Looking For A New Camera

[Colin_T]

I am wondering if anyone has any ideas about digital SLR cameras. I want one that takes AA batteries and not a genuine power pack. I currently have a Pentax K100D and it's a bucket of bunny poo so am after another brand that works and is reliable. Price wise willing to spend around a AU$1000-$1500. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[stumpy57]

well it depens on what you got to spend but the e500 or the e510 will do you nice if you let me no what you would like to shoot i will be happy to help you all i can i can chow you all my work and you will see what you can do
http/www.eyefetch.com/profile.aspx?user=stumpy if you go to that site you will see all my work and you will get all the info you need or mail me

 

[Colin_T]

I want to take fish, bird, animal and flower pics primarily. However I also take the odd scenery/ landscape shot. On rare occassions I take mug shots of people

What brand is the e500 and e510?

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

I want to take fish, bird, animal and flower pics primarily. However I also take the odd scenery/ landscape shot. On rare occassions I take mug shots of people

What brand is the e500 and e510?

Those are Olympus cameras. But any brand will do for what you've stated as your goals.

SLC

 

[Colin_T]

yeah I know any brand of camera will do but I was looking for something other than a Pentax, (which I've had issues with) and that takes AA batteries instead of a power pack. Some models require a dedicated power pack and they cost over $100 per pack and only last as long as a pair of AAs. I buggered if I'm gonna fork out $400 just to take the same number of pics as I currently do with a couple of sets of $20 AA rechargables

I gather you use Olympus?

Any idea if Canon or Sony are any good?

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

yeah I know any brand of camera will do but I was looking for something other than a Pentax, (which I've had issues with) and that takes AA batteries instead of a power pack. Some models require a dedicated power pack and they cost over $100 per pack and only last as long as a pair of AAs. I buggered if I'm gonna fork out $400 just to take the same number of pics as I currently do with a couple of sets of $20 AA rechargables

I gather you use Olympus?

Any idea if Canon or Sony are any good?

I use Pentax! I'm a total fan of their cameras.

Canon makes some good stuff if you like toy cameras (not really but that's what they feel like to me), I'm inclined to say that Sony makes a good camera but their nicer lenses are way way expensive. I looked into it today and for example a 300 mm prime lens from sony costs almost $6000 when the same thing from canon and Nikon is closer to $4500.

I'd advise you to stay with Pentax, I know you won't but you've already got the lens. Why not just order a K200D body without the lens and save a little cash, maybe get a different lens you don't already have?

SLC

 

[Colin_T]

I have been a Pentax user since the early 90s but with the trouble I am having with the K100D, the camera store and the Australian Pentax distributor, there is no way I am going back to them.
I am going to trial (in court) on the 28th May to try and get a refund for the camera. That's how far this has gone. If Pentax offered me my money back, and a new camera with a few new lenses, I would tell them to stick it where the sun don’t shine. And if the judge/ jury, whoever makes the decision, doesn't give me my money back, the camera and a fire bomb will be returned to the camera shop.
I am already out of pocket from all the expenses including dropping the camera off to the shop to be sent away for repairs. I have spent money on telephone calls to the shop and to the Pentax supplier, I have spent money sending information to Consumer Affairs and I have wasted a heap of fuel travelling to the courts 3 times, which is a 90km round trip. So even if I do get my money back and the court costs, I will still be out of pocket.
If Pentax or the camera shop had replaced the camera any time during the first 6 months I would be a happy chappy now. But they refused to so now they can get stuffed.

sorry about the ranting and raving, just a bit worked up about this thing. grrr

 

[Bloo]

Canon makes some good stuff if you like toy cameras (not really but that's what they feel like to me

Funny, that's what I think about Pentax
(says a devoted and life long Canon fan)

You take great pics though

Colin_T, I suggest you go into a good shop and have a play around with several brands to get a "feel" (literally) for what you like.

 

[Colin_T]

I did that with the Pentax. I spent months visiting different camera stores and checking out different models and then I bought a dud.

