[MarkJerling]

But the gear does have issues. The problem is people who are happy enough with the way it works for what they do saying that everyone else should be happy too. They should walk the proverbial mile.

AF-C stinks (on my K3) for what I am trying to shoot. Some of that is the lens (too slow to focus) some is the body. It damn near can't focus on a stationary object which means I have to continually switch between AF-S and AF-C. Even though I do this with user modes, it's still a pain. The environment I shoot in is continually changing, I never know what to expect and the time it takes just to change user modes can cost a shot (or at least the best shot).

The KP is an improvement over the K3 in many respects, if those improvements had gone into a K3, I probably would have been happy. But they didn't.

From the criticism of people wanting improved gear you'd think most people here were still driving model T's and shooting with a box brownie (with a Pentax label stuck over the Kodak one).



Perhaps just from the image down.

You'd think other makers produce nothing but perfect cameras. Focussing 100% of the time.
Have a look at this post: How does Pentax AF-C compare to other brands? - PentaxForums.com

I got great shots with my K-5 shooting cycling races and football matches. Could the camera be better? Of course! No-one is saying we would not like even better cameras. Of course the KP is an improvement over the K-3, as the K-3 is over the K-5.

Perhaps just from the image down.

I mean it with absolute sincerity. If the gear you have does not do what you want it to do, change your gear. Don't whinge about it. Accept that you made the mistake to buy a piece of equipment that does not do what you want it to do. Move on. The only person who can change your enjoyment you get from your drill / car / TV / washing machine / lawnmower / camera is you.

[biz-engineer]

But, I've never felt like the underdog. Pentax will never be one of the big brands. Does that make me feel intimidated? Hell no.

Not everyone is confident enough in their choice to feel the way you feel. Some people feel bad when comparing to others if they don't have the same camera, car, bikes etc. That's a matter of social status.

[alfa75ts]

What you could shoot ten years ago , now in 2019 you can't shoot it anymore, you need the new camera models or you'll fail

Or perhaps we are trying to take shots we would never have dreamed of trying ten years ago?

As for the D850, I sometimes shoot with a guy who uses one and I can tell you now that sometimes it can be as bad as a K3 and we have both missed the shot.

At least Pentax has the ergonomics and menus right, the other day I watched 3 Nikon users trying to work out how to change the AF.

On touch screens, I don't care if Pentax adds one so long as I can turn it off and they don't take away any buttons.

[BigMackCam]

Thank you comrade, I will keep waiting until the end of this year, I set a deadline in my heart to Pentax, if there's no any any any new rumors, announcement from official, or info leaking at the end of 23:59:59 on 31st December, 2019. I will switch to other brands, I mean, anything is ok, not like this and not like the attitude Ricoh Pentax shows now.

Good, this is progress. So, put thoughts of any new camera out of your mind until 23:59:59 on 31st December and until then, enjoy your photography

First of all, I have 6 good lens , so switching to other brands is not so easy for me,I have DA☆11-18mm F2.8, DA☆50-135mm F2.8, 55-300mm PLM, DA 35mm macro limited, FA 35mm HD F2 and DA12-24mm, they are all excellent lens and does really did many good work for me.

More progress. Good glass that you're happy with is, IMHO, far more important than the camera body and its features, so long as the camera's image quality is good enough for your purposes and you can find a way to work with it (and there is always a way - that's part of what we photographers bring to the table... our skills and ingenuity ). If you're happy with your glass, it's worth making sacrifices on camera functionality. Imagine how long it will take for you to acquire, test and settle on an equivalent set of glass for Nikon Z-mount... Several months, at the very least, and at significant cost to you in both finances and time

Secondly, APS-C lens are compact for carrying, that's very important for me, as DA☆50-135mm F2.8 is the most perfect 70-200 lens in my heart, my best partner, if they renew this lens with new structure and HD coating, I will buy it even they set it to $2000, although miriness is compact, I can't find real feeling on taking photos with it, and lens for them are still too heavy.

Yet more progress It sounds to me like you're better off staying with APS-C, regardless of whether you keep your Pentax gear or switch to something else.

I do some serious landscape work, because of this, I usually I use 3 to 7 photos with different focus point at a same scenario and combine them in stack mode to get the maximum sharpness, so 27 focus points is really not enough for my work on landscape. =(^.^)=

So... here's a situation where a very simple change to your technique will make all of those focus points irrelevant. Landscape work generally allows for a fairly relaxed, methodical approach. For your stacking example, you don't need lots of AF points. Frankly, you don't need any.

Method 1: Switch to MF, engage Live View, then manually focus on the first element of your scene (using magnified Live View to ensure absolute accuracy) and take a shot. Repeat this for each element in your scene.

Method 2: Switch to MF, manually focus at infinity and take the first shot. Then, adjust the focus distance slightly closer (use the lens distance markings for reference) and take another shot. Repeat until all required distances have been covered. This works even with older cameras that have no Live View capability (such as my 14-year-old Pentax *ist DL). It's also quite a quick approach (more so than method 1) since you don't have to achieve perfect focus on each individual element... you simply set focus distance, shoot, adjust focus distance, shoot, adjust focus distance, shoot... You'll be done in a few seconds.

Then, review the images and stack as necessary.

This technique, of course, works for every DSLR or mirrorless camera and lens you've ever owned, own now, or might own in the future. Sure, it takes a little longer than working with multiple AF points, but it won't take long at all with a bit of practice (especially method 2). It's easy, and it allows you to shoot with the glass you already own and love, with no additional expense in switching bodies or even systems.

Problem solved

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 08-18-2019 at 09:25 AM.

