Originally posted by brightseal Why do you all like the M's ?
Originally posted by ZombieArmy Amazing build quality, great feeling of operation and depending on which one you get the IQ holds up really well today.
Originally posted by iheiramo Value. Not the sharpest lenses in Pentax catalogue, but the cheapest way to high quality IQ and in small paggage.
Rendering. When I bought my first M, the 50/1.7, I was blown away. Previously I had DA50/1.8 and the M made the world so much more beautiful.
Build quality. 40 years later they are still like new. Solid to handle and real pleasure to focus manually.
The control you have when you shoot manual. I want to make the decicions. I don't trust the camera anymore. Even when I have modern lens on, I keep camera on manual. Very often I also keep AF off. I don't want to pay for auto features that I don't use.
Originally posted by jcdoss I started my journey into manual lens land with a Sony mirrorless and chose Pentax M lenses due to cost, size, and excellent image quality.
All of this.
The M series of K mount lenses continue to perform well on digital bodies. For me, I prefer the traditional approach to photography, and take my time. Compose. Focus. Meter. Set the aperture and shutter speed. make an exposure.
With digital we get the instant feedback on our efforts, which is great. No waiting until the roll is fully exposed, then send it off for developing, or do it at home if one had a darkroom.
But I still like the deliberate and intentional way of making an image in a fully manual manner.
Originally posted by jcdoss . . . . . . . if I were starting over with a K-1 (+/- mII), I'd choose either K-series lenses or A-series. Of the As, I'd choose those that are clones of K glass (ie, 15f3.5, 50f1.2, 300f4) and any * lens. This selection is indeed larger and heavier, sometimes by a lot, compared to the Ms, but IQ and balance on the FF DSLR is often better.
I actually started doing just that Jason. I'm focusing on A series Pentax lenses, and won't exclude other brands that have an A setting with and aperture ring. Having the ability to set the shutter speed and the aperture without taking my eye away from the viewfinder being the greatest advantage over the M lenses.
But I will likely keep all my M lenses.