D3100 £295 w/ cashback.

[Terbinator]

So with the SRS link, i can get it with the kit lens for £350 after claiming the cashback too?

That's definitely stomachable for me...

[TheAnimus]

Yes, but call them on the phone and double check if your worried.

If you are near watford, reserve one and drop in the shop, they might have a small bag or something that fits you. (I've yet to find a camera bag I really like, only tolerate.)

The other thing is the staff there are good and if its not busy, they might even show you the basics hands on to get you started if your nice / lucky.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Of course,I would make sure you handle the prospective systems,before you buy them.

[Terbinator]

I gave SRS a call and she did confirm i can get the package for £350 once cashback has cleared.

We may have a winner.

[kalniel]

We may have a winner.

Impatience you mean?

[Terbinator]

Impatience you mean?

Partly.

I am still tempted to wait for Christmas night/Boxing day, i'm just wondering how much i'll save, if anything, and don't want to be waiting forever and a day.

I'm going into town tomorrow anyway, so i'll have a quick ruffle in Jessops with one.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Partly.

I am still tempted to wait for Christmas night/Boxing day, i'm just wondering how much i'll save, if anything, and don't want to be waiting forever and a day.

I'm going into town tomorrow anyway, so i'll have a quick ruffle in Jessops with one.

It probably won't have batteries. In their flagship store in London for example, it seems only the Nikons and Canons usually have a battery in them.

[TheAnimus]

It probably won't have batteries. In their flagship store in London for example, it seems only the Nikons and Canons usually have a battery in them.

Cat won't mind me saying this, but I'll explain what he means OP.

Pentax is often spoken about by people who've never used one. People often say they don't have many lenses, despite never been able to mention which one is 'missing'. Jessops also gets a lot of kick back from the bigger firms, I'm sure Pentax tries to pay them to promote stuff too, but it simply can't compete, because they don't have the money for advertising like Canon and Nikon do.

For example, see this recent rant on the obviously pro pentax forum: http://www.pentaxuser.co.uk/forum/to...attitude-33173

This often puts people off.

I've seen people on this forum argue against pentax for sometimes the most obtuse reason, its clear they haven't even held the camera in question.

This then pisses us off.

Going in to jessops, keep in mind that objective link from SnapSort I posted above, where it compares it to the more expensive D5100. On all the technical points, that make image quality, it thrashes it. On build quality, the k-30 is in arguably better. Obviously there is the whole "how does it feel" issue, which is completely subjective and ultimately can be a good reason to choose one above the other.

However I'd be suprised if the jessops person didn't try to sell you the Nikon. Not because its more expensive, they just get more comission and pressure to sell it.

It will be interesting to hear your results of going in shop!

[Terbinator]

Dat' DSLR 'click' when you take a shot.

[TheAnimus]

So I'm putting this story here, not because its of any relivence to OP, but because I need to rant.

It's Christmas holiday time. A friend was saying that they wanted a DSL, had £450 to spend, but wanted a case n card for that dosh too. No problem I say, as I was going to be in Town anyway, buy me a coffee and we'll go to Jessops.

I would just like to say that the coffee was excellent, the girl working at Cafe Nero was incredibly funny despite the manic rush, good job, wish I had the emtional stammina for such things.

Sadly jessops was not. There were a few options in budget. I thought that he should try them all, from Sony's mirrorless offerings, a D3100, 1100D, k30, pretty much anything in stock. Whilst it was obvious that the canon at this price range is garbage, as he wanted to be able to take pictures of his kids, often indoors, I thought its good to try it anyway, as ultimately an fstop vs been able to interact with the camera doesn't matter.

So, first problem. K-30 isn't on display. They have a model in box but not on display. My friend is quite insistant intending to have been walking out with a new camera today, to have a look at it, remarking that if he goes with that he can borrow some of my lenses. I politely mention that he would no sooner lend out his first born daughter than I my 77mm. But anyway, he wants to see it.

Oh the battery will be flat, no point, have a look at the D3100 instead.

