[zoolander]

Thanks PF for the article on why Pentax isn't Doomed, I think its much needed on this forum.

For me, I'm just a hobbyist and I started with a Nikon and was extremely disappointed after 1 year. I did a tiny amount of research, and then switched to a Sony, and it really reinvigorated me. I was stressed out about it thinking that Sony wasn't a "true photographic brand", but going back and trying out Canons and Nikons reassured me that I didn't make a mistake. For months I was ashamed to go out in public with the Sony, and let people see my camera had Sony written on it. But the Sony sensor shift was a huge leap over VR, and in a nutshell it was a good decision.

Since I started this hobby, I'd do a bit of research and I'd see Pentax images online, and they were really good. When I had the Sony, I got into researching cameras and lenses, and the Pentax K-5 just blew me away on image quality, plus many of the lenses. All I ever heard about Sony and Pentax was that they were no good. After I bought a Pentax, I was reinvigorated again by the glorious Pentax image quality.

So to me my top ten goes like this:

1. Pentax Image quality, its simply the best in an APS-C body. Yeah I know Fuji is really good also and is emulating film, but I crave colors - Pentax colors and accuracy !

2. Shake Reduction. Pentax shake reduction is the best stabilization system, because of all the feature sets (astrotracer, sensor leveling etc etc) - hands down. It may not be the fastest, but the multiple rolls it performs is phenomenal. Sensor shift is simply the best and most consistent. I pick up OIS camera, and get occasional blurry shots then have to do the
review-delete-shoot-again syndrome of OIS cameras.

3. Pentax lenses. Seriously some of the best lenses for APS-C, and most affordable. While everybody rags on Pentax lenses for reliability, lens rental data shows a similar trait across brands LensRentals.com - Lens Repair Data 4.0 . So no lens system is perfect, in fact none are perfect. As for the big two, they've got a huge range, but there are loads of duds in there - and Pentax has deleted lenses which were vastly superior !

4. Pentax weather sealing. This is the best weather sealing in PHOTOGRAPHY ! I've heard of people using big dollar gear and ruining it in the rain, because it was Nikon or Canon "Weather sealed".

5. User interface. This is the best user interface - period ! I've tried the others, and the logic and flow of shooting on Pentax is a delight, and a photographers camera. The others have buttons and dials all over the place, and Graphical User Interfaces that sap RAM, and slow down the camera causing glitches.

6. Price. You are getting value for money with Pentax, end of story.

7. Operating system. The least operational glitches. I have had two glitches on my K-5 in 2 years. My Nikon had constant shooting glitches. My Sony's heavy GUI was often sluggish, and there were times where the OS din't know what the mode dial was set to, and it was doing its own thing. Plus the Nikon and Sony didn't like the heat, causing OS glitches.

8. Size. Pentax cameras are small and compact compared to the competition, and it looks like Pentax will continue miniaturizing their products. I sometimes go and try out the other brands, and find their big clunky cameras heavy, sprawled with buttons that make no sense or logic.

9. Pentax compact lenses. What can you say about the DA and FA limiteds ! Though I do not own any yet, they're world class lenses. I took a look at Leica at a store, and THATS what they're doing too, tiny high quality optics. Not these big clunky coffee mug lenses (I can't believe they make coffee mug replica lenses !).

10. Lens compatibility. Primes and older lenses have stabilization. Pentax bodies have screw drive. Certain DA lenses will work on 35mm.

(11. Pentax auto focusing works very well, but needs some improvement on certain lenses)

Pentax has so much going for it, and is not doomed. The biggest obstacle for Pentax are the people who have spread all kinds of negative stories about the brand and the cameras and lenses. When I first got into this hobby, everywhere you go and everywhere you read, there's negative talk. I personally put Pentax under so much scrutiny - more than any other brand - and was so surprised that ALL of the negative speak was TOTALLY wrong. This is because its hip to ridicule Pentax out there.

