What made you a Pentaxian?

[Billgscott]

I started off in SLR photography in 1973 with a Zenit B 35mm M42 camera.

Since I had got a few bits of glass with this thread I looked at the other manufacturers who used it as well, the main being PENTAX. I really wanted an ESII but could never afford it.

I then 'lapsed' until 1981 when I had a bit more cash and started to look for an upgrade. Pentax had by this time gone to the K mount so I looked at all in my my price range. I Ended up with the ME Super as I loved the feel and handling, plus it was Apeture Priority and had a 'traffic light' exposure indicator you could read from the corner of your eye.

Just after I got it, I went on a winter detachment to Cold Lake CFB in Alberta with 3 guys who had similarly priced Olympus, Nikon and Cannon SLRs. At some point over the trip their matering and / or shutters froze while my ME just kept on going.

That's when I was sold. I added an MX a few years later but both these got broken in an accident and were replaced be an MZ-S and MZ-6.

I still have the MZ-S and now have an ist#D and K10D for my SLR needs.

I do have a confession though. I have Olympus for my p&s requirements having has Trips / Pens / XA's and not a 5050 Z digital.

So .. after all that drivel, how about some Pentaxian tales from all out there?

Yours agog Bill

[pentagor]

So here is my story...

I got my first SLR in 1990's. It was a Minolta Dynax... something. It was SLR, but only with P mode and some scenes (portrait, night shooting..), so basically it was P&S SLR.
I really wished to get some more lenses for that camera, but they were too expensive. I'm glad I did not invest into that system.
Then, a friend of mine, a pro photographer showed me a Canon EOS 1D camera. I was totally impressed and wanted a Canon DSLR. Because I did not have a lot of money as a student that days, a bought a Canon P&S digital camera in 2003.
I used this camera for a while, and then in 2006 it dropped dead. All of the sudden. I took it to a repair but the estimated cost was 150 EUR (about 225 US$).
At this point I decided to go for new DSLR.
As I said, I was impressed with the Canon, but when I took a 400D into my hands, it felt like... P&S.... Then I compared prices between Nikon, Canon and Pentax. I didn't want to go for a Sony or Olympus, because IMO they don't have any reputation whatsoever in SLR world. I'm sorry if someone is offended by this statement, but this is my opinion.
I read a lot of tests, articles, users opinions... then I decided for Pentax. It was a winner at price/performance ratio.

I have to say, that I wouldn't mind having a Canon system, but from 40D series up. Not an entry level. That being said, Pentax K20D is my next step, because all the glass I have is really making me very happy.

[HGMonaro]

I started with a Ricoh, broke that and bought a Nikon. Added various Nikon bits over the years and a Mamiya 645 then a 4x5 wood field camera. Had a Ricoh digicam but wanted a DSLR for a round Oz trip so went searching. Wasn't prepared to pay the price of a Nikon D200 to use my Nikkors and liked the feel of the Pentax K10D so bit the bullet and bought one with the 16-45/4. Happy with purchase except to the number of times it misses focus, but reading about other brands doesn't inspire enough confidence to swap either. Our K10D is used as a family and holiday camera, when I'm feeling photo inclined, I drag out my film cameras as B&W is my passion. Won't be updating to a K20D but will reassess what they come up with next.

[Magnus W]

I bought my first SLR back in 1978, i think i was. It was a C***n AE-1. A few years later I got to borrow a Pentax LX, and everything just felt so right ...

I got a fair price for my C***n stuff, and bought an LX, a M28/2.0, a M50/1.4 and a M85/2.0. I have never regretted that move. The LX is still alive and kicking after 28 years, and three years ago I bought a second body. Nowadays I also have two MX's and a 645n and assorted glass from 18 to 300mm

And in March I bought myself a K20d.

Great stuff.

