Moving from a Sony A200 DSLR to a Pentax K-50 DSLR

I've always loved supporting the underdogs. I wanted a TurboGrafx-16 instead of the Sega Genesis when I was growing up. I prefer to drink RC Cola instead of Pepsi & Coke. It feels good supporting something that is awesome, but that not a lot of people know about or support. You know the gist. I feel the same way about cameras.

Back in 2008, Canon & Nikon were the two biggest camera makers. Sony was also making cameras, but they weren't as large as the other two. I read a few reviews & decided on getting the Sony A200 DSLR. I used that camera for about 7 years. It was very easy to use & it had a few neat features that Canon & Nikon didn't give you like Super SteadyShot which was their In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS). Any lens that you attached was stabilized. There was also something magical about that 10MP CCD sensor at ISO 100. You would get some super clear, sharp, colorful photos at that ISO. I really loved that A200.

As time passed by, the camera got older & I needed a newer camera that could shoot at higher ISO, since the A200 was pretty much useless at ISO 800. Forget about ISO 1600 & 3200. Those ISOs were totally unusable. My A200 also had about 60,000 actuations & was reaching the end of it's shutter life. By this time, Sony had switched to using an Electronic View Finder (EVF) in their cameras. They were also using Digital Single Lens Translucent (DSLT) technology that was different from the traditional Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) technology & Optical Viewfinder (OVF). However, the Sony camera bodies still looked like any other DSLR from Canon, Nikon, & Pentax.

I wanted a new Sony A-mount body, but I was only limited with two choices: the cheap A58 or the expensive A77II. After toying around with the A58 model, I came to the conclusion that I didn't really like it. It felt kind of cheap compared to the A200 & the EVF didn't seem as clear as the old school OVF. On the other hand, the A77II was a bit too expensive & it was overwhelming. Sony was also shifting their attention to their new E-mount mirrorless system & the future of the A-mount system was unclear. I was in a bind. I knew that I still wanted a Sony, but their options weren't that great.

Around that time I stumbled into Pentax which was also another underdog. I had looked at their cameras in the past, but I wasn't to thrilled with them. However, when I saw the Pentax K-50 being sold with the 18-55 & 55-200 lenses plus a Pentax flash for only $526, this caught my attention. When I started looking at the specs, I was kind of shocked in a "too good to be true" kind of way. The specs were great. It has a Sony 16MP sensor, weather sealing, 2 control dials, up to 1/6000 shutter speed, eyefi capable, 100% pentaprism OVF, IBIS, wireless flash capability, & a few other features that you could not get from Canon, Nikon & Sony at that price point. I started reading reviews & whatnot & it all pointed to the K-50 being a very good camera.

I took a plunge & bought that Pentax K-50 kit from B&H Photo. I even got the Pentax 35mm f2.4, Pentax 50mm f1.8, Pentax wireless remote, & an additional K-50 body in red. Basically, I got 2 bodies, 4 lenses, an extra battery, a remote, a camera bag, & a flash for about $100 more than the cost of the $998 Sony A77II body alone. Yes. The Sony body is far more advanced, but you gotta pay to play & I didn't want to play that much. Haha!

I have been shooting with the K-50 since January of 2015 & it has been great. The pictures are perfectly usable up to ISO 3200. That's far higher than the maximum ISO 800 that I was kind of able to use on my A200. At ISO 6400, the image quality on the K-50 starts degrading rapidly, but it still looks just a tad bit better than ISO 800 on my old Sony A200. When I use ISO 12800 on the K-50, this is where it starts looking slightly worse than ISO 800 on the A200. So yeah. This was a pretty big upgrade in image quality. The funny thing is that it seems like the old A200 CCD sensor at ISO 100 looks a tad bit better than ISO 100 on the K-50, but you can get a far larger print out of the K-50. The K-50 blows away the A200 at all other ISOs.

The only minor nuisance with the K-50 is the rear display. When you want to shoot at night, the bright display is blaring at you. You basically have to either turn off the display manually or press the shutter button slightly to make it go away. The Sony A200 had a sensor on the OVF that would detect your eye & would automatically shut off the rear display & it would't turn on until you turned it on with the display button. But like always, you give up something for something else. However, in this case the K-50 gives you a lot more. The funny thing is that I'm still technically shooting with a Sony camera, since the Pentax K-50 uses a Sony CMOS sensor.

