How is LOCAL Pentax support?


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look4raymond

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Oct 30, 2006
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Just now went to John 3:16 in Funan & asked whether K10D is in store. The friendly salesguy say in December. After answering my question, he immediately discouraged me to buy a Pentax. He said i am better off buying a Canon or Nikon, 9 out of 10 shops i visit will carry the lens, accessories, etc, that i will need for a Canon or Nikon camera.

He said unless i live in Australia or somewhere, there is no point getting a Pentax as it is very hard to get the relevant items for a Pentax dslr in Singapore. :bheart:
Even if i do get, the price will be higher.

Is this really true? If this is the scenario in Singapore, i think i will probably have to settle for the Nikon D80 instead though i would have gone for the K10D anytime.

What does your experience say? :dunno:
 

Just now went to John 3:16 in Funan & asked whether K10D is in store. The friendly salesguy say in December. After answering my question, he immediately discouraged me to buy a Pentax. He said i am better off buying a Canon or Nikon, 9 out of 10 shops i visit will carry the lens, accessories, etc, that i will need for a Canon or Nikon camera.

He said unless i live in Australia or somewhere, there is no point getting a Pentax as it is very hard to get the relevant items for a Pentax dslr in Singapore. :bheart:

Is this really true? If this is the scenario in Singapore, i think i will probably have to settle for the Nikon D80 instead though i would have gone for the K10D anytime.

What does your experience say? :dunno:

It's generally true. However, the newer stuff is all available from cathy photo (e.g. all current flashes, shipping DA lenses, and some older lenses.) Other shops generally carry a smattering of pentax stuff, but not that much.

Certain other "common" items are not available at all in Singapore though - there's no easily available 50mm, for example.

What exactly do you want?

I had exactly the same song and dance routine from john 3:16 before i got the k100d (and i'm sure they had the best intentions) - but i figured that i knew what lenses i wanted in the short run, and I got them all (I now have the kit, 70-300 APO sigma, and a 50 1.4), and they're all stabilized ;) [of course, I have reasonably easy access to the uk/us, so.]

Tell us what you want to shoot, and we can tell you if an appropriate lens is available (or if you should pick another system).

On the D80 - I really liked it, but i consciously chose the K100d over it - it's advantages just weren't compelling enough, especially because of the huge price difference.
 

He said unless i live in Australia or somewhere, there is no point getting a Pentax as it is very hard to get the relevant items for a Pentax dslr in Singapore. :bheart:
:bsmilie: I live in Australia and it's still hard to get Pentax gear...almost everything has to be ordered in from the distributor...rare to find a shop that has a Pentax lens in stock...even the fairly common 18-55 kit lens:cry:

2nd hand lens on ebay is a different question...some gems to be found.
 

............................ - but i figured that i knew what lenses i wanted in the short run, and I got them all (I now have the kit, 70-300 APO sigma, and a 50 1.4), and they're all stabilized ;) ..................................


Would like to know if you've got your 70-300mm APO sigma and the 50mm f1.4 (presume third party lens) locally ?
 

I've been using a Canon G5 all this while and when it comes to DSLR, i am simply greenhorn, though reading from the internet helps alot.

I was thinking of getting the K10D & a Sigma 17-70 as my starter walkabout combo.
Today, i learnt at John 3:16 that you must buy the right lens with the right "mount" to fit into the right body! :bsmilie: I thought as long itz 3rd-party, it must be 'universal'! :sweatsm: Haha, i was dead wrong.

Slowly when my wallet has enough strength, i will invest in a Flash 1st, then a dry cabin, a tripod and eventually 2 other lenses, namely a wide-angle and a telezoom.

Any feedback? :sweat:
 

Would like to know if you've got your 70-300mm APO sigma and the 50mm f1.4 (presume third party lens) locally ?

The SIgma is available locally, around $350 new, i think. I bought it used from a forum member. I'm quite sure that alan photo has stock of that lens in the pentax mount.

This is actually the unconventional choice, as the pentax 50-200 is also quite easily available locally for 380. (I thought the lens test showed that there wasn't a huge quality difference, and i preferred the extra range and "macro" of the 70-300)

The 50 f1.4 is the pentax FA lens, i didn't get locally. someone bought it from canada for me.
 

