I need to progress from my P & S camera. I need a basic camera i.e 50E or MZ5N that will allow me to learn and will invest in good lenses. Problem is don't want to be locked into a system that will limit choices when/if I want to upgrade body but keep expensive lenses.

I have the following queries

1. Pentax appears to be going down hill in the SLR market, lack of lenses, bodies etc

2. Posibility of hiring lenses for the weekend etc only applies to Nikon and Canon ?

3. Canon mounts are not compatible with a lot of second hand lenses limiting choice in the second hand market so expensive lenses.

4. Pentax is lacking in lenses, the pentax range is missing a good selection of lenses and sigma do not appear to be making a lot of there lenses in pentax mount to fill in the gaps.

5. I would particularly like a camera that is light and quiet (canon). But how quiet are the pentax range ?

6. Battery life is important I backpack a lot in areas where it is a tad hard to get batteries, weight is important and battery life.

7. How important is mirror lock as an example using a 38mm 1/4 in low light 200 or less ISO will it help or a pointless feature.

Please please give me your thoughts I have read so much about the canon vs nikon debate lense usage and choices and everyones opinion about just about everything to do with SLR cameras. I am currently so confused sleep is escaping me I just need to buy a camera and start taking photos.

- Nigel

-- Nigel Owen (nigelowen@usa.net), January 22, 2000

Answers

I'm not sure what country Andrzej is from, as I don't know all of the country codes, but from the .se at the end of his email address, I know he isn't from the U.S. Here Pentax has indeed gone downhill when it comes to the 35mm SLR market. This probably isn't the case everywhere, but if you want to be practical, you are limited to what is readily available where you live. I can probably buy anything I can afford, whether it is sold here or not, as long as it isn't illegal, but what about service? Most modern cameras are reliable, but if you want accessories that are plentiful and relatively easy to find, Nikon or Canon is the way to go. Minolta seems to be making a bit of a comeback, but they still don't show the sort of market dominance that Canon and Nikon do.

This is just a slightly different angle on an old question - Which camera is best for me? Go try a few, and buy the one that is easiest for you to use, or has the accessories you need. To me Canon's cameras are easier to use than Nikon's, and I would rather have a light camera than one that feels more solid because of wieght. Other's disagree. That is why I can't answer your question. One thing I will say is that batteries aren't really a factor with the Canon. I get at least 6 months of moderately heavy use out of my Elan IIe, and more if I'm not using it a lot. Of course, there is a battery pack that lets you use AA batteries, but I just use it to improve handling, and keep it loaded with a 2CR5.

This thread doesn't contribute a whole lot that other similar questions haven't already, so expect about a week of life for it.

-- Brad Hutcheson (bhutcheson@iname.com), January 23, 2000.

Nigel,

You just need to buy a camera and start taking photos. Both of these are good cameras and I don't think Pentax is going to quit the 35mm market any time soon. Some of your other concerns are valid though.

2. Hiring lenses, Nikon and Canon only? In most places yes

3. Canon EF mount lenses have been around for over 10 years and there are hundreds of them being offered used on Ebay every week. The non AF Pentax mount lenses are less however.

4. Pentax lacking in lenses? Depends on which ones you want. They don't have as many Auto Focus lenses as Nikon or Canon (or even Minolta) but they do offer enough to satisfy thousand of other photographers and you can always use the older non AF ones.

5. Light and quiet? Don't know how they compare, but the 50e is light and quiet. Not particularly small however.

6. Battery life? If you get the BP-50e vertical grip/battery pack you can use AA's for the Canon 50e, but 2CR5's last a long time as is and are usually easy to get.

7. Mirror lock? At 38mm you'll never see the difference. At 500mm or with macro lenses you might. The 50e does offer mirror prefire with both the self timer and remote control. If you can live with a 2 second delay it's fine. Not sure about the Pentax.

My personal opinion is the Canon offers more for the money, but there are plenty of conflicting opinions out there. I'm sure you'll be happy with either one.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), January 23, 2000.

"Pentax going down hill, lacking in lenses, bodies .." - what are you raving about? I can assure you that Pentax never felt better. "Limited number of lenses.." - nonsense! What about FA* 24/2, FA 43/1.9 Limited, FA* 85/1.8, FA* zooms and tele lenses? - they are about the best lenses in the business. Sure, you can buy Nikon, Canon, Minolta or anything else that suits YOU but stop writing idiotic statements and don4t insult Pentax users4intelligence!

-- Andrzej Poniatowski (audiomix@algonet.se), January 23, 2000.

I am completely new to this whole scene, the comment regarding pentax In reference to the Pentax comment,

It was simply my opinion gathered from the available information I have. I have a list of equipment Pentax, Canon and Nikon make. Pentax appear to have the fewest lenses out, and lack of new bodies above the Z1-P. Nikon and Canon both have more commitment in this market.

I appreciate any comments regarding the above queries and please note a query is not a statement of fact nor is it necessarily an opinion.

-- Nigel Owen (nigelowen@usa.net), January 23, 2000.

Nigel,

Don't sweat it, Andrzej is just another example of a touchy Pentax user. They're all worried and don't like it when somebody confronts their fears. :~))

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), January 24, 2000.

Nigel, you say yourself that you ARE a newcomer. Then, you are surely going to change camera bodies and lenses several times (loosing a lot of money) until you find something that works for you. How many bodies and lenses do YOU think a manufacturer should have in his range of products? I bet there4ll always be somebody who misses something! Pros (we are talking 35mm) use higher end Nikons and Canons - no competition here! For all the rest of us, all the manufacturers (Pentax, Minolta, Contax, Nikon, Canon - you name it) have ENOUGH in their range to satisfy ANY user. There are some ergonomic differencies but basically - you4ll get the same quality for the same amount of money you invest! Just choose ANYTHING that feels good in your hands and makes you feel comfortable and THIS is your equipment! Pentax is apparently NOT big in the USA (it IS big in Europe though) so stop thinking about it. You CANNOT go wrong with either Nikon or Canon - although there4s always something "missing", that your gear doesn4t have. This is a compromise that you have to accept! I would say that this compromise is "smallest" with Nikon gear (compatibility and future expansion). So - go for a Nikon (advise from a Pentax user!).

-- Andrzej Poniatowski (audiomix@algonet.se), January 24, 2000.

Thanks for the responses they have helped. I guess its time to hit the shops and get attacked by sales people.

-- Nigel Owen (nigelowen@usa.net), January 24, 2000.

I dropped Pentax after 20 years because their service sucks and they've lost interest in mid to high end SLRs. Since you posted this question the Nikon N80 has been announced, and would be a good candidate for you. No, you won't want to use the MF lenses, but AF ones have been out over 10 years, so there's a load of used ones. At least you know there's always an upgrade path with Nikon (Canon too... Pentax? Only if you really, really believe.)

-- Bruce Rubenstein (brubenstein@lucent.com), January 28, 2000.