Oly E620 or Pentax Kr

[jim khoo]

newbie wish to migrate from pns to dslr.
narrowed down to these two (kits).
which one is more suitable?
mainly family gatherings/ functions and some streets.

thanks.

 

[derrickder]

I'd go for the Pentax because not only does it have a bigger sensor for better low-light capabilities during gatherings (where you might not have lots of light), it has a HD video function which you can use.

 

[nex100]

check out those mirrior less cams ... good ones

it will be better for u if you know what are the strengths and weaknesses of each system offering. every camera will enable to shoot good pics as long as u know what u r doing and do them under the correct situations.

 

[Rashkae]

Please read the "FAQ: What DSLR to get?" Sticky.

 

[night86mare]

up

to

you

it's

your

money

bro

 

[daniel-sg]

Very unlikely that you'll get an objective answer here cause there probably isn't one.

But if its opinions you're looking for, i would go for olympus e620, i find it more Newbie friendly.

 

[pinholecam]

Kr is a very good camera at its price point.
Good low light performance both from the APS-C sized sensor and good engineering.
Many good on camera features like HDR, shake reduction, preview of white balance and color selections, dual battery compatability.

 

[arctos]

I have the e620 and I like using it. But if I were to choose all over again at this point, I might go for the pentax k-r. Reason being the e620 is a soon-to-be-2-years-old technology, so naturally if you're going for all the latest improvements, you won't find it in the e620.

K-r advantages:

• slightly larger APS-C sensor giving more usable high ISO pics
• video recording
• AF assist lamp
• higher FPS
• bigger LCD
• li-ion and AA compatible (once the battery adaptor is out)

e-620 advantages:

• swivel screen

Weight with kit lens and li-ion battery should be similar for both, and both have in-body image stablization, shake/dust reduction. Price point should be similar as well, although the e620, being an older model, ought to be somewhat cheaper. Of course, if you intend to upgrade to their flagship models then lens choices would be an important factor as well.

Have you tried both cameras? The e620 has a somewhat different style of grip that some can't get used to. Ultimately it's your choice, since you might or might not care for all the additional new features. But if you're still interested in what 4/3 has to offer, why not look at the mirrorless offerings from Olympus and Panasonic?

*edit* note about the high ISO point. I used to complain like crazy about the high ISO output of my e-620 (when viewed from the monitor). But after printing in 4R, I realized it's not as big an issue as I thought, and so I'm a happy Oly user once again.

 

[jim khoo]

arctos,
i do have the same thoughts; newer tech and all that.

it is good to know that you are still a happy E620 user. have you ever
consider switching camp?

pinholecam,
yes, those are one of the many selling points of Kr.

daniel,
what are the non newbie friendliness about the Kr you know, as compared
to the E620; this could my deciding factor.

nex100,
those are neat. i am still surfing the m43rds and serious compacts forums.
the EPL1 + EVF + panny pancake is much desired.

derricker,
those would be two major points for the Kr for me.

my sincere thanks to you guys for taking time to share these pointers.

 

[jim khoo]

Please read the "FAQ: What DSLR to get?" Sticky.

read it. not helpful or what so ever at all!
people who understand what to compare
or look for, are not called newbies.

you are welcome to ignore this thread.

 

[Rashkae]

read it. not helpful or what so ever at all!
people who understand what to compare
or look for, are not called newbies.

you are welcome to ignore this thread.

Based on your initial post, you defintely fall under the category of "Newbies". Most people who know what to look for or compare will not post "Brand X or Brand Y" questions in a forum Newbies Corner.

newbie wish to migrate from pns to dslr.
narrowed down to these two (kits).
which one is more suitable?
mainly family gatherings/ functions and some streets.

thanks.

You yourself say you are a newbie. You say you narrowed the 2 kits, but did not mention what aspects of the 2 you were uncertain of. Therefore it is logical that you did not do a thorough comparison yet as you could not specify which aspect of the 2 you are uncertain of.
You say you want to do "mainly family gatherings/ functions and some streets" which is a clear newbie statement as anyone who did even basic research would know that any camera will do a good job in those aspects. This is also explained in the FAQ you so deride.

Just because the FAQ did not cover every single possible combination of "A vs B" cameras out there to spoonfeed you, and instead gave logical, real-life advice that would help you make your own informed decision as an adult, does not make it "not helpful at all". It is only "not helpful" to people who expect spoonfeeding.

 

[daniel-sg]

Jim, on second thoughts, get the k-r
seems that the k-r is much better for the price, e620 is too old alr.

but just make your life tougher, i'll ask you to consider the m4/3s camera as well

 

[arctos]

arctos,
i do have the same thoughts; newer tech and all that.

it is good to know that you are still a happy E620 user. have you ever
consider switching camp?

Have I ever? Oh yes... many times, especially when the k-r was released. I even put my e620 up for sale at one point but thankfully convinced myself otherwise and saved my wallet some hurt.

Anyways as daniel-sg mentioned, the e-620 is kinda old. Not that you can't choose it if you decide that's what you want but if you're going to consider 4/3, I think it's better to look among the mirrorless offerings. That's where the development focus is on currently.