[Dartmoor Dave]

Five reasons?

1. I've been using Pentax since 1980 without ever feeling any need to change.
2. Every lens I've bought over those decades still works on the latest DSLR.
3. I love the Pentax colour rendering.
4. I get everything I need for a much better price than other brands.
5. I take a simple childish pleasure in just being different.

[pres589]

Not very likely, as this cultured poster points out:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/173-general-photography/332462-where-all-good-pictures.html

At least I had the decency to point to the Lensbaby Flickr pool. That's where the good stuff is!

[Tako Kichi]

Five reasons?

1. I've been using Pentax since 1980 without ever feeling any need to change.
2. Every lens I've bought over those decades still works on the latest DSLR.
3. I love the Pentax colour rendering.
4. I get everything I need for a much better price than other brands.
5. I take a simple childish pleasure in just being different.

I match all of the above except for the year (I bought my first Pentax in 1979) and the fact that I have strayed to other brands from time to time (Olympus Trip Compact 35mm, Olympus C2040 (my first digital), Nikon Coolpix S9900 (my current 'pocket' camera) and I still have them all) but there was always at least one Pentax camera in my bag too.

[bm75]

Reasons from 1st to 5th: QUALITY. Full stop.

[biz-engineer]

Why not work on no 2 and 3 and forget abut 4.

1 and 3 are contradictions. 4 = BS , I agree, like many people , but 4 maybe be attractive in japan. Regarding 2, no need to have a lot of lenses, a selection of good ones is enough for the user who anyway don't buy them all.

[Kunzite]

Wow. One is complaining that a K-1 can't be used as a flashlight with "fat" lenses, another can't (or rather, is unwilling to) read and believes that all DA Limiteds got 2kgs heavier since the launch of the D FA* 70-200.

[Alex645]

1. Tough Construction. Yep
2. Lens selection - just a joke looking at full frame
3. Light weight lenses - hm, D-FA 70-200 is uniquely heavy in its class
4. Color variations - BS
5. Shake reduction - Yep

Sorry Pentax, you brought up theses five arguments. Two of them are correct, three are hillariously funny. Why not work on no 2 and 3 and forget abut 4.

Zapp,
You have and shoot Pentax. What are your five reasons other than #1 and #5?

I wish my Nikon had a SELECTION and LIGHT WEIGHT series of primes as small and light as the Pentax Limiteds. Not having to have VR or IS in the lenses also helps to increase selection (legacy) and decrease size/weight.

And although color variations may be BS to you, I've asked my digital photo students why are they shooting with Canon, Nikon, or Pentax.
Canon says, that's what my parents gave me.
Nikon says, that's what I see the teacher using (We have a black K-50 and black/orange K-S2, but for demos, I use Nikon so it's more familiar to more students for button controls and menu).
Pentax says, I wanted a white one. I wanted a red one. I wanted a green one. And I say, why not??? I think it really discourages thieves.

[Rondec]

A rough post. If there is humor in it, I seem to be missing it.

I for one, am glad that Pentax has a combination of small, slower aperture lenses (like the DA limiteds and FA limiteds) and larger fast aperture zooms like the DFA zooms. You can have two of the following: small size, fast (equivalent) aperture, and great build, but not all three of them. The DFA 70-200 is worth the penalty on weight and price in my opinion, but there is always the Tamron 70-200 if you don't like that.

If I were to say my reasons for shooting Pentax, it would be the fact that their cameras really do feel like they are designed to be photographic tools (menus, etc just feel well placed and targeted), they have excellent glass and wide variety for both full frame and APS-C, and in body image stabilization is pretty nice to have too.

[surfar]

3. Light weight lenses - hm, D-FA 70-200 is uniquely heavy in its class

The Q mount 6 is equivalent to the FL and aperture of the DFA on its relevant sensor, have you weighed that one?

---------- Post added 11-03-16 at 11:40 AM ----------

Color variations - BS

Saphire Blue?

[rbelyell]

i think his point was he 'expected' accuracy in the statement he sited. further to your second point, it is most certainly not the responsibility of consumers to make purchases in order to somehow prod manufacturers into making more products. now my above posted comments show i dont totally agree with OP, but honestly, the tone some people take here is extremely off-putting. no ones attacking anyones family here, its just gear.

[mee]

Egads, why must forums be such a lightening rod for negativity. Why do we continue to fire up such threads? Enjoy your cameras, they are quite nice!

Edit: unsubscribed, and everyone should consider it. This is not productive.

If we're going to be honest, neither are the fanatically positive threads too.

I cannot think of 5 reasons to choose Pentax. Though I could probably think of 3 maybe 4. Color variations wouldn't even be on my top 10 list of desired features.

6 years ago, cost on the lower end was much more favorable for Pentax. I'm not so sure it is the same anymore. And the modern lens selection (for FF) is laughable for Pentax at the moment, at least comparatively to what Canikon offer. But they had over a decade lead time to saturate the market... and the L glass or Nikkor selection tend to be super pricey when you really start looking at the fast lenses.

Then again, if I really think about it, I'm not sure I could find 5 reasons to chose Nikon or Canon either. Where they are strong, Pentax is pretty weak (lens and 3rd party support, repair services, store presence). Where Pentax is strong, they are pretty weak (build quality, feature set, IBIS, community).

I almost wonder if they do this on purpose.. trying not to step on each others toes. I know that seems outlandish but Pentax has had the ability to really steer the ship towards their port several times in the past few years but they never seem to fully capitalize. The effort seems half-cheeked.

[Rondec]

If we're going to be honest, neither are the fanatically positive threads too.

I cannot think of 5 reasons to choose Pentax. Though I could probably think of 3 maybe 4. Color variations wouldn't even be on my top 10 list of desired features.

6 years ago, cost on the lower end was much more favorable for Pentax. I'm not so sure it is the same anymore. And the modern lens selection (for FF) is laughable for Pentax at the moment, at least comparatively to what Canikon offer. But they had over a decade lead time to saturate the market... and the L glass or Nikkor selection tend to be super pricey when you really start looking at the fast lenses.

Then again, if I really think about it, I'm not sure I could find 5 reasons to chose Nikon or Canon either. Where they are strong, Pentax is pretty weak (lens and 3rd party support, repair services, store presence). Where Pentax is strong, they are pretty weak (build quality, feature set, IBIS, community).

I almost wonder if they do this on purpose.. trying not to step on each others toes. I know that seems outlandish but Pentax has had the ability to really steer the ship towards their port several times in the past few years but they never seem to fully capitalize. The effort seems half-cheeked.

Advertising is advertising. What do you expect on Ricoh's site? Five reasons you should buy a D5500?

There are always fanboys out there. Canon and Nikon have plenty of them too and yes, they have too rosy a view of things, but it is hard to be too pessimistic when Ricoh has released the K-1, K70 and the four DFA zooms in the last 18 months.

That said, the availability of lenses like the DA 15 and DA 40 -- just the overall investment in APS-C glass that Pentax has made -- stands out from Canon and Nikon. Thom Hogan is constantly beating the drum, asking why there isn't more support from Nikon for crop cameras.

Are there reasons to buy another brand? Sure, particularly if you want top end video, ultra fast telephoto lenses or some other specialty lens that Pentax doesn't offer.

But to me, Pentax has figured out how to get some of the best bang for the buck cameras on to the market. As good as they are, the reason I shoot Pentax is for the glass and that is top notch (that's not knocking Nikon or Canon or Sony -- they have good glass too).

[mee]

Advertising is advertising. What do you expect on Ricoh's site? Five reasons you should buy a D5500?

I don't care what they put on their website. Because I know the website is simply marketing fluff as are all product oriented websites.

There are always fanboys out there. Canon and Nikon have plenty of them too and yes, they have too rosy a view of things, but it is hard to be too pessimistic when Ricoh has released the K-1, K70 and the four DFA zooms in the last 18 months.

They were going to release a mid-tier crop body anyways... they seem to release one somewhere in the middle of the pack every/every other year. And the half of the DFA zooms are Tamron knock offs. So I don't give them a lot of credit. Or at least as much as YOU do.

That said, the K-1 seems phenomenal and the K-70 includes 14-bit RAW and the pixelshift so kudos for that. At least they aren't resting on their laurels when it comes to camera bodies.

That said, the availability of lenses like the DA 15 and DA 40 -- just the overall investment in APS-C glass that Pentax has made -- stands out from Canon and Nikon. Thom Hogan is constantly beating the drum, asking why there isn't more support from Nikon for crop cameras.

But that is only because they, as a brand, stuck to APS-C camera bodies for so long. Meanwhile, their competitors were launching and evolving their full frame systems.. so now Pentax is 'behind' in that regard. Pentax went one way while Canon and Nikon went the other.

Are there reasons to buy another brand? Sure, particularly if you want top end video, ultra fast telephoto lenses or some other specialty lens that Pentax doesn't offer.

Or more options on repair shops, FF lens bodies, sports/wildlife oriented bodies, telephoto zooms (not just ultra fast), extended range 'kit' lenses (24-105, 24-120), 85mm any speed (common focal length), etc etc. There are tons of reasons to look elsewhere if we're honest. But also a few strong points why to look at Pentax too.

But to me, Pentax has figured out how to get some of the best bang for the buck cameras on to the market. As good as they are, the reason I shoot Pentax is for the glass and that is top notch (that's not knocking Nikon or Canon or Sony -- they have good glass too).

I think more could be gained by pointing out the flaws, sometimes, of the brand than continually sweeping them under the rug and shouting 'everything is fine' when it's not.

The most successful people I know are the ones that take criticism well.. that don't fight it but listen and discern from it what improvements can be made. We don't get there by living in unicorn happyland, I'm afraid. Not that it needs to be gloom and doom all the time, but constructive criticism is indeed a benefit. This forum tends to want to plug its ears and yell 'la-la-la' at anything deemed even remotely negative to the brand. However, if Pentax is reading this forum as they seem to have indicated, then they need to know the truth.

[narual]

well, id have to agree about lens selection when viewed comparatively to other mfgs. but id disagree on the same basis about lightweight lenses as pentax has more of them than other dslr mfgs. i also disagree that 'color variation' difference is BS, if by 'variation' one means 'pleasing rendition'. frankly i dont like dslrs, and the main reason i enjoy pentax is for what i feel is a rather unique look to their images, and to the boldness of their colors. they match my eye so i like it; others may not. but i certainly feel i can pick a photo ive taken w pentax gear from one ive taken with sony gear. so to paraphrase Meatloaf, 'dont be sad cause 4 outta five aint bad'!

Color variation in this case was referencing the many shades of paint or plastic the consumer level Pentax bodies are available in.

[normhead]

Me thinks it's Mr. zapp who's the joke.