Friday, November 30, 2007

Why purchasing a Pentax K10D makes sense...part two

Dear Pentaxians and Pentax K10D owners, thank you so much for your visits, comments, emails, and posts on the various forum sites. I received a lot of hits today and I am so grateful for such a great response. I was going to write about why I personally decided to purchase a K10D, but with such a great response, I thought I would share the comments received from everywheretoday, and post my own reasons tomorrow. Owning a Pentax K10D or any of the Pentax DSLRs makes us a unique group amongst DSLR owners. Nowhere do I see such passion and friendliness than when I visit a Pentax blog or forum. It seems that we all like to help each other instead of boasting about how expensive our gear is. We all like to talk about what a great value we got for so little money.

The following are excerpts from some of the forum posts and comments received today.

J Man from Minnesota:

The K10D, for the money, was loaded up like a Nikon or Canon of twice the price. Just holding it in the store I thought, wow, this thing is awesome for half the cost. I originally was only going to get the K100D, but after talking with the camera experts at National Camera they steered me towards the K10D. I can't see myself ever needing more than this. I plan on buying a AF-360 flash and a Tamron or Pentax 18-250mm lens in the near future.

James D from Oregon:

I deliberately chose the Pentax because it handled best in my hands and produced images that I liked. I really don't require "experts" to confirm my decision. Besides, I'm skeptical of "experts" telling me why such and such equipment is best. What is best for me is something that I personally determine by hands-on usage.

Miserere from Boston:

It had the most features (not gimmicks) for the lowest price. I also thought I'd be able to get some cheap lenses off eBay to continue growing as a photographer without going bankrupt. Yeah, the eBay thing didn't really pan out how I expected it to...

Phil from Indiana:

I looked at and handled several different makes and models of cameras. I then compared them all, feature by feature. The Pentax gave me more useful features for my money. Based on that, I purchased a K10D. I really enjoy the camera and have no regrets about my decision.

Allan, South Korea:

I have my own unique style. I shoot straight jpg. Color balance is done manually within the camera. After getting the hang of the camera's metering system, exposure is usually perfect, or off within 1/3 stop (close enough).

Randy from Oregon:

I am actually very impressed with the K10 and its ability to get me involved with the elements of crafting my photography.

Rupert from Texas:

1. First, Pentax is not the most popular brand out there. I kind of like that. I never was one to follow the crowd.
2. Good guys. Yep, there are a lot of good guys using Pentax, I know because I am on this forum a lot and see them. Take a visit to the competition and lurk for a while, you'll miss this place pretty fast.
3. Value. Pentax has the best value/performance ratio of any DSLR out there. Check it out!
4. Performance. My DS and 10D perform for me in the ways I need and expect. I'm sure many other brands would too, but 1, 2, and 3; above don't come with the other brands.
And lastly, I have these etched cabinet doors........


And I thought I was passionate about Pentax.....Rupert got me beat.

I could continue listing, but the above will suffice. All of the above were extracted from various forums. What seems to be coming out is that most perceive the Pentax DSLRs as the best value for the money, and I do agree. Tomorrow, I will list my own personal reasons as to why I chose Pentax DSLRs over the competition.

Thanks for reading and come back.

P.S. If you would like to post an article about Pentax or any generic DSLR related article on this blog, email the article to info@k10dbook.com . If appropriate and not condescending toward any other camera makers, I will post it along with credits to you. Include pictures as well.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Why purchasing a Pentax K10D makes sense.

Why purchasing a Pentax K10D makes sense.

The major players in the Digital SLR camera world are, as you likely know, Nikon and Canon which are alternatively in the lead position. Then, there is or there will be Sony who is rapidly catching up and will undoubtedly become the third most popular DSLR. Pentax and Olympus are the next in line followed by Fuji and Sigma. I must say that they all produce great cameras. I know you’ve heard that a thousand times, but “It’s not the camera…it’s the photographer”. Also, the bigger your budget is the more publicity you can afford, and the more sales you make. It’s a vicious circle as more people hear from your product; more people associate your brand as being the best. Sometimes, the underdog has to work harder and produce better and more affordable products. More on this later.

Let’s be real here, great photographs are produced every day by photographers using any one of the above cameras. Sure, a camera with a very fast sequential shooting will be more apt to fulfill a sport photographer’s needs. Cameras with seals to protect against dust and humidity will probably be an important factor for professional field photographers. Lenses and accessories availability is a great reason for choosing one make over another. Let’s not forget price or value for your hard earned money (in my case anyway). If money is no object, buy the newest DSLR with the most gadgets, and trade it in anytime something newer and better comes out.

My decision to purchase Pentax is a blend of different reasons. I started in photography, many moons ago, with the Pentax Spotmatic. I purchased an array of lenses and optional gear and kept updating my equipment through the late 1980’s. I then switched to Nikon, because I was influenced by many of the professional photographers using Nikon cameras. I sold all of my Pentax gear and got Nikon equipment. Eventually, I owned a Nikon F5 and a Nikon F100 as spare, with about 15 lenses. It was an excellent camera, and in my opinion, one of the best 35mm ever made.

