[shashinka]

Canikon equipment aren't good for much more than doing curls at the gym.

[MrB1]

The term used in the UK (and perhaps worldwide) for someone who is too easily offended by comments or actions of others is "snowflake". Perhaps we should make the K-5 (and other Pentax cameras) our personal metaphor - solidly built to be resilient to anything thrown at us.

Philip

[pathdoc]

Hi All,


This evening we went to our daughters Christmas concert and the "professional" photographer contracted to photograph the proceeding walked past me and asked what camera I had. I showed him the Pentax on my camera (K5).

His comment surprised me that my camera was "only good as an anchor"! He then went on to say not to take notice of what he had just said and made out that he was only joking.

I was so surprised I had no comeback. Plop!

How rude is all I can think.

Anyway wishing you all the best for the coming Christmas season.

Cheers
Frank

On the one hand, we Aussies are good at taking disparaging humour well (although this seems to be changing, and "being offended" is becoming a booming industry). On the other hand, there could have been something in the delivery which didn't mesh with that.

---------- Post added 02-12-18 at 10:14 ----------

One of the good things that came out of being at the concert was that my LBA has been hightened.

I "Need" to get a 70-200 2.8 .


Sadly it is not something that Santa will bring this year

This has been my experience as well, albeit only shooting the pics for myself as an amateur. I told my wife what would be necessary if our kids' next ice-skating show were to be photographed optimally. She told me to get it. I told her how much it would cost. She put her foot down and insisted that I get it.

[c.a.m]

I told my wife what would be necessary

I just tried it on my wife:

"Honey, here's a list of the new gear that I'll need to get if I'm to photograph Pathdoc's kids optimally at their ice-skating show"

Oddly, she didn't agree.

---

Last edited by c.a.m; 12-02-2018 at 09:00 AM. Reason: typo

[bkpix]

When I showed up a couple years ago for a fall artists residency in the mountains of Wyoming, a Nikon-carrying photographer -- on being introduced -- looked at my K-5IIs and said, "Why didn't you bring a real camera?"

To which I replied, truthfully, "I left my Canon gear at home because it shuts down in bad weather."

He didn't mean the exchange -- and I didn't take it -- as anything more than a pleasant quip, and we became fast friends. Pentax people can be thin-skinned about their gear. It's just a camera, and a good one at that.

[Digitalis]

Pentax people can be thin-skinned about their gear. It's just a camera, and a good one at that.

It comes from being an underdog in the industry, and take it from me: the Pentax crowd takes it better than leicaphiles do, the righteous indignation Leica diehards can summon in defense of their brand is awe inspiring.

we Aussies are good at taking disparaging humour well (although this seems to be changing, and "being offended" is becoming a booming industry)

Indeed there is a culture that take offense at pretty much everything, it is pretty see through their manufactured indignation though. Here in Australia, we call it sledging*, a kind of verbal psychological warfare. It is an art form, a well delivered sledge can throw someone completely off their game. However there are rules that fall under common decency and social acceptability to the subtle barb that oft go unheeded, and the consequences can be immediate and damaging to individuals and the team they are on.



*Sledging is a term used in many Australian sports to describe the practice whereby some players seek to gain an advantage by insulting or verbally intimidating the opposing player. The purpose of this is to try to weaken the opponent's concentration, thereby causing them to make mistakes or underperform. Sledging is also used and is far more widespread in online gaming, though unfortunately due to the lack of any obvious social cues in online interactions [some would say a complete lack of social skills at all], things can rapidly get toxic.

[tscip22]

I do agree that the original comment from the event shooter was disingenuous. After reading the comments here that followed, I am interested in turning the conversation in a slightly different direction.
When I was a newer DSLR amateaur photographer, I would bring my camera to all events that I was attending as a guest. Choir concerts, pagents, even weddings. I soon realized that I was being a little disrespectful to the event shooter. My gear now stays home. It is less of an issue with all the smartphone cameras that come out at any event, but I still feel that a formal event like a wedding, leave the big gear at home.

Again, I am not saying I am right about this, I was just interested in what others think.

[clackers]

When I was a newer DSLR amateaur photographer, I would bring my camera to all events that I was attending as a guest. Choir concerts, pagents, even weddings. I soon realized that I was being a little disrespectful to the event shooter.

