[Jean Poitiers]

I hear a lot of statements like, I don't see any customers switching to Pentax. I own a camera store and have sold the new K5iis to a canon 5d mkII owner and one to a Sony owner. I also have sold three K30s to canon users. All of them sold their old gear and swithced due to features found in the Pentaxes not available in other brands. I have sold 4 K5 iis cameras in the last two weeks. I found it difficult to sell either of the mirror less cameras. Pentax is indeed garnering new devotees. Oh Yes, there are at least three professionals shooting Pentax exclusively in my town.

Thanks for your input - very interesting info - J

[repaap]

I hear a lot of statements like, I don't see any customers switching to Pentax. I own a camera store and have sold the new K5iis to a canon 5d mkII owner and one to a Sony owner. I also have sold three K30s to canon users. All of them sold their old gear and swithced due to features found in the Pentaxes not available in other brands. I have sold 4 K5 iis cameras in the last two weeks. I found it difficult to sell either of the mirror less cameras. Pentax is indeed garnering new devotees. Oh Yes, there are at least three professionals shooting Pentax exclusively in my town.

This is quite a good point! There is really positive sign that it is just not so, if dozen of guys at this forums are ditching pentax for NEX or CaNikon FF, that this is mainstream movement. I say that, I'm tempted on K-5IIs. Pentax is going in good direction, and with their good ideas. And about someone saying that putting new focus system with strong Af at middle, in next 645 is brilliant. And in next FF too. It is not really easy to come up with good original products, but they still make it and believe it. Let's see what their next innovation will be!

[Uluru]

Thanks for your input - very interesting info - J

Talking about switch; my company has just decided to replace some oldish Canon equipment and instead of continuing with Canon — say with a new 5DII or III and a good lens — much better choice was to get two K30 bodies and Pentax lenses worth some $3000. So we can have two cameras in the field, cover more, do more, care less and overly be better satisfied.

[romeck]

I hear a lot of .....

I'v puted your post on polish pentax forum!
I've put your post on Polish pentax forum!

PENTAX@PL :: Przysz
edit: thanks Atlantise!

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Last edited by romeck; 02-08-2013 at 07:17 AM.

[Clavius]

I hear a lot of statements like, I don't see any customers switching to Pentax. I own a camera store and have sold the new K5iis to a canon 5d mkII owner and one to a Sony owner. I also have sold three K30s to canon users. All of them sold their old gear and swithced due to features found in the Pentaxes not available in other brands. I have sold 4 K5 iis cameras in the last two weeks. I found it difficult to sell either of the mirror less cameras. Pentax is indeed garnering new devotees. Oh Yes, there are at least three professionals shooting Pentax exclusively in my town.

This is very good news indeed! But just out of curiosity: What are those features that Pentax has and other brands don't? I own both Canon 5DMKIIand Pentax K5, I don't seem to notice missing any features when I'm shooting with my Canon body. Don't say WR, because anyone can DIY some WR in the form an old filter and plastic baggy in >2 minutes and >$0,50.

Generally, I use the Canon the most because of its superior useability which is caused by the speedy and silent AF. And the ability to mount my FF Pentax glass and use it on its appropriate format, which my Pentax can't even do.

Professionally, I use my NEX the most because of it's highly accurate viewfinder and resulting added level of control. Oh, and it's ability to mount my M-mount glass. It's an ergonomic disaster though.

I keep the K5 around out of nostalgia. And because selling items at only ~15% of the price for I bought it myself is not very interesting.

[gazonk]

I own both Canon 5DMKIIand Pentax K5, I don't seem to notice missing any features when I'm shooting with my Canon body.

Aha, you have been assimilated, so any explanation is futile!
I think the willingness to look like a bag lady proves my point:

Don't say WR, because anyone can DIY some WR in the form an old filter and plastic baggy in >2 minutes and >$0,50.

[Clavius]

Aha, you have been assimilated, so any explanation is futile!
I think the willingness to look like a bag lady proves my point:

Haha! I tend to think of it as "unbound". A lot of Pentaxians here on this forum seem to be in a "Pentax-against-the-rest" state of mind. Whilst users from that rest tend to just like all good camera gear in general, regardless of what brand it was produced by. I bought the K100D, the K20D, and finally the K5 because of their unique features. If Pentax brings out a camera with unique features, I'll be their customer again.

And about the WR. Well since I saw various threads on failed seals, I started bagging my K5 + WR lenses too, just for prevention. That's when I came to the conclusion that paying the extra premium for WR is just not worth it. Even if those seals never failed.

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Last edited by Clavius; 02-08-2013 at 05:24 AM.

[ivanvernon]

Just a few hours ago we interviewed Pentax at CP+. This was the first question:

The interview audio is still in the process of being translated, but based on the rough translation that I have received, it seems that Pentax replied by confirming to us that a full-frame is something that the company will be making in the future, and that they already have multiple prototypes in the works. So there you have it: it's no longer a question of if, but rather a question of when. And I think you can guess a reasonable time frame for a latter Stay tuned for a homepage post + video tomorrow with the full details.

Again, this is based on a rough translation. The transcript and video, to be posted tomorrow, should confirm it for sure.

