I can't afford to shoot Pentax any more :(

[er1kksen]

When I bought into Pentax, less than a year ago, one of the things that really excited me was the wealth of excellent and affordable glass, not to mention the price of a used K20D. It looked as if the camera I desired most was also the one destined to be the most economical.

Here's the catch: as much as I love to play with it, my K20D is a tool I use to generate income as well. I run a small portrait photography business, and the K20D delivers excellent results for the type of work I do. My primary work lens was originally my screwmount 50mm f1.8, but last week it spontaneously fell apart and doesn't seem repairable (some corrosion, etc. inside).

This isn't such a big deal, really; I've been using my Tokina 75-300 more and more for portraiture. The focal range between 75 and 135mm just seems more and more comfortable to me. Unfortunately, the 75-300 is slow and the rendering just has something a little "cheap" about it, so I'd been planning on replacing it with the 50-135 when I could afford it (though of course my fantasy would be the 77 limited...). Anyways, it seemed to me it was time to replace that 75-300 with something a little more satisfying, so I hopped on amazon to check prices.

Last time I looked, the 50-135 was just on the edge of affordability for me. Now, I knew there had been some price increases, but I really wasn't prepared for this. Not only is the 50-135 out of my reach, it seems like EVERY lens is out of my reach. When I bought my K20D, the DA40 was right at $200 on amazon. Now it's almost $500. The 16-45 has jumped over $100 since I last checked, the FA 50 is ridiculous... I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I did a little research and discovered that I could get a used 40D for the same price as a used K20D, and an 85mm f1.8, which is equal to the 77 limited for my purposes, for under $400, or even the Tokina 50-135 for Canon for $300 less than the Pentax version, not to mention a huge range of other affordable glass. I found similar bargains in the Nikon camp, but the Nikon 85mm f1.8 wasn't as good as the Canon, which is what really sealed the deal.

I love my K20D. It's just such a nice camera and the results are great. But the 40D is quite nice too, having played around with one a few times, and it'll certainly meet my needs, as well as possibly letting me branch out to sports and events due to its greater speed and versatility. When it all comes down to it, I have to buy the glass I need and put the bodies (and brands) down as second priority. And in this case, that piece of glass is the Canon 85mm f1.8.

I'm kind of sad about it, but I've got to do what I've got to do to deliver the results my clients need and I can't do that with my current pentax kit, and I can't afford to upgrade with Pentax any more. I'll get the Canon and be fine, but I'll miss Pentax. I'm not looking for sympathies and I'm sure as hell not bashing Pentax, I just feel the need to say something about how unfortunate I feel it is that whatever management policies are prevailing up at Hoya have eliminated what used to be one of the best things about Pentax: Excellent quality at an affordable price. Let's hope sane management brings things back to the way they were, in time.

Hopefully I'll be back someday, but in the meantime I've got 3 clients booked for the start of next month and I've got to make the switch and get my Pentax kit sold and a kit I can actually use into my hands.

Expect a well-loved K20D in the marketplace soon.

[joeyc]

I agree, the price hike was substantial, but if you were otherwise happy with the K20D I wouldn't go running anywhere quite yet. Other systems are going to be just as (or more) expensive if you want similar performance.

What about a used FA 50 1.4? Those can be had for $200 or less.

or

Going the Sigma or Tamron route? I enjoy the 24-70mm F2.8 quite a bit - I happened to see one for sale under $400 recently - lightly used. I don't have any experience with the Tamron 28-75, but many love the output from that lens. New it is under $400, used closer to $300. See this link.

[er1kksen]

Admittedly, those are nice options, but my needs require something in the range of 75-135mm, prime or zoom doesn't really matter, at at least f2.8, though the faster the better. That's why I was looking at the 50-135, until the prices went up. I would be happy to wait it out with my K20D if I didn't have paying jobs to shoot, but that 85mm 1.8/40D combo is exactly what I need at a price I can afford.

[joeyc]

Well, I wish you the best. Just to note, the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 HSM Macro is probably the best mid-long tele zoom I have ever used. Quick, Quite, Sharp. I hand hold it 85% of the time. It has been great for me for close-up portraits. $720 new from 47th St. But I will stop sharing options if your mind is made up!

Joe

[X Man]

You're in NY and you don't realize that B&H has Brand New FA 50 1.4's for $250 shipped?

Don't get trapped in eBay or Amazon. I know sometimes it's easy to do, but those places don't always have the best prices. I certainly wouldn't pay $200 for a used FA 50 1.4 when I can get a NEW one for $50 more.

Oh well, enjoy the Canon.

Regards,
Mike

[er1kksen]

Joey, don't forget I can get that for Canon too. But if I come back to Pentax, as I'd like to someday, who knows, I might get one for K mount.

X Man, depending on where you live in Maine, you might be closer to Adorama in NYC than I am, so I'm not sure why you mention the fact that I live in New York State. Either way, I'd be perfectly happy to get a used FA 50 for $200. The problem is that it wouldn't fit my needs and help me do my photographic jobs in a satisfactory way. btw, after my initial shock on amazon all of my pricing analysis has been based on Adorama and various used gear marketplace forums.

