Did you prefer your old camera?

**luftfluss** · 01-25-2022, 06:50 PM - **2 Likes**

You Tube

**arnold** · 01-25-2022, 07:09 PM - **1 Like**

Technology is changing so fast now, that there is no point in making things last. As the video above points out, there is a great pleasure in the feel of quality, regardless of functioning ability. It certainly plays a part for me, when I feel a solidly built film camera in my hands. It makes me want to go out and use it, to experience the camera itself, rather than consider it a throw away appliance, like on old dishwasher.

**interested_observer** · 01-25-2022, 09:10 PM - **7 Likes**

I do remember sitting at the kitchen table one Saturday morning and deciding to go shoot the Grand Canyon. I tossed all my gear in the pickup and started up I17 getting to the canyon about 5 pm. Shot the sunset - but my brand new K5 pulled up lame (the mirror motor went out - warranty), so I just continued shooting with my old K100D. I processed everything and put the images on a thumb drive, plugged it into the large screen TV to flip through them. The K100D images held their own against the K5. I learned right there that old cameras are not necessarily inferior to the new ones.

I shot with the K5 for years and even picked up a really inexpensive K5IIs on closeout. My son now has the K5 down in Florida. The K5 to me is the watershed body, where everything just went right. I upgraded to a K1 when I retired, with the reasoning that I wanted more star color in my Milky Way images. Why drive up to 3 hours one way, and shoot for 3 to 6 hours (12 hours total round trip) and not get really what you want in the images.

The K1 came in the mail. I unpacked it, picked it up, and instantly realized that the K5 was an absolute joy to shoot with. Lightweight and with a very easy straightforward user sense to it. Not that the K1 is bad, it's heavy (and I quickly became accustomed to it), a beast of a camera (took me a bit to get all the controls down, get it set up - and figuring out the differences between the K5 user interface). Actually, there are times I forget and revert to the K5, and whatever is not there.

It's funny, with the K5 I struggled to get the star color I wanted, but the landscape element was drop-dead nailed. With the K1, the sky is nailed with the colors I want and expect - but the landscape element, I now struggle with - getting detail, shadowing low noise clean images. My expectations are waaaay higher, and I'm shooting much in darker environments. A little light works wonders.

My K100D would never give me the same images I'm now capturing with the K1 - but it and the K5(IIs) still has a place on the shelf and I get out with them from time to time. In terms of build quality - Pentax has always had it, and never really lost it - well in my opinion. My right arm is slightly longer than my left, from carrying the K1.....

Sandy Hancock · 01-25-2022, 10:10 PM - **4 Likes**

Could I make do with my old camera? Sure.
But if I preferred my old camera, I'd still have it.

Sandy Hancock · 01-25-2022, 10:42 PM - **1 Like**

LOL. I just watched the video after posting this.
The presenter needs to move to Pentax

Ian Stuart Forsyth · 01-25-2022, 10:46 PM

No and yes, I like older because they are used and much more cheaper and in this day and age the newer are often times not that much better but then again the may offer features that are not available to the older camera

tibbitts · 01-25-2022, 11:15 PM

No. My analog cameras, including my Spotmatic, had a certain physical appeal that newer cameras don't, but in terms of functionality, digital is vastly superior to film. And newer digital is better, although I don't have the latest models. Most of what I photograph I can do well enough for my purposes with the K-5, which was a dramatic leap in every respect from the K100 and K200 I'd owned previously. However for the occasional times when I want to photograph something that's moving, or want to crop more, or want to use a recently developed lens (lack of KAF4 compatibility is annoying) a newer body would be better.

biz-engineer · 01-25-2022, 11:16 PM - **6 Likes**

"Newer camera doesn't feel as good as old camera" is also a warning that says "I'm getting old and it becomes harder for me to adapt to change", something that can be trained by deliberately exposing ourselves to new things and put our brains to work (rarely happen, except when there is change) asking ourselves "how does this new thing works? What is it meant to do? ". But so far, all new Pentax flagship cameras have been improved either on imaging performance or build quality and ergonomics over the previous models.

**StiffLegged** · 01-26-2022, 12:35 AM - **13 Likes**

Whaddaya mean did I prefer my old camera?? The old camera is the only one I’ve got!

