Looking at Pentax again

lightbox · 03-24-2015, 01:01 AM

Greetings from Pennsylvania, USA

I've liked Pentax since I acquired a used K1000 a number of years ago and am pleased to see that they offer highly regarded dSLR's today. I remember having a lot of fun then and it seems like Ricoh have retained a lot of the Pentax character in the current crop. I look forward to learning more about Pentax and photography in general here.

That K-3 body is speaking my name and I'm trying to control my impulses...!

**rod_grant** · 03-24-2015, 01:36 AM

Originally posted by lightbox

I'm trying to control my impulses..

Don't bother.
Just give in: you know you want to!

Adam · 03-24-2015, 01:53 AM

Originally posted by lightbox

Greetings from Pennsylvania, USA

I've liked Pentax since I acquired a used K1000 a number of years ago and am pleased to see that they offer highly regarded dSLR's today. I remember having a lot of fun then and it seems like Ricoh have retained a lot of the Pentax character in the current crop. I look forward to learning more about Pentax and photography in general here.

That K-3 body is speaking my name and I'm trying to control my impulses...!

The K-3 is a wonderful camera. Go for it!

noelpolar · 03-24-2015, 02:03 AM

I've had a K3 for a while.....great camera no regrets.....had a K1000 for a few weeks now.....doing it all backwards.....seems right for me.

atomx · 03-24-2015, 02:07 AM

Ive recently returned to Pentax (k3) after a trying a mirrorless option.. Best decision I've made. Hard to fault the K3 and at their current prices it pretty much a no brainer.

**Kerrowdown** · 03-24-2015, 05:43 AM

Originally posted by lightbox

I'm trying to control my impulses...!

Welcome here, I'm afraid to have to be the one to inform you that... "resistance is futile".

lightbox · 03-24-2015, 12:49 PM

See, I knew that signing up here would do nothing good for my self-control issues or my wallet. Yet here I am! Shame on me.

OK, soul cleansing time: I've been shooting Nikon since I put down the K1000 (simply stored it away; did not sell) and my most recent camera was a D80. I'm here because the D80 is no longer working, I'm without a dSLR, and I now am left staring at a small pile of lenses and accessories from both Pentax and Nikon that I've collected over the last decade. It only makes sense for me to own one body/system. Who knows, I may even decide to cannibalize some of the stuff I have from one of the two systems to support the other. Therein lies my dilemma.

So I'm trying to learn as much a I can about the older Pentax lenses that I have, as well as what's available today and the Pentax system itself. I aim to draw logical comparisons against Nikon and to figure out my own cost/benefit of "starting over" with Pentax. What I'd lose, what I'd gain, etc.

If this is a suitable thread for this kind of heavy discussion, I'll continue. If not, please let me know which forum section is most appropriate

**TER-OR** · 03-24-2015, 01:24 PM

Come on in, the water's fine. Just use a WR lens, of course...
...which is one advantage.

You'll need to look for lenses to match what you liked to do with your D80. It's no small matter making the jump, of course. Used lenses are available and can save you a lot of money. So are used D80 bodies, presumably - or better.

Do you have any special lenses from the film days?

lightbox · 03-24-2015, 08:08 PM

@TER-OR

My photography is all over the place as I'm really more of a dabbler without a focused interest (yet). There are some things that I do more often than not. Portraits and photographing people (think family gatherings) is a must, especially indoors. For that I have relied on my AF-S 50/1.4 G on the DX body. Works great; really nice, creamy backgrounds and shallow DoF. What I feel I am lacking at the moment is an ultra-wide zoom for interior photography, but I'm lacking that in my Pentax kit as well, so that's a wash.

Another consideration for me is off-camera lighting. I've been experimenting with the strobist / David Hobby technique and use nikon speedlights. I'm not attached to the lights per se (but they are very nice) and it would be a shame to lose CLS and remote setting of flash parameters. I don't care so much for TTL as I do the ability to simply set the flash power for each remote unit from the camera body itself. Saves a whole lot of walking around.

Is there something akin to CLS or Commander Mode in Pentax land? Any hope of interoperability with the Nikon flashguns?

Stavri · 03-24-2015, 08:17 PM

Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone!

Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway! (weathersealing plug)

**TER-OR** · 03-25-2015, 05:28 AM

Originally posted by lightbox

@TER-OR
For that I have relied on my AF-S 50/1.4 G on the DX body. Works great; really nice, creamy backgrounds and shallow DoF. What I feel I am lacking at the moment is an ultra-wide zoom for interior photography, but I'm lacking that in my Pentax kit as well, so that's a wash.