You can go on other brand sites, and if you say anything negative about a camera, or say anything positive about another brand, they'll shut down threads and kick you out. There's a little too much free speech on this forum for example. Perhaps we need some place on the forum where we can criticize the other brands, like they do to Pentax on the other sites. Plus a spot where Pentaxians can criticize Pentax and/or make suggestions. But this wholesale "Pentax is stupid" across the entire forum is getting out of hand.

I ain't saying we need to go "Full religious cult" like Nikon and Canon followers, and banish heretics for blasphemy against the Nikon and Canon gods. They can keep that wacky side of their camera-cult-worship for themselves - sorry, I worshiped Nikon like I was in a cult.

The problem in photography is camera worship. When you see those guys who worship their car brands, some of them are ready to have a fist fight. Its like a guy walking into a bar and asking which is better, Ford or Chevy, a fight breaks out and he sneaks off in his Chrysler or Toyota Prius.

We are into photography for the pleasure of capturing images - its an art form. Then why do so many behave like a bunch of drunken bar room brawlers.

Cheers I'll get to it after I clean up the kitchen. I just nuked a pasty in the microwave (accidently put it on for 10 minutes instead of 1 - it's a new unit). The pasty was turned to carbon.

Thats what you get for switching to Nikon - you lose the Pentax touch ! 2 x d800e's & 1x D810 ........ isn't that roughly equal to the cost of a 645D or Z full frame DSLR ?

[bossa]

Thanks PF for the article on why Pentax isn't Doomed, I think its much needed on this forum.

For me, I'm just a hobbyist and I started with a Nikon and was extremely disappointed after 1 year. I did a tiny amount of research, and then switched to a Sony, and it really reinvigorated me. I was stressed out about it thinking that Sony wasn't a "true photographic brand", but going back and trying out Canons and Nikons reassured me that I didn't make a mistake. For months I was ashamed to go out in public with the Sony, and let people see my camera had Sony written on it. But the Sony sensor shift was a huge leap over VR, and in a nutshell it was a good decision.

Since I started this hobby, I'd do a bit of research and I'd see Pentax images online, and they were really good. When I had the Sony, I got into researching cameras and lenses, and the Pentax K-5 just blew me away on image quality, plus many of the lenses. All I ever heard about Sony and Pentax was that they were no good. After I bought a Pentax, I was reinvigorated again by the glorious Pentax image quality.

So to me my top ten goes like this:

1. Pentax Image quality, its simply the best in an APS-C body. Yeah I know Fuji is really good also and is emulating film, but I crave colors - Pentax colors and accuracy !

2. Shake Reduction. Pentax shake reduction is the best stabilization system, because of all the feature sets (astrotracer, sensor leveling etc etc) - hands down. It may not be the fastest, but the multiple rolls it performs is phenomenal. Sensor shift is simply the best and most consistent. I pick up OIS camera, and get occasional blurry shots then have to do the
review-delete-shoot-again syndrome of OIS cameras.

3. Pentax lenses. Seriously some of the best lenses for APS-C, and most affordable. While everybody rags on Pentax lenses for reliability, lens rental data shows a similar trait across brands LensRentals.com - Lens Repair Data 4.0 . So no lens system is perfect, in fact none are perfect. As for the big two, they've got a huge range, but there are loads of duds in there - and Pentax has deleted lenses which were vastly superior !

4. Pentax weather sealing. This is the best weather sealing in PHOTOGRAPHY ! I've heard of people using big dollar gear and ruining it in the rain, because it was Nikon or Canon "Weather sealed".

5. User interface. This is the best user interface - period ! I've tried the others, and the logic and flow of shooting on Pentax is a delight, and a photographers camera. The others have buttons and dials all over the place, and Graphical User Interfaces that sap RAM, and slow down the camera causing glitches.

6. Price. You are getting value for money with Pentax, end of story.

7. Operating system. The least operational glitches. I have had two glitches on my K-5 in 2 years. My Nikon had constant shooting glitches. My Sony's heavy GUI was often sluggish, and there were times where the OS din't know what the mode dial was set to, and it was doing its own thing. Plus the Nikon and Sony didn't like the heat, causing OS glitches.