Update:
The video has now been added. More commentary is here: Pentax Confirms Full-Frame Plans at CP+ - Pentax Camera News & Rumors - PentaxForums.com

Pentax Confirms Full-Frame Development: CP+ 2013 Interview Clip - YouTube

The answer isn't quite as definitive as I was originally told it was, but I think it's still fair to say that we have our official confirmation, especially considering the dramatic change in their answer since Photokina. If the head of product planning thinks that FF is a good idea, then IMO that's just good as saying that the camera will be made. Plus, he clearly says that development of the FF is advancing, which you can't really argue with. I wonder what gave him such a change of heart since Photokina?

Very interesting. Given the Japanese art of understatement, I would agree that this is sounding definitive. It is interesting to speculate on how FF development will affect the course of lens development, except of course bidding up the prices on used FA limiteds! I guess 77mm ltd would be the ideal kit lens for FF?

[Clavius]

IBIS is still an advantage,

How is IBIS still an advantage? A few years ago, it was a BIG advantage. IBIS removed the requirement to have stabilisation in the lens. Together with screwdrive AF it made quality Pentax lenses much cheaper then their equivalents at the other brands. That is no longer the case. Nowadays, with the elevated prices, for the price of a slow unstabilised unmotorised noisy Pentax lens you can also go to the other brands and have a faster, more silent, motored lens with it's very own 100% dedicated internal stabilisation.

[gazonk]

Haha! I tend to think of it as "unbound". A lot of Pentaxians here on this forum seem to be in a "Pentax-against-the-rest" state of mind. Whilst users from that rest tend to just like all good camera gear in general, regardless of what brand it was produced by. I bought the K100D, the K20D, and finally the K5 because of their unique features. If Pentax brings out a camera with unique features, I'll be their customer again.

Good attitude. I've seen some amazing fanboy attitude from Canon users as well, so I guess there's nothing special about Pentaxians except that we might be slightly weirder - just like our cameras

And about the WR. Well since I saw various threads on failed seals, I started bagging my K5 + WR lenses too, just for prevention. That's when I came to the conclusion that paying the extra premium for WR is just not worth it. Even if those seals never failed.

What can I say? I only have one WR lens, the 18-55 that came almost for free with my K-5, but that currently sits on my old K10D which my youngest son is currently using. I really don't have any use for it, since the 16-45, despite its wobbliness, is a much better lens. I sometimes use my non-WR lenses in light rain though, a few drops of water hasn't done any damage to them.

[Kunzite]

How is IBIS still an advantage? A few years ago, it was a BIG advantage. IBIS removed the requirement to have stabilisation in the lens. Together with screwdrive AF it made quality Pentax lenses much cheaper then their equivalents at the other brands. That is no longer the case. Nowadays, with the elevated prices, for the price of a slow unstabilised unmotorised noisy Pentax lens you can also go to the other brands and have a faster, more silent, motored lens with it's very own 100% dedicated internal stabilisation.

The IBIS advantage is not only about price (as Pentax itself is not about price). It also means that you will have image stabilization with every lens, while for Canikon only a selection of lenses are stabilized.
It also means access to specific features, e.g. AstroTracer or Composition Adjustment.

[Clavius]

The IBIS advantage is not only about price (as Pentax itself is not about price). It also means that you will have image stabilization with every lens, while for Canikon only a selection of lenses are stabilized.

IBIS saves about one full stop. Which is pretty good. But considering the generally slow Pentax glass and considering all the very fast, and cheap but good, glass CaNikon has, it's still not that much of an advantage. It's more like compensation for the slower glass.

Now if Pentax would market some really fast glass again, then it would become interesting.

[goubejp]

How is IBIS still an advantage? A few years ago, it was a BIG advantage. IBIS removed the requirement to have stabilisation in the lens. Together with screwdrive AF it made quality Pentax lenses much cheaper then their equivalents at the other brands. That is no longer the case. Nowadays, with the elevated prices, for the price of a slow unstabilised unmotorised noisy Pentax lens you can also go to the other brands and have a faster, more silent, motored lens with it's very own 100% dedicated internal stabilisation.

It applies to old legacy lens - I was very happy to use it with my 30 old A*300 f2.8 which is an excellent lens indeed; have a look also to the results in astrophotography threads with the astrotracer - 220 euros feature to replace a more than 1000 euros equatorial mount.
Plus the compactness of the limited lenses is not compatible with in lens stabilisation; and I love my bunch of limited

[gazonk]

IBIS saves about one full stop. Which is pretty good. But considering the generally slow Pentax glass and considering all the very fast, and cheap but good, glass CaNikon has, it's still not that much of an advantage. It's more like compensation for the slower glass.

Now if Pentax would market some really fast glass again, then it would become interesting.

You're really being negative now. "Really fast glass" is not always an option because of the thin DoF. In low light, it will be easier to get good shots with the DA35/2.4 than with the Nikkor 35/1.8G, since the IBIS compensates for (more than) the max aperture difference and f/2.4 is more usable than f/1.8 except in those situations where you actually want very thin DoF.

[Kunzite]

IBIS saves about one full stop. Which is pretty good. But considering the generally slow Pentax glass and considering all the very fast, and cheap but good, glass CaNikon has, it's still not that much of an advantage. It's more like compensation for the slower glass.

IMHO IBIS saves much more than only one stop.