[reh321]

Clackers,

How would this annoy fellow owners ?

I get annoyed with this place!! I've never hung out at a Nikon Forum, but at generic forum where I'm a regular, Nikon owners act as though they're getting good news every time anything is said about their cameras. Here, people moan and bitch when Pentax doesn't deliver exactly what they want. I think the KP is great news, and at some time I'm determined to stretch my budget to fit one in, Incidentally, I also think the K-1ii is great news.

Last summer, I took a several month 'vacation' from this place because I was so very tired of the negative talk; my 'vacation' was a result of comments at that other forum by someone who had planned on getting a K-1, but changed his mind because of all the negative talk here - "if current users are so demoralized ...."

[GMounk]

I have owned Nikon DSLR's but purchased the K-1 last fall. The K-1 produces better pictures than my Nikons did. The dynamic range is superior to the Nikons too. It took a lot of playing around and following people's advice from the forum here, about the auto focus to get it running well, and while my Nikons did focus faster, I have been able to take some very nice railway pictures with the K-1. I have a photography mentor who really likes the quality of my K-1 railway pictures. I think there is a lot of hype with cameras such as frames per second for example that the average person really won't take full advantage of. Some people say a person only needs 24 meg resolution. That may be the case, but it is nice to have 36 meg if I want to crop a picture. I played around with HDR and pixel shift pictures and feel those features sets the K-1 apart from others.
Pentax has been underrated by camera reviewers even in the film days. George Harrison and Ringo Star had Pentax cameras. So if Pentax is good enough for the Beetles it should be good enough for everyone else. :-)

Glen

[E-man]

I have no complaint about Pentax's products. I just wish they would promote them more extensively so there would be greater public demand. I see the KP as an aspirational camera but while I'm aspiring, which will likely be a good long while, I'll be enjoying the gear I've got.

[biz-engineer]

I've read forum responses on here that have people ready to throw in the towel and change brands

Some people complain and don't switch and keep posting negative comments. I'm one of them sometimes but I also post some objective comments that are smashed by fanboys. On the other hand, a number of people don't post in controversial discussion however they do post in the market place to sell their Pentax system. The absents will not answer. So you won't quite get many objective answers. I think Adam gave a good fair answer.


Overall, the trouble is, in spite of having more market share, other brands aren't perfect either. In the end, all gear is very capable, the difference is mostly in the mind of the customer who doesn't feel good if he doesn't own the best of the best gear. You could plays the game in reverse and buy older camera models only having done a few clicks, still very capable, but sold very cheap because they are not the latest models. Having the best gear is a first world's problem. Just for reference I remembered having visited a farm in poor country side of south Morocco , they were using a wheat milling machine that had run for 40 years... In US/EU most things are fully depreciated after 5 years.

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Last edited by biz-engineer; 03-05-2018 at 09:23 AM.

[tax]

Hello Fred, I may be wrong, but it seems that you are just an amateur photographer like most of us in here? Why do you care who said what about Pentax and venting all this FUD? If you have your old film era K mount lenses you can utilize them with any digital Pentax cameras. How many Pentax lenses do you really need to not to complain about their scarcity? I've got 64 various lenses for my K-1, and I will be using them probably until I kick the bucket. How many cameras realistically are you expecting to wear out in your life time? You can easily pull good ten or more years of service out of any modern Pentax DSLR camera. Who cares what will happen after that? In a business world, ten year period is close to infinity. Nikon, Canon or any other company may sink, because DSLR market in general is shrinking. Why do we have to follow your zealous call "to kick some Canon, Sony and Nikon asses!"? It is not a winner-takes-all game. Each camera company has its own place, purpose and customers on the market. Variety and competition is always good and healthy. Just choose whatever DSLR brand suits your photography hobby, live and let live.

[Alex645]

I wan't to stay with Pentax, but I can't afford to stay with a sinking boat, my bail bucket isn't that big. Biting the bullet and reinvesting isn't the greatest option. Not to mention the cost but the reinvestment of time, learning a new system.
Pentaxians, where do you stand, what have you found to be factual, where would you put your hard earned dollar ?
Fred

Fred, I pretty much agree with 95% of what others have posted above.

To keep it simple, what type of professional photography are you intending to do with your camera? IF your main demands are sports, high speed wildlife, and/or video, then Nikon, Sony, and Canon all offer better technology. For wedding photography or any multiple flash studio work, Nikon has an edge.

