[colourful64]

I am curious as to why people choose pentax...

For me it was the best bang for the buck and my old lens from film cameras fit and work perefectly.. what about you

[dansamy]

For me, it was the value:dollar. Of course, Ricoh killed that with price hikes on lenses & strict MAP enforcement. So, my reason isn't quite as valid today as it was four years ago.

[Richard Briggs]

Originally my first Pentax (K100D) was because it meant I could use my old film Pentax SLR lenses. No other reason. Oh, OK, I suspect there was some brand loyalty going on as I'd owned Pentax gear since 1976. Oh yes, and I also tend to buy stuff (cars, audio stuff, etc) that is 'different' to what most buy (even my wife is different! Not that I bought her you understand). But since my first Pentax DSLR I have had zero reason to look elsewhere. Both that camera and my current K5 have been 100% reliable and, on the odd occasion I've had a Nikon or Canon in my hands, I realise that the Pentax is far easier to use especially the menu system. One factor that appears to work against the Pentax is the lack of third party gear. However, do mere mortals really go around buying lenses every month? No. Once you've got your basic setup then it is a rare occasion when you invest in more kit. My only concern is whether Pentax will continue as a company. The Ricoh takeover seems to be doing good things though. At least here in the UK.


Richard

[Clavius]

I am curious as to why people choose pentax...

For me it was the best bang for the buck and my old lens from film cameras fit and work perefectly.. what about you

When I bought into Pentax their lenses were very affordable. Which was easily explained by the lenses not having their own motor or in lens stabilisation. Both motor and stabilisation was in the camera bodies, which were slightly more expensive then the comparable bodies from the other brands. It made the other brands that forced their customers to buy separate motors and stabilisation for each and every lens like total rip-offs. I was planning on having more then just a few lenses, so I the deal was done. Especially since Pentax was still marketing new and innovative products quite often back then, and they 3rd party lens support was also still very good. They totally nerfed that advantage with the ginormous price increases, lack of new products, and lost 3rd party support.

[PJ1]

Had Pentax since MX days(the real MX that is). Love being able to use old lenses as well as new. And I enjoy being a bit different.

[adpo]

I just like how it feels in my hand; I find the ergonomics of Pentax cameras unmatched

[j2photos]

My story is a little more stupid, but I won a optio Point and shoot, fell in love with it. When I went to buy a SLR there really was not another choice. I am glad I made the choice that I did.

[geomez]

I chose Pentax in 2004 when I bought the *ist DS. I chose it for the following reasons.


Size - Smaller than the rest
11 point AF - Way more than the rest
Cost - Relatively cheap
AA batteries - Different than the rest
SD cards - The rest used CF and I already had an SD card (remember, flash memory was very expensive for very little storage back then)
The grip - Unique. Still love it.
Viewfinder - Pentaprism, different than the rest. .95% magnification, bigger than the rest.
Kit lens - We all know how well made the DA lenses are compared to Canikon, esp. their old ones.


For these reasons, Pentax was a a no brainer for a poor college kid upgrading from a point and shoot.

[i83N]

Here we go again(sighs)
Because not it's not a canonika...

[DSims]

For me, it was the value:dollar. Of course, Ricoh killed that with price hikes on lenses & strict MAP enforcement. So, my reason isn't quite as valid today as it was four years ago.

This was the same reason for me - I'd previously had a late 90's Pentax Film camera (my first and only SLR) which I liked, despite the fact that it came with two of the worst kit lenses Pentax ever made (I could tell the IQ wasn't as good as I'd expected, but like the salesman had told me it was the easiest to operate SLR available, so I still used it a lot). Then after Ritz camera filed bankruptcy five years ago I found a K100D Super for about $200 brand new. I then also got my first Pentax lenses at a deep discount from other Ritz locations.


So I started with Pentax because of the value, but I decided to stay when I started to acquire lenses and I saw how good they were.

[Stone G.]

I am curious as to why people choose pentax...

For me it was the best bang for the buck and my old lens from film cameras fit and work perefectly.. what about you

HI colourful64 - and welcome to PentaxForums.

Questions like your's come up every now and then - which is fine, because we do not live in a static world.

Anyway, there was a similar thread in late 2012 where you can find more reasons, including mine (unchanged as of today):

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/207909-what-feat...ml#post2199443

[causey]

I just like the name. Sounds like something you can buy with your tax return.

[Uluru]

Several reasons:
1. I never need to read the camera manual for Pentax cameras. Pentax cameras are logical to use, and straightforward.
2. Online community of Pentax users is a great source of fun; you will read best rants against the Pentax, craziest fictional scenarios in the world, most intriguing doom and gloom fantasies. Better than cable TV.
3. Lenses. Pentax makes best lenses. They are full of character and artistic bouquet. Second best are Leica R, third best are Leica M.
4. Word Pentax sounds like a bomb exploding when uttered inside a photo club or a photo exhibition; everyone starts asking "Who said Pentax? Where?"
5. When I see a person holding a Pentax camera I know it is a person with a highly developed personality, self-respect and nonconformism.

[Lowell Goudge]

Started oddly enough with Ricoh (an XR2s) and switched to pentax when I bought a second body. The Ricoh, while good value for the buck was not as solid as a KX. Went to pentax AF with the PZ1. Stayed with pentax because canon had abandoned their mount twice in the 80's and early 90s and I had 7 lenses at the time. Have stayed with pentax ever since.

I have picked up nikons and found them too confusing to use (the interface sucks, I mean really sucks) and would never look at canon because of what they did way back when.

[Apapukas]

Pentax cameras have a fantastic quality/price ratio, even though, a lot of lenses are overpriced.
Personally, I love the feel, build, ergonomics, menu system of Pentax cameras.
Also, Limited lenses are gems (some more, some less).
I believe any camera is capable of producing great images, but for me photography is about the process as much as about the final result. And Pentax cameras (lenses) really make this process enjoyable for me For each its own