On a side note, i do not mind travelling to JB or KL, Malaysia to get any Pentax stuff though. So perhaps, 'LOCAL' includes JB & KL. :lovegrin:

Another thing, i want to ask is if Pentax stuffs contain International warranty, meaning you can buy from popular online stores like B&H and still receive local service?
 

I've been using a Canon G5 all this while and when it comes to DSLR, i am simply greenhorn, though reading from the internet helps alot.

I was thinking of getting the K10D & a Sigma 17-70 as my starter walkabout combo.
Today, i learnt at John 3:16 that you must buy the right lens with the right "mount" to fit into the right body! :bsmilie: I thought as long itz 3rd-party, it must be 'universal'! :sweatsm: Haha, i was dead wrong.

Slowly when my wallet has enough strength, i will invest in a Flash 1st, then a dry cabin, a tripod and eventually 2 other lenses, namely a wide-angle and a telezoom.

Any feedback? :sweat:


Well, I think the 17-70 in pentax mount is available from Alan photo. $640 or something. I bought my K100D from them. One thing about the "third party" lenses is that they tend toi have larger sample variation (this might be a problem, but.. no choice ..)

The 17-70 is very well regarded, and will be a good kit lens (better than the standard kit, anyhow.)

Flashes - yes, both the 360 and 540 are available from cathay. Dry cabin - no sweat, it's universal ;) a wide-angle, how wide? I think the widest available pentax to get is the DA 12-24, in stock at cathay right now for around $1100. It's quite well regarded, some prefer it to the 14mm prime (and i have no idea about wide prime availabilit)

Telezoom is the most problematic. You'll have to get the sigma APO 70-300 (around $350 locally) or tamron 70-300 LD di DG (only get the latest model, don't know about availability in singapore, but i've seen some impressive shots from it. Older tamrons suck compared to the sigma apo.). Both should be alright. The pentax is only a 50-200, and it's also a consumer zoom.

Other options for tele zooms are the 70-200 sigma 2.8 (don't know about local price or availability) and the sigma 50-500 4 -6.3(again, don't know about local price or availability).

Pentax does have a hole in terms of it's tele primes, the pentax 300 f2.8 is probably more expensive than the nikon/canon equivalents (although, with the k10d, it will have stabilization! whee~) and is almost definitely not available locally. I think even in the US you have to order, and there it costs around USD 4500 (i think nikon's is around USD 3000). However, the pentax lens roadmap does show new 200m and 300m primes appearing in 2007! Also, pentax is coming out with a 60-250 f/4 and a 70-300 (unknown) next year, and going by current trends those should be available locally.

So - yes - given those lenses (generally), and assuming you're not going to be buying any fast tele primes ($$$!) i don't think getting a k10D instead of a D80 is a problem. Now you just have to find a k10d to buy!

P.S.: and - you'll need a camera bag - factor in that price! I should also mention that i doubt you'll be able to get the k10d body only, although internationally it seems that the kit version is scarce, so perhaps you may be able to. Even if you get the kit 18-55, the 17-70 IS a step up.

P.P.S: Actually, thinking about it, if that's exactly what you want (i.e. 17-70, flash, 12-24, 70-300 consumer) I think that the k10d is a better buy than the D80 (assuming it's picture quality is similar) except for flash. Even the best pentax flash is not quite as nice as the SB800 (i think) and nikon (for some reason) is regarded as the best for flash photography. I'm not sure why, and i never planned on using flashes ;)

Apart from the flash, the package you get with the k10d will probably be cheaper overall and better in some ways. For example, the sigma apo 70-300 is better than all the nikon branded 70-300s, and the pentax 12-24 is about half the price of the nikon 12-24.
 

On a side note, i do not mind travelling to JB or KL, Malaysia to get any Pentax stuff though. So perhaps, 'LOCAL' includes JB & KL. :lovegrin:

Another thing, i want to ask is if Pentax stuffs contain International warranty, meaning you can buy from popular online stores like B&H and still receive local service?

Malaysia - i have no clue. there have been some recent threads discussing this though.


international warranty - check with shiriro (the local warranty service provider). I haven't checked and i don't know.
 