-- MW

[axl]

Well, unfortunately I don't have nice story starting in '70s or so. I became Pentaxian very recently (2006). I got frustrated enough with "SLR-like" prosumer cameras, and finaly found courage to justify a purchase around £500. In that budget, K100D was best deal on the market. And after dwelling into literature (if we can call internet like that) I was hooked. So ther I was in autumn 2006 coming home with my first DSLR and jumping around like a little kid who has just gotten a new toy...

[Nesster]

My first real camera was an Olympus PEN FT half frame job. I used it and some Zuiko lenses for 10 years. Then, when it was time for a full frame camera, the Pentax wasn't even on my list, 'amateur' camera I thought. My short list was Olympus and Minolta, this back in '84 or so. The Minolta's viewfinder was better, but I felt comfortable with the Zuiko mount (very similar to the PEN) so I bought the OM2s.

My oldest friend had used his dad's Pentax to make some awesome photos... I hadn't made the connection yet. At the time Pentax seems to have had some marketplace image issues... or I was in the Canikon mode of 'you have to have a pro camera in the line up' sort of thing. But I was contrarian enough to go for Olympus.

The OM2s, with a Tamron 35-80 SP lens, was my only camera for another 12 years...

Meanwhile the camera business had gone crazy - autofocus, then digital, manufacturers dropping out of this or that segment, or alltogether. A big reason for my not upgrading for so long was that Olympus never did make a modern autofocus changeable lense SLR.

But my eyesight wasn't what it used to be, and the Olympus, despite putting a Beattie screen in, doesn't have the brightest vf... So, what autofocus system is available? Nikon, Canon, Minolta... and Pentax? Again the contrarian impulse kicks in, plus N-C-M are all new mounts without much backward compatibility, and I remember the photos my friend took with a Pentax... One of my first ever Ebay purchases was a ZX-10 with two lenses.

I was late to the digital party, both p&s and dslr. But when it came time for a dslr, I was already a Pentaxian. I'd picked up my second Pentax, a Program Plus (which I now wish I'd had the sense to buy instead of the OM back when... I'd actually have some SMC-A glass!), and so picking Pentax was a no brainer. The dslr came last year, a K100D.

I would have been an Olympussy for life, if only they hadn't abandoned the amateur enthusiast in the 80-90s (yes they kept making the OM mf camera). Pentax never did abandon my kind of photographer, and the backwards compatibility on the lens mount cinched it for me with the digital. (Plus: Olympus, my other possibility, had viewfinders that reminded me of peeking through keyholes)

[nakey]

This is gonna be a long post. Sorry guys..



As a kid, i marveled at cameras, and read a lot of camera books. i had toy 110 cameras, and a decent 110 camera until my (then) 3 year old sister broke it

I then moved to pretty cheap and nasty 35mm cameras, using my mum's film camera for good occasions

first paycheck out of a new job, i bought an Olympus Camedia C-310 Zoom. to this day, it's taken my favourite shot (a Rabi~en~rose cosplayer at Manifest 04). Unfortunately, that camera died later on that year

as a small birthday present for me, i bought a Minolta Dynax 404SI in early 05. finally, i got an SLR. I enjoyed the manual zoom capabilty, and the lack of shutter lag (had lots of that with the Oly P&S). One night, i saw dust inside the lens, actually inside, so i attempted to disassemble the lens to clean it. that failed miserably.

Tax time came, and my accountant friend and i calculated i had about a grand to spend. so i started to research cameras. As much as i wanted a canon, it was well out of my price range (and i didn't like the idea of using ebay at all at the time, probably a good thing otherwise i'd be shooting canon now)

3 choices: Fuji Finepix S9500, Olympus Evolt E-330 and Pentax *ist DS with the Sigma Kit lens

the finepix was damn compelling. at 950 with 9MP, video mode, and all that P&S capability, it was the cheapest of the 3. the Evolt was interesting, but everything i read said that the 4/3 sensor had a lot of noise, even if it did have 8MP. Everyone raved about the *ist DS. when i went to an electrical store to get mine, i got told "a little birdie said that there'll be a sale on that camera", taking the price down to 899

Tax check came, and i bought it. used it for Manifest 2005, a nice distraction from my ex being there.

