Which Digital SLR - Canon 350 D / Olympus E300 / Pentax *ist

I am planning to go for a Digital SLR and have in mind -

1. Canon 350 D
2. Olympus E300
3. Pentax *ist DL / DS

Pls advice me which one is better. I have a Pentax K mount film SLR and
range of lenses for the same. Photography is a hobby to me and am
pursuing it seriously

Regards,
K.Kannan

 

a écrit :

*istDx; you can use all your lenses !
Read this forum:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1036

 

I agree. Unless your pentax lenses are not very good, why would you
not go with the Pentax...?

The Pentax dslr's don't get much discussion here, but that seems to be
because they are competent and reliable. About the only downside I've
heard is that you really need to shoot RAW if you want to get the best
sharpness out of it. The in-camera processing leaves TIFs and JPGs
looking a bit soft (see dpreview for examples).

This is only an issue if you are really pushing the envelope, however.

 

Well, I'd have to agree with the other responders. Unless you have good
reasons not to choose Pentax, is that not the obvious choice?

I was in a similar situation as you recently. When I finally decided to
buy a digital SLR, given that I already had a fair bit of EOS film kit,
the obvious choice was a Canon. I wasn't completely averse to switching
to Nikon, Pentax etc. but it would have taken a GOOD reason to make me
do it. In the event Canon make perfectly good cameras so I stuck with them.

As I understand it, Pentax digitals are quite satisfactory. They have
their pros and cons, as do other cameras, but the end result is a decent
camera.

I just read a user review of the *ist DS2 on dpreview, and he had and
returned Canon 350D, Nikon D70, and Minolta 5D, before settling on the
DS2. I'm sure you could find other stories where the end result was some
other camera though. Such is life.... confusing ;-)

The only other thing I'd suggest is to go to a shop and try them out.
You may find on just suits your hand and brain better than another. In
some ways this is more important than the feature list.

John

 

I shoot jpg (*ist DS) at highest quality setting regularly and
softness isn't really an issue.
But then for the most part I use the sharpest lenses around.
FA50/1.4
K30/2.8
A*85/1.4

But even an average film lens can produce really sharp pics.
Tokina RMC 17/3.5.

If you're shooting children in sporting events, Pentax has a wonderful
feature:
"Trap Focus" it's called.
Put on a manual-focus lens but set the camera to auto focus mode.
Put the subject out of focus.
Press and hold the shutter relase -- nothing happens.
Then turn the lens until the object comes into focus.
At the moment it does, the shutter fires.
It's a good and practical feature that's used for birding and sporting
events.
(I don't thinkg C & N have an equivalent feature. But someone can
correct me if that's an error.)

What's really most important is your comfort holding the camera.
Is holding it a tiring and pleasant experience. How is the viewfinder?
Bright enough? (Pentax D, DS, & DS2 have glass prisms, the other have
mirror -- and that includes Nikon & Canon). How about the controls?
Easy to get to, simple to use? Clear and understandable or confusing?

If it feels good and is easy to use then you may get better results
just
because of your personal comfort level.

Just do yourself a favor and get good glass -- not the cheap kit stuff.
It's the lens that makes the picture -- even with digital.
AND Get a good backup solution for your computer. No sens in having
a HD crash destroy all of your images.

Collin (faithful, but not a "true believer") Brendemuehl
KC8TKA

 

You'll get more (and generally more informed) responses by posting in the
appropriate interest group + some of the crankier folks in this group might
get irritated and complain to your ISP. That aside, you'll find a lot more
people who actually own the dslrs you're curious about in the group I
suggested...it tends to be a more serious group than the other one you might
want to try (rec.photo.digital). Good luck.

 

Considering you already have K-mount lenses, I'd go for the Pentax ...
unless you want to buy a bunch of new lenses as well.

 

Man, you are lucky to have chance to keep all your lenses if you go with
Pentax.

I spent quite some of my $ on Contax CarlZeiss lenses with no hope to see a
digital Contax body to use them...
Why this company (Contax) is so...what should I say?