I ask honestly why he thinks the 3100 is better? I was expecting something along the lines of "it's lighter, and with this promotional deal with this lens, its a bargin". Instead he said, its got a better sensor. I quite firmly enquired as to when the sensor in the 3100 would be better, he said always. So I quickly googled up snapsort for it. Showing the DXO labs reports on it. Immediate response, oh that might be true in the labs, not in the real world. I asked what problems he had seen or heard off. He said he'd never used it.

The sales guy had never used the camera he was saying not to buy.

Then he said the interface wasn't as good on the camera, which is a fair point, myself I find the dimunitive size to be a complaint too. However I also find two selection wheels a much bigger benefit. Once you've been using the camera for more than 5 minuites, you want to be able change appature, shutter, iso, without fiddling in a menu after all. The sales guy said you can't do that on the k-30 without going in to the menu..... He had never even tried the camera.

The thing is I don't know what Pentax are doing allowing such things. Quite frankly anyone who buys a D3100 over a k-30 has to have a bloody good reason, one I can't fathom (as a great peice of unique nikon glass is wasted on a D3100). I fear that one of the reasons the price is so much lower, is the lack of spend on advertising and in store promotions / staff training.

[Terbinator]

I've still not had a proper day out with the K30 yet, but from my experimenting in/around the house the two-wheel setting mechanic is glorious, especially now i've got the grip 'right' so my middle finger is on it as standard.

As for the Nikon support from the guy in the shop, it doesn't surprise me. I had a similar experience in RS yesterday where the sales rep (read: Ass-manager) completely swatted my suggestions the Wharfdale 10.1's sounded good, i imagine, because my friend already suggested he was looking at the BX2's which are £75 more.

I mentioned on another forum i picked up the K30 and responses ranged from "it would be nice to hear some feedback" to "why?" and "interesting choice". I read the reviews myself and for the most part the camera is placed up against the D5100, sometimes even better. I'm not trying to be a hipster by not going with a Canon/Nikon, i want what's best for my money and which if i'm honest, is why i asked here.

[TheAnimus]

It's just silly, because ultimately, I want all the toys!

A friend of mine always says walk round with your DSLR on whenever you can. Lens cap off, UV/Skylight filter on to protect (thou with a £50 kit lens, I personally wouldn't bother, because you know, its £50 and I've never once damaged a UV filter so badly that it needs anything more than a clean), with the camera set on Tv (shutter priority), automatic ISO upto about 1600 for the K30, an a good shutter speed, say 250. That way if you see something just happening, you'll stand a good chance of getting it.

Once you've played more doing that, looked at the photos it becomes easier to think about what settings you want, before you take the picture.

I'm still kicking myself for having the ISO limited, when having a dinner with some friends one of their pigglets ran across the table (well the fancy floor mat, as is often the way in those parts). All I got was a blury smudge of a pigs arse. However bad the photo, it reminds me vividly, and the memory for me is still priceless.

[kalniel]

Do you have a spare function button on the K30 that allows you to revert to a whole camera setting? I have one next to the thumb grip on the Oly that no-matter what setting I was previously using, allows me to press and instantly the camera is in my custom 'grab an action shot' mode - auto ISO, fastest AF and metering, hi-speed continuous drive etc.. Let the button go and it reverts to my previous settings. Very handy.

[Terbinator]

Possibly.

There is a green button on the top right which appears to do nothing when i press it, so i imagine if there was such a function it could be that, just that i haven't set it yet.

I will have a look in the manual (finally, lol).

[TheAnimus]

Can't recall from my time with the K-30 100%, but I think the green button reverts whichever settings you've changed to auto. Pressing it again sadly doesn't take you back to the settings you had before, you've got auto. IIRC.

I really like that idea thou, I have something similar set up as a 'user mode'. However it involves turning the mode dial.

[technodean]

I know this thread is old now, But in October I changed my trusty Sony A290 for the D3100. Best thing I found about the camera was the guide mode when taking waterfall shots. Sadly every time I went out with it to take photo's I would come back and check my pictures with huge disappointment. For some reason the sharpness of the images were dreadful. When googled, I found this to be common problem to which a few people had sent theirs back for fixing. Thankfully Christmas came with Nikons cashback and as I had some lens already, got the D5100 Body only and have not looked back, Night images blow the D3100 away, plus sharpness is Back.