At the time, i wouldn't really call myself a Pentaxian.

the years pass, i take more and more shots, until the end of 06, where i make the *ist DS truly a glorified P&S by getting a 18-200 Tamron. Used for more cosplay pictures.

2007 was the start of being more a photographer. talking to more people, trying more shots, this year i took half of the *ist DS' shutter count. a good 10K shots this year, but i was looking at switching to nikon, purely for that sexy 18-200 F3.5-5.6 VR

2008, and in march, i rolled up to a camera shop to have a look at the *ist DS's replacement before leaving for HK. really was looking at pentax only because i didn't have to change lenses. got disappointed that the price of the K20D in HK was more than K20D + Pentax Kit here. got some stuff for my *ist DS. Came back, started a new job in IT and all my inspiration for working on computers leaves me (i work in computers all day, cbfed doing it at night too) so i decided to focus more on my *ist DS. that's when i started going to the photography section of my computer forums, that's when i came here, that's when i had the FA50 on most of the time.

I think the full Pentaxian conversion truly happened a day after i got my K200D. there was a zombie walk in Melbourne, and some of the guys from the computer forum were going to meet, take photos and drink. All my life, i've had Canon (D)SLR users tell me to get a/switch to Canon.

It took a few guys with Canons, using Olympus glass, to convince me that i had a good camera, a good system, and that changing is stupid with all the glass available (one of the things my "switch to canon" friends keeps says about the EOS)

I only got my K200D friday, that walk was saturday, and this is the first time, in 3 years with a DSLR, and for years before that just dreaming about it, that i've not wanted to switch. first time i've been damn proud to be a pentaxian


Sorry that it's long.. i have a habit of rabbeting on..

hang on a sec...

*goes and checks mum's film camera*

Holy smoke

I think i was destined to be a Pentaxian....



K200D, DA10-17 Fisheye, AF540FGZ on wireless flash, resized JPEG, no PP

[squarerigger]

My first SLR 35mm camera was a Nikon FM I purchased in 1975. I used this camera along with three primes until 2007 when I decided to move to digital.

I did as much research on digital SLR's as i could and settled on the Pentax K10.

We'll just have to see where things go in the next 30 years!

[drabina]

I have started with Smena russian 35mm camera with fixed focal plastic lens (picture). I think I was maybe 8 then. None of the pictures that I took came out. They were either under or overexposed. Probably my fault as l had no idea how to adjust shutter and aperture. I tried to follow the Sunny 16 rule but that did not help.

Then I moved to Beirette camera (picture) that had two leds flashing when exposure was correct. That helped a lot. By then I was 10 or older I think. I had this camera for a while as it was taking nice pictures.

After that my aunt lent me her husband's Zenit 12XP (russian camera again; picture). This one was fully manual with interchangeable lenses. I had the standard 50mm (f/2 I think) and 135mm telephoto lens. Of course screw mount so exchanging lenses was not quick at all. With this camera I got into photography. I loved this camera. Built like a tank, all manual, knobs at the top, what not to like? Should I mention the smell of a leather bag?

And all that was when I was still living in Europe. Then I moved to US. First camera I got was Olympus OM-PC (picture) acquired at the garage sale for $3. Bought it as non working but all it needed was a new set of batteries. I liked this camera a lot (took nice pictures) but I wasn't crazy about the shutter selector ring that was positioned around the lens. Somehow I never got used to it. Sold it for $120 on Fleabay.

Now without a camera, I spent hours (if not days) online trying to find camera that will somehow have similar layout as the Zenit that I loved. So when I was done reviewing Canons and Nikons and looked at Pentax ZX-5N (picture), I knew that this would be my next camera. Bought it and never regreted the purchase (pretty expensive for somebody who just got his first job paying $10/hour). I used this camera everywhere (trips, family snapshots, weddings, etc). I have immediately fell in love with the layout and ability to change shutter by turning the knob. I also got ME Super as a backup body. This camera was great too. Never let me down and sometimes I have used it as a primary body.