You must know that on this forum, most of us have put our hard earned money on Pentax. Before I was a teacher, I was a full time pro and I found no single system was best for the range of photography I needed to make money on, so I (out of necessity) use and used two systems.

Donʻt get too caught up on all the negativity on the internet. Everyoneʻs a fanboy before they buy it and right after getting it, but after the ʻhoneymoonʻ is over, some people express buyerʻs remorse. There are people that will tell you Toyotas are trash and that Fiats rule. You should base your own opinion on your own experience. But I hate to say it, but most people follow the crowd. Thatʻs not to say that Canon is bad, but it does create an illusion that there must be something wrong with the K-1...and there really isnʻt. In fact in many areas, itʻs better than the competition.

[zzeitg]

Negativity spreads 3:1 over positive.

And a forum member with 11 posts is increasing the negativity level even more.


Seriously. The "Pentax is doomed" comments should be prohibited by default in case of members with less than let's say 100 posts.

[steveoc64]

you are watching the wrong yt VIDS 😃

try "the cameraville".. much better.

[clackers]

For starters this was never a complaint but a request for information from the forums viewers.

Fred

Of course it was a complaint, Fred, you've already admitted: "With that said, why shouldn't they respond ? Don't get me wrong, I'm fighting for Pentax here, I'm just asking for more communication from the them"

But you seem well-intentioned, so I reckon save your ammunition for this site:

Contact Us

[Wild Mark]

Onefunmudder

I will be straight to the point. The k-1 is amazing.

Your post speaks of a long commitment to the k1000 suggestive of a contentment with simplicity. The k-1 is that in the digital era. It delivers with ease. It really does. I am two years into my copy and have felt no need To upgrade.

Much of the negative talk is either unfounded or confounded. All systems have their pros and cons. The k-1 is no exception. For me I care little for filming - this being the biggest failing.

I challenge you to look for the positives in the system and then ask yourself if it is what you want, not the deficient path.

[twilhelm]

I made the switch to Pentax when the K10D was released. I’m still here and so is Pentax. And of course, so are plenty of people who have been crying about Pentax being doomed.
Pentax makes cameras, and continue to find a means to provide great cameras from a small company in a very competitive market. Just remember there will always be someone unhappy with their purchase, regardless the brand.

[BigMackCam]

Hi Fred, and welcome

You've had some great (and robust ) responses thus far.

I'm going to respond a little differently, by describing my own position and how I look at things. That might provide some useful contrast to yours.

I've been a member here since 2010 when I bought my first Pentax DSLR, but I've only been very active with my photography and forum posting in the last six years or so.

I shoot more than one system - Pentax, Sony A-mount, and Sony E-mount (but only with adapted lenses). I'm not a so-called "fanboy" (I don't like the term as it sounds rather derogatory). I see good and bad in every brand and every piece of equipment they produce. No-one and nothing is perfect. I have no loyalty to any brand other than to continue buying and using its equipment if it suits my needs as an enthusiastic hobbyist. I don't care if equipment from other brands is better or worse than mine in certain ways, or in every way - and pride doesn't enter into it for me. On that basis, whilst the opinions, appraisals and conclusions of bloggers and reviewers can occasionally be mildly entertaining (for a variety of reasons!), they matter nought to me. I form my own opinions, draw my own conclusions, and act on those alone. I don't look for reassurance or approval, and I don't care if anyone should think I've made good or bad choices in my gear (proof can be found in my signature... you'll see that I own a Hasselblad HV and don't even hide the fact!! ).

I've never bought into a system or format on the basis of what it might offer in future - only what is on offer right now, and the availability of compatible products in the secondary market. I wouldn't buy into, or stay with, a system that couldn't offer me some means of achieving what I want, but I'm happy to learn new skills and use ingenuity to work around weaknesses in my gear. Often, that's part of the fun It also means that I rarely have any reason to complain where equipment is concerned.

I have no expectations for further development and new versions of the products I've bought, though I'm certainly interested in any new developments, and it's nice to see product lines evolve. Having the latest whizz-bang features and class-leading specifications is generally of little importance to me, though, and I'm happy so long as my basic requirements are largely met. To that end, I buy what I like and can afford. I have no problem choosing discontinued and rather outdated equipment if it fits the bill. My only expectation is that product quality should be commensurate with the prices I pay. I'm an easy customer to satisfy, and any new developments are icing on the cake for me. I'm rarely, if ever, truly disappointed.