Just by being there, Tscip?

Unless you're blocking his shots, or it's an event where formal accreditation is required - lanyard ID, etc, don't you have a right to do what all the phone people are doing, except better?

Might as well give up photography if you're going to surrender every time you see a pro in the same room!

[tscip22]

I am of the opinion that the phone people are quite annoying. I gave my daughter away a year ago, and my neighbor took smart phone video of most of the wedding, then posted it. What was she thinking! So if a neighbor's daughter was getting married, would you break out the 70-200 and start firing during the ceremony? Just curious how many do this.

[Dartmoor Dave]

So if a neighbor's daughter was getting married, would you break out the 70-200 and start firing during the ceremony? Just curious how many do this.

When there's a wedding or similar event among my family and friends, they usually ask me to bring along a camera to get informal shots of everyone enjoying themselves. I use my K-S1 with Takumar 24mm/3.5 or 35mm/2.0, which is small and "unprofessional" enough looking that nobody feels threatened by it. And I don't ask for the pro's permission because I'm an invited guest and I don't need it. I wouldn't dream of getting in the pro's way though, or being an annoyance by trying to start up a photography related conversation with him or her.

Sort of related: I've got a neighbour who makes most of his living from wildlife photography and an occasional wedding on the side. Lately he has been making some noises about me possibly joining him as a second shooter to give it a try. But believe me, that is NOT gonna happen. Facing the potential wrath of bridezillas on a weekly basis is not my idea of a low-stress way to make a living, and I've got huge respect for those pros who do it well.

[clackers]

I am of the opinion that the phone people are quite annoying. I gave my daughter away a year ago, and my neighbor took smart phone video of most of the wedding, then posted it. What was she thinking! So if a neighbor's daughter was getting married, would you break out the 70-200 and start firing during the ceremony? Just curious how many do this.

But do you enjoy photography or not? Those other people do, in their own way. My youngest stepson is getting married in three weeks time, and personally, I'd be fine if half a dozen people brought cameras and clicked away. It's a special day, and I'd hope to see pics and vids in addition to the official ones.

[FreeSpirit9]

On the one hand, we Aussies are good at taking disparaging humour well (although this seems to be changing, and "being offended" is becoming a booming industry). On the other hand, there could have been something in the delivery which didn't mesh with that.

There is a big difference between good disparaging humour and insult; It's pretty obvious to most of us Aussies.


This was definitely an insult, no doubt about it.


If he was trying to make friends he wasn't going about it the right way.

Who knows, he might well feel threatened by Pentax.

[rod_grant]

I once was at a wedding where the pro set up the bridal party for a pic, stood back and let all the Instamatics have a crack, and then said 'OK it's my turn now', and everyone stood back and let him go.
Not a bad plan, but I would be concerned that all the easy smiles would be gone and the plastic smiles might be all that is left for the pro.
I have taken plenty of wedding pics (both invited and uninvited) but only once was I "the photographer"; back when I was young and confident and with one camera and lens and half a dozen rolls of Kodachrome. Turned out well; bride/niece was really pleased.
The key to not becoming a nuisance is to respect the pro and his responsibility and keep out of his way.

[Andrea K]

These times are dominated by mistrust towards the "different". It is a form of ignorance. Now one of my sports is to dispel the myth that with Pentax you can not take pictures.
With this shot I demonstrated to a professional photographer using Canon that Pentax has a fully working AF:


With this shot I demonstrated to the same Canon professional photographer that with Pentax I don't always need a ND filter:


With these shots I demonstrated to a sport pro guy that with Pentax the ISO are an opportunity and not a limit:




With these shots I demonstrated to a Nikon professional photographer, in the same theatre, that Pentax has a fully working AF-C, a wonderful color management and, also here, that ISO are an opportunity.
Extract of a series: erratic movement of the male dancer also behind other dancers


Extract of a series: the girl went to the background and came back jumping


ISO 10000, check the red and blue...



Ah, all shots are from JPEG without RAW processing.... I shot always in RAW+ but it's very rare I need to process the RAW.

[Kunzite]

Kunzite of Pentax marketing

Nobody informed me I have to do marketing on behalf of Pentax!