Originally posted by alcstudios I like Pentax cameras because I think they give you the most bang for the buck. But as a lens company, I think they're kinda crappy. I wasn't impressed with the SDM debacle, and how they just left (and continue to leave) so many of their loyal customers holding the bag when the lens dies prematurely due to a bad design. Why would you want to support such business practices?
Yeah, they have some great optical formulas (some of which are actually licensed from other companies, and sold at a premium in "Pentax" version), but their warranty and support are terrible compared to Tamron and Sigma. This is worth paying a premium for?
Time after time I hear horror stories on here of Pentax lenses and cameras being held for months on end awaiting service, with little or no communication, and sometimes with questionable repair results in the end.
Should I pretend the situation is otherwise? They simply haven't earned my respect with how they treat their customers.
And what's the big deal about having the brand name on your camera match the brand name on the lens? I feel a company like Sigma should be rewarded for how it's continued to support K-mount over the years. In many ways, it has been more responsive to customers' lens demands than Pentax has.
Witness great Sigma lenses like the 8-16mm, 18-35mm 1.8, 18-300mm, 35mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4, 300mm 2.8, 500mm 4.5, and the various 500mm zoom lenses, etc. Shouldn't a company like that, which has done so much to keep the K-mount viable, and takes great care of their customers, also be recognized and rewarded?
To me, Sigma is to lenses what Pentax is to camera bodies...the industry value leader.