[hjoseph7]

With a few "Limited" lenses one can go around town taking pictures like the photographers of old that did not have a zoom. I have used Nikon and Canon DSLR's but they do not match to the sophistication of this fine tuned instrument. As far as lenses, nothing beats Leica lenses, but the Pentax Limited lenses are pretty close...

[kentishrev]

If you check this out:

Leica M9 vs Pentax K-5 II - Our Analysis

I think you'll see that the Leica M9 is the rich man's Pentax K-5 II. Only not as good.

[jpzk]

Leica owners who see this "report" will likely post a nasty reply in the German Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper !

Nice catch!

[filoxophy]

Google YouTube for "Photo Universe". He is a Pentax guy who compared the two systems.

The systems are two different animals if you ask me.

[i83N]

so following that logic K3 is twice better than Lieca?

[aremmes]

This looks like an automatically generated comparison report. Just look at the bit depth comparison: "Distinguishes 1.3 more bits of color". 1.3 bits! Of color!

I also like the Amazon affiliate links that don't point to Amazon. "$6,888 -- Great deal!"

Not that I find Leicas appealing -- or even logical.

[gaweidert]

As one of those "photographers of old" my holy grail of cameras is still the Leica M3. Digital is nice and all that stuff, but film still a better image storage medium. I only went digital when Kodak killed Kodachrome. If I could only have one camera it would be an M3.

[kentishrev]

This looks like an automatically generated comparison report. Just look at the bit depth comparison: "Distinguishes 1.3 more bits of color". 1.3 bits! Of color!

I know Snapsort is not a qualified analysis of cameras - it is, as you say, just a comparison. But it always makes me smile when you see results like these - and when you look at the technical detail, some would argue they do have a point. K-30, K-50, K-5, K-3....they all 'win'. Even the K-r.

But we all know there is more to it than technical spec alone (although it IS part of the discussion). And back to the OP's remarks about the value of the Limited lenses, I think there is quite a lot to consider here. After all, we are all using kit that far exceeds anything many of the 'great' photographers ever had. Provided the person BEHIND the glass is good enough, I suspect Pentax or Leica will give you wonderful results.

That said, if anyone wanted to offer me an M6 to try for a few weeks in place of my MX, I'd certainly consider it.......

[VisualDarkness]

Leica M and K-5 isn't close, at all, totally different systems.

[lesmore49]

Leica M and K-5 isn't close, at all, totally different systems.

In my almost 45 years of photography, I've owned and used a fair amount of equipment. Pentax, Leica Rangefinder, Mamiya medium format, Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta, Olympus, Canon....the list goes on.

Different makes, different types......but in the end the only thing that counts is how good is the image....the camera produces.

[Gimbal]

Is the K-5 II the poor man's Leica ?

No, the K-5 II is a K-5 II and that is just fine.

[misomosi]

If you check this out:

Leica M9 vs Pentax K-5 II - Our Analysis

I think you'll see that the Leica M9 is the rich man's Pentax K-5 II. Only not as good.

What a laugh I had at that snapsort comparison

[cpk]

I have posted this story before:

Back in the early 80s I had a chance to test a Leicaflex side by side
with my Pentax LX. I shot a series of pictures comparing the following
lenses:

Leica 35mm - Pentax-M 28mm f2.8
Leica 50mm - Pentax-M 50mm f4 macro
Leica 135mm - Pentax-M 100mm f2.8

I cannot remember the Leicaflex model or the maximum apertures of
Leica lenses; but they were the ones current at that time. They were
supplied by Leica Canada as part of a promotion to "try a Leica for a
day" In the hopes that one would buy one.

The pictures were taken on Kodachrome 25 for maximum sharpness, and
both cameras were mounted on tripods. The first slide on each roll of
film was a photograph of the other camera. Both films were processed
by Kodak Canada.

When the films were processed and returned uncut in strips, I asked
the son of the owner of the camera store where I dealt, to choose the
Leica slides. He inspected both film strips with a Pentax 20X
magnifier and selected one as being shot by the Leicaflex. I then
asked him which camera was pictured at the front of the strip. It was
the Leicaflex. The pictures he thought were taken by the Leicaflex had
been taken by the Pentax LX. His father, who was a bit of a
Leicaphile, also inspected the film strips and appeared somewhat upset
by the results.

At the time of the tests I used Leica Ms for all of my available-light
work. Therefore, having no need for high-speed lenses, when I
purchased Pentax lenses, they were the slower f2.8 and f4 ones. These
ones, I expect, would be easier to correct. Also the pictures were
taken outside at around f8, rather than wide open.

This was not a definitive test; but it proved to me that, certainly in
some areas, the Pentax lenses could hold their own against some of the
best. I was happy with the results because the circumstances of the
test mirrored the situations in which I expected to use the Pentax and
its lenses, outdoors for architectural and other work.

[Digitalis]

Rating two complex cameras down to two numbers - yeah , that is a completely reliable way of telling which product is better.

[Dlanor Sekao]

so following that logic K3 is twice better than Lieca?

Not only is it the Poor Mans Lieca........Its the Poor WISE mans Lieca !
Nothing wrong with being smart........ unless your a Rich German tourist !

---------- Post added 2015-01-15 at 06:43 ----------

Leica owners who see this "report" will likely post a nasty reply in the German Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper !

Nice catch!

Yes....But it will only be read by Rich German tourists ! Don't tell anyone.....I saw 2 portly german tourists at the Grand Canyon last year carrying Pentax ! We are in trouble here....Run !
Wunderbar......Wer nicht spurt, wird unheimlich zusammengeschissen !