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07-25-2009, 09:29 AM   #31
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QuoteOriginally posted by stewart_photo Quote
Employed photojournalists, using equipment supplied by a newspaper or magazine, rarely expect or depend on quick repair turnaround. Their employers often maintain a sufficient supply of redundant equipment (providing all the time needed to get items repaired) and quick turnaround obviously isn't going to happen in truly remote locations. Renting is seldom an option either since most companies (including camera manufacturers) just won't ship to remote locations (overseas, etc).

Independant photojournalists (and those working for smaller publishers) purchase their own equipment, so quality budget equipment could easily appeal to them. Newspaper and magazine photographers almost never require images larger then 6-10 megapixels (depending on the size of the media with some extra for cropping), so virtually all recent Pentax gear would be sufficient for the task.

stewart
Very well put. When I have pulled full-time stints I am offered "pool" equipment. Some places have a room that would make most of yall drop your jaw and drool. Granted over 1/2 is probably over 10 years old, but it still works. In addition to the "room full of gear" they often do have a good rep for NPS or CPS in the area and for big events like say Preakness (horse race) they barrow a bunch of bodies for remote camera set-ups etc. (I just did this with Pentax threw their PPS program, I got another K20D and 16-50 lens to remote behind a soccer goal, worked well but ironically my oldest camera that I remoted got the good shot (lol)

As for resolution, if it is a newspaper, even for a color page, most of them are printed at 150dpi so even 2.5mp old D1 or 3mp D30 (not really cropped) will lend a decent photo of typical newspaper size (5x7 or smaller)
All the papers I work for in my area require about the same thing 9" on longest side, 200dpi, and usually saved at a "10" quality in photoshop. heck I even do most of my reprints from this file on my epsons up to 8x10ish and it looks fine. so even my 6mp *ist-D's were more than enough for the work.

Some of my buddies are starting to use D700 and D3's and ocassionally the 5d/5dmkII but the nikons are usually for the low-light capabilities, the canon is usually more for the wide-angle or the mkII's for the video. A lot of the nikon shooters now have a D90 also in their bag for the video too.

After shooting the game last night I must agree with the comment about the K7 being a perfect "photojournalist" camera. In this current day-in age of needing video, high ISO, the high FPS, decent fast AF and quality of build has earned it top rank in my book and not since the K10D "revolution" have I considered buying 2 of the same bodies in less than 6 months. For fall when biz picks up I will probably add another K7 and moving my only K20D to job of back-up/remote camera duty. I was very impressed with its increased AF speed and AF tracking doing soccer last night and over the past 2 weeks doing normal assignments that I must say that it is a true contender (finally) now I have noticed it does seam to have a tad more noise than my K20, but I will have to do some side-by-side tests.

07-25-2009, 11:38 AM   #32
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I see a lot of opinions here probably redundant with mine: Staff photogs are going to have houses full of Nikon or Canon equipment they can access for free, even if they use a lot of their own stuff as well. Accessibility and compatibility are pretty important. Especially if you're working in teams, it helps to be able to share lenses and such.

It doesn't *necessarily* reflect on how suited a given brand or model or system may be to a task, (those big 'pro' bodies have advantages for papparazzi and other types, sports and event shooters, that sort of thing, which may be unnecessary weight for the more 'classic' ideal of a journalist/documentarian. If you're a freelancer or a stringer for a smaller outfit, a lot of these advantages may simply be not worth the extra few grand for such, if you even really have access to them.

Some of these advantages would be just as good if there was a lot of Pentax gear out there for the loan or rental, etc... but that's just not the state of affairs.

The idea 'Most pros use this brand of camera for work' doesn't necessarily mean that brand makes the best camera for any given job. If you look in the background of any TV coverage of politicians and the like, a lot of those Canon and Nikon-shooting pros are using entry-level-grade bodies, presumably to do their video clips: you can bet they'd much rather be using something built like a K-7 for those jobs, if they came in the same mount as all their other stuff.

The five-thousand dollar body makes more sense if you're doing certain kinds of work and/or writing it off as a business expense. If you're on your own, plan a little for contingencies, but I wouldn't start by choosing to work with a Rebel when you could have a more suitable Pentax and related glass for the same money.

