By contributor Tom Lacey.

I have always enjoyed the beauty of nature, so taking photos of birds and sea life is one of my favourite pastimes. I needed something to compliment my existing set-up and the answer came in the form of a Sigma zoom lens. Sigma’s APO 150-500mm telephoto lens boasts huge zoom at an affordable price. For what the lens lacks on paper in the way of aperture it more than compensates for with affordability and portability and all round ease of use.

Features and Design

This lens was designed for use on both APS-C and full frame type digital cameras. Sigma’s 150-500mm lens incorporates many features which help create that perfect photo. One such feature is Sigma’s HSM drive which delivers smooth and quick movements, especially when auto focusing. This is a similar technology to Canon’s UltraSonic.

The Sigma 150-500mm is made up of 21 lens elements in 15 groups. Sigma has incorporated a top notch optical stabiliser into this lens which is designed to give an increase in speed of approximately 4 f-stops. This stabiliser came in handy and you see a clear difference between stabilised and non-stabilised photography.

The lens is with Pentax, Nikon, Canon and Sony camera mounts. I coupled this camera up with the Nikon D90 and D70s to get thorough results. Overall the lens was a great match for the D90 but I felt the D70s was out-shined by the Sigma 150-500mm and did not pair up as nicely.

The build quality is exactly to the standard we have come to expect from Sigma. Its metal mounting plate and smart black finish ensure the lens feels solid but not heavy and clunky which can happen with large zoom lenses. The rubberised zoom and focus rings guarantee a sure grip for the user.

Using the lens.

As I enjoy taking photos of nature and sea life I took the lens for a run around Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. The lens was easy to get used to and performed well during day lit shots, even when hand held and at full zoom. At night I would recommend a tripod to ensure crystal clear photographs when the lens is extended fully. There is a tripod mount that comes with the lens which really does come in handy. Weighing in at just under 2kg, I can tell you that your shoulder will get sore if you hand hold this an extended period of time – as is expected with any large zoom lens.

Because of the use of coated elements inside the lens, blemishes such as flares and ghosting are kept to a minimum. Aberration was also well controlled and the edges were very sharp at full crop. Very impressive for a lens at this price point. Vignetting did show itself in a few frames and tended to be more prominent in photos of the sky at lower focal lengths.

The HSM helped with smooth and quick auto focusing. A very small amount of photographs showed a tendency to miss the mark as far as the auto-focus was concerned resulting with the subject of the image coming out-of-focus. This happened mostly when taking a photo of a finch amongst the reeds of a pond in poor light – not exactly an easy focusing situation.  In the end I switched the camera to manual mode and got the photo I was after straight up.

Who would it suit

The sports enthusiast would love this lens. Getting right in close to the subject is what this lens was made for. Whether you want it for sports action, nature or even portrait photos the lens will be a welcome addition to your existing kit. I have used this lens in a church for holy communion photos and it performed beautifully. It would really suit a wedding photographer who is not quite ready to spend the big dollars on an F2.8 lens.

People who are into wildlife photography or bird watching will also love this lens. Set it on a monopod or tripod and you have the perfect kit to take clear, colourful images of everything nature has to offer. The Newcastle beaches were the perfect opportunity for me to test the lens out to try and get the fast moving gulls diving for my hot chips. The lens performed well with all the challenges I threw at it and the results were great. For $1399 you really cant go wrong with the Sigma 150-500mm lens.

Tom is the Store Manager of the Eastmon Glen Innes store and a photography enthusiast.

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I ran across this fascinating quick article from Jeff Wignall that got me thinking about the photos that make me stop and take a second look. There can be many factors that contribute to the success or failure of your image, however this little observation may make or break your photographs. Armed with our Digital SLR and array of lenses we shoot a volume of images, many of them unsatisfying looking for that elusive gem. But maybe if we had thought more about the numbers when taking our photographs we may have had to shoot less and edit less. Would three salt and pepper shakers on a table look more interesting than two? Possibly, in fact most likely!

Not only does the effect of odds stand out in the composition of your photographs, think about next time you are creating a photo collage poster print or a collage on photo canvas art. Experiment with odds and evens on your photo gift and see what looks best and let us know what works best for you.

Armed with your trusty Big Zoom digital camera or DSLR it’s time to experiment with an empty memory card and see if the numbers have it.

Don’t be put off experimenting with this because you don’t have the top of the range Canon or Nikon, as I have seen some amazing photography by people with some of the least expensive digital cameras on the market. Experiment with the numbers and get shooting.

