Confession time…

Well I must confess, after 6 years of loyalty to Pentax DSLRs I have made a brand switch. I have loved every one of my Pentax cameras, I started with the *istDs (dumbest name for a camera ever), then went to the K20D, and lastly the K-7.

I enjoyed them for their size and weight, being smaller and lighter than their counterparts from other brands, and with the K20D and K-7 I enjoyed their weather-sealedness, even the kit 18-55 lens is weather-resistant. I also liked their menu system and ease of changing shooting parameters. The last two cameras also had the TAv mode, which I always used when shooting action such as rugby, soccer and dog agility (T is shutter speed, A is aperture, so set them and let the ISO float up and down as required)


The main problem with Pentax for me however is they are not so fitting for action photography. While the K-7’s focus is very quick (and the latest, the K-5, is even quicker) and it could do 5.7 frames per second, it couldn’t keep up with moving objects so well, like a person running. Plus it’s a little tricky at times keeping the centre focus point on the object if it’s side-stepping and stopping suddenly.
The other Pentax problem for action shooting is the lack of choice of long, fast lenses. Pentax only make a 300mm/f4 or 200mm/f2.8 prime, or 60-250mm/f4 zoom. f4 doesn’t cut it for me for a start, I often have to use ISO3200 at f2.8! So that leaves Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron to fill the gap. Only Sigma has the fast focussing HSM, the others use the old screw-drive, and even then there isn’t a reliable HSM compatible tele-converter out there for the Pentax-Sigma combo.

Other than those two problems the Pentax is a wonderful camera, and if you’re not into sports-type photography I urge you to give them thorough consideration when buying a DSLR camera.

So what did I buy? A Nikon D300s, I even took a step back from 14.6 to 12.3 megapixels! Of course I had to replace my lenses as well and I’m loving the silent focus of the AF-S lenses using what Nikon calls the SWM motor. I’m not loving the extra size and weight of the camera AND the lenses, I don’t see why Pentax can make a more light-weight camera with the same features, PLUS sensor stabilisation, in a smaller package, and Nikon and Canon etc. can’t.

Once I’ve had a bit more experience with the new gear I intend to write a review comparing the two systems.