[Kerrowdown]

I've always shot multiple brands, but my intro to Pentax was with LX's back in the early eighties whilst in the Middle East. Those "sealed" Nikon F3s I was using at the time were forever getting sand in the works, especially in the film gates, putting scratches right across the emulsion. Now this took a fair while and involved a paint brush on either the negs or the prints to correct (no PS or LR in those days). The problem was so bad, I owned four of the beasts, two in use and two in being cleaned and swapped over every couple of weeks or so.

The local in country camera shop lent me a couple of LXs to try, no sand problems... hence my love affair with Pentax began right there, in fact I still have a couple of those LX bodies about the place.

Your body weight in Gold... one of Pentax finest hours.

One of mine (shown here), is complete with actual battle dings visible on the action viewfinder housing.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/8-pentax-film-slr-discussion...you-got-lx.jpg

The rest of my history Pentax wise, K10Ds, K20Ds and then a long long long wait for FF K1s to come onto scene, now a happier Pentax bunny again.

[Photos-by-Chas]

My first camera was one I received as a birthday present in the late 60s or early 70s. It was one of those point and shoot 135 film cameras, so my photographs and photography skills, or non-existent skills, were dictated by that camera. Around 1978 a guy started working with me, who along with his girlfriend, later wife, became my wife's and my best friends. When he first started working with me, he was studying photography in the local Jr. College, aspiring to one day own his own film and production company which he has done. The camera he had at the time was a Pentax K1000 with which he was shooting great photos. That's when I decided to upgrade my camera and hopefully my skills along with it, because that 135 camera did not do justice to the scenic photos and other pictures I took on our vacations. He liked his K1000 so much that he recommended that I get one too, but I figured I would end up wasting more film and money with a manual camera; buying film and paying for processing only to realize that I just wasn't getting any better. My wife and I went to a camera store where I told the salesperson that I didn't know enough about photography to buy a manual camera, but I still wanted a camera that I could easily take great pictures with. Having seen the quality of the photos my friend was shooting, I also said that I wanted a Pentax. When I was shown the Pentax MG and its operation was demonstrated to me, I was sold. I purchased many lenses along the way, a few filters for effects, and I even experimented with double and triple exposure. One such triple exposure was so good that when my wife showed the photo to her grandfather, he asked who the other two people were sitting with and talking to me at the picnic table. I took some amazing photos with my Pentax MG on our many vacations to the Smoky Mountains and elsewhere. I still have my MG, and a few years later I purchased a Ricoh KR10 Super because it also took the K mount lenses, but I couldn't tell you why I didn't buy another Pentax instead of the Ricoh. I now have a K20-D that unfortunately has barely been used since 2012 due to my disability. I used to carry it with me in my car so I could pull it out for use at a moments notice, but since I can't drive by myself any more, it sits barely used. I refuse to let any of them go though, because when my wife retires, we plan on starting to take some vacations again, and I'm planning on dusting off the SLRs, replacing their batteries, charge the K20-D battery, buy a new battery for good measure, and taking all three cameras with all of the lenses along on those trips.

Quite an interesting history. Pentax cameras have quite a history by themselves and those of us who own those iconic models surely appreciate them.

[turbo_bird]

My first camera was a cheap Pentax 35mm point and shoot with a fixed focus lens, a Christmas present when I was probably a young teenager. In grade 9 I took a photography class in school and used my dad's old Spotmatic, and a year or two later got my very own, an old SP1000. I used that with the 55mm it came with, and borrowed my dad's 35 f3.5, 135 f3.5, and a Vivitar 75-260 f4.5 that was massively heavy, but not actually terrible optically. I packed that kit around until about 2005 or 2006 when I bought a Superprogram and a few K mount lenses from eBay. I bought a K10D and 16-45 in 2007 and fairly quickly stopped shooting film. I bought a 645 and a few lenses at some point because I wanted to make bigger prints than the K10D would let me do, but never really used it much. I upgraded from the K10D to a used K3 in 2020. I finally sold the 645 kit last year to buy a K1, and have bought a few F series autofocus lenses to use with it, along with my old manual focus ones. Before the switch to digital with the K10D I was looking at Canon, and really wanted an EOS 20D, but I didn't really want to have to replace all my lenses too. I looked at the *istD in a store and didn't really care for how it felt, but when the K10D came around, I figured that was the camera for me. No real regrets with any of it, but I probably could have skipped the K3 and 16-85, and saved some money. Oh well, it's a good all around, weather sealed combo.
Kristian

