[roberts_camera]

I think the title says it all. There are plenty of great cameras and lenses from many manufacturers, and Pentax obviously is not in the "popular club" that everyone and their mother seems to own. Why do you choose Pentax?

[AstroDave]

As I was contemplating serious DSLRs, my old Pentax lenses (the standard 28, 50, 135 set for my ME) had a big influence - I would already have a nice set of lenses for my new K100.

[dchemist]

Back when I purchased my K10D, it and k-mount lenses were the best value.

[gump]

In my case the features-price comparison is the general answer. Weather resistant (I shoot almost all outdoors), in camera stabilization (I am a tad shaky) seemed to make lenses more affordable ((I am frugal). Research, a bad habit, found the K-70 to have good reviews. Although I am not anywhere near as sophisticated as some here on understanding the specifications I try to base decisions on those characteristics. The big guys offering in the K-70 price range did not measure up. Pentax may have a narrower field of lenses but certainly has what i needed (NEED!) I believe to match what i have in kit it would have cost 50% more.

[boriscleto]

In 2009 the K-x was less expensive than the D5000, and about half the price of the D90. Same sensor but the K-x had expanded ISO. It also had better backwards lens compatibility than the D5000. The D3000 used a CCD sensor. I already owned a K1000...and this forum existed...

[SSGGeezer]

Value, and IQ say it all since my initial camera was a K-50, kit lenses and a few old manual lenses. Now I have a lot more lenses and three higher end Pentax cameras and I am still very happy with my choice. And I have played with a neighbors Pro-2 Mirrorless and found the EVF was fine but if I scanned or panned, I wanted to throw up. Never mind the nausea from the prices of that gear.

[aslyfox]

simply

I like the value

the ability to use lenses from the film era to the most recent

the forums

and I have always used Pentax

[ffking]

Perversity

And I've always used Pentax - maybe my photography has grown up with Pentax and adapted to the Pentax strengths and weaknesses - and don't change without good reason - I thought about a Canon when there was no FF, but then the K-1 came along and I'm so happy I stayed

[StarTroop]

No other DLSR brand was inspiring to me. Nikon and Canon only seemed to be copying each other, barely iterating on features that were important to me, and otherwise just playing a numbers game by "improving" areas that were not important to me (video and AF). What's more is that, unlike Pentax, lower priced models always seemed to be gimped versions of more expensive models, essentially just receiving the trickle-down of whatever features were new a few years ago on higher-end models, but with stripped back functionality. They lacked the value I saw in the affordable Pentax models.


Mirrorless cameras were interesting, but no one single brand seemed to tick all the points I was looking for in a camera just yet.

In the end, the KP provided everything I wanted, nothing more, and at a lower price than the directly comparable models from any other brand, despite containing more functionality that was important to me.

Simply put, I found myself in the narrow niche Pentax has carved for itself, and it would take a really compelling argument to convince me of leaving (Fuji and Olympus have my interest, but I'll never give up my set of Pentax lenses.)

[pschlute]

I think the title says it all. There are plenty of great cameras and lenses from many manufacturers, and Pentax obviously is not in the "popular club" that everyone and their mother seems to own. Why do you choose Pentax?

I hav many , many historical and excellent Pentax lenses that I want to use.

But I would turn your question back on you. With the great cameras and lenses Pentax produces, why would you choose another brand ? No other manufacturer has the backward compatibility the Pentax offers

[texandrews]

I started in digital with Oly (well, before that a Kodak DC3800), then moved to Sony when they came out with the first FF camera below $2K, the A850. Stayed with Sony for 2 additional cameras, and generally love Sony.

But when Pentax came out with the 645Z, I made the jump immediately---got one of the first ones available on the U.S. east coast in 2014. I already had a 645N and several lenses, so I was immediately in business. I was able to pick up more 645 lenses used at stupidly low prices. So this points up the first 2 reasons: affordable digital medium format, and affordable lenses on the used market.

Then, when Pentax came out with the K1, I got one of those soon after release (and have now upgraded it), plus several very reasonably priced new lenses---I already had a couple of used lenses I had used with my Sony A7R. I meant the K1 to be my backup camera, and what a fine one for the work I do. I can use it for UWA shots I can't get with the 645Z (although I now have the 645 25, so I need it for that purpose a bit less). So, here are more reasons to use Pentax: once again, affordable body and lenses, now in a different format

Both my bodies and several of the lenses in both formats are WR, and the bodies are very robust. More reasons to choose Pentax for my work. Add-in IBIS, SR and PS in the K1 and yet more reasons.

Both cameras will shoot natively in DNG---another reason that supports my work.

