NEW CAMERA - OLD LENSES

Yep, but to the photo marketing people it sound more technical to call them Kit lenses when bundling them in a sale of a camera body.

It's one of the things that has kept me and others with the Pentax brand, that and the historic quality, sturdiness, and lenses that have acquired Cult levels in the photographic world. It's not often that lenses can get 10/10 in professional reviews but a lot of the new and old Pentax lenses have done just that. But the view that some old Glass is better than new is always debatable. Some of the new all singing, all dancing lenses will cost you your arm and leg, with mine thrown in too, without giving you any appreciable and noticeable increase in resolution to your eye!! There is also a mixture of romanticism, sense of history, legend attached to old lenses that is surprising in the hard headed, demanding, and scientific world of serious enthusiast photographers, but it is also true that that history, romanticism and legend is built on fact, which supports the view that old Glass is Serious Glass!! I don't however turn my face away from a particularly good lens even if it's not a Pentax brand and have one or two lenses that I bought because they are top of the class in the specific purpose for which they are built, one of which is the Tamron f2.8 90mm SP AF Macro lens.

 

No, just optimistic, Freddy. There are more abilities with the modern camera to deal with problems when taking shots which weren't there with the old SLRs etc.

Well, I've always had the utmost confidence in and liking for Pentax but then again Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Fujii, Sony etc users will say the same thing. But all the things I have said about Pentax having a definite quality, sense of history, and a treasure trove of lenses to use is true.
But the Pentax K's are stuffed full of automation, effects, abilities just like other Brands and probably more so regarding in-camera abilities, so it's quite capable to making you lazy if you're so tempted. I think you have to steel yourself and go back to what you did when you had the Canon E1 and disregard the automatic modes and use manual. So it's more of a mental problem of your own making than the camera's fault for being too easy to use in the automatic modes. I confess there have been times when I feel tempted to use the automatic mode just for an amble around the garden but so far so good. I took the trouble when I first got the K5 to use every ability and modes in the manual just so that I could understand the camera as much as possible but also to get the auto mode temptation out of my system!!
I have to ask the question........if you are happy with your Konica /Minolta A2 and it does all you ask why get another camera?? You've already admitted that it's only because the ease of automation has made you "lazy" that you feel a new camera will make you a Manual Man again!!
If you are going to buy a new camera then I would recommend a Pentax......but then I would wouldn't I??!!........maybe a new resolve when picking up the A2 to use Manual Mode all the time, and sticking with that resolve, with it might be cheaper.

 

Ahh, now I understand, Freddy. Well, being a Pentax fan and you knowing the numerous cheap but great legacy lenses that there are for the Pentax K I would recommend that you at least have a look at the models, especially as they put a lot more into a camera when viewed against similar brands of other models......and that's not just my view but you will find that view in most of the reviews of the Pentax cameras. The K30 has a very similar system to the rest of the Pentax models and also have the benefit of weather resistant seals which means you don't have to worry about it getting wet or dust getting into it.......well, until you take a lens off to replace it with another but you always point the camera down to avoid any dust floating into the camera when doing so.!! The K500 is another great camera with some good modifications over the K30. The next stage up are the K5, K5II and the K5IIS. The latter two of the K5 have updated software and computer chip for processing and the KIIS has had the anti-aliasing filter removed from the sensor to give even better resolution and detail. And of course there is that fantastic box of legacy lenses that have such a following and the ability to cover any aspect of your photography. It all comes down to budget restrictions and personal choice, I guess!!

 

Hi Freddy, are talking about the Pentax K-01???

 

Well, the K5 is not technically in production anymore.....but the K5II and the K5IIS is exactly the same camera apart from the internal modifications that I mentioned. But the original K5 IS still in stock with Curry's and the like with prices being quote at £488.97p for just the body, £589.98p for the K5 and a 18-55mm lens, or £789 for the K5 plus a 18-55mm and a 50-200m lens.........which ain't bad!! I've tried both the K5II and the K5IIS and to be honest only a serious enthusiast who had used a K5 would notice the difference between it and the two later models. As you know I have the K5 and I just think it's quality backed up by a heritage of great cameras and great lenses.

 

Thanks Scrungee, if Freddy does decide to take the plunge then that's a very useful pointer for him!!

 

Your memory is too good, Freddy!! Yes, I am going to post a pic or two of my lens collection but at the moment I have to confess I'm waiting for one last lens [a 100mm f2.8 macro] to arrive in the post. But the Christmas mail seems to have gone to pot at the moment with even my subscription magazines arriving 5 or 6 days late But as soon as it arrives [and I've tried it out!!] I will post a few pics of them!!