But later the digital age came and I just had to switch. The ability to have instant preview of taken shot, store images on CDs or DVDs, view them on my computer was so appealing. So I sold my ZX-5N and bought *istDL which I have till now. I did not have any lenses left once I sold my ZX-5N so I got Pentax DSLR because I like their cameras.

That's my story.

[TaoMaas]

The short answer as to why I became a Pentaxian is color and cost. I liked the warm rendition of colors that I saw in slides shot with Nikon cameras. Pentax seemed to have a very similar color palette, but at a much cheaper entry price. If I wanted to shoot Nikon lenses, I had to buy a Nikon camera, but I could use Pentax lenses on my old Yashica TL Electro. It was an easy choice at the time and one that I've never seriously regretted.

[Wombat]

Hey Bill, my first SLR was also a Zenit B, which I bought around 1967. It had a bloody good prime lens as I recall - a Zeiss clone, I believe. That, and my dad's enthusiasm for photography got me into developing my own B&Ws. Then I went to art school in London for a few years and bought a Topcon RE2 and a few lenses. Very nice glass. It was a really solid camera that I used for decades until, like you, serious photography kind of faded away as music took over in my life. My wife bought a little Kodak digital P&S a few years ago which I used, but 2MP was fairly uninspiring. Just recently I began to feel the urge again and picked up a Kodak superzoom ZD10 real cheap and it got me really interested. A "chance" (?) meeting with a friend from the Philippines who's a pro Nikon man persuaded me the time had come to get an SLR again. I read so many reviews over the following weeks that I felt totally confused. In the end, with no final decision in mind, I walked into the local island camera shop. As it happened, the only DSLR he had in stock was a K100D Super. A trip to the mainland to scout round the shops would have cost me a bomb and the Pentax was going for a really good price so the deal was done. For my first digital SLR I couldn't be happier. It felt instantly comfortable and seriously weighty and didn't have as many buttons, bells and whistles as the Nikons and Canons I'd checked out on the Net, which was a plus for me. It struck just the right balance and the crowning glory was discovering this forum and the passion members have for their Pentaxes. It hasn't taken much arm-twisting for me to call myself a Pentaxian.

Nice post, mate.

[libbe]

Two simple words; Weather sealing.
I never even held the camera in my hand before purchasing (it wasn't released when i preordered the k10d from the importer), and i am SO happy about my purchase. I was looking at the Nikon D200, but i decided not to pay 14k NOK for it and went for a 7.6k NOK k10D (buyin price with tax, it was almost 11k in stores) which has ALOT BETTER weather sealing than the D200.

[hrishi]

My story starts in 1986..with me being born!

In 1996 I shot my 1st photograph from a Yashica P n S camera..then used it occasionally (1 roll a year or so!)

then in May 2007, Dad bought me a Sony Ericsson mobile W810i for topping in d college..It changed my life..I did lot of research before buyin it and perceived it as a replacement of a digital camera n an ipod..I never regretted...n now 9 people have bought that cellphone after discussing it with me and none of them regretted their buy..


but soon in December I felt the need to buy a camera..decided to go for a prosumer..didnt even know what SLR meant..did research on the prosumer n decided to buy Fuji 6000 fd..but its production had stopped..shortlisted on Panasonic Fz 18..Till then I became aware about the existance of SLR..finally igital-slr-guide.com helped me understand the basics of exposure, difference between slr and prosumer..I thought as I was working on wildlife, I had a real chance of goin very close to nature and I should make full use of this oppurtunity..Prosumer is fine for those people who go to Corbett National Park once in life and buy a prosumer to get decent photos..also decided to make a side- career in photography..So decided on SLR...


