, the flex cable that goes between the LCD and body cracked and failed with light use.. Pentax consumer class cameras tend to fail K30 , K70, KP...... avoid. The K5,K3 seem to last from my experience... so far. I had the K-30 and the notorious return mirror. failed.
@@MichaelRusso Thanks for the additional intel! I noticed they recently announced a new camera (KF), but I'm still drawn more to their bigger bodies (K5, K3, K1).
I bought the K-5II new when it came out. I had been using the K10D before that. I still have it. I use it outdoors for the most part because of it's somewhat poor low light performance. I waited for some sort of improvements before getting another camera. When the K-5II came out it had the CMOS sensor and that meant low light performance was much improved. It is perfect for me. The K-3 and K-3II were not enough of an upgrade for me so they were a no go. The K-3III is just too expensive for me. So the K-5II takes care of all my current needs. I recommend you get the battery grip with it.
Thanks for sharing your experience and tips, Douglas! Yeah, the differences in sensor and overall quality were really noticeable back in the heyday of the DSLR era. With the K-5 II, I think things got into the "good enough" zone very fast. I like the idea of the larger K-3 bodies, but as you say - a grip will do the job too.
Then best value Pentax DSLR is the K-50! Just $150.00 a great 16 mp sensor. A ton of shooting modes. Weather sealed. Just great!! I love a bargain.
will you do videos like this for more brands? would be awesome
That's the next video! :)
I just bought a K30 and a K50. So far I have been taking pictures with the K30 only. I find that the exposure is often wrong and the auto focusing is so so. While taking pictures of flowers and insects the auto focus often hunts and then misses. The colours from the K30 are vibrant.
Thanks for sharing!
Some K30, K50 and K70 may develop solenoid problem. If you see frequent under-exposed pictures then it is likely that your camera has the solenoid problem.
i have a k10d that i got for super cheap (at least for the european market) and its great. i have other cameras for stuff where i need abetter cam.
Great to hear from others who are also enjoying affordable gear :) So many bargains these days
My first DSLR was the K100D bought in 2007. Had it for 4 years. Jumped on then jumped off m43 bandwagon. Bought a K50 new in 2013. Still own it. Aperture block failure reared its ugly head. I now use it with all my vintage Pentax glass including some m42 and shoot in manual mode. I also own a K70. The K70 just ticks off every box for me and then some.
Forgot to mention I also own a K10D. How could I forget that !?
@@kennyj604 Thanks for sharing, Ken! It's interesting how the first DSLR brand may have such an outsized effect on future purchases (Pentaxians seem particularly loyal). Of course, all that amazing and affordable vintage K-mount glass helps, too...
Fantastic comparison.
One thing I’ve learned from having owned only one Pentax - but a LOT of research into which ones I’ll add - is that some are prone to the solenoid issue. And of course the one I have K-S1 has that issue. I’ve only had the damn thing a couple of months! 😡
Thank you. I also kept stumbling onto this solenoid problem that seems to be the bane of Pentax shooters. Apparently it's very common with the K-30/50/500 cameras. Sorry to hear about your K-S1!
(From the PentaxForums) These cameras are "safe" from the issue:
K-5II
K-5IIs
K-3
K-3II
K-3III
KP
K-1
K-1II
@@lensvana ah fantastic! That will help me narrow down which to get. Thank you!
IMO, the Pentax K-P is worth the extra cost compared to the K-70.
BEAST of a cam!
KP? K5 mk 2? K1 is the top of the line aside from the 645 cameras (film and
digital). Consider shooting film and converting images digitally?
Then, there is whole new world…film! Pentax is on the verge of introducing new film cameras. Leica has too?
KPs are spendy - they cost more now than when new. That makes them off topic for this video.
I regret very much to choose Sony dslr instead of Pentax 15 years ago ....
Ahh Sony Alpha? I've never tried one, but I'm sure it still takes amazing pictures if it works!
K-10d w 10mp ccd and 16mp K-50 bout both imaculate bodies for less than $300
CCD... any benefit?
Some like the output, gotta try for yourself
@@lensvana
...
The colors. Never knew.
The film engineers made digital sensors to capture the traditional photographer. Now that the customer conversion is complete, and those devs retired or gone, we've forgotten how unique these ccd sensors were...
If you come across one in good shape don't hesitate. The cons are the fact that any ccd sensor dslr will be quite dated and you'll have to cope with shooting at low iso's ( after 400 they get noisy ). Also some will not recognize cards larger than 8-16gb or larger. Pros... out of camera JPEG colour rendition and saturation are beautiful. Just has a certain Fuji Velvia tone to them. Being older cameras almost all of them don't offer any video. Which is fine. They are simple and made to take photos with. I have a Pentax K10D and I also own a Nikon D80. Both take very similar photos ( I think they actually share the exact same sensor ). Pentax perhaps a tad warmer. Believe it or not the nicest colour rendition and saturation I get out of the K10D is when using a kit lens. Old or new, WR or non WR. And the lil cheap plastic fantastic DA 35 2.4 is wonderful. For the technical side, I'd stay away from older ccd. On an artistic side I'd recommend 100 times outta 100. For the D80 if you want a great walkabout prime don't overlook the 40mm Micro (macro). A longish standard that focuses quickly and obviously has macro abilities.
@@kennyj604
What kit lens for the K10D do you use?
Bought one a few months back. Bleeds battery though.
If I like it, I might buy a backup body since they are still cheap-ish.
@@RascalKyng Any 18-55 will do just nicely but a 18-55 WR would be better. K10D is weather sealed. It only makes sense to get a weather sealed lens. I've taken this combo into dusty conditions, to the beach on a windy day, in some pretty good rain ( I live in Vancouver Canada ), and last winter I took this combo out for 4-5 hours when it was -12°C (14°F) with no worries or Ill effects. Get a protector/uv filter for the lens. A cheap filter is still cheaper than a cheap lens.