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I ran across this great article from Jeff Wignall that really challenged the way I take photographs. In the article ‘Need a challenge? Illustrate a concept‘ it struck a chord with me about the shoot anything method with a digital camera.

I know when I pull out my DSLR, regardless of whether I am shooting with Nikon, Canon or whatever I have tended to just shoot so much and eventually be disappointed with my results. I have also noticed many people using compact digital cameras doing the same.

I remember my early days in the camera club being surprised by how many of the members used tripods. This generally slowed them down and made them more considered in their approach to what they were shooting. It was when I took this on board and tried to capture a image that provoked a certain emotion that my photography improved and I took less, but better photographs.

Time and patience is also another consideration to capture great images that evoke a response in the audience you are targeting with your images. I have watched many of our customers who create and sell their own greeting cards develop a sense of emotion from the photographs they take, because they are selling to a public that wants to convey a particular thought.

My goal one day is to put my own coffee table photo book together with a theme of images that convey a particular theme, emotion or colour. In the past I have had a number of frames which hang in different places throughout the house where I have made different size digital images to create a theme for that area. With the price of digital photo prints and enlargements now it is possible to regularly change them and surprise your friends and family each time.

Winning Digital Photo Contests (A Lark Photography Book)

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Grace is a casual team member of our Inverell store and a full time school student. Grace’s article demonstrates the ease with which a novice photographer can pick up a modern Digital SLR and take great photos. It is easy to forget that we all start somewhere and through this review by Grace you can see her hesitation at first turn into surprise and confidence to get great photos with ease. Happy reading, Warren Wilson – Editor!

I enjoy photography and I was asked if I would write a review for a Digital SLR camera.

To start with I was very nervous as I had never used a camera of this size or with these features before.  My first impressions of a Digital SLR was that they were not very modern and that it would be complicated, But the Olympus E620 I chose was lighter and easier than I had expected.

Macro mode using 14-42mm Lens

Features

I started taking photos on the automatic settings, experimenting with Portrait, Landscape and Macro modes.  I found them quite easy as the camera did everything for me all I had to do was zoom in.

I experimented with the manual settings and even though I did not fully understand what I was doing it was a lot easier than I expected. I could set the aperture ( this allowed me to decide what I wanted in focus and create depth of field ). The camera then set its own shutter speed. This also works the opposite way around if you want to set the shutter speed, for sports action shots0o, it will select the aperture for you. I had a lot of fun experimenting with these settings.

The Olympus 620 has an exciting range of filters for special effects, including pop art, soft focus, light tone, grainy film (my favourite) and pin hole.

Who is it Suitable For?

The Olympus 620 is suitable for anyone that has a keen interest in photography. Whether you would like learn more about photography and take more ‘professional’ photos, or just be more creative with your pictures, this is the camera for you. Because of its light weight, it is ideal for travelers who want to take postcard style photos or giant enlargements with ease.

Art Filter - Grainy Black & White

Conclusion

This camera is very easy to use and learn. Its guide makes it possible for first time users to follow step by step instructions to help you take fantastic photos and develop your skills as a photographer.
The features on this camera really make it possible to vary your own style of photography and creativity in your photos. I loved using this camera in the end and was reluctant to give it back.

Grace is a full time student and  currently completing yr10 at Inverell High School. Grace works Saturday mornings and some school holidays at the Inverell Eastmon Store.

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A silhouette is defined as an outline that appears dark against a light background. This means being in the right place at the right time, and having the right exposure settings.

So when is the right time?

For best results, pick a time when the sun is just above the horizon — that is, immediately after sunrise and before sunset.

In a sunrise/sunset silhouette photo, the sunlight in the background is exposed correctly, forcing everything else in the photo to be underexposed, causing the silhouette effect.

To create a silhouette, ensure that you put an opaque object in front of a bright background and expose for the background.

If you’re using a point-and-shoot, switch off the flash. Point the camera at the bright area, half-click and hold  the shutter half pressed to fool the camera into thinking the whole area is bright, then recompose the shot using the dark areas as a frame.

If you’re using an SLR that has a spot-metering feature, take a reading of just the bright area and then bracket in half- or full-stop increments toward overexposure.

Look for subjects that have simple but bold shapes, and it’s important not to crowd the shot: one fisherman at dawn creates an uncluttered shot; four or five fishermen in close proximity could leave you with nothing but a dark clump.

Silhouette photography is a wonderful way to convey mood in a picture. You might get lucky and snap the perfect silhouette at any given time, but more often than not, you have to work at ‘shaping’ the picture.

