Pentax k-x and Old Pentax Lenses

[RobertGlen]

Has anyone any first impressions of the Pentax k-x?

Initial reviews look good, though still a little pricey.

I am looking for a reasonable starter camera for the wife ( Nikon D3000 in the frame ) but the new Pentax seems to offer everything.
At the price should I go for the Nikon D5000 and get the HD video?

I also have an old Pentax K1000 SLR with a 100mm zoom lens. Will that work on the DSLR?

[chris-p]

Hi Robert

I've not used a K-x myself but they seem to be getting pretty good reviews. It really depends on which model you prefer (which I know sounds a bit wishy washy!).

With the Nikon cameras you'd have the advantge of more new lenses as Nikon are constantly churning out the newest lenses. The Pentax should be backwards compatible with older K-AF mount lenses so it's possible your 100mm lens will work on the K-x but you'd need to check it out more thoroughly.

With any luck a Pentax expert will be along any minute now...

[GerryBateson]

You can use every pentax lens ever made with the K-x although you may need adapters for some of the ancient ones. Anything from recent years though in the K mount will just fit nicely. I think Pentax is the only camera that offers this but only a very few would take real advantage of it.

[HinFrance]

K mount should fit OK. It will work in Manual and Aperture Priority modes.

The only problem with the Pentax backwards compatibility is the price of secondhand lenses - especially the 50mm primes which are getting extortionate. The FA lenses from the 80s and 90s are superb and some of the zooms are cheap(ish). If you go to the Pentax forums there is a lens guide HERE.

Don't be fooled by the DCM reviews of the 18-55 Pentax kit lens - the French Camera mags rate it as good as the Nikon one and way ahead of the Canon offering - French mags use lab bench tests to rate kit, not the subjective views of journalists.

Choosing a camera system is very hard, because they are all good. It has to be down to how the body feels in your hands and do the ergonomics suit you.

I'm happy with my Pentaxes, but I am sure I would be just as happy with similar offerings from the other big names. If they weren't so much more expensive