I've been using a Canon G5 all this while and when it comes to DSLR, i am simply greenhorn, though reading from the internet helps alot.

I was thinking of getting the K10D & a Sigma 17-70 as my starter walkabout combo.
Today, i learnt at John 3:16 that you must buy the right lens with the right "mount" to fit into the right body! :bsmilie: I thought as long itz 3rd-party, it must be 'universal'! :sweatsm: Haha, i was dead wrong.

Slowly when my wallet has enough strength, i will invest in a Flash 1st, then a dry cabin, a tripod and eventually 2 other lenses, namely a wide-angle and a telezoom.

Any feedback? :sweat:

Get a 16-45mm 1st. it will have value in the 2nd hand market and its a pretty good lens from the reviews i see.
after that then you get the 540.
its better to invest your money in pentax stuff. they retain value better than 3rd party equipment.
once you know what interest you then you go for the other more exotic lenses.juz go for the best in the class. save more money in the long run.
 

Get a 16-45mm 1st. it will have value in the 2nd hand market and its a pretty good lens from the reviews i see.
after that then you get the 540.
its better to invest your money in pentax stuff. they retain value better than 3rd party equipment.
once you know what interest you then you go for the other more exotic lenses.juz go for the best in the class. save more money in the long run.

I don't know if this is necessarily true.

The 17-70 is a 2.8-4.5 lens, as compared to the 16-45 which is a constant 4.

The 17-70 loses one mm at wideangle, but in exchange for that probably focusses slightly faster (because it has 2.8), has 2.8 if necessary, and has significantly more zoom.

Both should retain significant value in the second hand market, because the 17-70 is built very well (as well). one other thing to note is that pentax is coming out with a pentax 17-70 - if that turns out to be as fast as the sigma and reviews well, i think the prices (along with the secondhand prices) of both the sigma 17-70 and the 16-45 will be dealt a hefty blow. Of course, the pentax 17-70 might be a 3.5-5.6...

I would agree that you should go with the best, it's just that in this case it's not entirely clear what the "best" is.

I will also say that once the new DA* 16-50 2.8 arrives, that's definitely the "best" walkaround to get for the K10d, as it will bring the fastest possible focussing (in-lens ultrasonic motor and large aperture) and is also weathersealed to match the k10d. Of course, it might cost as much as SGD 1600.
 

Thanks dnaxe for the comprehensive feedback! :thumbsup:

I did try out the D80 with the kit lens just now and wow, it's light! I note that the K10D will be 125g heavier, i hope thatz not too much! My hand is not that muscular. :bsmilie:
 

I don't know if this is necessarily true.

The 17-70 is a 2.8-4.5 lens, as compared to the 16-45 which is a constant 4.

The 17-70 loses one mm at wideangle, but in exchange for that probably focusses slightly faster (because it has 2.8), has 2.8 if necessary, and has significantly more zoom.

Both should retain significant value in the second hand market, because the 17-70 is built very well (as well). one other thing to note is that pentax is coming out with a pentax 17-70 - if that turns out to be as fast as the sigma and reviews well, i think the prices (along with the secondhand prices) of both the sigma 17-70 and the 16-45 will be dealt a hefty blow. Of course, the pentax 17-70 might be a 3.5-5.6...

I would agree that you should go with the best, it's just that in this case it's not entirely clear what the "best" is.

I will also say that once the new DA* 16-50 2.8 arrives, that's definitely the "best" walkaround to get for the K10d, as it will bring the fastest possible focussing (in-lens ultrasonic motor and large aperture) and is also weathersealed to match the k10d. Of course, it might cost as much as SGD 1600.

if you are gonna wait for the 17-70. you will lose all the opportunities for making images in btw. might as well make do with what you can get hold of 1st. Anyway, the sharpness and cost of the future 17-70mm would most likely not be comparable to the 16-45mm. cos the optimum quality of a zoom lens is abt 3X the min focal length.As for the 1 stop diff, you got anti shake to make up for it.
I do not own a 16-45. so its not that i am defensive over the quality of the lens.
And if you want the sharpest possible lenses, you should probably consider the "limited" primes.
 

