[voyager13]

Hi guys,

You may or may not have noticed that the world loves Canon/Nikon, or so it gives the impression to me. I find work posted by those two brands all over the internet. Kelby training, Lynda.com and many more do trainings about Canon and Nikon products, but not Pentax. I know that Pentax is no less, just maybe the range of products may not be as much as the big two, but with Sigma,Tamron, Samyang etc offering quality lenses for Pentax there shouldn't be a shortage of images on the web. But that's not the case, or am I missing something?
Is it the marketing game that is being played? or is there more to it?

[Adam]

Hi guys,

You may or may not have noticed that the world loves Canon/Nikon, or so it gives the impression to me. I find work posted by those two brands all over the internet. Kelby training, Lynda.com and many more do trainings about Canon and Nikon products, but not Pentax. I know that Pentax is no less, just maybe the range of products may not be as much as the big two, but with Sigma,Tamron, Samyang etc offering quality lenses for Pentax there shouldn't be a shortage of images on the web. But that's not the case, or am I missing something?
Is it the marketing game that is being played? or is there more to it?

Pentax Imaging is a much smaller than both Canon and Nikon, and the two other brands both offer much more comprehensive product lineups today. There are many factors that come into play, though, and I think you have to look back several decades (to the bayonet and early AF film era) to see what pushed Canon and Nikon ahead of Pentax.

[cali92rs]

$$$ = exposure.
Canon and Nikon have a much larger piece of the pie. Those are the cameras that you see on the sidelines of major sporting events and around the necks of the majority of tourists.
If a course was offered that used Pentax gear, the number of potential students would be much less than those that catered to canon/Nikon users.
Even prominent lens manufactures such as voigtlander, zeiss and tokina have stopped producing lenses for Pentax. Those companies are in the business of making money, not supporting underdogs for sentimental purposes.

[alamo5000]

Pentax Imaging is a much smaller than both Canon and Nikon, and the two other brands both offer much more comprehensive product lineups today. There are many factors that come into play, though, and I think you have to look back several decades (to the bayonet and early AF film era) to see what pushed Canon and Nikon ahead of Pentax.

I would be curious to know the history there. Was Pentax simply not jumping on board for digital or what? They had a long fall from glory... I would be curious about the history there.

[Adam]

I would be curious to know the history there. Was Pentax simply not jumping on board for digital or what? They had a long fall from glory... I would be curious about the history there.

First off, Pentax's first attempt at AF was a failure (the ME F), and by the time they came out with a new AF type in 1989, Canon and Nikon had already established their own systems. Similarly, Pentax was a bit late to the game with their bayonet lineup (the K mount), as Nikon came out with the F in 1959, just 5 years after the Asahiflex and 2 years after the Asahi Pentax. Pentax's bayonet system didn't come out until the 70's.

[voyager13]

First off, Pentax's first attempt at AF was a failure (the ME F), and by the time they came out with a new AF type in 1989, Canon and Nikon had already established their own systems. Similarly, Pentax was a bit late to the game with their bayonet lineup (the K mount), as Nikon came out with the F in 1959, just 5 years after the Asahiflex and 2 years after the Asahi Pentax. Pentax's bayonet system didn't come out until the 70's.

...and now the FF is taking ages for Pentax when the big two are already bringing them out like candies!!!

Anyway, guys, have a look at my photos all taken with Pentax cameras(200D, K-x, K-7) here Pixu.com - World's best photos
Again proves the point that Pentax isn't any less, but why am I keeping on saying that?

[LeDave]

Pentax doesn't have the money to do both mass marketing and heavy R&D for lenses and cameras at the same time. That's why they hardly ever do any marketing at all to favor the most important thing of all, R&D. However I see it is improving as I've gotten some banners in the mail from them teaming up with my local National Camera Exchange stores with only Pentax gear listed on it. I think it is a good thing Ricoh bought out Pentax as this is going to improve as the banners are a step forward for small marketing improvements. As far as R&D, the K-5iis is a very impressive improvement over the already top APS-C K-5, the minimal amount of moire on top of increased sharpness from removing an AA filter is amazing. I am hoping they announce at least 1 Limited WR and a FF in the near future, possibly 1-2 years although I already consider like many with the 100 Macro WR being a Limited, but something compact would be nice. Though I don't need a FF and probably won't for another several years, it'd be great to see them be able to put one out just to show they can do it to keep up with the Canikony cameras as well as seeing the fast development of a cheap FF going to almost certainly be the future.

[siamthai]

"Pentax, what's that?" Hardly anyone have heard of Pentax and have no idea what Pentax is. The only Pentax you find where I live is Pentax birding Spotting Scopes and binoculars. Not DSLR or other cameras. When people are looking for DSLR it's only Canon, Nikon, Sony, Samsung, brands that are known.

I bought my first Pentax (a K-7) five years ago and I have still never seen anyone else with a Pentax. It's a little bit sad because Pentax are so good.

[p38arover]

I see very few Pentaxes although the president of the camera club I'm in has a K-7 plus lots of older Pentax stuff.