Fogel70 · 01-26-2022, 12:42 AM

I may have some nostalgic fondness of my old cameras, but I prefer my latest camera as it is superior in so many ways. Both in IQ and handling.

cxdoo · 01-26-2022, 01:04 AM - **2 Likes**

When i moved from K100D to K5II pretty much everything was a huge jump - build, speed, viewfinder, shutter noise, resolution - except the feel of the photos. They just looked cold. Took long time to get over it and i still like to grab K100D when I visit my parents. Yes, it's clunky and slow and dim but I just like the tones it produces.

Moving from K5II to K3III I just don't look back. Yes I keep it as a second body but see no reason to choose it over K3III.

**fs999** · 01-26-2022, 01:23 AM - **1 Like**

I always have an old camera with my new one, so it doesn’t feel like the favourite.

**Michail_P** · 01-26-2022, 01:31 AM

Originally posted by Sandy Hancock

LOL. I just watched the video after posting this.
The presenter needs to move to Pentax

Agreed .... lol

**PKMike** · 01-26-2022, 01:43 AM - **1 Like**

This video is very insightful and thought provoking. I feel that Pentax has maintained a standard of quality (at least in the flagship models) that tends to bypass the "older is better" syndrome. I have been (primarily) a Pentax user since 1970's. I felt that Pentax hit a pinnacle with the LX in 1980 (I owned one for several years) . Today I received a brand new K-1 ii (after using K-3 for past 8+ years) and I must say I'm very impressed. It may not be quite as "all encompassing" as the LX was for it's time, but the build quality combined with capability and today's camera technology are enough to keep me content. So in the end I can't say that I "prefer my older cameras".

AfterPentax Mark II · 01-26-2022, 01:58 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by biz-engineer

"I'm getting old and it becomes harder for me to adapt to change"

You are so right, so I use the most modern camera with all the trimmings just like my old Super A/SFXn. AF has its advantages as you are getting older. One of the things of getting older in the world of photography that photo-labs did not keep up with the developments and in my part of the world there is not a good lab anymore that gets the best out of your roll. Adapting the digitals to the old filmroll camera's is the way I cope.

01-25-2022, 11:16 PM - 6 Likes	#8
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,247	"Newer camera doesn't feel as good as old camera" is also a warning that says "I'm getting old and it becomes harder for me to adapt to change", something that can be trained by deliberately exposing ourselves to new things and put our brains to work (rarely happen, except when there is change) asking ourselves "how does this new thing works? What is it meant to do? ". But so far, all new Pentax flagship cameras have been improved either on imaging performance or build quality and ergonomics over the previous models. Last edited by biz-engineer; 01-26-2022 at 12:02 AM.

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01-25-2022, 07:09 PM - 1 Like	#2
arnold Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,299	Technology is changing so fast now, that there is no point in making things last. As the video above points out, there is a great pleasure in the feel of quality, regardless of functioning ability. It certainly plays a part for me, when I feel a solidly built film camera in my hands. It makes me want to go out and use it, to experience the camera itself, rather than consider it a throw away appliance, like on old dishwasher.

01-25-2022, 09:10 PM - 7 Likes	#3
interested_observer Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tumbleweed, Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,707	I do remember sitting at the kitchen table one Saturday morning and deciding to go shoot the Grand Canyon. I tossed all my gear in the pickup and started up I17 getting to the canyon about 5 pm. Shot the sunset - but my brand new K5 pulled up lame (the mirror motor went out - warranty), so I just continued shooting with my old K100D. I processed everything and put the images on a thumb drive, plugged it into the large screen TV to flip through them. The K100D images held their own against the K5. I learned right there that old cameras are not necessarily inferior to the new ones. I shot with the K5 for years and even picked up a really inexpensive K5IIs on closeout. My son now has the K5 down in Florida. The K5 to me is the watershed body, where everything just went right. I upgraded to a K1 when I retired, with the reasoning that I wanted more star color in my Milky Way images. Why drive up to 3 hours one way, and shoot for 3 to 6 hours (12 hours total round trip) and not get really what you want in the images. The K1 came in the mail. I unpacked it, picked it up, and instantly realized that the K5 was an absolute joy to shoot with. Lightweight and with a very easy straightforward user sense to it. Not that the K1 is bad, it's heavy (and I quickly became accustomed to it), a beast of a camera (took me a bit to get all the controls down, get it set up - and figuring out the differences between the K5 user interface). Actually, there are times I forget and revert to the K5, and whatever is not there. It's funny, with the K5 I struggled to get the star color I wanted, but the landscape element was drop-dead nailed. With the K1, the sky is nailed with the colors I want and expect - but the landscape element, I now struggle with - getting detail, shadowing low noise clean images. My expectations are waaaay higher, and I'm shooting much in darker environments. A little light works wonders. My K100D would never give me the same images I'm now capturing with the K1 - but it and the K5(IIs) still has a place on the shelf and I get out with them from time to time. In terms of build quality - Pentax has always had it, and never really lost it - well in my opinion. My right arm is slightly longer than my left, from carrying the K1.....

