[country cousin]

Having purchased my K3 in december, I can say that I am pleased with its performance, and plan on purchasing the new limited edition to help me in my shooting; one for my 18-135 kit lens and one for a telephoto. I will keep my original and will use both while shooting.

The debate about what delineates a "Pro Camera" is a moot point. A person that makes ones living with a camera does not make that camera a "Pro Camera", and using a "Pro Camera" does not make a person a "Pro".

What makes a "Pro Camera" is the features it has and its capabilities; It is up to the user to use it's potential. 40 years ago I purchase my first Pentax, the MX, and I proceeded to do what others couldn't with the cameras of that era. I had a great camera and I used it to the best of it's ability and now I'm enjoying my K3 the same way. I shoot birds, wildlife, nature and landscapes; none of which are for sale. The only pictures that I post are my junk or "seconds", never my keepers. And once every year I will have a private showing of my gifts to my close friends and family.

So, yes, the introduction of the K3 Prestige Edition is selling another great Pentax camera to me because I am having fun again and I am getting the results that I demand of my equipment. I expect that on occasion one or the other will be put into the hands of a family member or fellow photo wildlife photographer, in hopes of making a convert.

Signed " Having a blast shooting again"

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome to the forum, enjoy all that you find here.

[blackcloudbrew]

Well said!

[Imageman]

I disagree that a pro camera is defined by its features and capability.


The cameras with the most features and capability have always been high end amateur cameras, the true pro cameras were spartan in comparison, the feature that set them apart from amateur cameras was their robustness and ability to stand abuse and neglect. True pros of course don't neglect their cameras, but a camera in the hands of a pro takes a lot of use and sometimes abuse.


Having said that many top amateur cameras were chosen by pros so the distinction is blurred.


Look at the top pro offerings from Nikon and Canon, they tend to offer lower megapixels for example, but they will last and last and keep turning out the goods when lesser models turn up their toes.


For me its robustness solidity dependability.

[country cousin]

I disagree that a pro camera is defined by its features and capability.


The cameras with the most features and capability have always been high end amateur cameras, the true pro cameras were spartan in comparison, the feature that set them apart from amateur cameras was their robustness and ability to stand abuse and neglect. True pros of course don't neglect their cameras, but a camera in the hands of a pro takes a lot of use and sometimes abuse.


Having said that many top amateur cameras were chosen by pros so the distinction is blurred.


Look at the top pro offerings from Nikon and Canon, they tend to offer lower megapixels for example, but they will last and last and keep turning out the goods when lesser models turn up their toes.


For me its robustness solidity dependability.

Well I would agree with you partially because in 1976 I purchased my MX and cameras were coveted for their durability and dependability, but also features that gave them an edge over other cameras. For what I did then and I do now if the camera does not have the capability to deliver the shot that I demand then it just does not cut it. Abilities like accurate focusing and multiple focusing points are essential. I'm not shooting with a Macro as yet, one is on my to buy list, but the ability to have a 1/2" depth of focus field is important for the type of shooting that I do. The ease with which I can quickly change my setting is also very important as I often am losing light and need the pictures now. I shot professionally for 5 years and soon discovered that it sucked shooting pictures of people, Mother Nature rules! The features that the K3 has deliver for me, it is the first camera since the LX that I would and did purchase.

Here is a trap that most people fall into, buying a name. I learned as a very young person that so called "Brand Names" were just a form of a four letter word. Example, in 1979 I bought a Hitachi color TV for $500. well my older brother, who had spent something like $2000 for his Sony came into visit and he could not believe that my TV had a better picture than his "Brand Name" TV. In my time I had Olympus, Minolta, Nikon, Canon and Pentax to choose from. The others were far more expensive and were claimed, I don't know by who, to be the best. well after looking at the others the Pentax MX won out and I turned out my pictures. In my opinion Nikon and Canon are just like Sony, a four letter swear word, pay three to four times more but get no better results.