But then came the digital world. I first purchased a Nikon Coolpix 950, then the 990, and then additional lenses and attachments. (By the way, the Coolpix cameras cost me more than my current K10D and lenses.) Nikon announced their first DSLR and I thought it was too expensive ($5,000.00). They followed with new models about every nine months or so, making the previous model worth just a fraction of the purchased price of a few months earlier. Canon did the same. To top it all off, Nikon as well as Canon started selling their cameras through electronic stores such as Best Buy, Circuit City, and through discount stores such as Wall Mart, Sam’s Club, and Costco. To me, they have succumbed to the temptation of mass selling, profits and greed, over quality and service. Most sales persons at these electronic stores and discount stores barely know the difference between an IPOD and a DSLR. In the process, many Camera Stores had to shut their doors because they weren’t able to compete with big corporations. They are gone and so is the personal service and expertise of their staff.

So back to the reason I went back to Pentax……Affordability, features, RAW images, Shake Reduction, Backward lens compatibility, and more, much more.

To be continued tomorrow with the details..

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow and see if you agree with me.


Yvon Bourque

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Last day in Yosemite - Mariposa Grove, Giant trees

Today, along with the K10D and the K100D, we brought a DA 16-45mm, a DA 70mm limited, FA 35-70mm coupled with a cheap 0.25 fish eye attachment lens. Eventually, I will get the DA 10-17mm or the DA 12-24mm. You can't always get what you want...not in my world anyway.
Today was our last full day in Yosemite. We spent the day in Mariposa Grove where all of the big trees are located. This first photo is of me and my wife. We took pictures of ourselves with a super wide angle lens attachment, and that's why we have "Fish" faces.. But we always have fun taking pictures like that one every place we visit. It's sort of a tradition. The nice young couple above were visiting the Park...notice anything special? Look at the camera, it's a Pentax *ist-DL. Yeah, go Pentax.
Do you know what side of the trees moss grows? Well, in North America, it's on the North side. Moss doesn't like the sun. So remember that if you are ever lost on the woods.
That's the biggest tree in the park. It's name...Grizzly Giant. It is about 3000 years old. No, I don't remember when it was a small tree. Here are several trees close together. To germinate, Sequoia seeds have three requirements: Some direct sunlight, adequate moisture and bare mineral soil...and a few thousand years. The roots of this fallen tree gives intricate shapes. There might just be some seeds on the ground starting to germinate!
I couldn't get the tree with a regular lens. Only ultra wide angle will do, hence the distorsion. I had to take break sometime.


I hope you enjoyed these few pictures and if you ever have a chance, go visit Yosemite National Park. You can look at all the pictures in the world, there are very few places as overwhelming as Yosemite. This was my first visit, and I will come again, and again.

Regards,


Yvon bourque

You can email me if you don't like to leave comments yvon@k10dbook.com

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Yosemite second day. Much better than on Thanksgiving day.


Today was so much better than our first day here. Because yesterday was Thanksgiving Day, there were too many people. Today we decided to get up early and we drove to the Curry Village, inside the park. We left our car there and took an environmental friendly bus to Happy Isle and hiked the mist trail all the way on up to Vernal Falls. At one point we had to climb about 600 vertical steps. It was well worth the sweat.

Yosemite is known all over the world and El Capitan and Half Dome are the signature of the park. However, once in the park, you realize how much more there is to see. The wildlife and breath taking sceneries are all around. While I was taking pictures, my wife had a good time taking her own pictures with her Pentax K100D and taking pictures of me taking pictures. Today, along with my Pentax K10D, I had a DA 16-45mm, a DA 50-200 and the great DA70mm f/2.4 limited. I was using a Giottos tripod.

What a great day this was. I hope you enjoy the pictures and don’t hesitate to leave me your comments. I am writing this post on my laptop, in our hotel room. The laptop is much slower than my home computer and I am having a hard time to load the pictures, but I managed to include a few of today's pictures.

Thanks you for reading,

Yvon Bourque
You can email me if you don't like to leave comments yvon@k10dbook.com

Friday, November 23, 2007

Yosemite first day....As much traffic as New York City.

Click on pictures to enlarge.
We arrived in Yosemite National Park on Thanksgiving Day around 4:00 P.M. We actually stayed at a hotel in Oakhurst. This morning, Friday, we got up early and we were ready to go to Yosemite. I have never been here and I was very anxious to see the land that Ansel Adams dedicated his entire photographic career and life to.

The day didn’t go as planned in a hurry. As we actually got in the park, our car engine temperature got hot. After inspection, I realized that our radiator had a leak. I had to go to an auto part store and get some “Stop leaks” and luckily, it worked. Upon our return, around 10:30 A.M. there was a traffic line about a mile long at the entrance gate. The parking lots were as full as a Wal-Mart during a sale. We didn’t know, but the Thanksgiving holiday is the busiest day of the year at Yosemite. Hopefully, most people will be driving back home tomorrow. We will be here through Monday, so I know that we will have a chance to explore the park peacefully.

