[clockwork247]

I admit it, first I only chose Pentax because I was sick of seeing people with Nikons, Canons, Olympus(es?/ies?) or Sony SLRs at every street corner! I wanted to stand out and be different. Now there were several not so well known brands around. Why did I go for Pentax and not, say Leica (other than because of the price of course!)? Well, weather proofing and toughness. I like things that last me a long time and Pentax has a reputation for having both very tough cameras and the best weatherproofing on the market. At last their lenses are often underrated, but I know that in the old days and now they make very good lenses. (I also saw a guy use a Pentax kit lens as a hammer to put a nail into a wall on youtube at some point... Yeah, Pentax users ARE different!) I then asked a friend to borow me an old Pentax of hers and fell in love. A few days later the Pentax K-7 came out and I bought it.

sony and oly are in the same boat as pentax, they don't hold a large market share of dslr, oly is in a weird boat with their 4/3 sensor.

[luke0622]

sony and oly are in the same boat as pentax, they don't hold a large market share of dslr, oly is in a weird boat with their 4/3 sensor.

I think Sony is going to be doing it big soon, even though I don't even consider to buy a Sony Alpha DSLR... let's see what they will replace Alpha 900 with, and if they can re-introduce some Minolta super telephoto lenses, Sony might be up to something......

this might be a little off the topic...

I think if Hoya is not going to fund Pentax what-so-ever, Panasonic should kill their Micro 4/3 system, and buy Pentax from Hoya, and start to developing with Leica, Pentax, Panasonic all together, that would be a sick idea(in a good way)!!!!!!!!

[Pauld]

When I bought my first dslr, *istDL, I was weighing the options between that and a D70. I talked to a photographer friend of mine who uses Nikon exclusively and he suggested going with the Pentax for some reason. What really made me decide with the Pentax was that at the time they were offering a $100 instant rebate. I made the right decision and can't see myself using anything but Pentax.

[einstrigger]

Let's see, I first purchased a Canon T1i, but couldn't justify the cost over the Pentax K-x. Then after hours and hours of back and forth research, I returned the Canon and bought the Pentax instead. The clincher was how Pentax offered two lenses with the K-x for the same price as the Canon T1i with just the single lens kit.

Later, i came to like being the minority in a sea of Canon and Nikon users. It's nice to think differently.

To that, someone once said, "If we all think alike, then no one thinks at all."

[RioRico]

I spent an inheritance 2.6 years ago. I'd shot many film cameras over the decades, and mostly Sony P&S's for the last decade, and was a bit prejudiced in favor of Sony and Oly and Nikon (in that order). But I'd asked myself, "What do I want to do that I can't do with what I have?" and the answer was superwide, superlong, and low light. Everybody has fast and long lenses; at the time only Pentax and Oly had *affordable* superwides, and m4/3 didn't appeal to me. So what drove me to Pentax was the DA10-17. (The rest of my first dSLR kit comprised the K20D, DA18-250, FA50/1.4, and AF360.)

Before spending that inheritance, I applied my systems-analysis training to research its expenditure. I looked agnostic-ally at all possibilities within my budget. I drew up charts of performance vs price comparisons, built spreadsheets, crunched numbers. I read zillions of technical reviews -- and I factored-in user ratings and reviews. I read too many comments from people dying to 'upgrade' from their current Canikonympus cams. I read many fewer such comments re: Pentax. I wanted something that I wouldn't feel impelled to 'upgrade' from anytime soon. In 55+years of shooting, I'd never used Pentax before. But in the cold analysis of a price-performance-satisfaction chart, Pentax won.

[Sideway]

I went into a store and played around with all the demo cameras they had to see how each one handled. That basically narrowed my choices down to Pentax and Nikon.

Then I searched online for the available lenses and found the pancakes and never looked back.

[clockwork247]

I spent an inheritance 2.6 years ago. I'd shot many film cameras over the decades, and mostly Sony P&S's for the last decade, and was a bit prejudiced in favor of Sony and Oly and Nikon (in that order). But I'd asked myself, "What do I want to do that I can't do with what I have?" and the answer was superwide, superlong, and low light. Everybody has fast and long lenses; at the time only Pentax and Oly had *affordable* superwides, and m4/3 didn't appeal to me. So what drove me to Pentax was the DA10-17. (The rest of my first dSLR kit comprised the K20D, DA18-250, FA50/1.4, and AF360.)

Before spending that inheritance, I applied my systems-analysis training to research its expenditure. I looked agnostic-ally at all possibilities within my budget. I drew up charts of performance vs price comparisons, built spreadsheets, crunched numbers. I read zillions of technical reviews -- and I factored-in user ratings and reviews. I read too many comments from people dying to 'upgrade' from their current Canikonympus cams. I read many fewer such comments re: Pentax. I wanted something that I wouldn't feel impelled to 'upgrade' from anytime soon. In 55+years of shooting, I'd never used Pentax before. But in the cold analysis of a price-performance-satisfaction chart, Pentax won.

i also went around, but decided on sony, one thing that struck me was "dam I can buy old minolta lens for cheap and slap on this suckka?", that one had me. Initially wanted a pentax k-x or k-r, but looking at the prices of prime lens, i realized I can't afford it (at the time i was looking, FA50 was going for 300, woowza).