The only pictures that I post are my junk or "seconds", never my keepers. And once every year I will have a private showing of my gifts to my close friends and family.

Why are "The only pictures that I post are my junk or "seconds", never my keepers"?

[tim60]

I got my K3 more recently and have been impressed. Interestingly my previous look back to with pleasurable memories camera was the MX. Mine was 5 years later than yours, and absolutely the best camera I could afford as a student just coming back from a summer of engineering type work at a coal mine. I have never regretted getting the MX. And I am impressed that the K3 enables me to work like the MX did with all the glass I wish I could have afforded back then (well actually the earlier M42s).


The K3 features that excite me are, the user interface is easy to use (only had a couple of really basic menu setting glitches first up) and the viewfinder works well for me in manual focus mode. And it feels really robust. Not that I intend to throw it in the back of a truck but even with care the occasional incident happens. And the pictures that come out are usually quite acceptable to my eye - that is essential for a camera to be fun to use.


I share many of your sentiments expressed above. But one I do not. I like taking pictures of people, especially trying to capture the interaction of two or more people. Only sometimes it all comes together to work, but those times make the attempts feel worthwhile. But it would probably drive me up the wall doing set piece 'professional' portraits - although they would be better than passport pictures. I think it would drive me up the wall as much as it does by 5pm saying to every electro at the polling booth: "have you voted before in this election?". Interestingly, some voters do not even know what an election is - their answers indicate they think it is a polling booth.

[SpecialK]

Why are "The only pictures that I post are my junk or "seconds", never my keepers"?

So they would not be stolen and sold, I'm guessing.

[country cousin]

Why are "The only pictures that I post are my junk or "seconds", never my keepers"?

Special K hit it on the nose; "So they would not be stolen and sold, I guessing." I went back to school in 2006 to become an PTech, Engineering Technologists, and at that time it became quite obvious that nothing was either safe or sacred on the internet from pictures to software, just anything, from today's generation of young people, or any computer savvy person of any age. I fully expected that some of them had a usb port embedded in their wrists and just plugged into a computer. I work hard to achieve my "keepers" and anyone that personally knows me will tell you that I am fussy and hold myself and anything that I do to a high standard, be it work or any of my hobbies! So yes it saddens me that only a small select few people will see my pictures. I write prose, poetry and quotes as well and I have the same feelings about this as well; my memoir will only be seen by my children and grandchildren and it will contain my pictures and poetry. I would like to see my private showings to some day grow into a showing at a gallery, but that is a work in progress.

---------- Post added 07-30-14 at 09:47 AM ----------

I got my K3 more recently and have been impressed. Interestingly my previous look back to with pleasurable memories camera was the MX. Mine was 5 years later than yours, and absolutely the best camera I could afford as a student just coming back from a summer of engineering type work at a coal mine. I have never regretted getting the MX. And I am impressed that the K3 enables me to work like the MX did with all the glass I wish I could have afforded back then (well actually the earlier M42s).


The K3 features that excite me are, the user interface is easy to use (only had a couple of really basic menu setting glitches first up) and the viewfinder works well for me in manual focus mode. And it feels really robust. Not that I intend to throw it in the back of a truck but even with care the occasional incident happens. And the pictures that come out are usually quite acceptable to my eye - that is essential for a camera to be fun to use.


I share many of your sentiments expressed above. But one I do not. I like taking pictures of people, especially trying to capture the interaction of two or more people. Only sometimes it all comes together to work, but those times make the attempts feel worthwhile. But it would probably drive me up the wall doing set piece 'professional' portraits - although they would be better than passport pictures. I think it would drive me up the wall as much as it does by 5pm saying to every electro at the polling booth: "have you voted before in this election?". Interestingly, some voters do not even know what an election is - their answers indicate they think it is a polling booth.