Now obviously my 1st choice was Canon coz Everybody suggested me canon..saw 350D n liked it (I'm a kind of person who'll like anythng he is offered)..SO was about to buy it when I came to know that that 400D was better and its the lens which is important, not the camera...SO started learning on lenses, FL, aperture etc..again digital-slr-guide.com helped a lot..Read that Nikon offered the best lenses..also, D40 was a cute little slr which Ken rockwell liked soo much..(I do give credit to ken for teachin what White balance and Exposure Compensation means..I know he is a stupid git, but those two things helped me take excellent photos even with my cellphone..)..Figured out that D40 + 70-300 VR lens will cost me $ 1200 n can serve me for life time..

But hey,

D40 didnt offer AF to most of its lenses.. It made me get pissed at Nikon..I didnt care about their quality products, I understood their little dirty games..How can they do this to their customers?? Canon was no better all they want was more money from customers for every small fature n there's no end to it.only a very rich person can afford the quality stuff..this makes no sense in this fast changing world of Digital where u get a Leica 18x zoom lens with ca camera (Fz18) for less than $350..Decided to drop the idea of buyin a camera n to stick to cellphone..

A miracle happened in January 08- I spotted 4 siberain cranes near Delhi..Sibes were last seen in INdia in 2003..I became an instant star..People asked 4 photos- I had none to give! they couldnt believe- A 20 year old claimin he spotted sibes when he didnt even have any photorgaphs..Thankfully WWF believed in me n funded me to go to the place once more...

Now i needed a camera urgently..On a fateful day I met a retired school principle who was a professional photographer..He was impressed my my knowledge of photography (even though I had never handled any SLR)..Decided to buy a DSLR, but suddenly one midnight, realised that even if i bought a DSLR, I cant do any bird photography with the kit lens..so, WHY NOT BUY A FILM SLR N GOOD TELEPHOTO LENS SO THAT I CAN START SHOOTING BIRDS FROM THEVERY BEGINNING?? SO did research on such brands who's Film SLR lenses can be used on DSLR as well...NOW here, PENTAX is the undisputed king..Also saw reviews about the K100D, fell in love with it..Oh Did pentax offer Shake reduction in the body itself? YES it did..Hey, they provide all DLSR with weatherseals, also one uses AA batteries while other uses Proprietry..Do hell with Canikon..Here is a brand which suit my moralily..Here's a brand who actually want its customers to be good photographer than anything else..Takes into consideratioon what problems a photographer will face in the field and design camera accordingly..

So, asked the retired photographer to search for pentax lenses n a film SLR..AND GOD WAS WATCHING..next day, that person called to tell me that one of his friend had a Film SLR which was fully automatic + a 50 mm lens..Yes it was Z50p and the lens was FA 50/1.4...the best lens ever!!! just 2-3 days b4 leaving for WWF work, I was offered two old lenses- Tamron 350mm/5.6 macro mirror lens and Pentax 300/4...Of course chose Pentax..Though the tour wasnt fruitful, the WWF Project manager had Nikon D60 + 70-300mm G lens n he was constantly complaining about missing shots..I had to manually focus every shot on the 300/4 n still got all photos perfectly well..All i did was kept shutter speed at 1/350!!


Now in April, got my 1st salary for workin part-time for a groundwater related NGO..I had saved $100..took loan from Dad n Girl friend n went to mumbai to buy K100D..there wasnt a single shop of all the 50 + shops I visited which kept Pentax DSLR..But there was a K10D available..Came back to pune, researched about K10D...Oh man, what a Camera..BEAUTIFUL..went to mumbai n bought it with bill (servicer's bill though I paid $875 for it)...


Now I'm happier than ever..bought a 2x TC, 25mm extension tube..Will buy a graduated ND filter, circular polarizer and a closeup filter n a monopod this week...Bought John Shaw's Closeups on Nature and Nature Photography..Excellent books n MY BEST INVESTMENTS so far..

Now I concentrate on the techniques n not on the gear..

Some day I plan to buy a 70-200/2.8 lens but me not sure as I'll have to sell FA 50/1.4 n 300/4 for it..

Only complaint I have from Pentax is the Pttl flash..Now I'll have to work on a cheap, manual flash..