If you're like me & have an old Sony DSLR or even one from Canon or Nikon & you're looking to upgrade to a newer camera, but don't want to pay an arm & a leg, look no further than the Pentax K-50. There are some insane deals on it. A couple of months ago, BuyDig was blowing out the exact same kit that I spent $526 on for only $399. They were the blue & olive cameras too. I almost bought one, but figured that it was overkill. The black K-50 body at B&H & Adorama is going for about $295. Pentax is literally giving these away. I'm guessing that they will be blown out on "Black Friday" too.

On another note, you can use really old Pentax K-mount glass. There are tons of really good dirt cheap classic Pentax lenses on eBay. The only downside is that you have to manually focus most of them & some you have to set the aperture manually, but still, it's lots of fun.

I'll post an in depth review of the K-50 later on. As for now, I love the underdogs.

I'm on the fence about my car. I love my little 1995 Mazda Miata. It has been good to me. I've had it since August 2007. I bought it used from a guy that had it sitting at his house for a while. It only had 38,000 miles when I got it. It now has almost 240,000 miles, but it runs good.

I had a few issues with it during the first few years of ownership. Random electrical issues & other maintenance junk, but I eventually sorted them out. I haven't had any issues since 2012, the last time I took the engine, tranny, & diff out of the car to do some major maintenance & refreshing.

But now, the car seems to have developed a tiny water leak. I really haven't had time to take a look at it, but I do have to get around to it. I'm going to guess somewhere in or around the water pump. I also have to replace the tie rods & other suspension bushings & junk. The 20A amp for the A/C keeps blowing, so I technically don't have A/C. My guess is shorted A/C compressor. That's another fix. The glass in the top is starting to separate from the seams. It's not leaking yet, but it's will eventually leak. There are funny gas smells in the cabin at times. It consumes about a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. The power steering pump is leaking fluid very slowly. Outside of those issues, the car runs perfectly fine.

This is where I'm on the fence about the car. I could drop about +-$3,000 into it & keep it running for another 3 to 5 years, if I'm lucky. I can basically do all the work myself, but time is usually what I don't ever seem to have & I also dread that other issues will come up after all this work. It's basically a gamble, but the cheapest option of no other issues arise. This is my dual purpose daily driver & canyon beater. I could get a brand spanking new 2016 Ford Fiesta ST & hope to run it for at least 10 trouble free years, but there goes at least $22,000 down the drain & it's also a gamble. I also saw that Toyota is planning on releasing a very small RWD sports car, but who knows if it'll make it to the USA. This would actually be my first pick. I do love my small cars.

It basically boils down to these 2 decisions. Do I fix the Miata & deal with whatever else comes up or do I get a new car? Both options seem to suck. Hahaha!

Man! I haven't used this blog in almost 6 years! I still have this account after almost 13 years! Google has been good.

The blog brings nostalgia. (^_^ )

It's been a looooooooooooooong time since I've been on the blogger. So many things have happened since August 4, 2005. Heh! So yeah. What's the deal with the entire world economy collapsing. It's like, everyone's gonna get screwed. I watch the news and all I hear is nothing but people getting laid off left and right. This is not a good thing. I'm actually beginning to feel the effects of the recession myself. I have begun looking for another job, even though I have one already. Who knows what'll happen down the road. Well, here's looking at you kid. \(^_^ )

Lately I've been learning how to create websites on my own. It's pretty neat. I've also been learning alot about DNS servers & how they all work.

I remember the first few times that I started learning how to configure my router & ports & stuff. It was almost like taboo. I went online to find out how to do it, but my results proved fruitless. Eventually I learned how to do it, which that lead into learning how to configure my system to run an FTP site & junk. That was a whole new adventure. That's when I learned how to set up my box to act as a web server & yeah. It's been history from there.

So yeah! My annual trip to Lake Tahoe is coming up very soon. I can't wait!! \(^_^ )/

Ah yes. Everything is coming along fine. School is going good. Well, my online class is becoming a bit of a chore, but I'll pull through. Work has been great. It almost feels like it's not even work. Ah yes. I got hired by one of those companies that came to the career fair after all. It's pretty relaxed & chill, although on occasion we have to meet deadlines for CAD work. That's when I plug myself in front of the computer for 8 hours straight. Intense, but interesting.

It's been really hot lately. It's insanely hot, but at least not as hot as in Arizona. They're frying down there!

On a side note, I did this one group buy for some car wheels. This was last November (2004). I'm finally about to get them. The best part about it is that I'm only going to pay $250 for them! Everyone else paid $500. I had to wait the longest (9 months), but it was worth the wait!

Ah yes. Time to check back into the blog.

Well, everything has been coming along fine lately. School is going great, although my online physics class hasn't been all that great. Basically, I have to teach myself. Yeah. That's right. I teach myself. Yes. Physics. Hahahaha!