Is there something akin to CLS or Commander Mode in Pentax land? Any hope of interoperability with the Nikon flashguns?

The good news is the inexpensive DA35mm and DA50mm are good lenses. 35mm is pretty close to normal view, not ultrawide, but very useful. Ultrawide you'll need to do some research - the DA21mm isn't ultra, but wide and nice, beyond that they start to get a bit more pricey so you'll want to do some reading.

I'm no expert in flash. I know people use radio transmitters from Cactus and others. That can control anything, as long as it's attached to a receiver.

**RobA_Oz** · 03-25-2015, 01:36 PM

Originally posted by lightbox

…I'm without a dSLR, and I now am left staring at a small pile of lenses and accessories from both Pentax and Nikon that I've collected over the last decade. It only makes sense for me to own one body/system. Who knows, I may even decide to cannibalize some of the stuff I have from one of the two systems to support the other. Therein lies my dilemma.

Welcome to the Forums! If you don't mind manual controls (I assume they're available on your Nikon lenses, of course), then maybe this solution is available to you. I don't know anyone who's tried it on a K-3 yet, but I imagine you'll find the answer to that in the thread.

Looks like you're enjoying yourself already, here.

lightbox · 03-25-2015, 06:14 PM

Originally posted by RobA_Oz

If you don't mind manual controls (I assume they're available on your Nikon lenses, of course), then maybe this solution is available to you.

Interesting product; thanks for sharing!

I wouldn't want to modify a brand new dSLR personally, but sadly neither of my Nikkor lenses have aperture rings anyway. They're the newer "digital" variety, for better or worse.

lightbox · 03-25-2015, 06:48 PM

Originally posted by Stavri

Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone!

Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway! (weathersealing plug)

Got a chuckle out of this

03-24-2015, 01:01 AM	#1
lightbox Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 599	Looking at Pentax again Greetings from Pennsylvania, USA I've liked Pentax since I acquired a used K1000 a number of years ago and am pleased to see that they offer highly regarded dSLR's today. I remember having a lot of fun then and it seems like Ricoh have retained a lot of the Pentax character in the current crop. I look forward to learning more about Pentax and photography in general here. That K-3 body is speaking my name and I'm trying to control my impulses...!

03-24-2015, 01:53 AM	#3
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	Originally posted by lightbox Greetings from Pennsylvania, USA I've liked Pentax since I acquired a used K1000 a number of years ago and am pleased to see that they offer highly regarded dSLR's today. I remember having a lot of fun then and it seems like Ricoh have retained a lot of the Pentax character in the current crop. I look forward to learning more about Pentax and photography in general here. That K-3 body is speaking my name and I'm trying to control my impulses...! The K-3 is a wonderful camera. Go for it! Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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03-24-2015, 01:36 AM	#2
rod_grant Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wangaratta, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,951	Originally posted by lightbox I'm trying to control my impulses.. Don't bother. Just give in: you know you want to!

03-24-2015, 02:03 AM	#4
noelpolar Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Goolwa, SA Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,310	I've had a K3 for a while.....great camera no regrets.....had a K1000 for a few weeks now.....doing it all backwards.....seems right for me.

03-24-2015, 02:07 AM	#5
atomx Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Melbourne,Australia Posts: 67	Ive recently returned to Pentax (k3) after a trying a mirrorless option.. Best decision I've made. Hard to fault the K3 and at their current prices it pretty much a no brainer.

03-24-2015, 05:43 AM	#6
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,819	Originally posted by lightbox I'm trying to control my impulses...! Welcome here, I'm afraid to have to be the one to inform you that... "resistance is futile".

