Decisions decisions

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:09 am

Here is my dilemma

I have to buy a DSLR for my research, budget ~£600 (might be able to get this pushed up a bit, but not far, the grant isn't endless).

Now my first thought was to go with a Pentax since that's what I know, and I can use my lenses on it if I need to (trying to get away from using my kit in the lab though).

There is the possibility that I might want to do some time lapse photography with this setup at some point. The easiest way I can think of to do this is to use the DSLR tethered and fire it from a computer program. Unfortunately the only Pentax which can officially do this is the *istD, which is

1) only 6MP
2) no longer available

Now while for normal photography 1) is not a problem, I am photographing crack patterns which are seriously taxing the resolution of my K10D with Zeiss Flektogon so I need a combination which can do at least as well.

So, to sum up, is there a camera-lens combination which can do the following:

1) well resolved 10mp images at 1:1 magnification
2) run tethered
3) costs ~£600

I provisionally don't care what brand it is.

At the moment the best I've come up with is a Samsung GX10 with Sigma 50mm EX Macro at £730, I might be able to stretch the budget that far but it can't do the tethered thing.

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 11:18 am

I have come to the conclusion that the above combination of things is not possible, and that the best I can manage is about 2.6 out of 3 by going for a *istDS (unofficially able to do tethered working) and SMC D-FA macro lens.

That way if I REALLY need 10mp I can always use my K10D for a day.