When you see a brilliant sunset looming, let your imagination take over. Find the ideal silhouette subject — it might be a person, an animal, a tree or some inanimate oject — and experiment.

And remember: practice makes perfect. You might not get it right the first time, but you can have a lot of fun trying for that perfect shot.

In summary, remember to:

Choose a strong subject with a defined and recognisable shape

Turn off the flash to have as little light on the front of your subject as possible

Get the light right by having more light shining from the background than the foreground

Frame your image so that the brightest light source is behind your subject

Make sure the silhouette shapes are distinct and uncluttered by making subjects recognisable and keeping multiple subjects separate.

Photo by Dan Shirley

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Why the look?

Once your surprise dies away your left looking at a camera that someone could well have pulled out of their dusty old drawer. In that respect you would be right because the look and design is based around the very popular Olympus Pen, 35mm half frame camera first launched in 1959. The Pen was designed to be a simple, high quality precision made camera to be taken with you everywhere, much the same as a writing pen in those days.

Major Changes

Trying to recreate history is a difficult task for anybody and Olympus have tried very hard to capture the essence of the old in this new camera. The major change in thought for this new DSLR is that, it is not really a DSLR. It is SLR like in many of it’s features, however the characteristics have changed. At the most basic level, gone is the viewfinder to be replaced by a LCD screen only, unless you purchase the optical viewfinder that sits on the accessory shoe. The LCD screen is quite impressive being a giant 3″ with a 176° viewing angle. The lack of a viewfinder means the physical size of the camera can be greatly reduced in size, a good thing if your travelling light, but it is not going to appeal to the purists.

Lens System

Interchangeable lens are still part of the deal with this new design although there will be a new range of M.Zuiko lenses made specifically for this camera. Coming standard with the camera will be the new M.Zuiko 14-42mm zoom (28-84 35mm equiv). You will also be able to purchase a MMF-1 Lens Adapter that enables you to use all the current Olympus E-System SLR lenses with full functionality.

New Sensor options

E-Series lens with MMF-1 adapter

The sensor is a 12.3 megapixel 4/3rds sensor similar to the sensor used in the Olympus E-620 and uses the new Trupic V image processing engine. Capable of shooting up to 6400 iso, you can also select the image format shape from 4:3 standard, 16:9 widescreen, to the unusual 6:6 square and 3:2 35mm shape.

The Olympus Pen EP-1 also comes with the usual array of Olympus DSLR features, such as creative ART filters, 14 scene modes, manual, aperture priority, shutter priority and program. Intelligent Auto (iAuto) makes its introduction into SLR photography and teamed with face detection and built in sensor image stabilisation, the Pen starts to become a formidable opponent to many big zoom compacts or introductory SLR’s.

Continuous Shooting & HD Movie

Continuous shooting at 3 frames per second as well as continuos AF for the action photographer makes it fast enough for most of us to capture those fleeting moments. HD Movie recording with stereo sound and autofocus is new to the Olympus range of SLR’s and is a welcome addition for those looking for a high quality hybrid camera you can take anywhere. Combine that with a built in HDMI interface and you can watch your movies or stills in high definition straight from the camera.

Summing up

E-Series lens range

While we all wait to get our hands on this new camera, it won’t be the professional reviewers that create the success or failure of this new camera. It will be the normal person trying to find a camera that adequately fill their needs and produce the results that let us remember those great moments and captures the expression of our talent in taking great photos.

The Olympus Pen F, introduced in 1959 went on to sell millions of cameras around the world and if you know anyone that owned one they will speak of it with great delight as it really was one of the great cameras. The new Pen EP-1 has big shoes to fill, it may just be pointing to the future of cameras, however I think it would speak louder if it looked a little more modern, after all the Olympus Pen F was very modern for its time.

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First Impression

The Nikon D60 fits nicely in your hand, a smaller and lighter body then its big brothers which is a welcome relief. My first thought was at least I will not get a headache from hanging a brick around my neck or tire from just holding the camera up. It is possibly just the right weight and size to take travelling with you and the grip size feels very comfortable and secure to hold the camera

Switching the camera on and the 170° viewing angle LCD bursts into life and the camera goes automatically through a sensor clean, then displays the current setup of the camera in the mode you have selected. Place the camera against your eye and a sensor turns the LCD off to conserve battery power until you take it away from your face. A quick look over the camera and it looks very clutter free and easy understand with a large easy to rotate mode dial.