01-25-2022, 10:10 PM - 4 Likes	#4
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,275	Could I make do with my old camera? Sure. But if I preferred my old camera, I'd still have it.

01-25-2022, 10:42 PM - 1 Like	#5
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,275	LOL. I just watched the video after posting this. The presenter needs to move to Pentax

01-25-2022, 10:46 PM	#6
Ian Stuart Forsyth Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Somewhere over the rainbow Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,531	No and yes, I like older because they are used and much more cheaper and in this day and age the newer are often times not that much better but then again the may offer features that are not available to the older camera

01-25-2022, 11:15 PM	#7
tibbitts Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Oklahoma USA Posts: 2,196	No. My analog cameras, including my Spotmatic, had a certain physical appeal that newer cameras don't, but in terms of functionality, digital is vastly superior to film. And newer digital is better, although I don't have the latest models. Most of what I photograph I can do well enough for my purposes with the K-5, which was a dramatic leap in every respect from the K100 and K200 I'd owned previously. However for the occasional times when I want to photograph something that's moving, or want to crop more, or want to use a recently developed lens (lack of KAF4 compatibility is annoying) a newer body would be better.

01-26-2022, 12:35 AM - 13 Likes	#9
StiffLegged Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2018 Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,635	Whaddaya mean did I prefer my old camera?? The old camera is the only one I’ve got!

01-26-2022, 12:42 AM	#10
Fogel70 Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Photos: Albums Posts: 3,062	I may have some nostalgic fondness of my old cameras, but I prefer my latest camera as it is superior in so many ways. Both in IQ and handling.

01-26-2022, 01:04 AM - 2 Likes	#11
cxdoo Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Limassol, Cyprus Posts: 1,150	When i moved from K100D to K5II pretty much everything was a huge jump - build, speed, viewfinder, shutter noise, resolution - except the feel of the photos. They just looked cold. Took long time to get over it and i still like to grab K100D when I visit my parents. Yes, it's clunky and slow and dim but I just like the tones it produces. Moving from K5II to K3III I just don't look back. Yes I keep it as a second body but see no reason to choose it over K3III.

01-26-2022, 01:23 AM - 1 Like	#12
fs999 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Luxembourg Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,646	I always have an old camera with my new one, so it doesn’t feel like the favourite.

01-26-2022, 01:31 AM	#13
Michail_P Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Kalymnos Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,006	Originally posted by Sandy Hancock LOL. I just watched the video after posting this. The presenter needs to move to Pentax Agreed .... lol

01-26-2022, 01:43 AM - 1 Like	#14
PKMike Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 628	This video is very insightful and thought provoking. I feel that Pentax has maintained a standard of quality (at least in the flagship models) that tends to bypass the "older is better" syndrome. I have been (primarily) a Pentax user since 1970's. I felt that Pentax hit a pinnacle with the LX in 1980 (I owned one for several years) . Today I received a brand new K-1 ii (after using K-3 for past 8+ years) and I must say I'm very impressed. It may not be quite as "all encompassing" as the LX was for it's time, but the build quality combined with capability and today's camera technology are enough to keep me content. So in the end I can't say that I "prefer my older cameras".

01-26-2022, 01:58 AM - 1 Like	#15
AfterPentax Mark II Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2021 Posts: 1,467	Originally posted by biz-engineer "I'm getting old and it becomes harder for me to adapt to change" You are so right, so I use the most modern camera with all the trimmings just like my old Super A/SFXn. AF has its advantages as you are getting older. One of the things of getting older in the world of photography that photo-labs did not keep up with the developments and in my part of the world there is not a good lab anymore that gets the best out of your roll. Adapting the digitals to the old filmroll camera's is the way I cope.