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Please don't take this as any sort of put-down, but I definitely wouldn't regard the Pentax K-30 as "decent pro-sumer". It's an entry level DSLR. There's abso
by jfindley 10y ago
Please don't take this as any sort of put-down, but I definitely wouldn't regard the Pentax K-30 as "decent pro-sumer". It's an entry level DSLR. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that - some really excellent photographers use similar equipment and get amazing results - but it's not really what I was writing about. I also note that your m4/3 camera appears to cost almost double what your DSLR does despite having a smaller sensor (which is my far the most expensive part in any camera body), so it's not surprising it has rather more features.
The cameras I was really talking about are professional and semi professional tools - which right now is cameras like the canon 1dx II, nikon d5 (pro) and canon 5d III, nikon d810 (semi-pro). Pentax, I'm afraid, doesn't really have anything comparable right now.
The control systems of these bodies are very, very different to what you're used to - the learning curve is far steeper, they're less forgiving of mistakes, but in good hands are remarkably effective tools. They also cost rather more - between USD $2700 and $6500 for the body alone.
Holding the release down and choosing the best image of the set is a common way to capture images - as I explained however, if there's a specific moment you want to capture you're very unlikely to get it this way. If you're taking a series of shots of something moving and you just want the best one? Well then buffer size becomes at least as important, if not more so, than framerate. It doesn't really help if you capture 11fps but can only do so for one second when the person next to you can do 9fps for 20 seconds. I'd also note that many users of high-end DSLRs have spent this money partly because they are indeed able to get that single perfect shot, due to lots and lots of practice.
You're absolutely correct about mirror induced vibration being a real problem for some shots. Electronic first curtain shutters are actually present in some highend DSLRs (the nikon d810 for example) - but as you say, mirrorless systems tend to be excellent at landscape photography (although sadly tilt/shift lenses for mirrorless cameras are few and far between). The point I was attempt to make was that DSLRs are masters of flexibility - m4/3 cameras do some things exceedingly well, and some things not quite well. DSLRs tend to be good at pretty much everything, if you can live with the size, weight and cost. A great deal of professionals have both - mirrorless systems for the times when they work well, and a DSLR for everything else.
P.s. in response to your paragraph on wingtip focus I've a couple of points. Firstly, touchscreen focus is great for many things, but it REALLY is not going to help you capture a fast moving bird in flight. Secondly, the head and the wings are both moving, in multiple directions at once. Neither are differently "sharp" to the autofocus sensor. The reason wingtip focus is such an incredibly common error with birds in flight photography is because the wingtip is closer, depending on the angle may sometimes move in front of the head, has more contrast and tends to be bigger (depending on the species). All these factors combine, and thus why it's a very common issue. Note that you'll only see it if you have a pretty shallow depth of field - which you're less likely to have on a small sensor camera, or with a slow lens.
- CWuestefeld 10y agoPentax, I'm afraid, doesn't really have anything comparable right now. Splitting hairs, but I don't think that's quite right. The medium-format 645D is a step above those you've cited (yet with a comparable price). And the recent K-1 (not to be confused with the K-01, nice job marketing guys) should be on par with the D810, etc. (see [1] and [2]). However, I'll grant that whatever else it might be doing with image quality, Pentax's autofocus systems have always been sub-par. They're improving, but so is the competition. I'll defer to your experience with birds; I admit to being crappy with that. But I think in your example of capturing the ultimate instant, autofocus does not enter the picture (so to speak). If you're worried about the EVF delay, the (lack of) speed of autofocus will put you right out of the ballpark. If you want that decisive moment, you're going to need to be pre-focused. Or are you tracking the subject continuously? I have particularly bad results trying that. The point I was attempt to make was that DSLRs are masters of flexibility ... if you can live with the size, weight and cost And indeed, those latter issues are a big tradeoff, as the OP notes and I've found myself - since I got the Olympus I've hardly used the Pentax at all. You can't just wave them off as caveats, they really are important. If I'm willing to use the kit zoom lens, I can actually fit the thing into a pocket, which is a big part of why I bought it. As the saying goes, "the best camera is the one you have with you". But it's not just availability, it's also handling and agility. The weight of, say, a 300mm equivalent lens on a m43 body is a small fraction of the same for full frame. That translates into better stability when forced to hand-hold, or ability to move faster onto target even when on a tripod, which is important when acquiring and tracking a moving subject. On the other hand, that same thing is a detriment for portrait photography with a m43. The same geometry that works well for long lenses means that it's difficult to impossible to achieve the short depth of field that you can get with a bigger-sensor camera. I think Sony may have that covered, but for reasons we needn't get into here, Sony products aren't allowed in my house. [1] DXO scores: K-1 is 96, D810 is 97 (https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Pentax-K-1-versus-Nikon-D810___1075_963 https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Pentax-... ) [2] "Image Quality is where the K-1 definitely outshines the majority of its competition at this price point, with the camera giving one of the best Raw dynamic range results we've ever seen, falling just short of the industry-leading Nikon D810. Low light Raw image quality is a match for just about anything on the market, falling just short of the class-leading Sony a7R II." (https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentax-k-1/10 https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentax-k-1/10 )