When using the 'info' & 'help' buttons picture and text descriptions give visual prompts so you can understand the application of a chosen setting

If your new to Digital SLR’s and you feel like you will need to carry the manual around with you everywhere you go then fear not. To the left of the LCD panel there is the ‘info’ button and ‘help’ button. Both of these buttons make life very easy for the beginner to become familiar with the camera and understand what happens when they make selections from the menu. The menu is realy well laid out and easy to navigate, but the ‘help’ and ‘info’ buttons are worth their weight in gold.

As I played with the controls I was to learn that the camera will not release the shutter without the SD memory card installed this is a great feature. You may think ‘who would take photos with out a memory card in their camera’, let me assure you there are many, they just don’t tell everyone.

A quick review of the manual and I find I can get approx 500 shots from a battery charge, so charge the battery, install the memory card and I am ready for a weekend shooting with the D60.

Camera Controls and Features

Easy access mode dial, and between the mode dial and shutter button is the active D-Lighting button

The mode dial on the top of the camera shows the usual array of modes from the simplest auto mode, creative scene modes, right through to the advanced PASM shooting modes. Within any of the modes you can override or customise various functions using the menu and four way controller on the back of the camera.

A nifty little function I found useful the more I used the camera was that as you rotate the camera from landscape to portrait the text and image rotate to the correct orientation making menu selection very easy.

Active D-Lighting features on the D60 and is easily activated by pressing the D-Lighting button near the shutter button and rotating the command dial. This feature adjusts the tonal range in high contrast shooting to preserve detail in the shadows and highlights, giving a more natural rendition of your images.

Beautiful detail and colour saturation

The greatest benefit for this may be in shooting portraits, however it could be applied equally well in many other situations. A word of caution, it does slow down your photography as the camera processes the image, once you use it though you may never turn it off as it really does produce a better result.

One thing to note about lens compatibility is that while the D60 will accept older Nikon lens, those people hoping to use their old film AF lens will be disappointed as the autofocusing is driven by a motor in the lens, unlike the older body driven lenses and are marked as AF-S lenses.

The D60 introduces ‘Stop Motion Movies’ to Digital SLR’s. This mode allows budding animators to capture a number of stills, up to 100 in one go and create a movie from it.

Using the camera

Shot during the golden hours with the 55-200VR Lens

Well my expectations were high and I was using the 18-55 non VR and 55-200VR lens kit. I was impressed by the very quick startup, but if the start up was quick so is the autofocusing and shutter release. You can feel your confidence grow the more you use this camera and it’s speed and the assurance that you won’t miss a shot makes it even more enjoyable.

My first shot was a scene that was heavily shadowed and I must admit I was not that impressed. However using the D-Light function in the retouch menu really salvaged a shot I was about to discard. After that I made sure I had active D-Lighting set for my subsequent pictures

As we travelled along and the sun got lower there were a number of opportunities to capture some great images with difficult lighting using various different modes. That night as I sat down and looked over the images I was over the moon with the colour and detail of the images.

Sunrise, you can see minor lens flaring in the foreground

The next day opened with a brilliant sunrise captured beautifully with the 55-200VR lens with just a little bit of lens flare.  As I was shooting mainly scenery I had the colour tone set to vivid to get a little more punch to the images. Waterfalls always present an opportunity and challenge. Using Vari Program or aperture priority you can reduce your shutter speed to capture the effect of moving water. It was the only time I wished the 18-55 lens was a VR as I did not have a tripod with me.

Over the course of the weekend I had the opportunity to use the continuous shooting mode that can capture up to 3 frames per second for up to 100 images in jpg as well as various scene modes and mixes of flash and available light. There is a myriad of different functions and customisable features that require a lot more time and exploration, but what is enjoyable is that it takes brilliant photos without needing the knowledge of the professional.

Conclusion

Taken with the 18-55 non VR lens. When you forget your tripod and you don't have a VR lens, handheld is the only option

Great! The Nikon D60 is a delightful DSLR to use. The camera was just very comfortable to hold and use. The menu is well laid out and the help and info buttons make the choice of how to set your camera a dream to use.

How did the camera perform?

Crisp, clear high resolution images with great tonal range and saturation! The focusing was always accurate and fast, just the sort of thing you need for photographing kids on the move or playing sport.
If I have any criticism it is that I wish Nikon would adopt an antishake mechanism in the camera body like some of its competitors, that said the VR lens perform admirably.

Who is it suitable for?