[martin42mm]

My first camera was a cheap Pentax 35mm point and shoot with a fixed focus lens, a Christmas present when I was probably a young teenager. In grade 9 I took a photography class in school and used my dad's old Spotmatic, and a year or two later got my very own, an old SP1000. I used that with the 55mm it came with, and borrowed my dad's 35 f3.5, 135 f3.5, and a Vivitar 75-260 f4.5 that was massively heavy, but not actually terrible optically. I packed that kit around until about 2005 or 2006 when I bought a Superprogram and a few K mount lenses from eBay. I bought a K10D and 16-45 in 2007 and fairly quickly stopped shooting film. I bought a 645 and a few lenses at some point because I wanted to make bigger prints than the K10D would let me do, but never really used it much. I upgraded from the K10D to a used K3 in 2020. I finally sold the 645 kit last year to buy a K1, and have bought a few F series autofocus lenses to use with it, along with my old manual focus ones. Before the switch to digital with the K10D I was looking at Canon, and really wanted an EOS 20D, but I didn't really want to have to replace all my lenses too. I looked at the *istD in a store and didn't really care for how it felt, but when the K10D came around, I figured that was the camera for me. No real regrets with any of it, but I probably could have skipped the K3 and 16-85, and saved some money. Oh well, it's a good all around, weather sealed combo.
Kristian

Interesting that you didn't like the *ist.
I have used Pentaxes since my first Spotmatic II back in the early 70's, having longed for one when all I could afford back in the 60's was my Zenit E and B-still going strong, incidentally, as is the Spotmatic of course.
I did dabble with autofocus, buying an SFXn, but virtually always used manual focus, as I still do, so when I didsettle on bayonet mount it was with the MX rather than the SFXn. Most of the models which followed I dismissed as rubbish since I do not like the feel of predominantly plastic cameras, and Pentax cerainly had their share of those in the 80's. However i decided when digital came along I would switch, but only when Pentax came up with a camera that felt right and produced reasonably decent images. When Jessops started stocking the *istDL2, I tried one-and loved the feel and usability of it-it actually felt like a 'real' Pentax again.

Since then I have used digital exclusively, going to a K-7 after a few years, then a K-S1 until it developed the aperture syndrome that Pentax wanted £100 to fix( although subsequently I sorted out the camera myself). And now I have a new KP, bought as they were discontinued last year. I can't say I'm bothered about full-frame-the KP produces superb images, and since I own both full-frame and APS-C lenses it means all my arsenal can still be used. Not all the lenses are Pentax, since I chose lenses on results and my needs rather than name on the lens, as I've done since I first started buying lenses back in the 60's.

Long may Pentax keep going!

[Roland Karlsson]

I became a Pentaxian by buying a Pentax MX and three M-lenses, 28mm, 50mm and 100mm. This was in the 1970-ies. And I still have those, and they are all working perfectly. I have repaired the MX once. It is a common fault where a contact gets oxidised and also maybe bent in the right bottom of the camera. It is the contact that turns on the exposure meter when pushing the trigger. Made that repair myself. With advice from this forum.

[martin42mm]

I became a Pentaxian by buying a Pentax MX and three M-lenses, 28mm, 50mm and 100mm. This was in the 1970-ies. And I still have those, and they are all working perfectly. I have repaired the MX once. It is a common fault where a contact gets oxidised and also maybe bent in the right bottom of the camera. It is the contact that turns on the exposure meter when pushing the trigger. Made that repair myself. With advice from this forum.

