[bwDraco]

--- Begin rant ---

If you look at the pro photographers at any major sports event, look at what they're shooting with: 2.8/300, 2.8/400, 4/500, 4/600, 4/200-400. These lenses are pin-sharp wide open (practically diffraction-limited), virtually free of chromatic aberration, and focus end-to-end in a split-second. Take this example and consider just how much glass the AF motor has to move (contrary to the video title, this is the Mark I variant):

You Tube

You Tube

Is there any excuse for the DA* 60-250mm lens to perform no faster than this when there is far less glass in the lens? Absolutely not. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM goes from end to end in about 0.3 seconds and the motor in that lens is itself moving more glass than the one in the DA* 60-250mm lens is.

Also, we need more AF points, better frame coverage with the AF points, and smarter tracking algorithms. The K-3 II is a marked improvement over previous Pentax DSLRs when it comes to AF, but it is still easily bested by top-of-the-line Canon and Nikon DSLRs. Please see this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/181885-analysis-...provement.html

There is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for such poor autofocus performance, especially from your lenses. Ricoh, it's time to step up your game.

--- End rant ---

Just had to blow off some steam after seeing a pro shoot with the new Canon EF 4/200-400L today.

I'm writing this partly because I'm jealous of C&N pros that enjoy having hyper-sharp fast telephoto primes and incredible AF performance available to them with tracking that works every time, without fail. I know Ricoh is working on it, but they need to make significant advances, not incremental improvements, with each generation or they'll get left in the dust. As long as Ricoh fails to deliver a truly competitive level of performance especially with their lenses, Pentax will remain a non-option to pros.

—DragonLord

---

Last edited by bwDraco; 09-15-2015 at 11:14 PM.

[rawr]

Stop comparing a APS-C body like the K-3 against expensive pro-grade full-frame gear.

My RX-100 doesn't do sports as well as my K-3. Clearly Sony is at fault.

[Adam]

I think Pentax has found their pro niche with the 645Z. Hopefully their APS-C/FF offerings manage to catch up a bit in terms of AF, though! That would be awesome.

[MartinsB]

Is there any excuse for the DA* 60-250mm lens to perform no faster than this when there is far less glass in the lens? Absolutely not. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM goes from end to end in about 0.3 seconds and the motor in that lens is itself moving more glass than the one in the DA* 60-250mm lens is.

Big size and weight of lens and glass don't tell much about AF workload. See here: Canon Camera Museum - Technology Hall - Technical Report February 2011
Focusing lens group is kept quite small and lightweight.

[Rondec]

My expectation is that when the 70-200 f2.8 is finally released that it will focus pretty fast, particularly on the coming Pentax full frame.

[sfkazimierczak]

I think that catching up will never happen. Even when Pentax AF performance improves, Canon and Nikon will still be better. I think that Pentax is happy to be a niche product. I believe that Pentax has super engineers that could produce super fast HD FA 50mm f1.2 but it will never happen. They are in pursuit of compactness and image quality, not AF speed and fast apertures.

"The first users are Pentax fans. Besides, it's important to get back Pentax users from competitors. Therefore, it's natural to make it have many strengths of Pentax. Besides, it's important to have attractive new features which other competitors don't have.

Read more at: 2015 Pentax Interview Transcript - CP+ 2015 | PentaxForums.com

I think Ricoh made their priorities quite clear in this interview. FANS ARE THE FIRST USERS. (NOT PROS)

EDIT: I will like to point out that Pentax will always be in my heart. I'm not considering other systems than Pentax. Not for photography.

[Oldbayrunner]

What get's me about these type of rants is nobody is twisting anyones arm or forcing anyone to stay with gear they think inferior to the product(s) they are comparing, which is readily available for them to purchase and solve what it is they want.

[TaoMaas]

--- Begin rant ---

If you look at the pro photographers at any major sports event, look at what they're shooting with...

That has never been Pentax's goal...even during the film days. Pentax traditionally hasn't looked so much towards the Canikon crowd as the Leica crowd. Chasing the Canikon crowd means faster frames per second and fast glass. Chasing Leica = image quality.

[Rupert]

I think Norm best explained it in an answer to one of my posts a while back. You can have whatever you want, if you are willing to pay for it. There is nothing new in that explanation, after all, everything is all about the money. I have a little Audi TT and it is wonderful, but it is nowhere near as fast as a Lamborghini.....Of course, I only paid about what a Lamborghini wheel would cost......and I have little use for a Lamborghini wheel.

Could Audi build a faster car? Sure, but it would cost me more than I am willing or able to pay. This is really just as simple as how old Norm put it.

Save your money and move up, or continue to whine and be unhappy....I'm pretty happy where I am with Pentax, and have lots of cash in the bank too. That's a combination that works well for me!

Regards!

[cpk]

That has never been Pentax's goal...even during the film days. Pentax traditionally hasn't looked so much towards the Canikon crowd as the Leica crowd. Chasing the Canikon crowd means faster frames per second and fast glass. Chasing Leica = image quality.

I agree 100%. I used Leica rangefinders for years and went to Pentax when I decided to add reflex capabilities to my gear. I have made many comments on this site comparing the two. A simple search of my handle cpk should bring them up.

[cali92rs]

That has never been Pentax's goal...even during the film days. Pentax traditionally hasn't looked so much towards the Canikon crowd as the Leica crowd. Chasing the Canikon crowd means faster frames per second and fast glass. Chasing Leica = image quality.

Except that modern canikon glass also exhibits superb image quality.
The compromise is not image quality, it is size and cost.

[DeadJohn]

If you need fast long glass, change systems or shoot multiple systems. Such lenses are a specialty, and a specialty that Pentax does not currently fill.

The camera is an accessory when you're spending $5000+ on a lens. Find the best lenses for what you shoot then add cameras that fit those lenses.

[Kunzite]

A slightly different yet similar point of view:
The Canon 7d mk II is bested image quality wise by the top of the line Pentax, which happens to be the 645Z. Canon has no excuse for letting that happen!

Now we're even

[bwDraco]

Well, I must note that Canon image sensor technology is still inferior to what we Pentaxians have and is still getting outclassed by Nikon, Sony, and Pentax in high ISO performance or dynamic range.

I have no intention to switch to Canon or Nikon. Besides, that pro I saw the other day was using both a 7D (APS-C) and a 5D Mark III (full frame), so it's not really a question of full frame vs. APS-C more than it is a question of autofocus performance (mainly lens AF motor performance) and fast telephoto lenses.

When it comes to AF sensors, the K-3 II is light-years away from my K-5 and probably tracks at least as well as a 7D or 70D would. It's not as good as a 7D Mark II, though, so there's still plenty of room for improvement.

In any case, Ricoh is listening and they're working on faster AF and more long lenses. The D FA 150-450mm lens is supposed to be just as sharp as the Canon EF 100-400L II.

—DragonLord

[jatrax]

Just had to blow off some steam after seeing a pro shoot with the new Canon EF 4/200-400L today.

If you want the performance of an $11,000 lens then I suspect you need to pony up the $11k plus the cost of the body to use it.