If you're thinking about newspaper type work, and, say, ISO 3200 work, chances are it won't be reproduced anywhere the difference will be detectable or worried about. It's about getting the shot.
07-25-2009, 01:23 PM   #33
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if you are part of the PPS (Pentax Pro Services) program. You can get your gear back in 72 hrs. I almost broke one of my k10d's in half and i just told them i was a wedding photog holy crap i need that cam back....

72hrs later i was golden.

rock
07-25-2009, 04:07 PM   #34
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ratmagiclady Quote
It's about getting the shot.
This is what exactly photojournalism is about and even paparazzi's also know this too well!

Even on video, if you are the only witness to a newsworthy event, and you shot a video of it with your phonecam..that video would be paid for in big bucks and a copy of it would be all over the news (even if not shot on s professional video equipment).

07-25-2009, 05:29 PM   #35
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No kidding, one guy scored bigtime when that plane went down in the Hudson and he got the shot everyone used.. with an iPhone, I believe.
07-25-2009, 10:01 PM   #36
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QuoteOriginally posted by pingflood Quote
No kidding, one guy scored bigtime when that plane went down in the Hudson and he got the shot everyone used.. with an iPhone, I believe.
This is one reason I wish my K20d had a 'panicbutton,' something that'd switch all settings to something suited to firing rapidly or blindly at anything unexpected that may occur.
07-26-2009, 01:56 PM   #37
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ratmagiclady Quote
This is one reason I wish my K20d had a 'panicbutton,' something that'd switch all settings to something suited to firing rapidly or blindly at anything unexpected that may occur.
You could put it on auto? Don't know what that that emphasises in its choices. Or crank up the ISO, put it on Av, f/8.

07-26-2009, 02:28 PM   #38
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QuoteOriginally posted by CWyatt Quote
You could put it on auto? Don't know what that that emphasises in its choices. Or crank up the ISO, put it on Av, f/8.
Well, yeah, though I was thinking, something that'd set it all at once. Turn off any special effects, maybe AWB (Don't know if that slows down my K20d any, but it really increased lag on my Lumix bridge camera, more than anything else,) kick it into maybe a preselected choice of program curves, turn on the high-speed drive, JPEG only, etc, etc. Who cares if it looks like Fuji Press 800.

More USER modes with more things you could save there would be nice for this. (I notice that because right now I'm doing a lot of JPEG settings in camera, for lack of really-adequate computer facilities: I just hit the RAW button if I think I'll want to do a great deal of post on something. )
10-13-2017, 08:23 AM   #39
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And we're still out there. I've been using Pentax for 42 years. Currently using the K-1, K-3, and K-5iis for my main units.


Photos: Families flock to Norwell Summer Fest - Norwell Mariner - Norwell, MA
10-13-2017, 08:57 AM   #40
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QuoteOriginally posted by LXNights Quote
And we're still out there. I've been using Pentax for 42 years. Currently using the K-1, K-3, and K-5iis for my main units.


Photos: Families flock to Norwell Summer Fest - Norwell Mariner - Norwell, MA
Good to see.... it's also good that after the "you have to use Canon or Nikon because of pro service" nonsense you get actual posts from real people who use the gear. Typically, what people have been led to believe reading on-line marketing hype, is not really reflected in real people's experience.
10-13-2017, 12:17 PM   #41
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Back in the late '60's I used to work for a small publishing company that published business magazines. We had a photography dept. that had two full time photographers. I was an editorial assistant and eventually was required to take pics to accompany my stories.

To do that I bought a new 1968 Pentax S1a and a hand held Sekonic light meter. My company told me to get either a Nikon or Pentax SLR. The S1a was cheapest, I got that, it was/is a good, rugged tool and I've been a Pentaxian since...but also have Leica RF, Mamiya MF, Olympus, Canon, Zeiss, etc.

