[Docrwm]

A hard discussion. There really aren't many "bad" SLRs that are made right now, but there are certainly some that won't fit an individual's needs. At the same time, there is an awful lot of smoke blown by Nikon/Canon users, who use the upper end camera gear to validate their choice of a D5100. Certainly, Pentax cameras really are sealed and they offer a lot of decent lenses that are sealed as well. May not be important to everybody, but if you are a hiker/outdoors type person, this and small size of gear could be the tipping point to make you go with Pentax or Olympus over the "big boys."

Absolutely. It's not the Nikon gear but the Nikon attitude that bothers me. And no, not everyone with a Nikon has an attitude - my sister doesn't but she asked for a Nikon when I offered to buy her a dSLR specifically because her camera club does have such an attitude and she just didn't want to buck the group (which I understand).

[Ellen Passenheim]

I am pretty sure that I will never financially be able to upgrade to the Pentax 5 or the Pentax 30, so it's a moot point-----but in the field, no one puts on more airs than a Canon user with a white lens. Too often, a camera is bought for the label on the body, but never exploited or learned well enough to live up to its reputation.

[K-9]

Sadly, I haven't seen anyone in my travels with a Pentax camera this year. Last summer, I probably saw 2 or 3 around. This year, not a single one.

[Docrwm]

Sadly, I haven't seen anyone in my travels with a Pentax camera this year. Last summer, I probably saw 2 or 3 around. This year, not a single one.

Funny, I only saw one my entire time at Disney last year but saw two on World Pentax Day at the local National Battlefield reenactment a couple of weeks ago.

[bigted]

The comment early on in the bashing, that beginners wouldn't care about backwards compatibility made me laugh. It was one of the main reasons this beginner (well not so much a beginner now) chose Pentax. I have way more old glass than new and I love that there is plenty of old glass for me to buy (in fact there is more out there than I can comfortably afford).

bigted

[Docrwm]

The comment early on in the bashing, that beginners wouldn't care about backwards compatibility made me laugh. It was one of the main reasons this beginner (well not so much a beginner now) chose Pentax. I have way more old glass than new and I love that there is plenty of old glass for me to buy (in fact there is more out there than I can comfortably afford).

bigted

When I bought my K-x that was one of my final decision points too. Pentax clearly wins that one.

[mickey]

It's an endless argument back and forth.

I've found that, whilst there are haters, they are also genuine individuals that appreciate photography as a whole, regardless of system.

As much as Pentax users are proud of such options of great old glass, canon users have to argue the point that their enormous and heavy, bulky camera with even heavier L lens is worth the money and a trip to the chiropractor after carrying it around on a Sunday afternoon.

This is my experience, but two of my friends are photography enthusiasts, both canon users, 7d and 5d mark 2.
They are both clueless regarding other systems and often ask "why Pentax?"
I reply "why canon?" and then get vague answers "all pros use canon".
To which my reply is "you're not pro".
Silence...then the L glass is mentioned, neither of my friends owns any...it's all pointless really.
I mention the old lenses and they just can't fathom why I would use a lens like the M 100 f4 macro.
Well, it's just a beast of a lens and gives me great joy using it.
A confused look follows as to why I'd waste time manually focusing on a DSLR.
It's best just to give up and let their clouded judgement be their guide.

It's not everyone, but I find some have a chip on their shoulder and owning a canon is an instant invite into an exclusive club where you can become a superb photographer just by owning one.

Each to their own and let's just enjoy taking photos.
After all, blue is the best colour, right?

[RobA_Oz]

Sadly, I haven't seen anyone in my travels with a Pentax camera this year. Last summer, I probably saw 2 or 3 around. This year, not a single one.

I have to say that I was encouraged by the number of Pentax neck straps I saw in Europe, this year, and I wasn't really looking that hard much of the time.

By the same token, it wasn't hard to find lots of quite obviously clueless users of the big two (and, to be fair, their market position means they'll have more of those than the others) not to mention the ever-present fashion-conscious female Japanese tourists with their accessory Sonys, while their partners were lugging the full deal big DSLR with grip and huge drooping super-zoom. When I think about, I was rather glad that I was in the minority!

I think I might have been the only Q user in at least a hundred mile radius, though, when my back told me it was time to stop lugging the bag full of DSLR gear around.

[Docrwm]

It's an endless argument back and forth.

I've found that, whilst there are haters, they are also genuine individuals that appreciate photography as a whole, regardless of system.

As much as Pentax users are proud of such options of great old glass, canon users have to argue the point that their enormous and heavy, bulky camera with even heavier L lens is worth the money and a trip to the chiropractor after carrying it around on a Sunday afternoon.

This is my experience, but two of my friends are photography enthusiasts, both canon users, 7d and 5d mark 2.
They are both clueless regarding other systems and often ask "why Pentax?"
I reply "why canon?" and then get vague answers "all pros use canon".
To which my reply is "you're not pro".
Silence...then the L glass is mentioned, neither of my friends owns any...it's all pointless really.
I mention the old lenses and they just can't fathom why I would use a lens like the M 100 f4 macro.
Well, it's just a beast of a lens and gives me great joy using it.
A confused look follows as to why I'd waste time manually focusing on a DSLR.
It's best just to give up and let their clouded judgement be their guide.

