[Jzawo]

Hello everyone,

I picled up a MZ-5 body for free off an old colleague, and started shooting with the very hazy old kit zoom lens it came with, as well as my old MC Makinon zoom / macro lens I got with my old (broken) Pentax ME.

The Mz-5 is my FIRST Auto Focus SLR, and it only took one roll of expired Agfa Vista to fall in love with it.
Then I did a deep dive into Pentax lenses, and all the info presented on this website.

I've checked out the Pentax K-1, and all the great lenses I can use with my MZ-5, and theoretically with a K-1.
I really want a K-1 now, it seems designed for me, the perfect stills DSLR.

To explore my newfound affinity for Pentax 35mm, I jumped on a FA* 28-70mm 2.8 AL lens on eBay. Yes, that lens. It seems a cult hit with the Pentaxians.
From what I hear and can see, it is one of the best zoom lenses of all time, it makes me very excited to get my hands on it when it arrives.


Now, onto what makes this post relevant to this forum; Non-Pentax Cameras!

I grew up with and have always had Canon DSLRs, but have been too poor to invest in their full frame Bodies / Lenses.
Currently I shoot with (only when I need to) a 7DMkii using a simple 18-135mm kit lens.

I have some problems with Canon, although I have some soft spots for Canon as well.
PROS:
- 7DMkii is a very nice, erganomic, sturdy DSLR.
- It's focusing is fantastic in decent avaliable light (this camera NEEDS a lot of light)
- For sports, on a sunny day, this caemra is all you need (with an expensive EF-S lens to go with it, which I don't have).
- Tethering works a treat with USB 3.0.
- Canon servicing is avaliable almost everywhere around the world, I know if a Canon DSLR or Lens needs work, it can be done.
- Brand recognission in the pro world is still strong, despite Sony really having taken over the magority of pro service in the Mirrorless Revolution.

CONS:
- The sensor is utterly useless above 800 ISO.
- The sensor is APSC crop, so less colour detail due to smaller pixels, and EF / full frame crop factor is just plain annoying only useful when dual shooting with a full frame camera (which I don't own).
- Canon lenses are overpriced and quite boring to me. I've tried many on loan: 24-70mm 2.8L; 70-200mm 2.8L; 50mm 1.2L; an amazing Sigma Art Lens (don't remmeber the exact one, was just blown away how much better it was compared to ALL EF lenses I had used before; and even the amazing TS-e 17mm f4. I would happily own a Canon 5D IV if I had a kit of Sigma Art Lenses...
- Ultimatetly, I am bored and unfulfilled with Canon, and want to ditch the system entirely.

So, I wanted to switch to Sony, either A7 or A7r (whatever iteration they are up to now...)
Their sensors are amazing compared to all Canon's I have used (5dmkiii & iv, as well as 7Dii).
Also, I feel warm and fuzzy at the idea of owning Sony because it's basically the corporate evolution of what used to be Minolta, my first film camera love ( x-570/x-700 <3 )
Another main reason to go for Sony is the video capabilities. I see if a film crew arent using a Black Magic or Red Dragon, they are using a Sony A7R.
However after using a Sony a few times, I can't imagine it being enjoyable for stills as a traditional SLR would be. I don' like the buttons and EVF. This is why I still like my 7dii, because it's a good DSLR (with a crap crop sensor).

Enter the K-1, just looking at this camera online makes me love photography and want to shoot. But I'm somewhat dissapointed the video capabilites were minimal, and tethering input is only USB 2.0!

I guess my question is to you all, is... As a young photographer who isn't quite pro yet, but wants to be one day soon, would I be wise to buy a K-1 and build my Pentax FA/DFA colelction for stills, while, down the line, I sell off my Canon stuff and buy a Sony that could be used for video, ideally with a K-mount adaptor (like the one MONSTER ADAPTERS will release soon for Sony E-Mount).
New: Monster Adapter LA-KE1 Pentax K to Sony E lens adapter with autofocus, aperture control, and EXIF transmission - Pentax Rumors

This is my first ever post to Pentax Forums, in fact, my first ever forum post. So appologies for the long winded writing.

Attached photographs all shot on the MZ-5:
- Abercrombie Street Cafe: Expired (20yrs) Agfa Vista 200 with Hazy Kit Lens
- Goat (Steven): APX 400 MC Makinon
- Gum Tree Sunset: Kodak Gold MC Makinon
- Dalmatian (Kevin): Expired Agfa Vista 200 with Hazy Kit Lens
- Alleyway Mural: Kodak Gold MC Makinon

Attached Images

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[Unregistered User 8]

Welcome aboard, mate. Thread moved to the K-1 forum, so K-1 users can give you their hands-on experience.....

[jon.partsch]

Wow, no offense intended, but it kinda sounds like you are all over the place with this. You mention your love of Minolta manual-focus SLRs (the X-570 is a favorite of mine too), old (expired) film, and then you also talk about shooting video and such.

I think you have to decide where your priorities and interests are, and then go form there. There is no camera or even platform that is going to give it all to you.

Are you a stills photographer or a videographer? What kind of stills do you want to shoot? Fine art, landscape, wildlife, portraiture, macros, etc???

IMHO Pentax is a platform for stills photographers. I don't see that changing anytime soon. Pentax lags in AF performance for things like wildlife and sports photography, but they are catching up. I belive that Pentax is geared primarily toward fine art photography, landscape, astrophotography and adventure/outdoor photography. Portrature, and macro photography are secondary, where Pentax is on even footing with competitors. With autofocus catching up to Nikon, and the extreme ruggedness of Pentax equipment, it's becoming a serious contender for wildlife photography, notwithstanding the current lack of third party lens support, so it's a mixed bag when it comes to wildlife. Sports photography and video are the weakest points for Pentax - there are better options if this will be your focus. Many folks here use Pentax for stills and Sony for video, running two systems. There is also the thought that if you want to use classic Minolta manual focus lenses, you will need a mirrorless camera to which they can be adapted. Pentax will not help you there.

