Sorry, my opinion differs. The E-1 is *substantially* better built than the K10D, both with respect to materials and the quality of the components. The shutter is as close to noiseless as any SLR shutter I've ever used and extremely smooth in operation. The viewfinder is on par for brightness and size, has a better screen for manual focusing too. It, and all Olympus ZD high grade/super high grade lenses, are fully weathersealed. The controls are, in my opinion, as good as the K10D, just a little different. It has all the right options far as I'm concerned. It certainly has its foibles, no camera doesn't, but it's a very fine piece.
Yes, the K20D specifications have surpassed K10D performance, but I said "at least K10D" noise and sensitivity levels as I have no experience with the K20D as yet. I'm unwiling to place a benchmark standard based on a camera that I've only read about. ;-) I've been using an E-1 for a few weeks. It is a pro-class body on par with the D300 in build and overall quality, but much older in spec of course. It is an absolute pleasure to use despite its slow write performance and 5Mpixel resolution. Fitting the same M50/1.4 Pentax lens on it and on the K10D one after the other, the difference in how easy it is to snap the focus in is remarkable ... the E-1 focuses very crisply. If you shoot with one for a week and then pick up the K10D, you immediately notice how crude and clattery the shutter/ mirror operation in the K10D is and the comparative sloppiness of the control wheels and levers. This is not to say that the K10D is a bad or deficient camera. It's the best advanced amateur body I've tried and provides incredible features and performance for its price. The K20D should be even better. But it is not in the same class as the E-1 with respect to basic quality. Godfrey On Jan 25, 2008, at 12:58 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Yes, D300 packaging and shutter performance would take it to the > next level. But since the picture is the thing, the K20D will > serve quite well for now. Since three-year cycles seem to be about > max for DSLR technology these days, I don't know if I need better > build than what I'm getting herre. I could use 6 fps on occassion, > but those occassions are infrequent. > Paul > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > From: "Adam Maas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Gotta say I agree in most particulars. I'd love the K20D's imaging >> system stuffed into a D300-equivalent body (Build, UI, performance. >> D300 as the standard, not the Oly bodies which IMHO aren't any better >> than the K10D). The only really 'Pro' small-format SLR Pentax ever >> made was the LX. But the current market needs a digital equivalent. >> >> -Adam >> >> On 1/25/08, Godfrey DiGiorgi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> This all points out the most serious lack in Pentax DSLR >>> equipment: a >>> pro-class body. I personally believe that Pentax has long made the >>> mistake of producing better lenses than bodies. The FA and DA >>> Limited >>> primes, the A*, FA* and DA* lenses, and even many of the "regular" >>> series lenses are pro-quality performers. >>> >>> The Pentax K10D/K20D, by comparison, are very well-featured >>> advanced- >>> amateur bodies. >>> >>> I care not one whit about so-called "full frame" and 10Mpixel is >>> just >>> fine ... I want a body built to the same quality standards as the >>> Olympus E-1. From this point forward, I want >>> >>> - a smooth and quiet shutter >>> - an excellent (not satisfactory ... *EXCELLENT*) viewfinder and >>> focusing screen >>> - top notch dynamic range >>> - excellent responsiveness >>> - at least as good quality on noise and sensitivity as the K10D >>> - Live View. >>> >>> Sequence capture performance is of lower priority to me, but a dozen >>> frame buffer and reasonable FPS are always a bonus. >>> >>> I look at the Olympus E-1 body of 2003 and the E-3 released last >>> October. Both with a new price in the $1800-2000 price category. And >>> the Nikon D300 recently released as well. All meet the pro-class >>> build and performance qualities, in their respective time period, >>> that I would like. Higher end ... it's always possible to go higher >>> end as in the Nikon D3 and Canon 1D series ... but the above three >>> cameras firmly establish a pro-class body in build and features >>> to my >>> mind. >>> >>> Forget about the past and all this FF nonsense. If Olympus can do it >>> with a 4/3 System format, I see no reason why Pentax cannot do it >>> today with the 16x24mm sensors they have. The DA-series lens line is >>> ready. Give me a body to make these excellent lenses serious. :-) >>> >>> Godfrey >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>> [email protected] >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly >>> above and follow >> the directions. >>> >> >> >> -- >> M. Adam Maas >> http://www.mawz.ca >> Explorations of the City Around Us. >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above >> and follow >> the directions. > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above > and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
