Arnold
Bojidar Dimitrov schrieb:
Hello everybody,
I guess that this is a "message from the great beyond"...
First of all, please visit http://kmp.bdimitrov.de/for_sale/items/ in order to see my long list of items for sale. I will wait for 10-14 days, and will then sell all remaining items on eBay. Feel free to group items together and to make me offers, but please remain realistic. The list contains lenses, bodies, lots LX accessories, manuals, cases, hoods, etc.
Otherwise, what's been happening with me? It has been a couple of months since I started my Canon excursion. At first it was just an experiment and a protest against Pentax's recent product releases: - *ist camera incompatible with K/M lenses, - FAJ lenses, - possibility of *ist D not supporting K/M lenses, - still no USM technology, - still no IS technology - still no DSLR, - ...
At present Canon EOS is my primary system, and since I cannot afford to own two systems, I am selling off my Pentax gear. This is a sad event, but I am convinced (internally, for me) that whatever products Pentax might release, I will be able to get equivalents from Canon, and I (personally) will not regret my move. Yes, I know, it is like voting for Microsoft and joining the Big bad Brother, but I do not feel that it is MY job to save Pentax. Through the existence and maintenance of the KMP, I feel that I have done my part.
So, most of you want to ask, what are my impressions from Canon? Well, here are the negative sides:
- Canon's equipment is generally larger and heavier, - Canon's lens coating is slightly inferior to SMC, - Canon's non-pro bodies have small viewfinders and no spot-meters.
On the positive side are things like: - a complete palette of high-quality products, bodies, lenses, flashes - undisputed leader in small-format digital photography - top technology: USM, IS, AF teleconverts - very high availability of new and used products, generally lower prices than the competition
In the end, what does this mean? Well, if Pentax builds the products
that YOU need, then there is no need for YOU to consider another brand. Pentax products are generally well designed and well built, and
sometimes they are better than the competition. The trouble starts when
Pentax allows gaping holes in their products lines and when they abandon
compatibility with older products. This all bothered me, so I looked
elsewhere. This was my personal decision, and now I do not even look on
eBay any more because I have everything that I need:
- a small and light film-based kit: EOS 30 (Elan 7e), 24/2.8 + 28-105/3.5-4.5 - a serious-amateur film-based kit: EOS 30 (Elan 7e), 20-35/3.5-4.5, 50/1.8, 100/2.8 Macro, 70-200/4, 400/5.6, external flash - a serious digital kit: Canon 10D + any Canon lens that I own.
I am happy, and now that I do not spend so much time on eBay, PDML or KMP, I have lots of time to go shooting. I ordered the 10D immediately after I learned that Pentax has delayed the *ist D. Within two hours of receiving the 10D, I was lucky to shoot the following image: http://www.bdimitrov.de/private/wood_warbler.jpg I was using the EF 400/5.6 USM L lens and built-in flash. On the DSLR the lens appears to be 640/5.6, and the cropped out image covers about 70% of the entire image. Within an hour of taking the image, I had it touched up in PainShopPro and printed out. What an amazing experience!
And in the end, just a warning to those considering the *ist D. Regardless of how much the body costs, plan on spending twice as much. You will probably need a MicroDrive or two, extra batteries, a charger,
probably a couple of new lenses, you will need to upgrade your computer,
your printer will NEVER be good enough, and you WILL want to buy
insurance for your new body. So, if you have to collect the last
dollars for the DSLR, then consider waiting for 6 months or so. Not
following this advice will quickly lead you to my situation ---
emergency sale of every piece of non-essential equipment...
Best wishes to all, Boz