I don't need or expect a line of communication or input into a brand's product development. If a company actively seeks my input, I'll willingly give it. Beyond that, I'm happy to sit back and wait with interest to see what new products it offers. If they suit my needs, I may buy them. If they don't, I won't.

I'm a fairly contented Pentax user, and I've no desire to switch. I like the cameras, and I like the lenses... but the main reason I'm settled with the brand is this place. Despite the negativity you've read about (and it can be wearing at times), we have a fantastic community here. Many members are incredibly willing and generous in the advice and help they'll provide when asked nicely, with courtesy and respect. For a hobbyist like me with so much still to learn, that's invaluable. It's a far better support network than any manufacturer could hope to offer, and much more important to me than camera specifications and features, gaps in lens line-ups, differences with other brand offerings, etc.

I'd like Ricoh / Pentax to continue making great cameras and lenses that offer something different to the mainstream, and I'm sure it will. I doubt it will ever lead the market in specifications, features and performance, nor will it have the proliferation and market dominance of Nikon or Canon. I don't think it even wants to, and I certainly don't care one way or another. As a niche manufacturer of high quality, interesting and capable products, though, I think it'll continue to do well. But if it closed shop tomorrow, I have fully working equipment right now that should last for years if I take good care of it - and there's plenty more available in the secondary market should I need to replace anything. Given that, I don't lose any sleep over the brand's future

[mcgregni]

Fred, it seems to me that you really need to find the self confidence to make the decisions for yourself. You’ll need to list the types of photography and scenarios that you expect to be shooting going forwards. Then consider the types of lenses you’d need (focal lengths, widest apertures etc) considering the big advances in high ISO performance available on recent cameras.

I believe that unless you are heading into some fairly specialised or professional situation (eg pro sports/paparazzi) (you’re a K30 user, so this seems fairly unlikely) then Pentax will undoubtably offer an excellent and good value solution that will out pace the competition in various ways.


It is important try and get a hands on test of a recent Pentax DSLR ....as said earlier, the ergonomics and interface are generally regarded as a great plus, and this is a very important part of the enjoyment of photography.

A point was made earlier regarding control of multiple off-camera flashes, and Nikon’s superiority in that respect ..... I would just add that this is true of the camera brand proprietary systems (ie those actually provided by Nikon and Pentax and integrated within their camera /flash feature sets) .....however, the camera brand proprietary systems often are not the best choice for multiple flash /complex lighting situations. Third party radio controlled systems will often be a better value choice and some will offer enhanced functioning and /or greater ease of use.


So we are fortunate here that there have been significant advances recently in support for Pentax DSLRs from makers of quality Radio trigger systems , including features such as Radio P-TTL & Radio HSS.

[onefunmudder]

Some people complain and don't switch and keep posting negative comments. I'm one of them sometimes but I also post some objective comments that are smashed by fanboys. On the other hand, a number of people don't post in controversial discussion however they do post in the market place to sell their Pentax system. The absents will not answer. So you won't quite get many objective answer. I think Adam gave a good fair answer.


Overall, the trouble is, in spite of having more market share, other brands aren't perfect either. In the end, all gear is very capable, the difference is mostly in the mind of the customer who doesn't feel good if he doesn't own the best of the best gear. You could plays the game in reverse and buy older camera models only having done a few clicks, still very capable, but sold very cheap because they are not the latest models. Having the best gear is a first world's problem. Just for reference I remembered having visited a farm in poor country side of south Morocco , they were using a wheat milling machine that had run for 40 years... In US/EU most things are fully depreciated after 5 years.

I agree with you, I think Adams answer was fair and gave good points to ponder.

Fred

[aslyfox]

1 no one is forced to read this thread, so why complain about any of its content ?

2 I am lazy, cheap and a newbie trying to gain knowledge - I started with Pentax, had Pentax lenses, as did my dad and third party lens that worked with Pentax so I have primarily stayed with Pentax

3 all systems have pros and cons

4 I hope the OP continues to post to the forum in other threads and continues to contribute his knowledge and photos

5 this is a great forum, full of helpful friendly people ( for the most part and most times ) and is a credit to its creators, moderators and members - an amazing amount of information can be found here