[Adam]

I've updated our review index with ratings and a more user-friendly layout. The page below, accessible through the "Pentax Reviews" link on our homepage, contains a listing of all our in-depth Pentax reviews:

Professional Reviews | Pentax reviews | PentaxForums.com

Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)



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[Class A]

I suggest to use the term "in-depth" rather than "professional" reviews.

The reviews are written by amateurs, aren't they?
They surely don't always maintain a professional standard (just two examples: the FA 50/1.4 is not a particularly good lens to put on extension tubes and the K-5 corrects for three axes of movement, not two).

A single lens rating number is always problematic as it can never do justice to a particular intended use of the lens, but for a truly professional reviewing team one can at least assume consistency in producing the ratings. I don't see that with the published ratings here at all. They don't seem to have been created in a manner that allows a useful ranking of lenses.

Why not describe the reviews accurately as "long" or "in-depth" and leave the "professional" attribute to the professionals?

[Arpe]

I concur. I thought "Professional" seemed a bit naff and pretentious when they were done by amateurs

[Ash]

True, though would it be likely we'd get a pro Pentaxian to take the time to write a review for PF? In depth or comprehensive sounds apt - we may never get a 'pro' review.

[Adam]

Since no pros use Pentax, maybe we're all pros?

[Ash]

I hope this is not going to become a 'Pentax is not a pro brand' discussion. Sure, we can call it what we want, but the reviews should reflect the expected level of professionalism if they're to be considered 'pro'.

[jonhock]

But what about the rest of us? Thirty or Forty years of "Pentaxing" ought to be a reasonably good qualifier.
Besides, I personally can't tell the difference in a photo whether it's taken with a 1400 dollar Pentax or, say, a 20 thousand dollar Halfasbad.
And furthermore,
PROFESSIONAL=A professional is a person that is paid for what they do. Qualifications have little to do with being a professional as the world's "oldest profession" is strictly a monetary gain career. An amateur maybe more qualified than a professional but they are not paid, thus they are an amateur And I'm just thankful that there is a place like Pentax forums where information about Pentax OR Pentax compatible lenses, etc.,etc is reasonably easily found!

[Class A]

Since no pros use Pentax, maybe we're all pros? :tongue:

Trying to p*ss off benjikan, eh?

[Class A]

PROFESSIONAL=A professional is a person that is paid for what they do.

Since the PF reviews are not created by people who are paid to write them, this is a good reason not to call them "professional".

I'm just thankful that there is a place like Pentax forums where information about Pentax OR Pentax compatible lenses, etc.,etc is reasonably easily found!

We all are. But

1. you can easily find information about Pentax lenses elsewhere (e.g., photozone.de or "Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount" page), and
2. there is a lot of valuable information in the user reviews about lenses and they are not called "professional" either.

[Adam]

We actually will be hiring article writers in the near future- (hopefully) but that would probably still not make them fall into the "pro" category unless the person is either a journalist or a pro photographer.

[jonhock]

"Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount"

Great website, I have him on my desktop on both computers,(the kitchen and my den) and that's just the tip of the pentaberg (as in "icebergand Yes, there are a lot of other places for info but they are generally written by professionals and I wouldn't want to screw up my head now! lololololol