I don't like the way Canon has their menu set up but they do supply genuine lenses with their bodies. The same with Nikon and Sony. Sony is good but a little on the expensive side. Canon is cheap and the camera are a bit light but seem to give good results. I haven't tried Olympus so I might go have a looksie at them. Stumpy57 seems to think they are ok.

For SLC Flyfishing

A 300mm prime lens from Sony might seem expensive at $6000 but the Pentax 300mm prime lens is $9000.

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

I did that with the Pentax. I spent months visiting different camera stores and checking out different models and then I bought a dud.

I don't like the way Canon has their menu set up but they do supply genuine lenses with their bodies. The same with Nikon and Sony. Sony is good but a little on the expensive side. Canon is cheap and the camera are a bit light but seem to give good results. I haven't tried Olympus so I might go have a looksie at them. Stumpy57 seems to think they are ok.

For SLC Flyfishing

A 300mm prime lens from Sony might seem expensive at $6000 but the Pentax 300mm prime lens is $9000.

I can get a 300 mm f/2.8 over here for about $4,500. A 300 mm f/4 for about $1,000 and that one's weather sealed and has the Pentax equivalent of USM.

Never in my life seen a Pentax lens going for $9,000 but maybe it's different down under!

SLC

Canon makes some good stuff if you like toy cameras (not really but that's what they feel like to me

Funny, that's what I think about Pentax
(says a devoted and life long Canon fan)

You take great pics though

If I'm not mistaken you shoot with a 30D Bloo? That's where Canon bodies start to grab my attention. But with the plastic fantastic Rebel series, I've never been able to understand the appeal. They just feel flimsy and they have peepholes for viewfinders, not for me I guess!

SLC

 

[Bloo]

But with the plastic fantastic Rebel series, I've never been able to understand the appeal. They just feel flimsy and they have peepholes for viewfinders, not for me I guess!

SLC

I do agree with that - initially thought I was going to go for one of those but it just didn't feel right. Until I held the 30D body and I just knew it was the one for me.
I'm not precious about Canon and think that there are cameras in different styles/price brackets to suit anyone.
2 of my first cameras were Fuji - and people always used to comment about my photos & asking what camera I used.
Now those were very basic point & shoots so at the end of the day you still have to learn about photography if you want good results on a basic (ish) camera. Of course you're instantly going to see better performance & capability the more money you spend on high tech gear (though true professionals can use the most basic of equipment and still create a piece of art) and the auto function (obsolete on professional cameras) on most of these cameras will provide stunning results (by and large). But you'll still be limited if you don't know understand how to move beyond the auto function.
If you want to photograph birds and fish (mostly) think about getting something "like" a SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di Macro Lens 1:1 (mounts for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta & Sony) but you're going to find it impossible to find one single lens to do all of that (including landscape) well.

 

[Colin_T]

I'm not too fussed about lenses. I don't mind buying a couple of different ones to use. I was more interested in a camera that doessn't cause problems like my current one does. And that uses AA batteries instead of genuine battery packs like the Pentax K10D and some of the Canon and Sony models use. I think it's a stipuid idea having to use a specialised power pack for each different camera. If theyall used AA batteries then it doesn't matter if the power pack fails because you can go to any shop and buy some batteries.
It's the same with the memory cards too. Sony uses it memory stick, Fuji & Olympus use XD memory cards, Pentax uses SD memory cards and some models of Canon amongst others, use different cards again.
I thought the whole idea originally was to use either XD or SD and that would be the norm. Now every company is going out and inventing their own stupid formats.
I saw a card reader at the computer shop the other day. It reads 17 different types of memory card. I didn't even know there were that many.

 

[Bloo]

They use the the powerpacks for a reason. A day out shooting will eat up a couple of AA batteries. The powerpack will last for several days.
Powerful camera needs more juice. Simple as.
Sounds like you were just unlucky with your Pentax and purchase experience. On another day from another retailer it might have been a completely different story.