[ftpaddict]

I am seriously considering to switch to the new Canon 5D mark 2, unless Pentax comes with a better and more modern alternative to the K20D within a reasonable time.
I'm getting to be fed up with the poor availability and limited functionality of Pentax and third party suppliers. I'm holding up purcahses of lenses and a new flash awaiting this decision.

- Bert

Please consider the word limited a pun when talking about Pentax' lens lineup.

[heatherslightbox]

If I were to switch mounts, it would most likely be to Canon for a couple of reasons:
1. Canon Service--Canon is great in this area in that it's very customer-responsive, whether it be a individual that needs a camera repair or a small dealer.
2. My dad has a Canon and several lenses. If we're shooting together, then we can borrow each other's lenses.

Other mounts I would consider would be Sigma and possibly Olympus. The only real downfall with either mount are that the number of lenses currently available are small. The major downfall with Canon is the high price and large size of many of their lenses.

Yeah, Pentax is the best fit for me, all around. If, heaven forbid, Pentax went the way of the dinosaurs, I'd most likely switch over to Samsung bodies, so I can continue to use my Pentax lenses with them.

Heather

[baltochef920]

I am going to switch very soon to Canon, But NOT to digital..

I will be transferring my film allegiance to a manual focus Canon New F-1 body, the AE-FN prism finder, the Speed Finder FN, & the AE Power Winder FN..

My reasons for the switch from Pentax to Canon as regards to film cameras lies solely in the wide availability of fast FDn glass at reasonable prices..

There are focal lengths with fast apertures available in FDn glass that Pentax simply never made..

Examples are the 14mm f2.8L, the 15mm f2.8 rectilinear fish-eye, the 24mm f1.4L, the 50mm f1.2L , the 85mm f1.2L, the 100mm f2.0, the 600mm f4.5, & the 800mm f5.6L lenses..

In addition, those M*, A*, F*, & FA* lenses that compete closely with Canon FDn lenses were simply NOT made in the same large quantities as were their counterparts from Canon..

For the AVERAGE e-Bay price of the following lenses [FA* 24mm f2.0, A 20mm f2.8, A 50mm f1.2, A* 85mm f1.4, A* 135mm f1.8, A* 200mm f2.8 ED, & A* 300mm f2.8 ED (IF)] one can currently purchase a complete FDn lens set that would range from 20mm all the way up to 500mm with enough left over for a body or two..

Just takes a little judicious shopping around..

Since Canon has chosen NOT to provide full backwards compatibility for their manual focus lenses to be used on Canon dSLR's, it looks as if the older FD & FDn lenses will continue to remain reasonably priced..

Which is a good thing if you like manual focus film cameras..

Bruce

[pingflood]

Olympus is also a company with great tradition in photography, especially in the compact OM series. They always made great lenses, and still do. The 4/3 system has some great technical innovation, but the performance comes up short in terms of weak high ISO performance, mediocre AF, and limited choice of lenses an accessories. And the high end lenses are very expensive. I have to pass on them.

Just curious, which Olympus cams have you used? I played with an E3 and if I ever wanted to AF on a black cat in a coalmine, that would be my camera of choice. In fact, I still want one...

[GaryML]

Just curious, which Olympus cams have you used? I played with an E3 and if I ever wanted to AF on a black cat in a coalmine, that would be my camera of choice. In fact, I still want one...

I think the OM-4T was the last Olympus camera I tried. My comments about Olympus were based solely on what I've read in the press. I have read that the E3 has much-improved AF performance and they are just beginning to introduce a line of lenses with in-lens AF motors. So their AF performance may have caught up with the big boys with the introduction of the E3.

When I first starting looking at alternative systems in the summer of 2007, I don't think the E3 was out so I never really looked at Olympus. The three sensor, screw-drive AF of the older cameras wasn't going to do it for me. I'm happy with the AF performance on my Nikon D80 and my new Nikon D300 is supposed to arrive on Tuesday, so I think I will have sufficient AF power for the immediate future.

[ftpaddict]

they are just beginning to introduce a line of lenses with in-lens AF motors

All 4/3 lenses have built-in micromotors. There is no mechanical communication between lenses and bodies. The 4/3 standard is fully electronic. Just like EF.

[GaryML]

All 4/3 lenses have built-in micromotors. There is no mechanical communication between lenses and bodies. The 4/3 standard is fully electronic. Just like EF.

It makes sense that 4/3 would use electronic focus control, since 4/3 it is a new format introduced just a few years ago.

What I was thinking of was the recent introduction of two Olympus lenses with "SWD:" the 12-60mm f2.8-4 and the 50-200mm f2.8-3.5. These are the only two lenses in the Digital Zuiko line with "SWD" ("Super-sonic Wave Drive") which Olympus describes as follows:

'Autofocusing is powered by Olympus’s breakthrough SWD. Developed as the “world’s fastest AF system”, this extraordinary autofocusing drive provides both high speed and high precision while operating with lower noise than ever.'