I can add another quirk/warning re the MX, apart from oxidised battery contacts which all cameras using button cells can suffer from. The blinds on this Pentax, for some reason, are secured to cords , not tapes. And if for any reason one blind has less tension than needed to complete a traverse of the film plane, there is always a danger of a cord dropping of the pulley at the base of the blind take-up spool. When that happens, it is near-impossible to get the cord back on the pulley without a complete strip-down which involves pulling the mirror cage AND the self-timer mechanism, since that enables the cord to be pushed between the vertical metal guard that is supposed to prevent the cord dropping off the pulley and the pulley itself. I found this out when repairing an MX with a snapped cord, and after spending some considerable time attempting the push the cord back, found removing the self-timer facilitated this much more easily. It may also be that removing the self-timer alone will permit the cord replacement without pulling the mirror cage ( assuming no other repair is needed, and the cord is off at the self-timer end of the camera). I haven't tried this since my MX needed a cord repair, of course.
So DON'T be tempted to move either blind back against the tension of the blind at any time-a cord will fall off the pulley! Incidentally it makes replacing the cord back easier if a small amount of tension is wound back into the blind take-up spool to keep the cord in place after replacement on the pulley.
I never did understand why Pentax used cords on the MX, an otherwise excellent and well-made camera, and I'm not even sure if they ever did so in any other model. By the time the MX came out ,most camera shutters were vertical metal ones.

[turbo_bird]

Interesting that you didn't like the *ist.
I have used Pentaxes since my first Spotmatic II back in the early 70's, having longed for one when all I could afford back in the 60's was my Zenit E and B-still going strong, incidentally, as is the Spotmatic of course.
I did dabble with autofocus, buying an SFXn, but virtually always used manual focus, as I still do, so when I didsettle on bayonet mount it was with the MX rather than the SFXn. Most of the models which followed I dismissed as rubbish since I do not like the feel of predominantly plastic cameras, and Pentax cerainly had their share of those in the 80's. However i decided when digital came along I would switch, but only when Pentax came up with a camera that felt right and produced reasonably decent images. When Jessops started stocking the *istDL2, I tried one-and loved the feel and usability of it-it actually felt like a 'real' Pentax again.

Since then I have used digital exclusively, going to a K-7 after a few years, then a K-S1 until it developed the aperture syndrome that Pentax wanted £100 to fix( although subsequently I sorted out the camera myself). And now I have a new KP, bought as they were discontinued last year. I can't say I'm bothered about full-frame-the KP produces superb images, and since I own both full-frame and APS-C lenses it means all my arsenal can still be used. Not all the lenses are Pentax, since I chose lenses on results and my needs rather than name on the lens, as I've done since I first started buying lenses back in the 60's.

Long may Pentax keep going!

I'm not really sure why I didn't care for the *istD, but I only handled it briefly in a store. The K10D though, what a camera it was at the time. I would have really liked to have a digital Spotmatic at the time, match needle metering and all, but that'll probably never happen. A digital back to convert an existing 35mm film camera to digital would be a really cool idea though. I suppose the KP is a bit of a retro design though.
Kristian

[martin42mm]

I'm not really sure why I didn't care for the *istD, but I only handled it briefly in a store. The K10D though, what a camera it was at the time. I would have really liked to have a digital Spotmatic at the time, match needle metering and all, but that'll probably never happen. A digital back to convert an existing 35mm film camera to digital would be a really cool idea though. I suppose the KP is a bit of a retro design though.
Kristian

Yes, I only handled the *ist DL2 briefly as well, having decided I would just have a look and was 99.9% certain it would not impress me-but I was so impressed I came out the shop with it, and used it for years until I moved to the K-7. It just felt right, and still does, although the mini-screen is a sure giveaway of its period in time. As for the KP, I like the design, but I was really just looking for a Pentax APS-C that didn't suffer from the potential/real issue with the aperture solenoid failure. My K-S1 I absolutely loved, and still do because of its compactness and usability, with images a definite step up from the K-7, and on a par with my daughter's K-5 I bought her. However the KP is larger, although not massively so, and feels like it was hewn out of solid metal, with controls that are not only programable, but exactly where you want them. Just like with my original Spot II all those years ago.....

[dudu]

The history of Pentax seemed impressive to me.

[dudu]

I really liked the history of Pentax. I almost know it by heart.

---------- Post added 01-26-22 at 12:17 PM ----------

Although I like Pentax very much, I only have two of the other devices. A vintage and a KP with which I photograph.