Nikon have aimed this camera squarely at the beginner. I think it would be the ideal camera for anyone stepping up to their first Digital SLR. It would be a great choice for a family camera as it would have the convenience of no fuss auto for the person that just wants to take nice pictures, but would also give plenty of scope to the member of the family that is passionate about their photography and wants to grow and learn more.

D60 with 18-55 non VR lens on Landscape mode

How would I rate it?

This is the third incarnation of this camera body that started with the D40. The Nikon D60 continues the Nikon tradition of making a great camera that takes brilliant images. The 10 megapixel sensor captures images capable of being enlarged to poster size with superb detail and tonal range.

My Rating, 8 stars out of 10

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Look for strong colours to capture attention.

The wet, rainy weather wasn’t very good for our Australia day this year, ruining BBQ’s and street cricket everywhere but as far as photography is concerned you can’t let a little rain dampen your spirits. Just after it rains it seems that colours are brighter and stand out more and everything looks so fresh and clean.

Overcast days are great for taking photographs as the clouds block out the harsh sunlight so you don’t have to worry about strong shadows and highlights and your colours will show up more brightly, resulting in a clearer more crisp shot. You can also have great fun using props such as gumboots and umbrellas and have your subject jumping in puddles or catching them in the rain. By having fun taking the photos you will be able to capture that excitement and innocent play in your shots. It is great for taking photos of children; however it may take a while to convince them that they are allowed to play in the puddles for a change.
Having all the excess water around makes a playground of photo opportunities, if you use you imagination. I took this photo of the girls reflection in the puddle. You can’t see their faces very well but the shapes of their silhouettes makes an interesting and fun shot. Although it is important to remember to make sure that you don’t catch your reflection in the water at the same time and to make sure the water is still so you don’t have the ripples distorting the reflections.

Reflections are everywhere after the rain.

The other good thing about taking photographs during wet weather is that most things are covered in tiny water droplets which make for really interesting macro shots. For example look at this photo of the frangipani. Not only are the colours more intense and dramatic but all the water droplets that are resting on the petals make the shot all the more interesting. You need to get in real close to your subject and make sure you focus sharply so that your photos are crisp and sharp and picks up all the minute detail. Also, when taking macro photos, remember to keep an eye on your background, and if possible blur it out, so that the focus remains on the detail of the subject.

Water droplets add life to your images

As fun as it is taking photos during wet weather it is important to remember that cameras don’t like too much water (unless of course you have an underwater camera). It is okay if a few droplets fall onto the camera every now and again however if the rain gets heavier and more persistent then you really need to get your camera under cover. I found that by wearing a rain coat I can keep the camera out of the weather while I rethink a shot or reposition and then just bring it out quickly when I am ready to take it. However I have a couple of times used glad wrap or a large zip lock bag with a hole cut out for the lens to put my camera in to keep it dry while taking the shots. Might not be a high tech water proof casing but I find it does the job.

A slow shutter speed to capture the rain drops and the strong fence line draws your eye in to the Kookaburra

Don't forget to have fun!

However careful you may be water still finds it way on to your camera so I recommend that you let your camera air over night. All this involves is taking out the battery and memory card (and taking off the lens for SLR’s) and putting it somewhere warm and dry overnight. After that it should be fine to pack away as normal. So next time the rain has ruined your plans grab your camera and take the opportunity to take some fun, interesting and unique photographs.

Amy is one of the team members in the Ballina store. You can see her profile here or drop in and see her and the rest of the team for advice or help.

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First Impression

At first impression the camera feels quite good and well balanced in the hand with fingers and thumbs falling comfortably into the correct position. A quick look over the controls and you can see the heritage bought forward from the very successful Pentax MZ series of film SLR’s with the speed selection dial on the top left and the always present LCD screen on the left, which at a glance lets you know the current settings you have selected.

The Pentax K200d I was taking was fitted with a Sigma 18-200mm lens which certainly added to the overall weight of the camera, but the benefit was I didn’t have to carry a second lens as space was an important consideration for my trip. Drop a 4GB SDHC card in the camera, a set of AA  batteries (Pentax claim up to an amazing 1000 images with AA Lithium batteries) and it’s up and ready to go. It’s probably worthwhile pausing at this point to discuss the AA battery issue Vs a Lithium Ion battery. For many the argument is what is best AA battery or Lithium Ion, from my perspective it is a case of the right horse for the right course. In my case I was going to be on the road a lot and I didn’t want the hassle of charging batteries on my trip. This can also be the case for people that do a lot of hiking, camping or other outdoor activities where power becomes a problem, having said that Lithium Ion probably suits the majority of most peoples photographic activity.