Thanks dnaxe for the comprehensive feedback! :thumbsup:

I did try out the D80 with the kit lens just now and wow, it's light! I note that the K10D will be 125g heavier, i hope thatz not too much! My hand is not that muscular. :bsmilie:

pleasure ;)

and - yeah. don't know man. I thought the D80 was already a little heavy (and the K100d isn't actually lighter. so. hm. was probably lens weight)

if you are gonna wait for the 17-70. you will lose all the opportunities for making images in btw. might as well make do with what you can get hold of 1st. Anyway, the sharpness and cost of the future 17-70mm would most likely not be comparable to the 16-45mm. cos the optimum quality of a zoom lens is abt 3X the min focal length.As for the 1 stop diff, you got anti shake to make up for it.
I do not own a 16-45. so its not that i am defensive over the quality of the lens.
And if you want the sharpest possible lenses, you should probably consider the "limited" primes.

i'm definitely not suggesting waiting for the pentax 17-70. Sorry i wasn't clear. I think the OP should get the sigma 17-70 (or pentax 16-45) right now.

I disagree about your comments vis-a-vis the future pentax 17-70 though - the sigma 17-70 is basically as sharp as the 16-45 in most circumstances. (If i'm not wrong, it's actually as sharp, provided that you stop down to f4. I think that at 45mm the aperture of the 17-70 is still less than f4, and at that focal length it's in the "sweet spot" of the 17-70, so it's just as sharp because of that, even though it's almost wide open.) However, the best thing to do is to search for lens tests online. (just beware the sample variation!)

Anti-shake doesn't "make up" for anything, because both lenses will have that advantage. Also, (something else i didn't mention) the viewfinder, with a 17-70 fitted, is likely to be slightly brighter than with a 16-45 fitted.

I don't own either lens, so i'm not biased by that at all. I am, however, concerned about sample variation - if i knew that OP would get a "good" 17-70, i would have no hesitation recommending it (on the basis of the above, and what I would get in a similar situation).

The "limited" lenses are probably the sharpest lenses easily available in the pentax system, even wide open. The only lens which might actually be sharper is the out-of-production * 85/1.4.
 

Just now went to John 3:16 in Funan & asked whether K10D is in store. The friendly salesguy say in December. After answering my question, he immediately discouraged me to buy a Pentax. He said i am better off buying a Canon or Nikon, 9 out of 10 shops i visit will carry the lens, accessories, etc, that i will need for a Canon or Nikon camera.

He said unless i live in Australia or somewhere, there is no point getting a Pentax as it is very hard to get the relevant items for a Pentax dslr in Singapore. :bheart:
Even if i do get, the price will be higher.

Is this really true? If this is the scenario in Singapore, i think i will probably have to settle for the Nikon D80 instead though i would have gone for the K10D anytime.

What does your experience say? :dunno:

Go where your heart is! I've been to the shop many times and although they are a helpful and friendly bunch, I get this feeling they are hardcore Canon and Nikon fans...sigh..the Empire wins again...;)
 

Go where your heart is! I've been to the shop many times and although they are a helpful and friendly bunch, I get this feeling they are hardcore Canon and Nikon fans...sigh..the Empire wins again...;)

Hehe. Someday soon I'm going to go visit them with my kit ;)
 

Hehe. Someday soon I'm going to go visit them with my kit ;)

good luck! just make sure the shop is not filled with hardcore C fans...:bsmilie::bsmilie::bsmilie:
 

thanks for the information, dnaxe!
If K10D's noise level is good, i guess, i will take it.
 

thanks for the information, dnaxe!
If K10D's noise level is good, i guess, i will take it.

sure ;)

from initial reports, it seems to be pretty good. According to what looks like a pretty reasonable objective text, ISO 1600 is 40% worse than the K100D, which is probably better than expected.

But it's best to wait for a proper reviews, and "standard" test photos from the usual suspects.

Sigh. I'm tempted to get one too. ;)
 

I called shriro and they say they will honour the international warranty.

Anybody got price list of pentax lens in Singapore? Nobody started a price list yet?

I am kind of curious of the prices of the

1) FA 77mm f1.8 USD589
2) FA43mm f1.9 USD370
3) K100D US474

super tempting....
 

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