A hidden force multiplier: with native Pentax adapters, I can use the lenses from a larger format down on the smaller ones---so, 6x7's on my 645, 645's on my FF, and any of them plus the FF ones with APSC should I choose to get one. Another reason to use Pentax. And of course all the flashes work throughout the system laterally and vertically, another point for Pentax. True for other manufacturers as well---except they don't have bodies and lenses in all 3 formats. Another point for Pentax. And those used lenses go way back, and Pentax has supported backwards compatibility like no one else---which demonstrates remarkable faithfulness to their users.

And what other manufacturer has offered an upgrade process like last year's K1 to K1mkII board swap?


Catch in focus, green button, TAV mode, PTTL, composition shift(!)....more points for Pentax. Really excellent low light capabilities, another Pentx plus

So, against the several cons, far, far more pluses.

I do wish Pentax would do more about video---not my major work focus, but it would be handy to have in my back pocket (I don't need it at all for my personal artwork).

AF has rarely been an issue for me. I maybe have lost a few action shots, but better anticipation would have helped, too.

It's too bad, but understandable, that more 3rd parties aren't making lenses for Pentax, but I honestly have no real gaps in my lens quiver that need to be filled that can't be. There are now very good 3rd party flash and triggering options.

Tethering is my biggest issue. It should be much better.

There's room for Pentax to improve, and I think tethering and video could be easier fixes. But I am very, very happy right now in Pentax.

[kiwi_jono]

The reasons I went with Pentax (somewhat different to why I have stayed with Pentax):
1. The k-x released at the time, offered the best bang for the buck (comparible cameras cost more)
2. Mount backwards compatibility. I used to have a Canon AE-1 program and was annoyed when Canon dropped their FD mount without so much as an adapter to be able to use my lenses. Pentax has always provided mount compatibility.

The reasons I stayed:
1. Photographer focused ergonomics
2. Mount backwards compatibility
3. IBIS
4. Being able to use my old lenses FF (on K-1)
5. Still good value (money for the number of features that are useful to me).

[ChatMechant]

Back in the k7 days, Pentax had a compact, rugged, wr, relatively inexpensive dslr with great ergonomics, sr, and native dng.
Now with the k1 its good to be a pentaxian as ever.

[MikeyBugs95]

When I was looking to buy my first 'real' DSLR 2 years ago, I did what I had done for my last 2 laptops, my first smartphone (a LG, another underdog like Pentax but less so), and a little bit for my second car - researched. I wanted something inexpensive that provided a good value, features I would use, a good lens selection, and, after a bit of researching, weather sealing. From research, I knew I could go a few ways: a Nikon D5500, a used D7200, Canon T-whatevertheentrylevelis, an SL1 or SL2 (I like how small they are and I'm still considering buying an SL1), a Pentax K-70 or used K-3II. I kept doing research into my options. I don't remember if I ever considered mirrorless but I probably would have looked into the Olympus OM-D E-M5s if I did.

Both the D7200 and K-3II were too expensive for me at the time. Canon didn't really have anything I liked in the cameras I was looking at and, let's face it: they're everywhere, I didn't really want the same camera that everyone and their grandmother also had. They just didn't appeal to me. And the remaining Nikons weren't weather sealed. I did more research on the D7200, K-70 and K-3II regardless. I noted that despite Pentax having a smaller lens selection, the K-70 was weather sealed and came with IBIS so every lens is stabilized. From what I read, the ergonomics of the bodies was very good. Pentax had also stuffed so many features into such an inexpensive body (2 e-dials!? IBIS!? Weather sealing!? Complete compatibility with ALL K-mount glass going back to the '70s!! No one has that on an entry level DSLR!). What sealed the deal for me was the weather sealing, value proposition, and the sheer selection of legacy glass (despite me not really ever using legacy glass, I can still get it and it's readily available to me.) Based on my phone and camera selection, I think I can say that I do like 'underdog' brands like Pentax and LG.


Oh, plus I can adapt some Nikon Pre-AI, AI, and AI-S lenses to K-mount if I so choose.

[jatrax]

When I went looking for my first DSLR I had been using a superzoom and had several sets of rechargeable AA batteries. So one think I wanted in a DSLR was the ability to continue using that battery investment. The k-x was the only camera at that time that had that ability.

Since then I have owned a k-5, k-5IIs, k-3, k-3II and K-1 upgraded to a K-1II. I have stayed with Pentax because their bodies and control layout fit my hands. I've gone shopping for a different brand several times, especially before the K-1 was introduced. I even had a Nikon FF in my shopping at one point but eventually put it back on the shelf. Every time I pick up a Canon, Nikon or Sony they just do not feel right. For casual use that might not matter but when you use a camera for hours at a time that is hugely important. More important to me than image quality (which is really a non-issue today), availability of lenses (I have plenty) or price (photography is a working hobby for me, it pays its own way).