I started in 1968 with a Spotmatic, then a SF-X (aka SF1) in '89, a *istD in 2007, a K100D in 2011, a K-7 in 2012, and a Q a few weeks back.

However, I also bought this older Pentax a few months back:

[VisualDarkness]

"Pentax, what's that?" Hardly anyone have heard of Pentax and have no idea what Pentax is. The only Pentax you find where I live is Pentax birding Spotting Scopes and binoculars. Not DSLR or other cameras. When people are looking for DSLR it's only Canon, Nikon, Sony, Samsung, brands that are known.

I bought my first Pentax (a K-7) five years ago and I have still never seen anyone else with a Pentax. It's a little bit sad because Pentax are so good.

I also though that me and my brother were to only Pentaxians around here but not so long ago I met two(!) K-7 owners were one worked at a place where they had a K-5 for the office stuff. Guess if I was surprised when a person out pretty much out of nowhere asked me "is that the 300mm f4" that I had hanging on the side in slang strap?

[magkelly]

For what it's worth I do think the Pentax camera market share is increasing. When I first joined a couple of camera clubs and started taking the odd non-degree photography course at my local junior college/community art center I was the only Pentax shooter save for one teacher who shot Nikon and Pentax. There were like two guys in the photo groups. Pentax people were really scarce on the ground and I got more derogatory/condescending comments because I was shooting Pentax. Flash forward 6 years and there are now several Pentax shooters in the various photo groups, no one snarks at me for using Pentax cameras and I'm actually in a position where several of the Canon/Nikon crew have expressed admiration of what I can do with my K-x. One guy he recently admitted that it completely blows his mind that I do the work that I do with an entry level Pentax DSLR.

Bottom line when it comes down to it the camera is only a tool no matter who makes it. Put the best glass you can afford on it. Learn to use it, to really get the most out of it and it doesn't really matter all that much what brand it is.

Yeah, there are some things I wouldn't do with my K-x, like try to photograph people doing fast moving sports or make a photograph that's going to be made into a billboard. But otherwise? My K-x is actually capable of a lot more than most people think. I still badly want a K-30 or a K-5II, but likely I'll end up with a used K5 at some point because I do want a bit more capacity than my K-x can give me and the WR but I can still use my K-x for a lot and do professional work with it and that says a lot to me about the quality of Pentax gear. Most of the Nikon and Canon guys I've met would not attempt to do some of what I do with my K-x. But I can and I do.

The praise is grudging. They really don't like admitting that I can get this much out of what they consider an inferior camera but in the end I won their respect and I made a few people in our group think twice about the brand. There are at least 5 people now that have K-r's, K-5's or K-7's in these groups because of me and I'm very proud of that. In my own small way I've been an ambassador of sorts for Pentax and I will continue to be for as long as I shoot. I will also continue to use their gear both for my own stuff and in my work and believe me I would not do that if I didn't think they made gear worth using.

I'm not saying I will never shoot anything else. (I do in fact shoot an Oly M43 mount now.) I might well have to go Nikon or Canon if I ever go full frame for a job but my first love and my main gear kit will always be Pentax. Anything else is just 2nd string stuff so far as I am concerned. Useful, fun, whatever, but I'm a hard line Pentaxian and there is just no changing that fact. Nikon or Canon could come to me tomorrow and offer me a full kit of their top gear in exchange for leaving Pentax completely and I'd say "No, thanks."

[boriscleto]

First off, Pentax's first attempt at AF was a failure (the ME F), and by the time they came out with a new AF type in 1989, Canon and Nikon had already established their own systems. Similarly, Pentax was a bit late to the game with their bayonet lineup (the K mount), as Nikon came out with the F in 1959, just 5 years after the Asahiflex and 2 years after the Asahi Pentax. Pentax's bayonet system didn't come out until the 70's.

Almost right. The SF1 came out in 1987, the SF1n came out in 1989. The PZ-1 and the FA series were introduced in 1991.

The SF1 was even somewhat innovative in '87, it was the first SLR to have a built in flash. Minolta was able to beat everyone to market with a workable AF system because they simply stole it from Honeywell, everyone else had to play catch-up.

[boriscleto]

I would be curious to know the history there. Was Pentax simply not jumping on board for digital or what? They had a long fall from glory... I would be curious about the history there.

Pentax got a late start on the DSLR market. Nikon introduced the first affordable DSLR in 1999, before that you only had Kodak converted Nikon bodies that retailed for tens of thousands of dollars. Pentax didn't have a DSLR until 2003 a year after Nikon introduced the D100 and three years after Canon introduced the EOS D30.

[siamthai]

I also though that me and my brother were to only Pentaxians around here but not so long ago I met two(!) K-7 owners were one worked at a place where they had a K-5 for the office stuff. Guess if I was surprised when a person out pretty much out of nowhere asked me "is that the 300mm f4" that I had hanging on the side in slang strap?

That's nice to know I hope more and more people will discover the Pentax DSLR.

[VisualDarkness]

That's nice to know I hope more and more people will discover the Pentax DSLR.

Yeah, it's one person here from Surahammar,I know persons who knows persons who know him typically Surahammar, and one man from Hallstahammar. :P

You are at least spreading Pentax gear around you here!