I went to a career fair thing at my school & got to talk to a few architectural engineers that are hiring CAD operators. I might be hired by one of them. This will be great since I can go to school, learn how to use AutoCAD more in real life, & get paid!

The funny thing about this is that I will eventually get into mechanical engineering & they don't really use AutoCAD for that, but at least I will know a lot of things about architecture & junk. That is always good incase I need to blueprint my future house. (^_^ )

The most funniest, but yet saddest thing happened today at a market. You see, I was in the market buying some beer..... errrr.... I mean groceries & I was down the isle where they usually keep the big bag of beans, rice, & related. Well, there was this man, that kinda looked like a bumb, but not really. He was looking at some bulk bags of beans. He noticed me & the asked if I had any change to spare. Well, since I only had my ATM card, I told him that I didn't have any money. He was like, "Oh. OK then", & that was pretty much it. So I made my rounds around the store & finally got to the checkout. I paid for my stuff, bagged it up, & went to my car.

Well, as soon as I got to my car I heard some yelling. It was the security guards yelling at that bumb. You should have seen it. He had a huge 10 LB bag of beans & he was running like a track runner trying to go for the gold medal. He ran past me & I saw him. Well, needless to say, the security guards didn't catch him & he got away.

You see, even though the whole thing looked kinda comical (you had to be there to see it ], it was very sad at the same time. Here's a man that was desperate & had to steal a 10 LB bag of beans to survive. It wasn't that he wanted liquor or anything of the sort. He just wanted something to eat. If he would have told me that he needed the money to buy that bag of beans, I would have just straight out bought it for him. Heck, if he needed a few more things, I would have gladly tried to help him out. Lack of communication I guess. I should have asked him why he wanted money.

So that sad part here is that there are many people out there starving & have no means of getting any food. It could be from the years of drug addiction, alcohlisim (although this guy didn't look like that type of person), or just unfavorable conditions that lead to one living a really bad life.

The next time someone asks you for money at a supermarket or restaurant, ask them why they need the money. You'll probably be surprised that they just want to get something to eat. You can go & buy them some food or a few groceries. Some of them will be very grateful.

I took my mom to a thrift shop (2ND hand store) yesterday. She likes to look for antiques & other miscellaneous stuff that you can't seem to find anywhere else. So, as I was there, bored to death, I plucked myself down in a chair & waited for my mom to shop around. As I was sitting, I started to observe the people around there. There were people from all walks of life in there. From really poor looking people to people that looked like they we're well off. Some people are forced to buy things from there because they can't afford them new, other people just go there to look for neat stuff, & other people go there to look for something fashionable to wear. You know. That retro look.

So it dawned on me, that what you do in life, will eventually get to you in the long run. I observed an older couple that was there looking for things. They looked like they were really poor & the guy was looking at older TVs & stuff. Some people were not fortunate enough to attend school or became too ill or had other unfortunate events happen to them in life & then in the long run, they have to live a very poor life.

Now you see, life is not all about being rich & full of material life, but how you live it. You can be poor, but happier than the rich person because you have less stress in your life, but sometimes being too poor will also be a burden.

Yes. It is very interesting. I think I'm gonna make a documentary on people & what they have done throughout their life & how they live at the moment. I think it would be very interesting.

Ah yes. My annual road trip through the Sierra Madres in California & Nevada is coming up soon. I will be viositing Lake Tahoe & maybe Yosemite & a few other areas too. I will take lots of film footage & pictures. Mr. Jones will be coming along as well since he says that he wants to pose outdoors with the wildlife & stuff. So yeah. I'll be out having fun in August. (^_^ )

Remember kiddies. Stay in school!!

Well, today's the last day of school. I'll have.... 1, 2, 3...... 6..... 10............. 13 days off before I start school again!! ('o' ;) Oh well. That's life. (^_^ )

Mr. Jones & I drove down to Baja California, Mexico along with some of our other friends yesterday. It was quite a fun trip. We ate good food, bought some items, & pretty much did the usual tourist thing. I want to go back again. (^_^ )

I haven't used this in a while. Glad to see that it's still here. I'm cold right now. I gotta take a shower & then go to sleep. (^_^ )

So yeah. I'm back it again. I have decided to become a fulltime student. I'm gonna have to sell my car soon & find a way to keep paying my credit cards. To all of you kiddos, make sure that you get that damn degree. Any degree is fine. A B.A. degree will usually pay more, but an A.A. is good enough too. You'd be surprised how many people went to college to study a certain field & then when they got out, they applied for a job that is totally not what they studied for. Most employers will say, "Ah yes. Here's a young man / woman that went out of his / her way to get a college degree. This person is worthy of being hired over this other person that has 20 years of experience because this other person did not go to college." That piece of paper that costs about $3.32 to produce is worth all your time, money, & effort. So yeah. Make sure that you get your degree.