I did have a chance to take some pictures, but most were away from the hot spots, as there were too many people. We had a nice conversation with a couple by the river. They were relaxing in camping chairs, away from the crowd, while their dog (pictured above) was having fun in the water.

I everything goes as planned tomorrow; we will be there early and should be able to get some great shots “à la Ansel Adams” style.

Check the blog again, as I will post more photos every night through Monday.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque
You can email me if you don't like to leave comments yvon@k10dbook.com

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

K10D and K100D downloadable e-books.


If you own a K10D or K100D, we have a Book dedicated to each camera. We have added the e-book for each camera that can be purchased for only $15.00 and can be downloadable immediately after payment. It doesn't get much faster that that.
You can buy the printed books here: http://www.pentaxdslrs.com/
You can buy the e-books here: http://www.k10dbook.com/Purchase%20PDF.htm
Thanks for reading,
Yvon Bourque
You can email me if you don't like to leave comments yvon@k10dbook.com

Thursday, November 15, 2007

How the West was once.

Pioneertown in California is another great place for photographers. The following description was imported from many sites describing Pioneertown. I was there with my faithfull Pentax K10D and took those unique pictures.

Though Pioneertown was built as a real town in 1946, it was also built as a movie set by a group of investors who envisioned an 1870’s frontier town that functioned as a living movie set. Western stars including Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gail Davis (Annie Oakley), Duncan Renaldo (The Cisco Kid), Leo Carrillo (Pancho), Gene Autry, The Sons of the Pioneers (for whom the town was named), Jock Mahoney (The Range Rider), and Russell Hayden, (Hopalong Cassidy movie series) all walked these streets packin’ six guns.

Other movie greats including Barbara Stanwyck, Jackie Coogan, Dick Jones, Edgar Buchanan, Tom Skerritt and Barry Sullivan all made movies here from 1948 to 1998. The atmosphere of the ‘old west’ lives on in the town that has kept most of the original buildings and has its own Pioneertown Posse. It is a treat, for young and old alike, to roam the streets; take photos; visit the Post Office Museum; bowl in the bowling alley where the first strike was bowled by Roy Rogers; ride the Rattlesnake Gulch Railroad Line, a one of a kind miniature steam engine replica that takes passengers around the bowling alley and shooting gallery, and relive an exciting part of Hollywood and Western Film history.

The Pipes Canyon Preserve is a fantastic place for hikers, and horseback riders. It is a 20,000 acre natural wildlife corridor that connects the Joshua Tree National Park with the San Bernardino National Forest. The Preserve’s Canyons offer superb wildlife and natural habitat viewing.

Pioneertown is located five minutes northwest of Yucca Valley on Pioneertown Road and is at an altitude of 4,000 feet in a high desert basin of Joshua Trees. It is, on average, 20 degrees cooler than Palm Springs and makes for a fascinating desert destination.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Pentax K10D best accessory yet.






Well today, I got my best Pentax K10D accessory yet. I bought a Jeep Wrangler already rigged for heavy-duty trips. My step-son, Donovan, will be walking the entire Pacific Crest Trail next April (that's about 2,600 miles). He sold me his Jeep to get the top-notch gear and accessories for this adventurous and challenging trip. That's his dream and he will finally realize it. You can see his blog here. PCT Dream it, See it, Do it.

At least, the Jeep will stay in the family. As for me, this is also a dream fulfilled, as I will be able to go just about anywhere with my Pentax gear. There are so many places I want to go to but can never get there with my car. Wildlife photography, here I come.

I just wanted to share this good day I had with the world and all my photog friends.

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Palm Springs, California


We were in Palm Springs a little over a week ago for a weekend visit. We lived in Palm Springs for a while, before moving in the high desert. We often come back here as an escape from our work and daily grind. The city is a far cry from what it was just ten years ago, although it has conserved its Mediterranean style. The Palm Springs downtown area is always vibrant with activities, parades, market day (every Thursday night, with dozens of vendors selling arts & craft, food and unique items. There are plenty of places for entertainment, music, Broadway type shows and there is a myriad of restaurants, etc.

The golf courses are simply magnificent in Palm Springs. Although I don’t golf, I understand why they label the area as the largest concentration of golf courses in the country. The wealthy people and movie stars own houses in Palm Springs and adjacent communities. On the streets of Palm Springs, it is not unusual to see several Rolls-Royces, Mercedes, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and all type of exotic and very expensive cars going up and down the main street.

It is one of the greenest city I have ever seen (Green here is not alluding to ecological friendliness). Although located in the middle of the desert, there are more green grass, flowers, and trees than most cities located in areas where water is more plentiful. I have seen more water being wasted in Palm Springs than anywhere else I’ve been. On the other hand, I have never seen such concentration of electricity generating windmills. Go figure!

The area’s population is comprised of many retirees, Native Americans and the usual blend of people typical to most southern California cities.

The area is full of good photographic opportunities. The sky is always blue. The contrast of the palm trees and green lawns against the mountains and sky is unique. It’s hard to believe that you are in the desert.

Thanks for reading,

Yvon Bourque