I feel there is nothing left of the old Minolta within today's Sony. I see zero reason to look to them for nostalgia. I'm a huge classic Minolta nut, and Sony means absolutely nothing to me.

Best of luck! I hope you stick around here if Pentax suits you.

- Jon

[aslyfox]

Welcome to the forums

you will find friendly members and a lot of knowledge here

first, determine your photographic goals and interests and what is important to you

then doing research find out what works for you

although certainly not an expert [ I just post a lot ] I find the full frame sensor of the K 1 family is good for some things and the ASP-C sensor of the other Pentax camera bodies better for others

one of the things attractive to me from Pentax is the fact that a lot of the lenses can be used on various Pentax cameras:

Pentax K-mount Lens Compatibility Chart
Copyright 2006-2020 Mosphotos.com. All rights reserved.

The Pentax K-mount Camera Lens Compatibility Chart

this chart explains the various Pentax lens series:

Pentax K-Mount Lens Series Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series

Pentax K-Mount Lenses Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series

_____________________________________

if you wish, you could use this to see what members might be close to you and decide if you want to contact them via PM

Worldwide Pentax User Map
This map allows you to easily find nearby Pentax users who have shared their location. Click on a pin to go to the user's profile.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pages/pentax_user_map.php

[LittleSkink]

Welcome

agree with the comments above, you seem to have a lot of different needs - so may end up with a lot of different kit. Whatever you buy may need to change as your needs evolve

wrt going pro, are you aiming for commercial photography (ie business to business) because you may end up hiring kit for shoots or be pushed to Canon because if something goes wrong on a shoot you can get sorted quickly. There are a lot of reasons Canon is more popular than Pentax with pros

Me, I like Pentax DSLR because the designers are photographers, who think like me - Pentax feels right.

Sony designers seem to be FMCG types (designed by marketing folks), Canon designers IT types (designed by techies/devs). For completeness Fuji seem to be retro fans and Nikon photographers who are a bit lost reacting to a fragmenting market. Hasselblad / Leica are for the rich folks out there. Panasonic / Olympus ploughing there own M4/3 furrow quite nicely

[redpit]

I really want a K-1 now, it seems designed for me, the perfect stills DSLR.

Welcome to PFs! This phrase sums it up perfectly! You will love the K-1, it's a fantastic camera. Video is the only weak point but I don't shot video anyway...

[CarlJF]

For a professional activity, it’s way better to stick with Canon. Gear is easy to find, to rent and more importantly to get repaired if needed. This is particularly true if you have access to their professional service which is top notch. Many pros stick with Canon only for this reason, they know Canon will back them rapidly in case of problems, even lending them gear on the spot if needed. As a professional, reliability should be your #1 priority. You don’t want to have to cancel a shooting, miss a contract or a deadline because you had some gear problems and have to wait a few weeks for the repair... You don’t take pictures for your own pleasure but because you have a job to do and be paid for. No picture = no money and can even cost you penalties if you have to cancel a contract at the last minute.

On a personal or amateur level, you can use whatever please you. It’s not really a serious issue if you don’t have easy access to some gear or have to wait for repair. The K-1 is a very good camera, but in the end only you can tell if it feels good to you or not. If you already have some K lenses, it’s certainly a better choice than a Sony with an adapter. The best for you would be to put your hands on a K-1 to try it and see for yourself how it feels. But, yes,I know it’s not that easy these days to find a K-1 for a try...

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Last edited by CarlJF; 04-23-2021 at 07:36 AM.

[11GTCS]

Yeah, the stuff you’re hearing about about sums it up. As a pro shooter, I’d be hard pressed to shoot Pentax unless I needed what it had to offer. For commercial type work, as good as Pentax is, it’s not like other cameras suck. Every camera is a compromise, but every one in the modern era can get pro level work, especially of the more conventional type shots. I’d say stick with Canon or give Nikon a try. Both have pro services that a smaller brand can’t offer and are easily used. If you end up getting hired by a big commercial unit, you’ll probably get forced to fall into line with their gear anyway. All that to say, don’t let it stop you from getting a K-5 or something and some affordable glass and giving Pentax a whirl! Most pros I know have different gear for personal vs work shooting.

[DWS1]

One of the reasons I went with Pentax is that it was the closest to reminding me of my old Minolta SRT-101 & x570.

[yucatanPentax]

We're all waiting to hear more about the Pentax K-3iii and video capabilities, but video has not been the Pentax strong suit. Still, it's supposed to be improved. I agree with the sentiment that, as a pro, you need to know your priorities. Is video the most important? Stills? Gonna really work on your skills and do both? (You'll likely need separate equipment for each, no matter what).

Pentax does not have boring or "pale" lenses. Some of the Limiteds have the most sublime rendering. That's one of the factors which has inspired much Pentax loyalty over the years, imho.

A used Pentax K-1 can be had for around $1000 to $1100 in very good condition. If you don't like it and decide to sell it, you'll get very close to that, unless you shoot 50,000 shots with it or damage it in some way. Lenses, especially Limiteds which hold their value, will add somewhat more. There are still many legacy lenses (all manual) which have wonderful rendering as well.

You could also pick up a used KP (a bit of an outlier as to style, but many love them), K-5iis, or K-3.

You could also dip your toes into the water with renting for a couple weeks. A K-1 with the FA31 Ltd, FA77 Ltd would give you a good taste of the capabilities and "non-boring" lens possibilities available.

Just a few ideas to consider while you're pondering various possibilities. P.S. Lovely images!
Cheers!