I'm getting a sense of hostility here and I'm not sure why; I love Pentax as much as the next guy here. If I didn't, I'd just say "oh well, I'll buy the Canon and Pentax can just price themselves out of the market and dissapear." I'm posting to relate something I think is unfortunate and which I hope changes in the future, and which I'm sure there are other Pentax users who can relate.

[joeyc]

I don't think there is any hostility, just a few members offering suggestions. I switched from using an Olympus system for the past 4-5 years, to Pentax at the beginning of the summer. The grass isn't always greener. There are some things I love with Pentax, but some things I miss that I had with Olympus. Just be sure you've looked at all your options, especially considering you say you love Pentax and your K20.

[X Man]

Originally Posted by er1kksen

I'm posting to relate something I think is unfortunate and which I hope changes in the future, and which I'm sure there are other Pentax users who can relate.

No problem. You just said the FA 50 price was insane on Amazon and I pointed out that it's perfectly sane at B&H.

I'm not disagreeing that Pentax isn't the leader in 'bang for your buck' that they were but if they weren't making any money, and it doesn't look like they were...They had to adjust prices.

Now, the market will always determine the price in the end and you can see that with the FA 50. MSRP is twice the street price.

"L" Glass could bankrupt you too, so be careful with the grass is greener mindset.

Regards,
Mike

[er1kksen]

Actually, I was once an Olympus user too. I'm not really expecting the grass to be greener, per se. I prefer the image quality of the K20D, and I prefer the interface and features, handling, etc. The thing is that the Canon can do the job just as well and more economically, due to the glass available. That's the big thing, is the appropriate lens for the job. The economic side of this is a pretty big deal for me; I'm very low on disposable income. Any camera/lens purchases I make need to be viewed as business decisions, and with my best lens broken and several jobs coming up, some decisions certainly need to be made.

[er1kksen]

Originally Posted by X Man

"L" Glass could bankrupt you too, so be careful with the grass is greener mindset.

Regards,
Mike

I've always viewed the L glass as a bit unnecessary, so I'm not too worried about that. I don't need anything nicer than the 85mm f1.8 (it's better than the 85 L for most things anyways), and if I want something like the 70-200 2.8 there are some nice 3rd-party options, like Joey mentioned.

The FA 50 may be saner on Adorama, but I still miss those $150 days...

[RawheaD]

Originally Posted by er1kksen

I've always viewed the L glass as a bit unnecessary, so I'm not too worried about that. I don't need anything nicer than the 85mm f1.8 (it's better than the 85 L for most things anyways), and if I want something like the 70-200 2.8 there are some nice 3rd-party options, like Joey mentioned.

The FA 50 may be saner on Adorama, but I still miss those $150 days...

Hrm. I don't think there's hostility per se here, but frankly, what you're saying doesn't make too much sense. You say your screw mount 50/1.8––a $30 lens at best––fell apart, and so now you *need* an 85/1.8 to take its place? And that's why you're going to go through the trouble of switching your entire system? For one friggin lens??


You would be spending tons of money to make the switch over (even after subtracting what you'll make through selling your Pentax gear) to a system that you're not too familiar with and risking not liking that one, either.

In the mean time, if I were you, I'd go on Ebay and buy me another 50/1.8 for $30 *and* a Super Takumar 85mm f1.9 for $200-ish, or an 85/1.8 for $300-ish, or, even the Samyang 85/1.4 (in its verious disguises) for $320 and stick with the system I know best. *Especially* if this mystical 80-ish mm "portrait lens" is the ONLY thing you're concerned with at this moment.


P.S. Just so you know, I'm no Canon hater. I've had two EOSes in the recent past, and I'm currently a 5D shooter. It has its ups, mostly its FF sensor, for certain tasks, but barring that advantage, there's really *nothing* (save perhaps slight high ISO advantage) that the 5D has over my K-7. In fact, I can name a few areas where the Canon just suck so hard compared to the K-7 (or even to my previous K20D), like the lack of built-in IS and LCD crapinness.

What I suggest you do is to speak to somebody who made the reverse switch; i.e., from a Canon to a Pentax system and ask them "Why?". If the reasons they give to you are inconsequential to you, then you can probably feel same making the switch. As it stands, I can't help but think that you're in nothing but "the grass is greener" state of mind. My 2c.



