About K-x

[Weerong]

Been looking at this site for nearly a month..
At first i'm intended to get Canon 500D. but after comparing this two models, found that K-x is much cheaper, and image is more sharp? and some function is much better than Canon 500D. Correct me if i'm wrong as im still very new to DSLR.

Things i need to ask you guys/lao jiaos,

1) Which shops have K-x? If im not wrong, AMK hub there's one right? MS COLOUR?
2) For example if There's something wrong with my k-x, where do i send it for repair? MS COLOUR?
3) if i like taking far range building, objects or so on, can the len 18-55 do a good job? Or izzit a must to buy zoom lens like 55-200? or 55-300?
4) And for taking close up pics, Which lens should i get?

Like i said, im new to DSLR. help is really needed from you guys. hahas
should i buy another lens for taking far range objects, or 18-55 can do a good job already?

 

[dallaschang]

Hi bro:

i just got my k-x a few days back. previously borrowed my cousin's nikon D90 with 18-300 lens to try try and see if DSLR is for me (newbie here also).At first i was like "wow, so much zoom!", and started to think that maybe i dun need such a powerful zoom. First thing i noticed after getting the k-x was that i missed the super zoom 18-300 that my cousin has. the 18-55 kit lens just isn't enough zoom for me to frame my shots properly. that's why i'm now trying to convince my other half to let me "re-invest" in a 2nd lens =P looking at a 18-200 or 18-250.. i think should be good enough for me...

hope this info helps you.

 

[tootboink]

you have made a great decision!

i bought the K-x also after months of research, and after a lot of the help from the kind seniors here =)

and i must say i haven't been happier with another buy. it is outstanding, to say the least =)

 

[Weerong]

i also wanna get the zoom lens.. hahas.. but is like very expensive?
intended to spend $1.5k getting k-x with 18-55 and one zoom lens..


Anyway, where u bought your K-x? and the price with what freebies? hahas..

Hope all those seniors HELP ME =)

 

[woefulwabbit]

1) Which shops have K-x? If im not wrong, AMK hub there's one right? MS COLOUR?
2) For example if There's something wrong with my k-x, where do i send it for repair? MS COLOUR?
3) if i like taking far range building, objects or so on, can the len 18-55 do a good job? Or izzit a must to buy zoom lens like 55-200? or 55-300?
4) And for taking close up pics, Which lens should i get?

1. http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=534146 has a list of known shops that sell Pentax stuff. MS Color is one of them, but you should call them up to check if they have stocks because atm the Pentax K-x sells out very fast. Your best bet may be to put up a reservation.
2. Emjay Enterprises (1984) Pte. Ltd. 111 North Bridge Road #14-01 Peninsula Plaza. Singapore 179098 * 6338-8948
3. A lens with longer focal length will be better for objects further away. Which one is best to get depends on your budget and your needs. I suggest playing with your 18-55mm first and then decide for yourself if you need a telephoto zoom lens. Join a Pentax outing and maybe ask one of the nice lao jiaos to lend you their lens so you can decide which one is best for you to get.
4. If you need 1:1 magnification, then you will need to get a prime lens that has the macro labels. Several zoom lens can do decent magnification, maybe 1:5 at the telephoto end and min focal distance, you will have to look up the max magnification to see if it's enough for you

Hi bro:

i just got my k-x a few days back. previously borrowed my cousin's nikon D90 with 18-300 lens to try try and see if DSLR is for me (newbie here also).At first i was like "wow, so much zoom!", and started to think that maybe i dun need such a powerful zoom. First thing i noticed after getting the k-x was that i missed the super zoom 18-300 that my cousin has. the 18-55 kit lens just isn't enough zoom for me to frame my shots properly. that's why i'm now trying to convince my other half to let me "re-invest" in a 2nd lens =P looking at a 18-200 or 18-250.. i think should be good enough for me...

hope this info helps you.

Nobody has made an 18-300mm. Closest is Tamron's 18-270mm. Nikon only has 18-200mm I think that's what you mean.

 

[woefulwabbit]

i also wanna get the zoom lens.. hahas.. but is like very expensive?
intended to spend $1.5k getting k-x with 18-55 and one zoom lens..


Anyway, where u bought your K-x? and the price with what freebies? hahas..