8. Size. Pentax cameras are small and compact compared to the competition, and it looks like Pentax will continue miniaturizing their products. I sometimes go and try out the other brands, and find their big clunky cameras heavy, sprawled with buttons that make no sense or logic.

9. Pentax compact lenses. What can you say about the DA and FA limiteds ! Though I do not own any yet, they're world class lenses. I took a look at Leica at a store, and THATS what they're doing too, tiny high quality optics. Not these big clunky coffee mug lenses (I can't believe they make coffee mug replica lenses !).

10. Lens compatibility. Primes and older lenses have stabilization. Pentax bodies have screw drive. Certain DA lenses will work on 35mm.

(11. Pentax auto focusing works very well, but needs some improvement on certain lenses)

Pentax has so much going for it, and is not doomed. The biggest obstacle for Pentax are the people who have spread all kinds of negative stories about the brand and the cameras and lenses. When I first got into this hobby, everywhere you go and everywhere you read, there's negative talk. I personally put Pentax under so much scrutiny - more than any other brand - and was so surprised that ALL of the negative speak was TOTALLY wrong. This is because its hip to ridicule Pentax out there.

You can go on other brand sites, and if you say anything negative about a camera, or say anything positive about another brand, they'll shut down threads and kick you out. There's a little too much free speech on this forum for example. Perhaps we need some place on the forum where we can criticize the other brands, like they do to Pentax on the other sites. Plus a spot where Pentaxians can criticize Pentax and/or make suggestions. But this wholesale "Pentax is stupid" across the entire forum is getting out of hand.

I ain't saying we need to go "Full religious cult" like Nikon and Canon followers, and banish heretics for blasphemy against the Nikon and Canon gods. They can keep that wacky side of their camera-cult-worship for themselves - sorry, I worshiped Nikon like I was in a cult.

The problem in photography is camera worship. When you see those guys who worship their car brands, some of them are ready to have a fist fight. Its like a guy walking into a bar and asking which is better, Ford or Chevy, a fight breaks out and he sneaks off in his Chrysler or Toyota Prius.

We are into photography for the pleasure of capturing images - its an art form. Then why do so many behave like a bunch of drunken bar room brawlers.



Thats what you get for switching to Nikon - you lose the Pentax touch ! 2 x d800e's & 1x D810 ........ isn't that roughly equal to the cost of a 645D or Z full frame DSLR ?

I still have a K-5 and a K-1 so I haven't lost that Pentax touch. Perhaps you could define that for me while you're adding things up?

I was intending to sell one of my D800e's, but then I considered how much I'd lose against actually using it, so I decided to keep it.

PS: While we're adding things up; you do realize that, if you had broken that post of yours into 20 smaller ones, you would've increased your post count by up to 20% right?

[Rondec]

Pentax is just a brand. They make really good gear, but so do most of the other camera makers out there. Pentax's biggest problem now, is one of perception (that they are doomed) and a lack of advertising in the US. In Asia and Japan, I think they have a lot more solid presence -- even in parts of Europe.

Certainly one of the biggest things that lets me recommend cameras like the K30 or K50 is the fact that Pentax doesn't pull features from their lower end cameras to protect the higher end cameras. It allows a photographer to get something cheaper and still have a camera that gives them plenty of room for growth over time.

[Clavius]

I was stressed out about it thinking that Sony wasn't a "true photographic brand", but going back and trying out Canons and Nikons reassured me that I didn't make a mistake. For months I was ashamed to go out in public with the Sony, and let people see my camera had Sony written on it. But the Sony sensor shift was a huge leap over VR, and in a nutshell it was a good decision.

Pfff... I'll use a Casio or Holga in public if it suits me best.

I was shooting a borrowed Ricoh Diacord TLR a few months ago. The looks I got from people were priceless.

