[mhsp1948]

In the film days I shot Pentax, Ricoh, and Olympus using 50mm prime lenses. Then came the digital world. I started in 2003 and started with Canon cameras and lenses. I graduated and moved through three Canon Digital cameras and then decided to try Sony’s mirrorless crop cameras and then two of their full frame mirrorless cameras and I hated the view finders. Finally in my journey through the digital camera world I decided to try Pentax cameras. I really liked them in my film days and ended up loving the digital DSLRs both crop and full frame versions. So, I purchased the K3-Mark II, K1, K1-Mark II, and the Kp. I owned a host of Pentax lenses.

Then came the biggest mistake that I ever made in my photography journey. When Pentax delayed coming out with a new camera after the K3-Mark II, and K1-Mark II, I moved from Pentax to Fujifilm cameras. The x100v, XT4 and then this last fall the XT5. I ran into all kinds of issues that impacted my attitude and creativity. Many of my reasons were subjective, but there were also some technical reasons as well. The color of Pentax was in my view genuinely nicer and more natural than Fujifilm. The fact that there was too much digital noise with the 40-megapixel processor in their XT5 certainly did not help. Then there was the poor handling ergonomics of the Fujifilm cameras. I ended up having to purchase accessories to make them ergonomically easier to handle and I do not have big hands. Most of all I was very tired of having to look through the viewfinder on mirrorless cameras. At times the mirrorless viewfinders would impact my composition.

I have sold all my Fujifilm cameras, lenses, and accessories. Now I have the following Pentax cameras and lenses and love every minute of it. The cameras are the Pentax K1-Mark II and the Pentax K3-Mark III. The lenses are HD Pentax D-FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SWM WR, the HD Pentax D-FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR and the HD-DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW. YES!! - I FINALLY CAME BACK HOME and feel like I am in the right place again. WOW! What a trip this has been.

Photos: First photo is with the Pentax K1-Mark II and the second one is with the Pentax K3-Mark III.

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

---

Last edited by mhsp1948; 06-07-2023 at 09:16 PM.

[ChristianRock]

Welcome home!

[mhsp1948]

Welcome home!

Amen! Thanks

[BigMackCam]

Welcome back to Pentax

All brands and types of system have plenty to offer, but they're all compromises and it's a matter of finding which set of compromises suit us best. I shoot DSLR and mirrorless from different brands, but for general day-to-day photography I've found that DSLRs suit me best, and I've always enjoyed the way Pentax cameras operate - not to mention the nice glass and excellent image quality. When you know, you know...

---

Last edited by BigMackCam; 06-08-2023 at 01:09 AM.

[Hayashi]

Welcome back !

I had the K-1 DFA24-70 before, sold them to move to K-3III HD*16-50 PLM.

Nice choice !

[snappyhoffy]

In the film days I shot Pentax, Ricoh, and Olympus using 50mm prime lenses. Then came the digital world. I started in 2003 and started with Canon cameras and lenses. I graduated and moved through three Canon Digital cameras and then decided to try Sony’s mirrorless crop cameras and then two of their full frame mirrorless cameras and I hated the view finders. Finally in my journey through the digital camera world I decided to try Pentax cameras. I really liked them in my film days and ended up loving the digital DSLRs both crop and full frame versions. So, I purchased the K3-Mark II, K1, K1-Mark II, and the Kp. I owned a host of Pentax lenses.

Then came the biggest mistake that I ever made in my photography journey. When Pentax delayed coming out with a new camera after the K3-Mark II, and K1-Mark II, I moved from Pentax to Fujifilm cameras. The x100v, XT4 and then this last fall the XT5. I ran into all kinds of issues that impacted my attitude and creativity. Many of my reasons were subjective, but there were also some technical reasons as well. The color of Pentax was in my view genuinely nicer and more natural than Fujifilm. The fact that there was too much digital noise with the 40-megapixel processor in their XT5 certainly did not help. Then there was the poor handling ergonomics of the Fujifilm cameras. I ended up having to purchase accessories to make them ergonomically easier to handle and I do not have big hands. Most of all I was very tired of having to look through the viewfinder on mirrorless cameras. At times the mirrorless viewfinders would impact my composition.

I have sold all my Fujifilm cameras, lenses, and accessories. Now I have the following Pentax cameras and lenses and love every minute of it. The cameras are the Pentax K1-Mark II and the Pentax K3-Mark III. The lenses are HD Pentax D-FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SWM WR, the HD Pentax D-FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR and the HD-DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW. YES!! - I FINALLY CAME BACK HOME and feel like I am in the right place again. WOW! What a trip this has been.

Photos: First photo is with the Pentax K1-Mark II and the second one is with the Pentax K3-Mark III.

Welcome back and you might have seen me in your rear view mirror but luckily I hung out for the K3 Mk III - so pleased I did!

[Snafu711]

Welcome home.