03-24-2015, 12:49 PM	#7
lightbox Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 599 Original Poster	See, I knew that signing up here would do nothing good for my self-control issues or my wallet. Yet here I am! Shame on me. OK, soul cleansing time: I've been shooting Nikon since I put down the K1000 (simply stored it away; did not sell) and my most recent camera was a D80. I'm here because the D80 is no longer working, I'm without a dSLR, and I now am left staring at a small pile of lenses and accessories from both Pentax and Nikon that I've collected over the last decade. It only makes sense for me to own one body/system. Who knows, I may even decide to cannibalize some of the stuff I have from one of the two systems to support the other. Therein lies my dilemma. So I'm trying to learn as much a I can about the older Pentax lenses that I have, as well as what's available today and the Pentax system itself. I aim to draw logical comparisons against Nikon and to figure out my own cost/benefit of "starting over" with Pentax. What I'd lose, what I'd gain, etc. If this is a suitable thread for this kind of heavy discussion, I'll continue. If not, please let me know which forum section is most appropriate

03-24-2015, 01:24 PM	#8
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	Come on in, the water's fine. Just use a WR lens, of course... ...which is one advantage. You'll need to look for lenses to match what you liked to do with your D80. It's no small matter making the jump, of course. Used lenses are available and can save you a lot of money. So are used D80 bodies, presumably - or better. Do you have any special lenses from the film days?

03-24-2015, 08:08 PM	#9
lightbox Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 599 Original Poster	@TER-OR My photography is all over the place as I'm really more of a dabbler without a focused interest (yet). There are some things that I do more often than not. Portraits and photographing people (think family gatherings) is a must, especially indoors. For that I have relied on my AF-S 50/1.4 G on the DX body. Works great; really nice, creamy backgrounds and shallow DoF. What I feel I am lacking at the moment is an ultra-wide zoom for interior photography, but I'm lacking that in my Pentax kit as well, so that's a wash. Another consideration for me is off-camera lighting. I've been experimenting with the strobist / David Hobby technique and use nikon speedlights. I'm not attached to the lights per se (but they are very nice) and it would be a shame to lose CLS and remote setting of flash parameters. I don't care so much for TTL as I do the ability to simply set the flash power for each remote unit from the camera body itself. Saves a whole lot of walking around. Is there something akin to CLS or Commander Mode in Pentax land? Any hope of interoperability with the Nikon flashguns?

03-24-2015, 08:17 PM	#10
Stavri Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: at a Bean & Leaf Photos: Albums Posts: 1,832	Let it go, let it go And I'll rise like the break of dawn Let it go, let it go That perfect girl is gone! Here I stand In the light of day Let the storm rage on, The cold never bothered me anyway! (weathersealing plug)

03-25-2015, 05:28 AM	#11
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	Originally posted by lightbox @TER-OR For that I have relied on my AF-S 50/1.4 G on the DX body. Works great; really nice, creamy backgrounds and shallow DoF. What I feel I am lacking at the moment is an ultra-wide zoom for interior photography, but I'm lacking that in my Pentax kit as well, so that's a wash. Is there something akin to CLS or Commander Mode in Pentax land? Any hope of interoperability with the Nikon flashguns? The good news is the inexpensive DA35mm and DA50mm are good lenses. 35mm is pretty close to normal view, not ultrawide, but very useful. Ultrawide you'll need to do some research - the DA21mm isn't ultra, but wide and nice, beyond that they start to get a bit more pricey so you'll want to do some reading. I'm no expert in flash. I know people use radio transmitters from Cactus and others. That can control anything, as long as it's attached to a receiver.

03-25-2015, 01:36 PM	#12
RobA_Oz Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tasmania, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,197	Originally posted by lightbox …I'm without a dSLR, and I now am left staring at a small pile of lenses and accessories from both Pentax and Nikon that I've collected over the last decade. It only makes sense for me to own one body/system. Who knows, I may even decide to cannibalize some of the stuff I have from one of the two systems to support the other. Therein lies my dilemma. Welcome to the Forums! If you don't mind manual controls (I assume they're available on your Nikon lenses, of course), then maybe this solution is available to you. I don't know anyone who's tried it on a K-3 yet, but I imagine you'll find the answer to that in the thread. Looks like you're enjoying yourself already, here.

03-25-2015, 06:14 PM	#13
lightbox Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 599 Original Poster	Originally posted by RobA_Oz If you don't mind manual controls (I assume they're available on your Nikon lenses, of course), then maybe this solution is available to you. Interesting product; thanks for sharing! I wouldn't want to modify a brand new dSLR personally, but sadly neither of my Nikkor lenses have aperture rings anyway. They're the newer "digital" variety, for better or worse.

03-25-2015, 06:48 PM	#14
lightbox Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 599 Original Poster	Originally posted by Stavri Let it go, let it go And I'll rise like the break of dawn Let it go, let it go That perfect girl is gone! Here I stand In the light of day Let the storm rage on, The cold never bothered me anyway! (weathersealing plug) Got a chuckle out of this