[3by2]

Since I got my KP my K5 has largely sat on the shelf, used a couple of times for comparison checks or taken off just to check the battery and functionality. I did offer it to my son but he's not interested and now he's bought a new google Pixel I doubt he'll want to use it.

So I'm largely keeping it as a backup but I'm not really sure that's necessary. It isn't worth too much 2nd hand but I could convert it into a part payment of another lens though I have no pressing need for a new lens. I've thought about another film camera as my MZ10 doesn't give me the best experience and I'm strangely drawn to an om2n with a 50, 135 and 28 Zuiko but I think that might be nostalgia talking to me as I used to own an OM2 and in reality I wouldn't use it much and I have no intention of going back to processing my own film. One other odd idea is to sell it to part pay for a standard 8 scanner to scan my dads old cines and then sell on that scanner when I'd finished, bringing me full circle to what to do with that money come the time but it might just be easier to bite the bullet and finally find someone I trust to do that conversion for me, which is the main reason I haven't done it yet, trust, memories that can never be replaced if they go missing.

The other thought is, it's a cheap option for someone to buy and bring into the Pentax world. I dunno what to do basically, what are the thoughts of the Pentax massif, to move forward my glacial decision process?

[timb64]

I traded my K5ii body against my new KP as I knew I wouldn’t use it in future.Didn’t get much for it,but looked at the overall cost of owning it per year and i thought it had given me good value!

[beachgardener]

Yes, I have a K-5 and K-3, nice to have the option of a shorter lens on one and something a little longer on the other. Keeping options open

[wirrah]

I kept my *istD, and the K-7 I bought to replace it which, in turn, I've kept after getting my current KP. And since I had a few OM lenses for my OM1 & OM2 I bought a second hand E-1 with adapter and an E-520, for the price of a few cups of coffee, to back it up.

I guess that wasn't much help! I guess it's just up to your circumstances. In our case we had 8mm scanned by a commercial service.

[biz-engineer]

So I'm largely keeping it as a backup but I'm not really sure that's necessary.

In the past I kept previous models as backup but all models I owned have been 100% reliable , so my used bodies just lost value in their box at home, I'd have been better off selling my used bodies as I bought the new ones. For the K1 , I made the same mistake again, I bought a K1 II to check out the improvements vs the K1 and use the K1 II while keeping the K1 as backup. But the improvement promises on the K1 II didn't make any practically difference, so I kept using the K1, I'd have been better off returning the K1 II or selling the K1 used. We sometimes read online posts from some users experiencing reliability issues, but I believe that's not representative of the overall statistic. Unless being a professional needing a backup body e.g when shooting weddings, keeping a backup body isn't cost effective IMO. In case something break, we can either get it repaired or buy a new one, it is still statistically cheaper than owning two bodies that lose value at a rate of 25% per year. Lenses are different... lenses hold their value much longer than camera bodies.

[roberrl]

I have a KS-2 and a K5iiS which get used regularly. I mostly take pictures at motorsport events when have one with a long lens and one with a short lens enables me to switch quickly as I move from track side to pits and back. I have tried swapping lenses in the past and it's just a PITA. I also have a K-01 which I used to use as a travel camera although my wife's P'n'S is now so capable that those days are passing. Oh yes and an *istD which I got for next to nothing to see what Pentax's first digital was like.

[VictorDA]

Do you keep a 2nd body

No, I normally sell (unless the change was caused by damage/theft/loss, in which case the question doesn't apply).
My reasons:
- get a little cash for a lens or accessories
- get rid of clutter, make room in the cabinet for the new body
- make someone happy with a cheap, good quality 2nd-hand body (when I sold my K-3II for €325, because it was well-used and not very good-looking, the buyer was so enthusiastic! that's got to be worth something)

Basically I like to idea to only keep what I will use.
I'm not a pro, if my K-1 stops working one day it will be frustrating but not the end of the world. It'll be time to purchase what I need and what I can at that moment, and chances are it won't be my previous body.

[microlight]

When I got my K-3II I gave my previous K-5 to my son who still uses it regularly. I still have my *istDS which is now relegated to the display cabinet (or storage drawer) as the thumb wheel no longer works.

[Simon K]

I think only you can give the answer to yourself if it was a problem for you to be without a back up in case you had to be without your KP for a while for whatever reason.

[35mmfilmfan]

Always have at least two bodies - used to be K10 and K20, sold K10 when I got the K3. K3 in bag for outings, K20 in house for instant use in case anything happens - such as next door's conservatory collapsing in the summer !

[Fogel70]

My K3 II is kind of a backup for my KP. but I also kept the K3 II (with battery grip) for use with larger and heavier lenses.

Then I have a handful of old K-mount DSLRs that I rather keep than sell for peanuts.

[BigMackCam]

I have a number of bodies, but consider my K-3 as my main "modern" camera and the slightly newer K-3II as its backup. I don't like the thought of the K-3 dying on me (unlikely, but it'll happen eventually) and being without something equivalent to shoot with while I either (a) get it repaired, or (b) replace it. I've occasionally used both bodies in the same session, with different lenses fitted, but that's pretty rare.

When my K-3 eventually dies, the K-3II will become my main body. As and when that happens, I'm not sure I'll add another backup, as I still have my old K-5 and it's a more than capable camera...

[ramseybuckeye]

I had a K-30 as my only camera for quite a while, then I had a Q for a while, the I got a K-50 when they were selling cheap. I often took the K-50 and K-30 on hikes, using one with a long lens and one with a shorter lens. For a while I also had a Sony a6000. When I bought a KP I sold the beloved K-30. After getting the KP I barely used the K-50, but I kept it. I then broke the mold dial and sent it to KEH for a repair, during the month they had it before telling me they can’t get parts from Pentax, I used the K-50. At this time I really realized that I really missed using the KP since it was such a huge advancement over the K-50. I ended up buying a second KP and selling the K-50. My original KP broke while in Tv mode, which Is my choice for shooting with the DA 300, so that or the 55-300 PLM is on it all of the time. I will take both cameras to certain places I go, an example is going to the beach for sunrise, which is also a high activity time for birds, and sometimes dolphins. So in my case, I keep a second camera, and it is really nice when it is the same model. It was kind of different when I carried two cameras that were different mounts, that was just cumbersome, I would end up shooting a landscape with both. I would not recommend that.

[Paul the Sunman]

Both K1 and K3ii get plenty of use, with K3 as a backup and K5 in case of Armageddon.

[Lev]

For me it's not only a backup solution but rather a good option when I go shooting, does't matter if it's same body or different format, it is always handy. I would try and keep it.