[CristiC]

My grandfather gave me a Pentax ME Super, with a SMC-M 50mm 1.7 lens. That was 1988 and I still use it a lot. The other 20-ish cameras, plus the shelve-loads of lenses, are a consequence of unhealed chronic Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) and wanting to shoot on both digital and film. 135 and 120 format. The darkroom is still a magic place.

A good friend noticed my passion and gifted me a Canon full frame, a 5D Mk2 along with a 16-35mm L, at a time when I had the Pentax K-30 and lusted for a FF. After drowning the 5D in saltwater, I bought a 6D, 'cause I already had the glass (70-200 f/2.8L and such). Speaking of saltwater, I had a "Olympus mju770 SW Tough" for SCUBA diving and also used a drownable Sony A6000 (a gift) in an UW encasing for diving. Amazingly, it survived to this day. I bought a cheap 8mm Meike circular fish-eye for Sony E-mount. Fun toy, the fish-eye. I never consider Sony for spending money on. I hate the ergonomics, the menus, because I feel spoiled by Pentax.

I should have bought the Pentax K-1 many years ago, but my irrational threshold of acceptable unaccounted expenditure is below $1K, certainly not $2K - that wasn't so easy to spend all-at-once. Saving money for a special treat much later, never occurred to me.

While straying in Canon realms because of FF, I got the lightweight 400mm f/5.6 L (yet another gift) and hence bought the Canon 7D Mk2 for birding in the Danube Delta (and because of its AF capabilities), all while missing proper Pentax gear for that particular purpose and not willing to buy the D FA 150-450mm for biannual usage. Instead, I bought a ton of studio gear: lighting, light stands, light modifiers (softboxes) and studio paraphernalia like Godox triggers and flashes - all of which fell under the $1K threshold, each.

All the time I called myself a Pentaxian at heart (because of the Pentax ME Super) and I still do. That's why I bought the Pentax K1-II last Christmas. And because I'm nostalgic. There's a proper tool for each purpose. Or at least one better suited to a task, compared to the pile of other stuff that was hoarded over the years. I took the K-1 for landscapes and all-weather hiking. Weather-sealing is a good reason for wanting Pentax gear and hence calling oneself a Pentaxian after getting to appreciate what you got, IMHO.

[micromacro]

I did not plan to be Pentaxian at all. I even did not plan to take photography seriously since I truly believed that I'm not capable to learn all that boring stuff ))). Then my husband was diagnosed with cancer back in 2013, and I bought my very first Canon DSLR. What else could I buy if Pentax is non existent brand for non-photographers.


Anyway, I bought my first DSLR, and joined Canon forum. It did not work. All I got from that was only strong feeling that I'm piece of sh... and will never learn anything, and it was mistake to try. However, I discovered there that I can use old lenses on modern DSLRs. I did my own extensive research, and figured out that the best brand for that will be Pentax, with built in focus confirmation and shake reduction. I bought used cheap Pentax K200D on ebay, and then found this forum.

I did not notice how it happened,but eventually photography became my only therapy and only friend after my husband passed away. The biggest supportive things I had were my cameras and this forum really. I got so much support from here, and always will appreciate your help.

I had lots of hobbies, but nothing helped like pushing myself out back to life, no matter what. Pentax also happened to be good conversational starter ))), since it's rare, and brings interest of other photographers ))).

Only covid took my drive away, but not completely. I keep shooting wildlife, but my real passion is lifestyle photography. I keep my two Pentax cameras, and hope I will survive to see the end of this global madness.

[Canada_Rockies]

I did not plan to be Pentaxian at all. I even did not plan to take photography seriously since I truly believed that I'm not capable to learn all that boring stuff ))). Then my husband was diagnosed with cancer back in 2013, and I bought my very first Canon DSLR. What else could I buy if Pentax is non existent brand for non-photographers.


Anyway, I bought my first DSLR, and joined Canon forum. It did not work. All I got from that was only strong feeling that I'm piece of sh... and will never learn anything, and it was mistake to try. However, I discovered there that I can use old lenses on modern DSLRs. I did my own extensive research, and figured out that the best brand for that will be Pentax, with built in focus confirmation and shake reduction. I bought used cheap Pentax K200D on ebay, and then found this forum.