If Pentax didnt exsit, I would have gone for Olympus..They are quite dynamic, thinking people.I would have bought a E 510 with the kit lens and a 50-200 SWD lens n wouldnet have spent on gear for decades..

[ftpaddict]

1. loved still and video cameras, didn't have money for either
2. dad bought a Pentax Optio S back in 2003. I loved the little bugger.
3. my girlfriend showed me her dad's old Praktica TL 1000 (?)
4. became fascinated by the handling and feel of old film SLRs
5. remembered dad had an old Zenit-E, and asked him for it
6. Got my first "real" camera (if you can call the Zenit-E a real camera)
7. Expanded lens collection with a Tokina-made 135mm f/2.8, Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8, Mir-1B 37mm f/2.8
8. Got a second body with a busted light meter - Praktica MTL5 - splendid viewfinder
9. Got a THIRD body - Praktica LTL3 (slightly smaller VF, otherwise identical to MTL5)
10. Started reading more about the M42 mount, and lenses.
11. Took Prakticas to local shop to get them CLAed.
12. Came across articles on the net praising the build and optical quality of legendary Takumar lenses.
12. Hated the name Takumar, but pleased to find out that they had been made by Pentax.
14. Read more into Pentax, loved the story, heritage and unrivaled compatibility
15. Remembered the Optio S (which is sitting behind me now, while at work, still going strong after 5 years of service) and how much I liked it
16. Became more or less obsessed with Pentax, but came into contact with offerings from Canon and Nikon
17. The Canon EOS 350D (Rebel XT) is a PIECE OF JUNK.
18. Borrowed money from my sister to buy a ZX-30 from Heather (hwblanks here on the forums)
19. lenses
20. K100D
21. LBA
22. June 18, 2008.
23. Still looking for an M42 adapter.

[straightshooter]

I started our with a Brownie Starflash that my parents bought at the PX as an 8th birthday present in 1957. Fade to 12 years later and one of my squadron mates needed a little extra cash so he sold me his Pentax SV with the external clip-on meter. A few months earlier in A school (Navy school) a friend had taught me how to use a SLR with his Mamiya-Sekor 1000DTL and I really wanted a M-S but ended up with that SV. I loved how much better it fit my smaller hands than did that 1000DTL. I added a gadget bag, flash, filters, etc and in 1972 I ended up selling my entire kit to a shipmate so that I would have $149.00 to buy that brand new Asahi Pentax Spotmatic II at the Air Force Exchange in Athens, Greece. I loved that camera and it went everywhere with me. I added a couple of Vivtar lenses, a Strobonar flash and all the etc again. Then people started wanting me to do weddings because they couldn't afford the big names in Jacksonville and foolishly I did. Soon photography wasn't fun anymore and the Spotmatic went into the closet. Several years later, my mother gave me her Program Plus along with the 50mm 1.7, JC Penney 28-80 zoom and 80-200 zoom plus Vivtar 2800-D flash. So I got back into photography in a limited way. I even got out the Spotmatic but suddenly I could no longer advance film or press the shutter button in the Program and I couldn't get a battery for the Spotmatic. So it all went back in the closet and I (hang head in shame) bought a Sony Mavica because you could just stick in a 3.5" floppy and take 20-30 pics before you changed disk. To finish up (oh quit clapping) earlier this year I was researching digital SLR's and I was looking at the various Canikons and the Pentax until I found out the Pentax K10 and K100D Super would use my old K lenses from the kit my mother had. Decision made but I had to go to 3 stores before I found a Pentax. Since then, the Spottie is out of the closet and I've found that you can get some nice deals on e-bay. I've picked up several cameras there and I think the most I paid was $48 for an MX body. I picked up an H1a with a 55 f2 that didn't have a scratch on it and still had all and I mean ALL the original black paint around the body and eyepiece. That was $22 and as my wife said, I stole that one. So Pentax is back in my blood (although I don't think it ever left).

CW