I can relate to changing brands along the photographic journey, only to end up where you started from… only wiser.

The one question that comes to my mind when reading about you recent Pentax gear: so you have invested in FF and APS-C (which usually means you have different use cases for each format) and in three lenses that cover similar FoV? That sounds quite redundant and makes me curios : why not one format and a wider range of lenses?

[Digitalis]

Welcome back!

Then there was the poor handling ergonomics of the Fujifilm cameras. I ended up having to purchase accessories to make them ergonomically easier to handle and I do not have big hands.

I have issues with my Leica RF cameras for similar reasons (my hands aren't huge, but big enough to make working with some cameras uncomfortably awkward) It isn't at all uncommon to see Leicaphiles* spending almost as much on ergonomic accoutrements to festoon their cameras with than on the camera itself.

In the photography studios where I work we have all sorts of photographers come through and it is interesting to see what they are working with: I'll often take the chance to swap cameras with them and it is interesting to see what they make of it when I hand them one of my Pentax DSLRs** - the response from the majority of them has been positive regarding the fit and feel of the cameras. The physical and optical qualities of the lenses catch their attention too.



* I find the Konica Hexar RF and Zeiss Ikon-M are easier to handle as the distribution of weight in those two cameras is well balanced, Leicas tend to be a bit top heavy - a situation that only gets worse if you find yourself using accessory viewfinders.

** Though I'll admit more than a few of them jump at the chance to use my Leica S.

[Larrymc]

From a fellow Mississippian, welcome back from your long journey! Its great to see your confirming opinions of our favorite DSLRS!

[mhsp1948]

Welcome home.

I can relate to changing brands along the photographic journey, only to end up where you started from… only wiser.

The one question that comes to my mind when reading about you recent Pentax gear: so you have invested in FF and APS-C (which usually means you have different use cases for each format) and in three lenses that cover similar FoV? That sounds quite redundant and makes me curios : why not one format and a wider range of lenses?

Snafu711, I have not had time or the money yet to expand my lenses, that will come. Thank you for your comment.

---------- Post added 06-08-23 at 05:35 AM ----------

From a fellow Mississippian, welcome back from your long journey! Its great to see your confirming opinions of our favorite DSLRS!

Larrymc, all I can say to your comment is Amen!

[sbh]

Welcome back! As a kid I shot with my dad’s Olympus on Film. Many years later, in 2012 I bought the K5 with the 17-70 as well as the 60-250 and immediately felt at home.
Never had the urge to switch. Meanwhile I use the K1 with the 15-30, *50 and *85 and couldn’t be happier. The only thing I could wish for is a 35 mm star lens.

[MarkJerling]

In the film days I shot Pentax, Ricoh, and Olympus using 50mm prime lenses. Then came the digital world. I started in 2003 and started with Canon cameras and lenses. I graduated and moved through three Canon Digital cameras and then decided to try Sony’s mirrorless crop cameras and then two of their full frame mirrorless cameras and I hated the view finders. Finally in my journey through the digital camera world I decided to try Pentax cameras. I really liked them in my film days and ended up loving the digital DSLRs both crop and full frame versions. So, I purchased the K3-Mark II, K1, K1-Mark II, and the Kp. I owned a host of Pentax lenses.

Then came the biggest mistake that I ever made in my photography journey. When Pentax delayed coming out with a new camera after the K3-Mark II, and K1-Mark II, I moved from Pentax to Fujifilm cameras. The x100v, XT4 and then this last fall the XT5. I ran into all kinds of issues that impacted my attitude and creativity. Many of my reasons were subjective, but there were also some technical reasons as well. The color of Pentax was in my view genuinely nicer and more natural than Fujifilm. The fact that there was too much digital noise with the 40-megapixel processor in their XT5 certainly did not help. Then there was the poor handling ergonomics of the Fujifilm cameras. I ended up having to purchase accessories to make them ergonomically easier to handle and I do not have big hands. Most of all I was very tired of having to look through the viewfinder on mirrorless cameras. At times the mirrorless viewfinders would impact my composition.

I have sold all my Fujifilm cameras, lenses, and accessories. Now I have the following Pentax cameras and lenses and love every minute of it. The cameras are the Pentax K1-Mark II and the Pentax K3-Mark III. The lenses are HD Pentax D-FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SWM WR, the HD Pentax D-FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR and the HD-DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW. YES!! - I FINALLY CAME BACK HOME and feel like I am in the right place again. WOW! What a trip this has been.

Photos: First photo is with the Pentax K1-Mark II and the second one is with the Pentax K3-Mark III.

Welcome back Mike!

[mhsp1948]

Welcome back Mike!

Thank you Mark.

[Rondec]

Welcome back! I too own a K-1 II and K-3 III (actually, I own three K-1 IIs) and have been very pleased with the image quality you get from them.

Looking forward to more images from you.

[mhsp1948]

Thank you so much Rondec