[alfa75ts]

Have a look at this post:

I gave up on that thread, I don't care that it works for some.

If I point the camera at a bird, a high contrast bird against a light cloud background and the AF tries to focus on the cloud, something's wrong. If it locks on the bird then decides the cloud is more interesting, something's wrong. If it switches bird cloud bird cloud, something's wrong. Hell, it doesn't have to be cloud, sometimes it does it with a clear blue sky.

I can forgive it when it's a bird against trees in the background, I admit that's tougher. But when it locks on the bird and you press the shutter it's annoying to have it decide that the object in focus when you pushed the button isn't the one you want. And when it loses focus it always, always, seeks towards the far end of the focus scale when the closest makes more sense.

[MarkJerling]

Not everyone is confident enough in their choice to feel the way you feel. Some people feel bad when comparing to others if they don't have the same camera, car, bikes etc. That's a matter of social status.

You buy cameras for the "social status"? I'm intrigued.

[MarkJerling]

I gave up on that thread, I don't care that it works for some.

If I point the camera at a bird, a high contrast bird against a light cloud background and the AF tries to focus on the cloud, something's wrong. If it locks on the bird then decides the cloud is more interesting, something's wrong. If it switches bird cloud bird cloud, something's wrong. Hell, it doesn't have to be cloud, sometimes it does it with a clear blue sky.

I can forgive it when it's a bird against trees in the background, I admit that's tougher. But when it locks on the bird and you press the shutter it's annoying to have it decide that the object in focus when you pushed the button isn't the one you want. And when it loses focus it always, always, seeks towards the far end of the focus scale when the closest makes more sense.

Craig, I'm going to quote myself:

I mean it with absolute sincerity. If the gear you have does not do what you want it to do, change your gear. Don't whinge about it. Accept that you made the mistake to buy a piece of equipment that does not do what you want it to do. Move on. The only person who can change your enjoyment you get from your drill / car / TV / washing machine / lawnmower / camera is you.

[alfa75ts]

Craig, I'm going to quote myself:

Changing gear is expensive and may be of little benefit, it will probably involve loss in other areas.

If I was a professional working in that one specific area it would make sense. But for a hobby, you know that financially it makes more sense to choose another aspect of the hobby.

Or to hope for improvement.....

[biz-engineer]

You buy cameras for the "social status"? I'm intrigued.

Yep, the social thing, peer pressure, conformity with groups etc.

---------- Post added 18-08-19 at 11:41 ----------

Changing gear is expensive and may be of little benefit, it will probably involve loss in other areas.

Lack of effort on understanding and technique is replaced by spending money to have the gear automation do the job for you.

[repaap]

Main advantage when shooting with Pentax, compared to almost any brand.
Someone: Wow! That is awesome photo! You must have amazing camera!?
You: No, yes it is but that was my effort there.
Someone: No but these modern cameras have amazing Eye AF and all, so photographers don’t have to do much anymore. Anyone could be a photographer!
You: Yes, great! It is fun too.
Someone: so what are you shooting with?
You:Pentax
Someone: what..oh, wow. You should get Sony or Canon or, I’v heard.......

This was ofcourse imagined dialog.

[Rondec]

From what I've seen, changing brands does little to change the actual output of a photographer. Good photographers continue to turn out excellent photos. Photographers whose work never resonated with me still don't have work that clicks with me.

This is not to say that there isn't a difference. Maybe someone comes away from a birding trip with 30 or 40 percent more photos or shoots a wedding and has 20 percent more keepers, but the difference in what images we see is just not significant. Pentaxians are pretty good at coming up with work arounds to make their gear work, but sometimes it doesn't and they have to move on. But, I think they need to be honest too about what things are truly holding them back from turning out great images.

[Karen the Star]

Main advantage when shooting with Pentax, compared to almost any brand.
Someone: Wow! That is awesome photo! You must have amazing camera!?
You: No, yes it is but that was my effort there.
Someone: No but these modern cameras have amazing Eye AF and all, so photographers don’t have to do much anymore. Anyone could be a photographer!
You: Yes, great! It is fun too.
Someone: so what are you shooting with?
You:Pentax
Someone: what..oh, wow. You should get Sony or Canon or, I’v heard.......

This was ofcourse imagined dialog.

This scenario could be happen, however I will be proud of that, why? Because we are special and maverick, we don’t follow folks.

[repaap]

This scenario could be happen, however I will be proud of that, why? Because we are special and maverick, we don’t follow folks.

Actually I have had coversation like that. Not word to a word, but yes. I’m proud too. And I find people who follows other people, little freaky. Depends.

[dicki]

Wow, so much people with so much money. And deep thinking, too.
I still wait for 100 birthday of pentax and save money for the party.

[bobmaxja]

Here a real story
I have a K-5, my friends ask if he can take my camera for a week , very happy with the result.
Buy a k-3, he was not happy unable to get want he want.
Decide to take professional photo course. Everybody have Nikon or Canon. Teacher said camera he use was the problem for is photos.
By a nikon D850 and lot of lens , etc.
Get few contracts, and pass a lot of time in photoshop.
His photo are nice because he able to get good composition.
Now I bought a KP, make a 100 days trip visiting national park, create a blog publish my dailly photos and I mainly crop to get a good composition with minimal adjustment to contrast.
Get a lot of great comments.
Back from my trip, I show my friends photos on a big monitor, and he said your photos are great and I know he mean it.
Now, he is thinking getting a differend brand because he is in a Photo Club and is not getting the first place. Honestly , his photos look great but it’s not a style I like. He love black and white.