Camera Controls and Features

Speed Dial

A quick survey round the Pentax K200d camera shows a number of controls that aren’t that dissimilar to a compact digital camera, very reassuring for any looking to move up to a DSLR. On the back, bottom right hand corner is the shake reduction switch, which I left turned on for most of the trip. Pentax claim an impressive 2.5 to 4 shutter speeds of benefit and as it is built into the camera body all lenses, regardless of brand have the benefit of image stabilisation, something I wish Pentax’s major competitors would do.

Another feature exclusive to the Pentax K200d and K20d is the unique hermetically sealed all weather body with 60 seals on the body ensuring it remains water resistant, dust and sand proof, something to be considered for the conditions I would be using it in. Of course the true benefit of the all weather body is gained when you use Pentax’s matching hermetically sealed lenses, that said it is better than Pentax’s more expensive competitors offer.

The Pentax K200d has a full array of fully automatic scene modes, some of the more common ones directly accessible from the speed dial as well as a larger selection of some of the more obscure modes selectable through SCN on the speed dial. More advanced modes such as Program, AV, TV and Manual as well as another Pentax first SV are also selectable using the same dial. First time users of a DSLR will love the technology of the Auto Picture mode as the camera can independently recognise the conditions and situation your shooting in and automatically select the best mode.

Using the camera

This to me was the real surprise as the camera is a joy to use straight out of the box. The more I experimented with the different settings the more impressed I became. The 11 point auto focusing  was quick, accurate and produced very sharp images.Colour rendition, saturation and exposure was also very impressive, again without making any specific changes or setting from standard.

Recordable Digital Preview

The Pentax K200d, unlike it’s big brother the K20d does not have live view, although I’m not a big fan of live-view it can be useful for some situations. Pentax have tackled it differently on the K200d using a Recordable Digital Preview whereby you can preview the image on the very bright 2.7″ LCD and experiment with various different settings while watching the effect on the screen. You can alter white balance, saturation, contrast and tone to name a few and you can then save the previewed image with the new effects. This was very handy on my trip allowing me to test some settings prior to shooting more.

A very useful mode on my trip was the Sensitivity Value(SV) mode, another Pentax exclusive, that was used to great benefit when an opportunity came up for us to explore a working mine. As soon as I climbed down the shaft and saw the lighting on offer I immediately switched to the SV mode. The benefit of this mode is you can control the ISO sensitivity in low lighting, the objective being that you can use the thumbwheel on the back to shift the ISO while keeping an eye on the shutter speed and apeture. For years people professionals would have to rewind film to use higher speed film or carry mutiple cameras to accomodate different lighting. Old film photographers and advanced photgraphers will love this feature.

Taken using SV mode and setting the white balance using Recordable Digital Preview

During my trip I took several hundred pictures in many different modes, lighting conditions and dusty, rattling, poor camera conditions. Sometimes I took several photos of the same thing and deleted them, but all the intentional shots were just superb. The various modes you can use with the built in flash cater for nearly any situation and it was tested in some funny situations and always came up trumps.

Conclusion

At the time of writing this is Pentax’s entry level camera and competing with some very high profile competition. But all you can go on is how did the camera perform? What were the results like? Is it easy to use? Who is it suitable for? How would I rate it?

How did the camera perform?

Hand held at 1/30th sec

It was a real surprise! It performed faultlessly during my whole trip. I can’t remember ever being frustrated because the camera would not autofocus or the exposure was hopelessly out. The Sigma 18-200mm lens was a pleasure to use and let me capture some great shots I would have missed had I been fumbling around changing lenses.

What were the results like?

I was really impressed with the colour saturation and sharpness of the images, some of this relates to the Sigma 18-200mm lens and the Pentax Prime image processor used in the camera. At least one of the images will be blown up to a large canvas print to take pride of place on my wall.

Who is it suitable for?

The camera is aimed primarily at the person changing up from a compact digital camera and wanting to explore and grow their photography. Previous Pentax film SLR owner will feel very much at home with this camera and a lot of their old lenses will fit this camera, an important consideration for anyone thinking of upgrading to their first Digital SLR.

Selftimer shot on my trip

How would I rate it?

I am a convert after using this camera, when you compare it feature for feature against it’s main competitors it stacks up better without any doubt. I would rate it one of the best value for money introductory DSLR’s on the market.

My Rating, 8.5 stars out of 10

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