P.P.S. I realize I insinutated above that it's ridiculous to switch systems for just one lens. This is not true. There are lenses out there that *may* very well be worth it to switch systems over. E.g, Canon's 85/1.2L. Or, perhaps, the 135/2L. For me, personally, the tilt-shift junkie I am, the TS-E 17mm f4L is such a lens. That lens is one of the reasons I got a 5D (although I can't afford the lens yet ). Sony's STF 135/2.8 is another one of those lenses. Some would strongly argue that FA 31mm f1.8 Lim is one such lens. Canon's 85/1.8 *ain't* one of those lenses, IMNSHO :-D

[arpaagent]

I am slightly confused about why you really need to convert systems. That's fine if you do want to and i'm not going to hold it against you, but considering that your previous main work lens was a screwmount 50mm f/1.8, I think that you could find some suitable MF lenses that will fit your bill nicely and still allow you to do stunning portrait work. here are a few classic pentax lenses in your range that are reasonably priced:

M85/2: Maybe hard to find, but a really nice optic in my opinion. Great for portrait work. ~$200
M100/2.8: Not super fast but great optically right from f/2.8. ~$100.
K135/2.5: Awesome lens, just ask anyone that has used it. Great bokeh and overall image quality. ~$200.

And of course you know that there are plenty of other manual focus lenses out there that can work fine for portaiture. If you really need AF to speed up your photo sessions, then maybe you are on the right track with heading to Canon for now, it sounds like they would have what you need for a reasonable price. But since you are used to shooting with full manual glass, then pentax has lots of options!

Hope I don't make your decisions any harder! ;D Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

[er1kksen]

To reiterate, my 50mm f1.8 was my main work lens when I started, but I've been growing away from it ever since, and finding that the focal length doesn't really suit me, nor does manual operation on the job. It's not just "my $30 50mm screwmount broke," it's "I've found myself outgrowing my current kit and feeling the need to upgrade, my 50mm breaking provided the actual impetus, and I found that I could get a more versatile kit by switching to another brand for less than the cost of upgrading with Pentax." I don't believe that one is necessarily better than the other. I do believe that the used Canon 85mm I just got for $340 is likely to be a better lens than that Samyang would have been for $20 less. Really, I love manual lenses, but I hate to spend over $150 for one, and they can honestly be a PITA when you're working with a client.

To be honest, Rawhead, I've seen more photos I really liked out of the 1.8 than the 1.2. I'd consider it worth switching for (then again, I also put the FA 77 in that category, but I can't afford it ). I hear what you're saying about talking to people who've made the reverse switch (though I'm not exactly unfamiliar with Canon gear, in particular the 40D), but I have just a couple weeks to make whatever decisions I need to make to do these jobs, and a lot of other things to manage in the meantime. I've outlined a plan and a budget and it all fits comfortably, and while I've been mostly happy with Pentax until this point I'm sure the Canon will keep me happy too (and get the job done). Makes perfect sense to me.

[Russell-Evans]

Many of Canon's primes are very affordable, so I see the attraction if they meet your needs.
EF 28mm f/2.8 $200
EF 35mm f/2 $260
EF 50mm Compact Macro f/2.5 $275
EF 24mm f/2.8 $300
EF 85mm f/1.8 USM $380
EF 50mm f/1.4 USM $400
EF-S 60mm Macro f/2.8 USM $400
EF 100mm f/2 USM $400
EF 20mm f/2.8 USM $450
EF 28mm f/1.8 USM $560
EF 100mm Macro USM f/2.8 USM $570
EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye $660

MP-E 65mm 1-5x Macro f/2.8 $975
EF 135mm f/2L USM $1,000
EF 35mm f/1.4L USM $1,250
EF 50mm f / 1.2L USM $1,400
EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM $1,700
EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM $1,780
EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM $2,000

Compare this to Pentax primes in the same range, under 135mm
FA 50mm f/1.4 $249.95
DA 40mm f/2.8 $319.95
D FA 50mm Macro f/2.8 $409.95
DA 21mm f/3.2 AL $499.95
FA 43mm f/1.9 $529.95
DA 70mm f/2.4 $529.95
DA 35mm Macro f/2.8 $529.95
D FA 100mm Macro f/2.8 $549.95
DA 15mm f/4 ED AL $549.95
DA 14mm ED f/2.8 $599.95
DA* 55mm SDM f/1.4 $649.95

FA 77mm f/1.8 $759.95
FA 31mm f/1.8 AL $899.95

While I want to complain about the price increases, when you consider the Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 HMS is $745, the DA * 50-135mm f2.8 SDM at $800 doesn't seem way out there.

I was thinking the Pentax price increases were insane, so I started looking at the pricing between brands. I mostly used Google Products and picked prices from vendors I would actually buy from. There probably are better deals, but I was only looking for comparison pricing. lens prices It's pretty interesting to pick out a kit in each system to see what your cost will be.

Thank you
Russell

[pingflood]

Originally Posted by er1kksen

To be honest, Rawhead, I've seen more photos I really liked out of the 1.8 than the 1.2. I'd consider it worth switching for (then again, I also put the FA 77 in that category, but I can't afford it ).

I look at the 85/1.2L and 50/1.2L kind of like an all-manual espresso machine (hey, I like coffee...). They have the potential for that 100% perfect shot, but it can be hard getting there and a lot of the time you just end up with pretty mediocre results. Meanwhile, the 85/1.8 reliably gets you 95% of the way... so yeah, I'd take the 1.8 for a general purpose short tele / portrait lens.