My K5 was like a rebirth for my photography
Like many before me have also experienced, pentax cameras have something magical about them, something that appeals to the artist inside. From the first time you hold one, and the first shot you make, it just feels right. I’m not going to write a review-like post about the pentax K5, I’m just going to explain some of the reasons why someone would want this camera.
Jumping ship
I always used to be a faithful Canon shooter, I had the lenses, and the Eos bodies. But something inside me wasn’t completely satisfied with that. Even though they’re of relatively good quality, they lacked something of personality to me. Your camera needs to be your partner in crime, the camera that you keep until you die (or until it dies, or becomes very old).. you know? So my camera was merely a tool, something to be used and to be disposed of when something better came along. Not with the Pentax though.
The body is made out of magnesium alloy, and you can feel it. It is sturdy and the ergonomics are fantastic. Everything about it just says ‘quality’. The design is absolutely beautiful, a perfect mix of retro and modern all packed inside a solid, compact and water tight body, ready to be taken everywhere.
And that’s exactly what this camera makes you want to do, you want to just take it everywhere, see the world and capture it. It is an inspiring tool.
Pentax vs the rest
Pentax doesn’t really do a lot of advertising, you will never see a massive billboard saying: ‘’I am a Pentax K5 blabla’’… Or ‘’Your pentax adventure starts here’’.The quality of the camera’s sells itself. In mycase it was that first impression you get when you first hold one of them in your hands. It just makes you want to have one.
Still you don’t see a lot of pentax camera’s out on the streets, mostly canon and Nikon. And it’s true, canon and Nikon have an excellent advertising campaign, they pump out a couple new top of the line dslr’s every year, they keep giving you new stuff every time you seem to need it. And it's true, Pentax still hasn't released a full frame DSLR to this date. But the Pentax K5, K5II and the latest edition, the K30 are arguably the best in their class.
There are also masses of lenses available for these two brands, and quite often a lot more support from third party companies. (Pentax does have a lot more compatible vintage lenses available though. Especially interesting are the prime lenses).
This mainstream accessibility and compatibility makes Canon and Nikon very populair. You know exactly what you got and what you can expect. And that safety makes them the preferred camera for many photographers. They are great camera's, don't take me wrong, but sometimes it pays off to take a bit of a gamble, and take a deep refreshing dive into the sublime world of the unknown, because once you do get comfortable in this new world of pentax it will probably give your photography hobby, interest or job a big fat boost. It sure did mine.
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