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08-18-2017, 07:07 PM   #1
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1st DSLR the K-70?

I had been considering DSLR's from Canon & Nikon when a friend pointed me toward the K-70. Well I'm here because I am very impressed with this model.
My concern is that I can't find any dealer in my region, upstate NY. For those who have ordered online, what is your experience? Also has anyone had any positive or negative experiences with Pentax service or warranty repairs.
BTW: I used to have a camera repair shop so I know Pentax always made excellent film SLR's and I've seen many outstanding Pentax lenses, how are they doing these days?

08-18-2017, 07:24 PM - 2 Likes   #2
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G'day and welcome to the forums.

A couple of the forum's sponsors are B&H and Adorama, I've bought from B&H in Oz and they were very good to deal with. Look for the links at the bottom on the forum homepage here: Pentax Forums - The Ultimate Resource for Everything Pentax as this will help the forums too.

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08-18-2017, 07:34 PM - 1 Like   #3
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HI. I currently have a K-70. I haven't had it very long but I am really enjoying it. I ordered mine from B&H Photo along with most all my other camera gear. They are great to work with.
08-18-2017, 08:22 PM - 1 Like   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Penmax Quote
For those who have ordered online, what is your experience? Also has anyone had any positive or negative experiences with Pentax service or warranty repairs.
BTW: I used to have a camera repair shop so I know Pentax always made excellent film SLR's and I've seen many outstanding Pentax lenses, how are they doing these days?
A couple of years ago there were a lot of bad warranty stories when the repair facility was switched from one vendor to another. It seems to be straightened out now. I have had tow good experiences since the one bad one. I'll echo the other posters, You won't go wrong with Adorama or B&H, both top notch.

08-18-2017, 08:33 PM - 1 Like   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Penmax Quote
I had been considering DSLR's from Canon & Nikon when a friend pointed me toward the K-70. Well I'm here because I am very impressed with this model.
My concern is that I can't find any dealer in my region, upstate NY. For those who have ordered online, what is your experience? Also has anyone had any positive or negative experiences with Pentax service or warranty repairs.
BTW: I used to have a camera repair shop so I know Pentax always made excellent film SLR's and I've seen many outstanding Pentax lenses, how are they doing these days?
The K-70 is a great started DSLR- hard (if not impossible) to beat the image quality at its price point. The DA 16-85mm is among the best zoom lenses, the 18-135mm is also good, and there are lots of other great choices too. Here are some of our top picks:

Recommended Pentax Gear 2016 - Gear Guides | PentaxForums.com

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08-18-2017, 10:43 PM - 1 Like   #6
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The closest stores I know in NY is Adorama and B&H.

Last edited by disconnekt; 08-20-2017 at 10:33 PM.
08-19-2017, 01:35 AM - 1 Like   #7
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I've purchased online from B&H and Adorama and have never had a bad experience. Both stores have a generous return policy if needed. I can't speak for Pentax repair as I've personally never needed it.

Good luck and enjoy!

08-19-2017, 06:14 AM - 2 Likes   #8
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Thanks to all who responded. i really appreciate the feedback.
i feel that the quality of the equipment is reflected by the kind of people who use it. In my camera repair days I found that some brands lent themselves to pretension while other brands were for those who just bought what was popular. Most Pentax users were more interested in making a good photograph than bragging about the esoteric features of their photo bling.
I'm happy to have rediscovered Pentax in the post film era and that a great group of people still use that brand.
08-19-2017, 06:39 AM - 3 Likes   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by Penmax Quote
Thanks to all who responded. i really appreciate the feedback.
i feel that the quality of the equipment is reflected by the kind of people who use it. In my camera repair days I found that some brands lent themselves to pretension while other brands were for those who just bought what was popular. Most Pentax users were more interested in making a good photograph than bragging about the esoteric features of their photo bling.
I'm happy to have rediscovered Pentax in the post film era and that a great group of people still use that brand.
I must say that this forum is a big part of what makes shooting Pentax a joy for me. There are lots of great photographers here, and they share freely from their knowledge and experience. Truly a great gang to be part of.
08-19-2017, 06:47 AM - 1 Like   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by savoche Quote
I must say that this forum is a big part of what makes shooting Pentax a joy for me. There are lots of great photographers here, and they share freely from their knowledge and experience. Truly a great gang to be part of.
How true!
08-19-2017, 08:05 AM - 2 Likes   #11
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The K-70 is an amazing machine at its price point. You can pay a whole lot more for far less camera. That said, be sure it fits your needs: Are you outdoors a lot? Do you like landscapes, cityscapes, daily life, natural life, and generally recording the world around you? If so, the K-70 is for you. The major thing it is not specialized for is high speed, action photography and even there you can do OK. I have recorded gannets diving at 100kph (65mph) and ospreys going a bit slower just fine, for example. Also video is fairly vanilla and fine mostly only for basic personal use.

Important point: Use the money you save to get really good glass. Depending on your preferences this would mean (for zooms) lenses like the Pentax DA 20-40, DA 16-85, DA 55-300 (PLM version) rather than the normally provided kit lenses. If weather resistance is not required there are less expensive versions of these from Sigma and Tamron, but again, don't skimp.

Taken from a moving sailboat w/ 55-300 PLM and K-70


Very hastily taken shot as a minke suddenly decided to examine my boat from ~10 feet underwater with 55-300 telephoto. No time for setup at all, still very satisfying to me.


Landscape 16-85mm


Capelin haul 40mm Ltd


(In all cases the full res versions are much superior, but this board reduces files to 1280x1000 max.)

It's very hard to go wrong w/ a K-70 and good glass if your desire is to get a good DSLR for personal use in my opinion.
08-19-2017, 08:56 AM - 1 Like   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Penmax Quote
i feel that the quality of the equipment is reflected by the kind of people who use it.
Well, I might not be a great person, but I can say that the Pentax cameras and lenses I own are very durable and perform very well.
08-19-2017, 09:11 AM - 1 Like   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by robgski Quote
Well, I might not be a great person, but I can say that the Pentax cameras and lenses I own are very durable and perform very well.
My Pentax equipment definitely says I'm a stubborn person who refuses to go along with the conventional wisdom. I'm not sure if that makes me a good person or a bad person.

The K-70 is at it's optimal selling point right now. It has all the top shelf features in terms of AF, and rendering, pixel shift, tilt screen etc. but it's old enough the price is quite reasonable. The only issue for me is the battery... but that's because my K-5, K-3 and K-1 all use a different battery. If you don't own any of those cameras then it's pretty much irrelevant. For some reason the thought of owning more than one type of battery for my DSLRs terrifies me.

If I can bring the wrong back up battery for the camera I'm taking out, sooner lor later I will, and it's going to cost me.
Plus I tend to bang things around. Magnesium camera bodies have a definite appeal.

Last edited by normhead; 08-19-2017 at 10:08 AM.
08-19-2017, 11:30 AM - 1 Like   #14
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Welcome Aboard!!!

I live near Rochester, NY. Been ordering from B&H and Adorama for years. Excellent places to do business. And if there is a problem, they are even better to do business with.
08-19-2017, 01:03 PM - 1 Like   #15
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Welcome, have a look around the forum, you'll find plenty of good information to help you decide.
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