Why isn't Sony a true "photographic brand"? Because it doesn't have a history? Lets not care about history, but about the now. And in the now Sony is the most innovating photographic brand in existence. Not only by the camera gear they are releasing, but also by the sensors that are used in all latest and greatest cameras.

[Berned]

Thanks PF for the article on why Pentax isn't Doomed, I think its much needed on this forum.
.....
Thats what you get for switching to Nikon - you lose the Pentax touch ! 2 x d800e's & 1x D810 ........ isn't that roughly equal to the cost of a 645D or Z full frame DSLR ?

I absolutly agree to your "article". Head up! Only some big sharks will survive the global game and the brand Pentax will survive as a small but fine fish (brand) below the radar.

Get out and take your pics!!!

[Stavri]

I was given a Fujifilm finepix F710 a very long ago, from an relative who purchased it on a business trip to Japan for close to a grand, a 6.2 MP CCD sensor "enthusiast" point a shoot camera that show RAW. I absolutely loved it to bits, colors IQ, even construction was top quality. (lend it to a friend who lost it.) I think it might be time to reintroduce myself with the brand with and get X-T1 or X100T.

[Clavius]

I absolutly agree to your "article". Head up! Only some big sharks will survive the global game and the brand Pentax will survive as a small but fine fish (brand) below the radar.

Get out and take your pics!!!

Did you just describe Pentax as a bottom-feeder?!

[Berned]

Did you just describe Pentax as a bottom-feeder?!

LOL!

[johnmflores]

Did you just describe Pentax as a bottom-feeder?!

Sounded more like a Chilean sea bass.

[p38arover]

Personally I believe the age of consumerism will end within 20 years due to the degradation of the environment and the loss of precious "resources".

In 20 years, I'll very likely be dead so that won't be an issue for me.

---------- Post added 16th Sep 2014 at 22:22 ----------

Cheers I'll get to it after I clean up the kitchen. I just nuked a pasty in the microwave (accidently put it on for 10 minutes instead of 1 - it's a new unit). The pasty was turned to carbon.

What? The type of pastie that strippers wear?

After carrying the K-5 in my hand (with a safety wrist strap not a neck strap) every day for close on 7 weeks on a recent holiday, I'm not sure the small handgrip is an advantage. That camera became hard to hold after a while and I took to carrying by the lens.

[Berned]

Sounded more like a Chilean sea bass.

Hmm, with some potatoes and a glass of Welschriesling ...oh... I am affraid that I am not Ricoh..ufff .

[ogl]

Why Pentax isn't doomed, and how the Pentax system still holds 10 clear-cut advantages over the competition.

Read more on the PF homepage...

All chapters are debatable, to say honest.

[normhead]

All chapters are debatable, to say honest.

"The sky is blue " is debatable. "The earth is round" is debatable. For any statement, some one can debate it, and with sometimes quite convincing erroneous arguments. But then the best debaters, argue convincingly even knowing they are wrong. The goal of debate is to make a compelling case for an argument even if it's known to be wrong. Debaters like to win debates. What's true has nothing to do with it.

[Chris Mak]

Of course Pentax is not doomed, to actually have to come up with a story to prove they are not must be meant to divert the attention from the fact that Pentax is not exactly on a roll this Photokina either...
Look at the new Panasonic compact with 4/3 sensor and fast Leica zoom. Look at Samsung coming out of the blue with a 28mp apsc body and a 300mm/f2.8 lens!!!
I am sure that we all expected a little more from Pentax with the backing of Ricoh.

Chris

[Uluru]

..
Why isn't Sony a true "photographic brand"? Because it doesn't have a history? Lets not care about history, but about the now. And in the now Sony is the most innovating photographic brand in existence. Not only by the camera gear they are releasing, but also by the sensors that are used in all latest and greatest cameras.

Quite true. Without Sony, the entire imaging industry would collapse instantly.
That company has imposed itself and it is a driving force.