I promised myself no big photography expenses this year. No expensive lens and no new body. I bought two cheap and used lenses that cost a hundred(SGD) to satisfy my LBA(lens buying addiction) and to tide me over until I have enough money to buy something. But then I saw an ad in one of the forums I frequent. The guy wants to buy a K10D(my current camera). I was able to sell it at a good price and buy myself a Pentax K-x.

I really wanted to have a K-7. But it was 800SGD more. The K-x is a bit quirky. It uses 4 AA batteries and it does not have AF point indicator. You can still choose the focus point but you can not see it on the screen which makes it a bit painful to use if you are the type who uses the other AF points a lot. I already missed it when I was shooting yesterday in a party. But its no big deal breaker.

I don’t like using AA batteries that much. The camera draws a lot of power and sometimes I feel that AA might not be up to the task. Sometimes the battery meter turns red. I just rest it a bit and it turns to yellow again. Not that much convenient if you forget to charge the battery every time you use it.

I was not satisfied with the K10Ds focus capability. It hunts at low light. Its a bit annoying if you are taking group pics. You need to have your subject pose for a long time.  High-iso shooting is also way better. While high ISO is not that much important to me, its important for casual snaps during events.

What I really missed was the K10Ds ergonomics. Sure the K-x is light and the grip is not that bad. The K10D is a joy to hold. It does not feel cheap. My pockets are though.

In regards to IQ. I feel that the K10D is better in low ISO shots. I don’t if its the lens or some other settings. But I like the output of K10D better at low ISO. Maybe I am just used to it.

The only thing I really hated about this lens was, I now wanted to buy an FA 31mm.

Advertisement