Hope all those seniors HELP ME =)

Since you are entering the world of DSLRs, you should learn first that the word "zoom" is hardly ever used, and most mass consumers don't understand that word and misuse it. The proper terms to use are focal lengths, wide angle, and telephoto. You might want to read up about those first.

Zoom is the act of changing focal lengths. A zoom lens is any lens capable of changing focal lengths. The Sigma 10-20mm is also considered a zoom lens, even though it's entire focal length range falls within the wideangle range. So it's called a wideangle zoom lens.

What you are looking for is a telephoto zoom lens to supplement your kit lens. Typically the cheapest one being the 50-200mm, followed by 55-300mm. Sigma and Tamron both provide 70-300mm. If you are feeling rich, you can go for a 70-200mm f/2.8 or the DA* 60-250mm f/4

 

[Weerong]

Since you are entering the world of DSLRs, you should learn first that the word "zoom" is hardly ever used, and most mass consumers don't understand that word and misuse it. The proper terms to use are focal lengths, wide angle, and telephoto. You might want to read up about those first.

Zoom is the act of changing focal lengths. A zoom lens is any lens capable of changing focal lengths. The Sigma 10-20mm is also considered a zoom lens, even though it's entire focal length range falls within the wideangle range. So it's called a wideangle zoom lens.

What you are looking for is a telephoto zoom lens to supplement your kit lens. Typically the cheapest one being the 50-200mm, followed by 55-300mm. Sigma and Tamron both provide 70-300mm. If you are feeling rich, you can go for a 70-200mm f/2.8 or the DA* 60-250mm f/4

Thanks for all the infos, but if i intend to get a telephoto zoom lens, which one should i get?
Another newbie question, Sigma and Tamron lens can be use on pentax k-x?
So many things to learn, but im not giving up =)

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

Thanks for all the infos, but if i intend to get a telephoto zoom lens, which one should i get?
Another newbie question, Sigma and Tamron lens can be use on pentax k-x?
So many things to learn, but im not giving up =)

see how much money you are willing to spend most of the consumer telephoto zoom lenses are quite slow and weak at the long end, so quite often you'll have to stop down to f8, f11 for decent sharpness. 300mm f11 will give you headaches for shutter speed in poorer lighting. then you will be tempted to buy a f2.8 constant telephoto zoom. :devil:

anyway i'd recommend the sigma and tamron 70-300 lenses, because they have a macro mode that permits closer focusing to give 1:2 macro ratio. not true macro but it should be good enough for shooting flowers, butterflies, etc. if later on you find that you want more macro magnification then you can get a true macro lens.

sigma, tamron and tokina are third-party manufacturers that have a line-up of lenses in the various DSLR mounts. you will have to buy a copy of the lens that fits pentax PKA. but yes, it will work on the k-x!

 

[sebianos]

i also wanna get the zoom lens.. hahas.. but is like very expensive?
intended to spend $1.5k getting k-x with 18-55 and one zoom lens..


Anyway, where u bought your K-x? and the price with what freebies? hahas..

Hope all those seniors HELP ME =)

Saw a black one at Orient Photo yesterday. Somebody was asking and was quoted $950. Last piece some more. The 2 guys asking for it decided to wait... probably waiting for the blue or red color.

My thoughts about zoom lenses at the moment are it will definitely limit your composition but looking at it from another angle. It forces you to compose a photo without zoom. This "limitation" maybe good, as great photos have always been taken despite limitations.

With too many options, it's easy to lose the primary objective which is to shoot dazzling photos. I remembered playing around the format - you know 3:2, 16:9, 4:3, panoramic on my fz28 and composition suffers because there are too many options.

If after using it for say 3 months and you still want zoom. By all means, go for it. For now, there's always a thing called cropping the photos.

 

[night86mare]

My thoughts about zoom lenses at the moment are it will definitely limit your composition but looking at it from another angle. It forces you to compose a photo without zoom. This "limitation" maybe good, as great photos have always been taken despite limitations.

you mean, prime lens?

 

[night86mare]

anyway i'd recommend the sigma and tamron 70-300 lenses, because they have a macro mode that permits closer focusing to give 1:2 macro ratio. not true macro but it should be good enough for shooting flowers, butterflies, etc. if later on you find that you want more macro magnification then you can get a true macro lens.

i second this, as usual.. with the warning that:

1) sharp only from 70-200

2) not that fast a lens, but ok for most situations if you ask me

3) 200-300 is wayyyy soft, even stopped down.