tim60, I'm glad that you are enjoying your K3 as well and shared your love for the MX. I could of bought any camera that I wanted at the time and looked long and hard at the Leica R4, but I chose the Pentax MX and have no regrets about my decision. Once I graduated from high school I on average would land at my camera store 4 put of 7 days of the week. One day I told the owner, who became a close personal friend, how envious of him being able to work with cameras every day for a living. Without hesitation he told me that it was he that was envious of me as I considered what lens or accessory to buy next and what to go shoot. After 5 years of wedding, grad pictures and family portraits, I totally understood what he was saying. My love and passion for a hobby became work and it sucked, so I quit and went back to why I started, Nature. I was born and raised in the country and will die here and be totally content.
I respect photographers that can take good "People Pictures", I am just not one of them, but I am happy that there people like yourself that do. It is the combination of photographers shooting "Humanity" like yourself, and "Nature Photographers" that will record this amazing planet.

Signed " Having a blast shooting again"

---------- Post added 07-30-14 at 09:47 AM ----------

I got my K3 more recently and have been impressed. Interestingly my previous look back to with pleasurable memories camera was the MX. Mine was 5 years later than yours, and absolutely the best camera I could afford as a student just coming back from a summer of engineering type work at a coal mine. I have never regretted getting the MX. And I am impressed that the K3 enables me to work like the MX did with all the glass I wish I could have afforded back then (well actually the earlier M42s).


The K3 features that excite me are, the user interface is easy to use (only had a couple of really basic menu setting glitches first up) and the viewfinder works well for me in manual focus mode. And it feels really robust. Not that I intend to throw it in the back of a truck but even with care the occasional incident happens. And the pictures that come out are usually quite acceptable to my eye - that is essential for a camera to be fun to use.


I share many of your sentiments expressed above. But one I do not. I like taking pictures of people, especially trying to capture the interaction of two or more people. Only sometimes it all comes together to work, but those times make the attempts feel worthwhile. But it would probably drive me up the wall doing set piece 'professional' portraits - although they would be better than passport pictures. I think it would drive me up the wall as much as it does by 5pm saying to every electro at the polling booth: "have you voted before in this election?". Interestingly, some voters do not even know what an election is - their answers indicate they think it is a polling booth.

tim60, I'm glad that you are enjoying your K3 as well and shared your love for the MX. I could of bought any camera that I wanted at the time and looked long and hard at the Leica R4, but I chose the Pentax MX and have no regrets about my decision. Once I graduated from high school I on average would land at my camera store 4 put of 7 days of the week. One day I told the owner, who became a close personal friend, how envious of him being able to work with cameras every day for a living. Without hesitation he told me that it was he that was envious of me as I considered what lens or accessory to buy next and what to go shoot. After 5 years of wedding, grad pictures and family portraits, I totally understood what he was saying. My love and passion for a hobby became work and it sucked, so I quit and went back to why I started, Nature. I was born and raised in the country and will die here and be totally content.
I respect photographers that can take good "People Pictures", I am just not one of them, but I am happy that there people like yourself that do. It is the combination of photographers shooting "Humanity" like yourself, and "Nature Photographers" that will record this amazing planet.

Signed " Having a blast shooting again"

"I work hard to achieve my "keepers" and anyone that personally knows me will tell you that I am fussy and hold myself and anything that I do to a high standard, be it work or any of my hobbies!"

So why are "The only pictures that I post are my junk or "seconds", never my keepers"? Why show anything?
I am a working photographer. I encourage people to share my event photos, it drives my sales. Showing my best work is how they decide if I'm the photographer for them.

We are the only species who makes things of no use just to share our images, our imaginations with others.

If I was an amateur, I would still share my best work, at least on my local camera club galleries and blog. It's allowed me to connect with people worldwide, a real world wide web.

A photo lab called me recently about someone wanting to print one my images, it had a partial copyright notice. I laughed and said go ahead, a print from a cropped 650 pixel screen capture is a waste of their time and money.

My hunch is, you are fearful of criticism. You should not be. It will help you grow. I learn a great deal from other artists.