Never considered canon, or nikon (didn't like the fact they don't have in body stablization).

My 1st DSLR wasn't a DSLR, it was the oly PL1 (EVIL camera), played with it and the micro 4/3 got on my nerve quick, decided right then and there i'm not gonna be happy with that kindda crop factor. moved to sony for another reason, they had a FF camera, i still have the option to go FF if i have the money. At the time I wanted the A33, but couldn't afford the dam thing (still can't now), so i went with the A330 as a stop gap, and I have to say, at high ISO it's kindda crap, but low ISO it's not too bad.

[TOUGEFC]

I chose Pentax because it was the brand of camera i learned with and loved (K1000 w/b&w film), and i like to be different from the sheep.

[kiwi_jono]

My switch came 3 years ago.
In the past I had shot Canon. AE1 and A1, before the autofocus. When Canon scrapped the
FD mount for the new one, I was completely put off.
I did invest in a scanner. But the time came that I felt digital was the way to go completely. I did all my research, and discovered that Pentax was the only system out there that could use ALL of their old glass.
I ordered the K10d sight unseen (no nearby dealer) and I know I made the right decision!
Tony

Wow! Almost exactly the same as me! Except I never had a A1. Loved my AE-1 Program but after Canon dropped FD support without so much as an adaptor it would take a lot to convince me to get a Canon again.

I chose a Pentax k-x because:

• history of lens compatibility
• In body SR
• Relatively small and light
• AA batteries
• Better usability and feel (than similar priced competition)

Lens backward compatibility is a big one for me because I would not be keen on buying lenses if the manufacture was likely to drop a mount.

Personally I was not looking for a "different" camera but a sensible one and I found that in my Pentax.

[Tommot1965]

I chose because of build quality of the K7 { I love mag alloy}....quite a fetish really

Pentax, I've known the Brand for years, I've never owned one before now, and truth be told I never realised that they had become a small player...years back they were huge.

small body, great features, good pricing.... what's not to like in a modern Pentax..I didn't buy it to be different...I bought because it offered me something I wanted...

[TaoMaas]

When I'd look at photo books or magazines, I'd look to see what kind of camera had been used to make the pics that I liked. Most times, it was Nikon or Pentax. In fairness, Leica was in there, too, but they cost more than my car at the time. I was shooting with a Yashica that had an M42 mount, so I started buying Pentax lenses for it. That was over 35 years ago. Pentax has never given me a serious reason to jump ship since. Oh sure...I've been tempted. I LOVED the feel of an Olympus OM-1 when the shutter fired...and I used to think that I needed a fast 80-200 lens (Pentax's was 50% higher than Nikon's), but when I looked at what it would cost to change systems vs what I'd gain, the numbers never added up. Now, I kinda like the fact that Pentax is a little rare. It wasn't always that way, but I have to admit that I like being a bit different.

[JHD]

I chose Pentax because I heard the company was doomed and I thought I could help save it.

[kiafrika]

I had and Pentax SLR with 3 or 4 old lenses (Pentax, Chinon).

I still looked at the Canon and Nikon, as well as Pentax. I tried them all and as it turned out I liked the feel of the Pentax in my hand (as I have small hands and its smaller size suited me).

[BirdDude007]

I grew up with Pentax, that is the only brand of camera my mom and pop used, I remember the large collection of equipment they had with all the lenses and flashes and accessories they had, that is when I became a shutterbug, I also remember back when I was like 10 or 12 years old and getting a chance to handle that ME for the first time(it was like sharing my first beer with my dad) this camera felt so huge in my hands, I went around for a few days taking pictures of this and that and everything else, then when I asked my dad if we could develop the film he told me there was no film on the camera.......I was devastated. Instead me let me shoot pictures with one of those old 110 cameras. I liked the little 110 but I made my mind up that I was going to get serious with cameras. My dad bought an ME super body and by that time he realised how serious I was about photography and so he let me have the old ME, I was in heaven. I used this camera all the way through high school on up into my 20s I collected bits of equipment here and there until I totally busted the ME to useless condition.
I then bought am ME super back in 88 and I still l have that body. Up until I around 2002 I used that camera but stopped using it since then. I have bought a P&S Optio S5i that still works even though I dont use it anymore because I couldnt stand the shutter lag, I then got a Canon elph that worked way faster on the shutter, in fact I still use the hell out of that camera, it is a big part of my camera bag still. I have nostalgically followed Pentax religiously over the years because it is more of a sentimental thing, I just recently got the K-x and just love it, it feel like a whole new world with all my old lenses, I think my ME Super is a little jealous, but it is sitting up on a shelf as a reminder of the good old days.
To me Pentax is value and reliability, I really never had issues with any of their equipment that was manufacturer fault.
~James

[Pellerin]

Build quality, weather sealing, SR in the house, K-mount (ability to use older lenses) etc...