I’ve had a tab to Craigslist open in my browser for the last several weeks because I was waiting on a deal for a new camera body; not a new Nikon one, but a Pentax body. I’m not looking to switch systems, but Pentax has a great lens, the DA 40mm f/2.8. It’s amazing because it’s a “pancake” lens, so the barrel doesn’t protrude out and make it seem you have weird appendages underneath your coat. This makes it convenient to use in candid situations. Richard told me about a deal on the pancake from Amazon.com and I bought it for $250 shipped a few months ago.
Ever since then, I’ve been looking for a Pentax body to go with the lens. Specifically, I wanted a K100d because it was one generation behind (thus cheaper) and it has in-body image stabilization. After looking for several weeks, I couldn’t find any available for the price I wanted ($300 for body only). When I was downtown for the Cavalcade of Lights, I made a side trip to Henry’s and ended up buying a K200d for $450.
This was a little more than I wanted to pay, since I also had to pay tax which pushed it to almost $510. For the extra $150, I was able to get something new (with warranty), and the capabilities of a K10. Was it worth the extra $150? I can’t really say. But I would have been happy with just a $300 k100d.
The whole kit is pretty compact, it’s the same size as just carrying the body around. Unfortunately, it’s not as small as I had hoped, and I can’t fit it into my coat pockets at all.
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