Lenses - E-System Digital SLR

I guess that this is some sort of ring-type, in-lens motor, and apparently it is superior to whatever they are using in the other 19 lenses that they sell. From this, I incorrectly inferred that the older Digital Zuiko lenses must use an in-body motor. As I stated in my last post, I never used an Olympus Evolt camera.

---

Last edited by GaryML; 09-21-2008 at 01:55 PM.

[bymy141]

Please consider the word limited a pun when talking about Pentax' lens lineup.

Yeah, well, you can make fun of it, however, it is very, very hard to get:
- Flash extension cords
- Teleconverters
- Marco rings
- Good (and affordable) long telelenses
- The simple ability to get into an electronics store and get something for my camera!

I'd like to get a camera with:
- Proper LV implementation (why not do this in a K20D firmware update Pentax?)
- Fast & low light autofocus
- Even better ISO performance

I like my K10D very, very much but would like to see that Pentax does work on something better.
The slow rate of new products and inability to ship what was introduced does make me feel very uncomfortable with Pentax

I wonder what they pay the Hoya marketing people over there in Japan.

- Bert

[MrA]

It'll be several years before I even begin this thought process, student at the moment and all. But working in architecture, the logical eventual switch is to whoever at the time has the smalles FF dslr and the best/widest tilt-and-shift lens combo. At present, I believe that's Canon.

[Photo Tramp]

Well lets go this direction. I would change format from 35mm to medium format and would probably choose the best bang for the buck.

[claude21]

I'm not sure that canon's lens are superior to nikon ones, in fact after looking at many lens reviews in order to determine on which system I'll switch, I find that many nikons outperforms their canon equivalent.

The new 24-70 f2.8 blow away the canon one, even some primes... pentax included... the 14-24 is really amazing, the old AF 50 f1.4 beat the one from canon, the Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 is much better than canon's EF 70-200mm f/2.8 USM L IS, etc etc

[LittleSkink]

just switched to Pentax earlier this year from Olympus OM Film, Nikon/Fuji came in a close second

much of my decision making is 'values based' (google Myers Briggs if you dont know about this stuff) and reading this thread it seems we have a few people like that on here, but I will rationalised where I can

Photography as a hobby to me is feeling good about the kit I am using and the art that it creates . . .
- so there has to be heritage; Nikon and Pentax choose to keep compatibility with older lenses Canon choose to 'innovate' when AF came along
- there has to be a 'form follows function', 'design driven by real users not marketing types' thing, you can feel this with Nikon/Pentax as well as Olympus. Canon and Sony just 'aint got no soul'
- there would always be a pleasure in not following the crowd; so that gives me Pentax, Olympus and Fuji S5. If anyone made a square sensor mini medium format that would be just fine
- oh and probably competence; these days all mainstream DSLRs seem to be more than good enough (only dynamic range is really lagging behind the 12 stops digital medium format can offer), but the prime limitation to my taking great photographs is generally me

[reeftool]

I would only switch if for some reason Pentax goes under. While I'm not planning on a new camera body, the K7 looks to be a real beauty and future models will probably be as good or better. If forced to switch, I would go with Canon because I know I can use my Taks on a Canon. I have also owned other Canon products and have never had a bad experience. Their printers and scanners are top notch in my book. I have a Canon Camcorder I'm happy with. My experience with Nikon film cameras wasn't good and I have reservations about ever buying a Nikon product again.

[pingflood]

- so there has to be heritage; Nikon and Pentax choose to keep compatibility with older lenses Canon choose to 'innovate' when AF came along

Let's get something straight here. These sort of statements imply that there are no compatibility issues at all in Nikon/Pentax land while Canon "screwed their customers" by making a clean break with the old system when AF came along.

Let's see.

Pentax non-A lenses? Oh yeah, you have to use the "green button" to meter with them; I don't call that 100% compatible. SDM-only lenses? Oh, sorry, you bought a body that doesn't support that, so it won't autofocus. Yet we don't hear cries about how Pentax is "screwing" their customer base with that... hmmm?

Nikon? Oh yeah, *that* lens won't meter on *this* body, *that* body won't autofocus with *these* lenses, and heaven forbid you even MOUNT *this* lens because it'll F up your camera, and so on and so forth. The whole backwards compatibility thing sounds wonderful until you actually get into using the system.

Canon? Every EF lens since 1987 works on every EF body. Meters, autofocuses, image stabilizes when applicable. Shorter heritage? Sure. Full compatibility between all EF bodies and all EF lenses? Yeppers.

[Das Boot]

If I did, which I have no reason to, I would choose Nikon for their well thought-out flash system. Other than that, nothing really appeals to me about switching especially the higher prices.