Within the company (1960's) there were the two photographers and a couple of editorial types who took pics for publishing. We had a variety of cameras, mostly Pentax (Spotmatics for the most part), one Leica rangefinder, a Nikon F and one of the photographers had a Mamiya Press camera.. The publisher also had a collection of cameras that were medium format. He allowed the two photographers to use these when they were needed....ie; outside front cover for editorial and inside and back covers for advertising. The medium formats included a Linhof, an old Speed Graphic, a Rollei TLR and a Hassleblad.

At this time in the '60's what I recall newspaper press photographers around here, were using mostly Nikon F, Rollei TLR, some Mamiya TLR, Leica RF and the odd Pentax.

No Canons, but then this was just a bit before the Canon F1 was introduced by Canon. Canon made a concerted effort to get their pro cameras...starting with the F1 into the hands of pro photographers. At that time Nikon seemed to dominate the pro scene, when it came to 35mm bodies.

I left the publishing biz by 1970 and went into a completely different field of endeavour which I pursued till I retired a few years ago. So I lost touch with what was the pro press photographers first choice.

In around 2005 or so, I happened to bump into a long time press photographer and noticed he carried a Canon pro body. We shot the breeze for a few minutes and I said I was surprised to see him carrying a Canon, not a Nikon. He indicated that his newspaper (the big one around these here parts ) had switched over to Canon a number of years back.

From what I recall and I maybe in error (long time ago and I'm an old guy he said reasons included deals on lenses from Canon and Canon were good at repair turn around with loaners if need be to pros. Nikon was ok in those aspects too, but his paper wanted to standardize their equipment for economic reasons. In other words if you have some Nikon shooters and Canon shooters on one paper...it gets expensive for the paper, if it's equipment pool has to buy both a Nikon mount and Canon mount 400mm F 2.8, etc. that will be used only occasionally. Made sense to me.

For the most part I generally see pro photogs...and I don't see a lot of them in my particular daily routine with Canon equipment. I think Canon in particular but also Nikon are so firmly entrenched in pro ranks that it's not likely you'll see Pentax back there. My opinion.

Check the Olympics...or some big time news conference. It's invariably Canon or Nikon.

But I tell you...the way these cell phone cameras are improving...I wonder if in 5 - 10 years at press conferences (not sporting events) if things will drift that way. In the '60's we carried cassette tape machines for quotes, now many reporters use an app on their phone or the tiny little digital recorders. Technology marches on and I for one can't foretell the future.

So maybe in 10 years time, if there are still newsprint newspapers around, maybe the press photographer will reach for his smart phone, rather than reach into his Domke bag for his full frame digital Canon SLR.

Who knows...things change and I ask you...when was the last time you saw a press photographer wrangling a Speed Graphic when the local mayor comes to the podium to talk about city sewage issues.

Last edited by lesmore49; 10-13-2017 at 12:27 PM.
10-13-2017, 08:59 PM   #42
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We've all seen what you are referring to, Lesmore49. I've worked for newspapers since 1991. Yes, of course most use Canon and Nikon, but Canon has the lion's share of media pros. Canon has always been, since 1971, and continues to be very aggressive in pursuing the pro market. This has worked well for them; they realized if a lot of people saw pros using Canon, the amateurs would come into stores asking for them. They jump started this in the late 1970s when they introduced the Canon AE-1, and started and aggressive and persistent TV advertising run, which lasted for many years. That, coupled with more and more pros turning to Canon, especially when AF was introduced, put Canon over Nikon, who continued to make effective gear but wasn't nearly as aggressive in marketing as Canon. Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax occasionally dabbled in TV ads but Canon was relentless and stayed with it. That investment has paid off for them and they are top dog right now. Nikon remains in the game, but they really have to work harder at it.