It's not everyone, but I find some have a chip on their shoulder and owning a canon is an instant invite into an exclusive club where you can become a superb photographer just by owning one.

Each to their own and let's just enjoy taking photos.
After all, blue is the best colour, right?

I don't normally engage in such exchanges, but I did in this instance because it was on Amazon. My thought was that so many go there for their first look at dSLRs and scan the reviews and the threads that leaving the anti-Pentax BS without reply would only lead an unknown number of new folks to conclude that the misinformed BS was actually accurate about Pentax. I hope that our replies will at least get a few people to read more about Pentax instead of giving the cameras a pass.

[Medium FormatPro]

Funny, I only saw one my entire time at Disney last year but saw two on World Pentax Day at the local National Battlefield reenactment a couple of weeks ago.

Both of the people up for the next President havetheir hired guns using Pentax's.

For Obama (not one of the official Presidential photographers); his party has two different people using Pentax's. One uses a fully outfitted (and somewhat modified) Pentax 645d. The other uses a K-5 and also a K-01. I spotted the second person a number of times, most recently when Obama visited CMU.

As for Romney... Have seen someone carrying around two Pentax slr's; one is a K5, not sure what the other one is.

[Docrwm]

Both of the people up for the next President havetheir hired guns using Pentax's.

For Obama (not one of the official Presidential photographers); his party has two different people using Pentax's. One uses a fully outfitted (and somewhat modified) Pentax 645d. The other uses a K-5 and also a K-01. I spotted the second person a number of times, most recently when Obama visited CMU.

As for Romney... Have seen someone carrying around two Pentax slr's; one is a K5, not sure what the other one is.

New Pentax Sloagan "Pentax: The politicians camera!"

[redrockcoulee]

In our local club of about 80 members not all have DSLRs. There are at least three of us with Pentax DSLRs and at least two other than myself with film Pentaxs. No one in the club looks down on the use of Pentax even though by far Nikon and Canon dominate. No one has even asked me why Pentax but some have told me their Pentax expereinces when they see that it is what I shoot with. Overall in almost every subject people have opinions and many if not most of the time their opinions are based on so little info. So those not familiar with Pentax currently still feel the need to express their uninformed opinions. I get it more with film especially from people who do not shoot much of anything that film is dead or almost impossible to buy. I have more chance buying a roll of film than a pound of loose tea in town. One of the two quality shops selling cameras sell Pentax by special order however almost all their stuff is by special order as gear is only a side line to their printing business with a few Nikon Canon and Manfrotto stock. The other shop has the full line other than the 645D. Not many lenses but again few of the lenses for the two main brands as well.


Most likely Pentax users are more aware of the other brands because Pentax is so small in the market and the other two are so huge. As long as we come off as knowledgeable about photography and that we know what we are talking about in discussing equipment we will come off well in discussions with some Nikon/Canon users and for some of them who really cares.. their minds are decided and facts just get in their way

[K-9]

I have to say that I was encouraged by the number of Pentax neck straps I saw in Europe, this year, and I wasn't really looking that hard much of the time.

By the same token, it wasn't hard to find lots of quite obviously clueless users of the big two (and, to be fair, their market position means they'll have more of those than the others) not to mention the ever-present fashion-conscious female Japanese tourists with their accessory Sonys, while their partners were lugging the full deal big DSLR with grip and huge drooping super-zoom. When I think about, I was rather glad that I was in the minority!

I think I might have been the only Q user in at least a hundred mile radius, though, when my back told me it was time to stop lugging the bag full of DSLR gear around.

I love seeing users of the big two with the pop up flash up, and they're shooting something so far away, the flash will never even affect the shot.

I've seen Sony's, film SLR Canon's, and lots of bridge cameras, but no Pentax to be found here in the US this summer.

[jtkratzer]

Without getting into that debate, it's amazing how much the attitude, mentality, and approach of Pentax owners towards other brand owners is similar to gun owners and supporters mindset toward anti gun people who typically are not educated on the subject and have an arrogant, aloof, and esoteric view toward the "redneck, stupid, fear mongering 2A supporters."

If any of you are anti firearms or anti 2A, you really should hear yourselves and how you view Nikon and Canon owners. That's how most gun owners view you.

We feel like underdogs trying to protect and defend something that seems so obvious to a bunch of people who ignore stats, history, and case law. Just an interesting comparison that came to my mind on my way home.

[joe.penn]

So, all of that because of this guys reply?

eric says
no i would not buy into pentax systems, but only becuase there is far less gear to choose from than canon/nikon offer. i'm not knocking pentax, i'm sure they make great products, and i'm sure they give you great image quality. i just prefer the larger selection of lenses/flashes available from canon/nikon. oh i'm a nikon shooter.

It seems his reply started the downward fall of the entire discussion. Was there something wrong with his reply?