Hmmm.... Time to check in to the good old Blog. I have nothing new to say. Thank you! \(^_^ )

Mr. Jones is back!!! \(^_^ )/

Mr. Jones is missing!!! Actually, one of my friends snuck him out of my car & know I have to get him back. This shuold be quite fun. \(^_^ )

I went to Mono Lake & Yosemite Natinal Park in California this weekend. Mono Lake is very salty & hass too much alkaline. It's almost impossible to drown though. Yosemite is sooooo huge!!! It's pretty much untouched. There are deer, bears, & mountain lions. It's so neat. There are peaks that reach up to 13,000 feet!! \('o'; )/

http://www.nps.gov/yose/home.htm

^ That's the link to the park. You're gonna have to copy & paste the link 'cause I'm web illiterate! :P

So the EDD is giving me a hardtime & run around with the unemployment. I think I'm gonna have to take matters into my own hands. (-_-; ) Damn them. I went to go post bail on a traffic violation. I'm gonna do that TRIAL BY WRITTEN DECLARATION & see if I win the case. I don't have to show up in court. Everything gets battled over the mail. I think I'm gonna win this one. I'll be $161 richer again if I win!! \(^_^ )/ I tell you that the real world is pretty fucked up when you're poor, but who cares. I need to start fuckin' the system over myself. t(^_^ )t

Taken from a thread over at www.animenation.net/forums.





Originally posted by I-No
Does it hurt when you stick something too far up your ass?

Whats the wierdest thing you've put in there?


Originally posted by KANO_IJUNA
Hell yeah... -_-;

Nothing weird. ^_^










Taken from another thread over there too.

Originally posted by Swaze360
-- I need a new job. Badly....beyond badly.... I need a new job like a dick-less wonder needs a pair of nuts!

Hahahahahaha!! These kids are too funny! \(^_^ )/

AnimeExpo2003 was great! I got to meet Mahiro Maeda from Gonzo (Blue Submarine No. 6, Yukikaze, Last Exile, Kiddy Grade) & he even autographed a calendar & took a picture with my brother & Mr. Jones (my teddy bear)!! \(^_^ ) I can't wait for AnimeExpo2004!! \( ^_^)/

So I went to Anime Expo on the 3RD & 4TH of July. It's really great. It's practically the highlight of my summer. My only beef is that most of the anime is dubbed. (-_-;; ) There's a lot of cute girls there! \(^_^ )/ Some of them look really sexay! I'm gonna meet a bunch of people from AN later on. That should be fun.

So a few days ago I was in the Otaku Syndicate on the AnimeNation forum. I asked a Nicole this question, "What is an Anime Gee?". She replied, "Hmm, I dunno. What is an Anime Gee? o.o" Then I said, "Hmmm.... I've been trying to figure that out too......." Then venom112 quoted me & put this down, "An Anime Gee is a so claimed new race of anime witches and warlocks who wish to rule the fish market (mostly for the money, but they love trout too). Their tale of coming into existence is quite long, kind of tiring actually, but full of information. They once fought against the warriors of the Suag, people with the feared Crane Kick, by using much magic and anime cliches. They took the land and forced the townspeople to become slaves or goat impersonators (for reasons unknown). Eventually they tamed a small creature called Gwab Gwab. The Anime Gee found the Gwab Gwab cute, but they were very deadly. In one night the Gwab Gwab almost wiped out the entire Anime Gee population. Luckily a few survived. It is not known if this is true or not and people who have claim to have seen the Anime Gee are said by many to just be seeing things." Hahahahahaha!!! \(^_^ )/

I've been so tired lately. I've been going to sleep around 11 PM & getting up at 3:50 AM Monday to Friday & sometimes on Saturdays too. (@_@ ) Well, at lest I'll go canyon driving later on tonight! \(^_^ )/ That's always good!!

So last saturday, I went canyon driving. It was kinda foggy. I'm surprised that no one has ate it yet! Everyone's a good driver! \(^_^ )/ I went to go watch some anime at a friends house on Sunday morning. That was cool. Then I had to drive 1.5 hours to get to a wedding in Bakersfield, CA. My friend was getting married. (^_^ ) One of my friends got really drunk. She was funny though. No incidents to report! I might be going out to some hot springs today! I need to go now. ( ^_^)/

Woo hoo!! Three day weekend here I come!!!! \(^_^ )/