[Photos-by-Chas]

I just read that Petapixal has named the Pentax K-70 as one of the best cameras for beginners in 2022. Considering the camera was introduced in 2016 and has been included as a camera with the dreaded aperture block problem, it is a good purchase option. For those interested, here is the link to the article: https://petapixel.com/2022/01/29/best-cameras-for-beginners/#Pentax_K-70

[pschlute]

Thanks for the link. Of course we must not lose sight of the fact that DSLRs (and not just for beginners) are not as popular as they were, and hence limited choice.

[biz-engineer]

The article includes a link below the K70 to inform any potential new buyer of the Pentax K70 about the future of the company "As a bonus: unlike Canon and Nikon, Pentax remains committed to the DSLR form factor, so provided the company can survive, there will always be new cameras and lenses available.". That's to make sure nobody will buy that camera.

[Photos-by-Chas]

Thanks for the link. Of course we must not lose sight of the fact that DSLRs (and not just for beginners) are not as popular as they were, and hence limited choice.

AS the article states, if Pentax survives without going MILC it will probably do well and DSLRs will continue. AS for myself, I'm not intrigued or even interested in getting a MILC. I started with a point and shot but as soon as I got my first SLR, I was hooked on them. I did slightly resist the switch from film to digital but now I've accepted it wholly with some nostalgia for film.

[Photos-by-Chas]

The article includes a link below the K70 to inform any potential new buyer of the Pentax K70 about the future of the company "As a bonus: unlike Canon and Nikon, Pentax remains committed to the DSLR form factor, so provided the company can survive, there will always be new cameras and lenses available.". That's to make sure nobody will buy that camera.

The announcement affects only the sale in Japan, there is some suggestion that it may spread into the rest of the world, but no guarantee. The overall sales of cameras of all types are down with the MILCs being slightly increased. Is that because DSLRs are out or is it the bump because mirrorless are new and unique. Often new things are good sellers. That is until the novelty wears off.

No one has a crystal ball to see into the future, it is all speculation, nothing more.

[AfterPentax Mark II]

The article includes a link below the K70 to inform any potential new buyer of the Pentax K70 about the future of the company "As a bonus: unlike Canon and Nikon, Pentax remains committed to the DSLR form factor, so provided the company can survive, there will always be new cameras and lenses available.". That's to make sure nobody will buy that camera.

You can say that, but it is also good politics to inform the readers. After all, they also informed the reader of the reason why no Sony ZV10 was on the list. Transparent I think.

[biz-engineer]

The announcement affects only the sale in Japan, there is some suggestion that it may spread into the rest of the world, but no guarantee.

That's weird. When I read the relayed press release by Petapixels, the headline casts some doubt about Pentax, it says "Ricoh Pentax: The Beginning of the End or the Start of a Bright Future?" If you were a beginner looking for a camera, what would you think of that headline?

[c.a.m]

That's to make sure nobody will buy that camera.

That's weird. When I read the relayed press release by Petapixels, the headline casts some doubt about Pentax, it says "Ricoh Pentax: The Beginning of the End or the Start of a Bright Future?" If you were a beginner looking for a camera, what would you think of that headline?

Depending on which author writes the story, PetaPixel can be somewhat positive about Rioch/Pentax or unjustifiably negative. I am wary of articles that begin or end with a rhetorical question such as this one. Other cues to watch for: "A Lot of Unanswered Questions; elephant in the room; Perhaps the key question is; the question remains; or does this mark beginning of the end?"

Casting doubt on the future of Ricoh Imaging or the Pentax brand seems to be a frequent pitch at PetaPixel.

- Craig

[Not a Number]

Casting doubt on the future of Ricoh Imaging or the Pentax brand seems to be a frequent pitch at PetaPixel.

That seems to be a major occupation of some of the posters on PF as well

[Michail_P]

The thing is, besides the speculation about Ricoh , that K-70 is still a great camera for beginners and above. Imho it’s a mid-range body, not entry-level. And there have been a few since 2016, in both categories. A beginner is open to suggestions, so the dslr/mirrorless comparison is inevitable. That “DSLR for beginners” is a little off.

[Photos-by-Chas]

That “DSLR for beginners” is a little off.

I agree with that statement as it applies to the camera being , more than a "beginner's" camera. Of the Pentax DSLRs I've owned the K-70 is the best but I do not consider it an introductory or beginner's camera. The resolution, image quality, ease of use, the available glass, IBIS, pixel shift, and other extras make it a camera capable of taking professional level photos. The fact tht it is still in production in 2022 after introduction in 2016 speaks volumes for the camera and the confidence in it by Ricoh-Pentax as a good seller.

[Kiwizinho]

I have a K-70, and think it offers fantastic functionality for the price. One of the things all Pentax cameras offer that I didn't realise was so useful is using DNG to encapsulate raw images.
I have a workflow that involves importing to Lightroom and keyword and geotagging images, but for images that have more complex post-processing requirements, I'll open them in DxO PhotoLab, as its noise reduction and U-Point technology offer advantages over Lightroom, although keywording and geotagging is less capable. The nice thing is I can just save the metadata to the DNG file from Lightroom, then open it in PhotoLab, and everything's there, but with most other raw formats, you end up with a sidecar file that's not readable across different software.
Sure, there's Adobe's DNG converter, but it creates way bigger DNG files than Pentax cameras. PhotoLab does suggest using a plugin to export from Lightroom that creates large DNG files, but I've found this is unnecessary if all I want to transfer is the metadata.
Weather sealing on the K-70 is an advantage compared to many lower end models from other manufacturers. Poor video functionality is the main pain point, but I don't shoot much video, so this is largely irrelevant.
While it's nice to dream of a K-3 III or a K-1 II, the reality is the K-70 serves me extremely well, although Ricoh will probably still extract some more money out of me, as there are some nice WR lenses that will enhance my photography more than a higher end body.

[Webstormer]

AS the article states, if Pentax survives without going MILC it will probably do well and DSLRs will continue. AS for myself, I'm not intrigued or even interested in getting a MILC. I started with a point and shot but as soon as I got my first SLR, I was hooked on them. I did slightly resist the switch from film to digital but now I've accepted it wholly with some nostalgia for film.

I don't like mirrorless either and often, they come in kits with lenses that can't do better than F.4 max aperture. I really don't like this!