I did not notice how it happened,but eventually photography became my only therapy and only friend after my husband passed away. The biggest supportive things I had were my cameras and this forum really. I got so much support from here, and always will appreciate your help.

I had lots of hobbies, but nothing helped like pushing myself out back to life, no matter what. Pentax also happened to be good conversational starter ))), since it's rare, and brings interest of other photographers ))).

Only covid took my drive away, but not completely. I keep shooting wildlife, but my real passion is lifestyle photography. I keep my two Pentax cameras, and hope I will survive to see the end of this global madness.

I am on several on line forums for various interests, and this forum is the most friendly, useful, and supportive one of the lot. I share your impatience at COVID and its many variants.

[Photos-by-Chas]

I did not plan to be Pentaxian at all. I even did not plan to take photography seriously since I truly believed that I'm not capable to learn all that boring stuff ))). Then my husband was diagnosed with cancer back in 2013, and I bought my very first Canon DSLR. What else could I buy if Pentax is non existent brand for non-photographers.


Anyway, I bought my first DSLR, and joined Canon forum. It did not work. All I got from that was only strong feeling that I'm piece of sh... and will never learn anything, and it was mistake to try. However, I discovered there that I can use old lenses on modern DSLRs. I did my own extensive research, and figured out that the best brand for that will be Pentax, with built in focus confirmation and shake reduction. I bought used cheap Pentax K200D on ebay, and then found this forum.

I did not notice how it happened,but eventually photography became my only therapy and only friend after my husband passed away. The biggest supportive things I had were my cameras and this forum really. I got so much support from here, and always will appreciate your help.

I had lots of hobbies, but nothing helped like pushing myself out back to life, no matter what. Pentax also happened to be good conversational starter ))), since it's rare, and brings interest of other photographers ))).

Only covid took my drive away, but not completely. I keep shooting wildlife, but my real passion is lifestyle photography. I keep my two Pentax cameras, and hope I will survive to see the end of this global madness.

Sorry for your loss. Photography has had a significant influence for you and in a good way. Happy you found Pentax Forum and the Pentax line. I was very happy to find this forum when I did, I have learned much. I joined only one other forum, Ugly Hedgehog, and find it helpful but there are several members who seem to have the opinion that they know more than everyone, or are quite sarcastic or cynical in their responses to posts. Those members I try to ignore and focus on the majority of members who are helpful, supportive, and friendly. It has been helpful to many, including me, and I appreciate it. You may wish to give it a try.

[texandrews]

I did not plan to be Pentaxian at all. I even did not plan to take photography seriously since I truly believed that I'm not capable to learn all that boring stuff ))). Then my husband was diagnosed with cancer back in 2013, and I bought my very first Canon DSLR. What else could I buy if Pentax is non existent brand for non-photographers.


Anyway, I bought my first DSLR, and joined Canon forum. It did not work. All I got from that was only strong feeling that I'm piece of sh... and will never learn anything, and it was mistake to try. However, I discovered there that I can use old lenses on modern DSLRs. I did my own extensive research, and figured out that the best brand for that will be Pentax, with built in focus confirmation and shake reduction. I bought used cheap Pentax K200D on ebay, and then found this forum.

I did not notice how it happened,but eventually photography became my only therapy and only friend after my husband passed away. The biggest supportive things I had were my cameras and this forum really. I got so much support from here, and always will appreciate your help.

I had lots of hobbies, but nothing helped like pushing myself out back to life, no matter what. Pentax also happened to be good conversational starter ))), since it's rare, and brings interest of other photographers ))).

Only covid took my drive away, but not completely. I keep shooting wildlife, but my real passion is lifestyle photography. I keep my two Pentax cameras, and hope I will survive to see the end of this global madness.

I am also sorry for your loss, Lana. My wife and I married in 1980, and met in 1974. I don't want to imagine what things will be like for either of us when one is gone.

But on a positive note, you sound like the perfect candidate for a camera club or some workshops. Obviously covid has attenuated that, but we're all going to have to live with it once the variants start getting less lethal. But since you are in Florida and like to photograph wildlife, I would think there would be some good outdoor, thus safer, opportunities for you year round.

Don't worry about the smarty-pants man-splainers in those groups. You've already demonstrated your superior intellectual faculties: you're a Pentaxian!