So along comes someone like me, a born maverick, comes to a newspaper in metro Providence/southern Mass., I show my book and I get hired to freelance. I got razzed a lot showing up with Pentax in a Nikon house, but I made my bones shooting everything they threw at me. I had serious Pentax glass backing me up, including a 15mm f/3.5, and I got every job done. I eventually got all my own lenses, sometimes going with Tamron and/or Tokina to fill needs that were too expensive for me by Pentax, though I did score an excellent deal buying a Pentax 300mm f/2.8. If I ever got a FT gig, I'm well equipped but it might be a decent idea to buy a Canon or Nikon body to match what the house has for a system in case it became necessary to use a particular lenses I didn't have, such as a 600mm or some such. But I am very proud to shoot with what I have with results that can compete with the Canikon guys. I have no plans to change. Pentaxian for life!
10-13-2017, 09:54 PM - 1 Like   #43
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QuoteOriginally posted by LXNights Quote
We've all seen what you are referring to, Lesmore49. I've worked for newspapers since 1991. Yes, of course most use Canon and Nikon, but Canon has the lion's share of media pros. Canon has always been, since 1971, and continues to be very aggressive in pursuing the pro market. This has worked well for them; they realized if a lot of people saw pros using Canon, the amateurs would come into stores asking for them. They jump started this in the late 1970s when they introduced the Canon AE-1, and started and aggressive and persistent TV advertising run, which lasted for many years. That, coupled with more and more pros turning to Canon, especially when AF was introduced, put Canon over Nikon, who continued to make effective gear but wasn't nearly as aggressive in marketing as Canon. Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax occasionally dabbled in TV ads but Canon was relentless and stayed with it. That investment has paid off for them and they are top dog right now. Nikon remains in the game, but they really have to work harder at it.

So along comes someone like me, a born maverick, comes to a newspaper in metro Providence/southern Mass., I show my book and I get hired to freelance. I got razzed a lot showing up with Pentax in a Nikon house, but I made my bones shooting everything they threw at me. I had serious Pentax glass backing me up, including a 15mm f/3.5, and I got every job done. I eventually got all my own lenses, sometimes going with Tamron and/or Tokina to fill needs that were too expensive for me by Pentax, though I did score an excellent deal buying a Pentax 300mm f/2.8. If I ever got a FT gig, I'm well equipped but it might be a decent idea to buy a Canon or Nikon body to match what the house has for a system in case it became necessary to use a particular lenses I didn't have, such as a 600mm or some such. But I am very proud to shoot with what I have with results that can compete with the Canikon guys. I have no plans to change. Pentaxian for life!
Pleased to hear that you use Pentax successfully in your pro photog career. Also very interesting to read a current update on what it's currently like out there in media land. I have a K-1 and a K-5 and I find both these bodies...I think...would be great cameras for a newspaper pro for covering general events. Two all around good general coverage lenses that I find useful are my 18-135 ASP-C and 28-105 for my full frame.

I know they're a little on the slow side and also have consumer grade construction for pro work...but they perform well and their focal length zoom range is useful and picture quality..excellent.

As you suggest might be an idea to buy a Canikon body ...maybe even lightly used...just in case you need a lenses that you don't have, but they (company) does.

Note you work in the Massachusetts area . About a year or so ago, I found out that my ancestors lived in Massachusetts also....back in the 1600's in Salem and Boston.
10-29-2017, 04:10 AM   #44
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I am Swedish and live near a small town with a small newspaper. There was a photographer who was retired 15 years ago, he used the Pentax 6X7.
I counted now and it's 40 years since I bought my first camera. A Pentax ME with M35/2,8 and M135/3,5, a bit more expensive than MX, as I was recommended. I regretted it later.
07-25-2018, 07:25 PM - 3 Likes   #45
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Things continue to go well for me. I've gotten picked up by a daily recently, and I'm very happy about that. I continue to use the K-1 and K-3 as my primary units, and sometime soon I hope to trade in my K-5iis toward a KP with battery grip. Down the road a K-1 Mark II or maybe a K-3 III when that comes out. I'm having fun with my gear. And don't let anyone tell you the Pentax line has consumer construction grade; these cameras are tough, as most any Canon or Nikon, and unreal in the rain and snow. They are the real deal!

Last call at Sully's: Bar closes after 84 years - News - The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA - Quincy, MA

And don't let anyone tell you Pentax can't shoot sports, that's a myth, and a bad one. I have never shot rodeo ever in my life, but here you go:

http://marshfield.wickedlocal.com/photogallery/WL/20180625/NEWS/625009980/PH/1?start=2

Last edited by LXNights; 07-25-2018 at 07:26 PM. Reason: Make sure 2nd link got in...
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