4) the price is :heart:

 

[sebianos]

Great advice from wabbit and darrrrrrr... the point about constant f number, like f2.8 is very valid.

With the kit lens, you noticed that there's an f3.5 - f5.6 behind 18-55. This means that when you zoom in, ie. go to 55mm the maximum aperture you can use is f5.6. As the aperture controls the amount of light that goes through the lens, you have to compensate with slower shutterspeed or higher iso (film/sensor sensitivity) if the scene is too dim. I'm sure you know that already.

Not meaning to sound "haolian" but if i were to invest in a zoom - a telephoto with constant f2.8 is the lens to get. The rest are craps... :devil:

 

[night86mare]

With too many options, it's easy to lose the primary objective which is to shoot dazzling photos. I remembered playing around the format - you know 3:2, 16:9, 4:3, panoramic on my fz28 and composition suffers because there are too many options.

well, the way to go about this is to focus on previsualisation. look at a scene first, think which format works best for it, and then shoot to crop later on - rather than shooting something for the sake of hoping that you'd get a good crop out of it.

 

[sebianos]

you mean, prime lens?

oops... yes, nightmare. Was refering to prime lens and zoom lens with limited zoom range. too early in the morning lah... ;p

Come to think of it there's no right or wrong - just start from the basic and move up from there. Thanks for pointing out the mistake. :bsmilie:

 

[addicted]

is K-X really that good? How it compares with K20D?

 

[sebianos]

well, the way to go about this is to focus on previsualisation. look at a scene first, think which format works best for it, and then shoot to crop later on - rather than shooting something for the sake of hoping that you'd get a good crop out of it.

Yep, that's the idea. I didn't know back then... until i started reviewing the photos and went WTH... what's wrong. And started cropping as an easy way out. It's very unhealthy.

Your skills are super advanced level, i'm just slightly above noob. kekekeke :bsmilie:

 

[daredevil123]

Yep, that's the idea. I didn't know back then... until i started reviewing the photos and went WTH... what's wrong. And started cropping as an easy way out. It's very unhealthy.

Your skills are super advanced level, i'm just slightly above noob. kekekeke :bsmilie:

You guys are all up so early that it is scary. Went and took a look at the K-x yesterday. Amazing lil camera. While I was staring at the K-x, my dad was staring at the GF-1. Age matters.

 

[night86mare]

is K-X really that good? How it compares with K20D?

based on the test results i see, iso performance is definitely 2 notches up, not just 1.

but some things to remember:

1) build quality , i haven't touched a k-x before, but most people seem happy with it, so i'd take their word for it that this is a nonissue, since many of the people happy with it have used the k20d before.

2) weather sealing - absent from k-x, no biggie unless you like shooting in the rain, i know i don't.

3) no af confirm red light, so you cannot see selection of af point.. for k-x.. i haven't tried it yet, don't know if it's an issue.

4) no iso100, big minus for me... when you like low shutter speeds.

5) single wheel versus double wheel, to be honest i like single wheel better still.

6) aa versus lithium ion, age old debate

7) lower megapixel lor, but like anyone cares these days, unless it's below 8.

some other things, but these are the main differences. i think it's not very fair to compare k20d to k-x, since k-x is probably following on from k100d --> k100d super --> k200d --> k-m --> k-x, the fairer thing to compare the k20d to would be the k7, in which case the k20d still gets trounced significantly.. but hey, it's good enough for me for now.

 

[sebianos]

You guys are all up so early that it is scary. Went and took a look at the K-x yesterday. Amazing lil camera.

Early is good. Some guys are up so late that's even scarier... hahaha

Just my thought on the k-x, do the research and decide if the features are what you want. Do a side-by-side comparison k-x vs k20d

I wait for elavan to reply to "Is k-x that good?"

 

[night86mare]

You guys are all up so early that it is scary. Went and took a look at the K-x yesterday. Amazing lil camera. While I was staring at the K-x, my dad was staring at the GF-1. Age matters.

me? 0 GMT is the reason.. don't fool yourself by thinking that i get up early for anything other than sunrises. :bsmilie: