[jpzk]

A few of us here in Québec, Canada.
We are a rather "special" bunch receiving the regularly asked questions from other photographers:
"Pentax ? What ?"
"Why don't you use XYZ brand?"
A good friend of mine (so-called photographer ... poor guy) is also wondering where that name (Pentax) is coming from? I told him about the "pentaprism" ... he's never heard about that !! ?? Go figure !
Anyway, such is life among the Canon-Nikon crowd.

[monochrome]

Nikon/Canon/Sony doesn't pay the stores to stock the kit - the buyer does. That's how Pentax can be so much less expensive.

[OldChE]

I live near Chicago, in the US. Since Pentax has only about 2% of the camera market, yes we are rare - 98% of the photographers you run into will not be Pentax photographers.

[Pioneer]

I am not totally sure but I may be the only one in my neck of Nevada. At least I don't see any others around.

I own my K5iiS because of the IQ, not because someone else near me owns one.

The Spotmatic brought Pentax professional fame, but that was a simpler time. I do think Pentax actually tried to re-enter the professional markets with their LX and the Pentax 645 series. Those were pretty successful cameras but the support chain required to maintain that professional presence seemed more complex then they were interested in.

For as long as I can remember their bread and butter has always been with the amateur consumer. To be honest, though the K-1 seems to have successfully attracted some professionals, I don't think Ricoh intends to begin developing the service presence that would be needed to attract the serious pros.They haven't even done that with the 645D or Z cameras, and those certainly have the ability to be very successful in that market.

I don't believe for a minute that Pentax is doooomed. But I also don't think they really have any intent to be any more than they have been for many years. That is certainly OK with me since they have continually built some of the finest cameras and prime lenses out there. Even my *ist digital (), the *ist DL is a terrific little camera that I still use today. It is light and handy with great image quality that still holds up very well with the help of the newest photo processing software.

So, I wander around with my lonely Pentax, secure in the secret knowledge that my camera and the Limited lens hooked up to it will produce the greatest images possible if I can only do my part. When someone looks at my camera and exclaims; "Wow, I didn't even know that Pentax still made cameras!!" I just smile and keep walking.

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Last edited by Pioneer; 05-06-2017 at 08:28 PM.

[sumitkar1971]

I live in Dallas, Texas and have yet to run into a single photographer using Pentax. This does not bother me at all. I was a Canon user for 12 years or so and switched to Pentax for the features and ergonomics of the system. I hated the weight of the Canon body and L Glass... but now, looking at new glass for the Pentax full frame K-1 the weight is unavoidable on the wide angle zooms and telephoto zooms. I also use Fuji when I want to travel light.

I live in Dallas too and shoot the K-1with the 24-70, FA 50 f/1.4, FA 77 f/1.8, 100 macro and the Tamron 70-200 - Love my Pentax system

[Des]

Is there parts of the world where there are many

Judging by participation in this forum, I'd say South Australia might have the highest per capita density. But still pretty low.

Pentax seems to me ideally suited to Australia, with their robustness and weather-resistance. If more people tried them, they would sell a lot more. Like everywhere else, very few retailers in Australia sell Pentax. I think they sell on word-of-mouth as much as anything.

[wildman]

where are the Pentax People?

The few that are still left world wide are all posting to this thread predicting that Pentax is dooooomed.

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Last edited by wildman; 05-07-2017 at 04:06 AM.

[r0ckstarr]

I recently spent 10 days birding a hotspot. I met loads of people from all over the world who had cameras. I was the only Pentax person. I do enjoy seeing the confused look someone gets when you catch them eyeballing your camera and they read the logo.

[BarryE]

We are just in the minority. I live in Hampshire, UK. I know nobody else who shoots Pentax.

Warren, Hampshire, UK maybe turning into a Pentax hotspot ;-) There's now at least 4 in Hampshire in this forum, and I know of another from Pentaxuser. 5 in one county (at least) beat that ! For our cousins in the US Hampshire is a county, probably as big as a small farm in the States ;-)

[BigMackCam]

Considering this is one of the most active brand-specific photography sites on the internet (from my own experience, it's *the* most active), I think Pentax is doing better worldwide than we sometimes give it credit for. Yes, it's a niche brand - but so is Leica, and I don't see many of those around either. Or Sony, for that matter...

[Kerrowdown]

Where are the Pentax People?

We're all indoors making up Canon and Nikon labels to stick on our cameras, so we can then go outside and not be embarrassed.

[Reijnaart]

I live in the southwest of The Netherlands. Some time ago a local photostore had a display full of Pentax DSLR's but way to high priced. It didn't last long but it gave me a first look at the K-1. There are not many Pentax users around, the Pentax brand is nearly not existant. Sadly, in the 80's it was a whole different situation.
In nearby Antwerp the Grobet photostore a short walk from the cathedral has a lovely display of K-30's and K-X's in Stormtrooper outfit. What a sight !

[jopenmx]

I live in Vigo ( North West of Spain, Atlantic Coast ) and I´m a pentaxian since 1999-2000 , when decided to switch from a Nikon 601 AF and three Nikor zooms, to the marvelous Pentax Z-1p + FA 50 f1,4, and by the way , it was a great decission I remember that was quite difficult at that time see physiically the camera to handle at my city , and fin f/,ally I´ve purchased in Barcelona .Then , after one year of using the new Pentax system ,( that was miles ahead the Nikon 601AF) , reading about the Pentax history , I purchased a second hand MX body and some K lens, as for instance K 200 f/4 and K 28 f/3,5 to build up a manual focus system besides the Z-1p, and fall in love with the manual focus lenses of Pentax and its quality. Later , we also have adcquired KX and LX.bodies and have enjoyed a lot with all of them.
At year 2006 I´ve started with the DSLR K10D , and had enough patience since then to wait for the FF body K-1.
At my city , we meet each two weeks with 6 or 8 guys, which are also pentaxians , to drink a beer and conment about photography an Pentax questions . Moreover, recently we cellebrate a "film day " where all of us have used their film bodies , even some Spotmatic
Nowadays, In our group are mainly K-1 and K-3 bodies . In Spain the pentaxians grtoup is called " Pentaxeros " , and is quite active amomg the country.
Of course, all of us know that Pentax, since the end of the 80¨s , have lost a lot of market , in my oppinion mainly due to erratic policy and bad marketing . In 1991 Z-1 was awarded with the prize Japan camera of the year , but Pentax didn´t get so much benefit of it.
In spite of all these difficulties, I believe that most of the pentaxians like a lot the quality of Pentax bodies and most of the lenses , and will remain faithful to the brand .

[ddharriman]

Being in Portugal, I know there are some of us in the country – they appear here in the forum, the main Portuguese photo forum (sometimes to be bashed by the Canikon people saying our cameras are always sub standard / not up to theirs…), the online buying “eBay” national equivalent (OLX) selling their stuff, the other Pentax forums, etc…

But, since returning to Pentax in 2007 (my Km resisted from 1977 to 1998, and I experienced with digital cameras from other brands since 1996), I have never seen any Pentax shooters up today.

So I’m the different one… situation empowered by the fact I have used a Kx Stormtrooper since 2009 and now a K-s2 Stormtrooper too, which makes a somehow provocative behavior (side looks and all) specially when I use the two cameras in one shooting – two white cameras you know…

Anyway, reactions in the last years – the owner of a restaurant I use to go said once the traditional “my father had one Pentax camera when I was young…” and a young lady checking my ticket when entering last week the "Cosmos Discovery Lisboa", with the also plain normal “…long time I have seen a Pentax camera!”.

[35mmfilmfan]

I saw three count them three Pentaxes yesterday on a Heritage Railway near Norwich. Two of them were mine - I was using the K20D, my friend was using the K10D. Saw another guy with a probably newer Pentax slung low around his neck, swinging and bumping as he walked, but couldn't read the model. I greeted him, saying 'Nice to see another Pentax user !'
He looked at me, looked at my K20D and walked past without a word. I'm used to that from camiknickers (sorry - Canikonsy) users, but to be snubbed by a fellow 'club member' hurts. Well, it does.