Hi, I would like to know what makes a Pentax user. I thought it may be of interest to others as to why we ascribe to Pentax. Not in too technical terms but from a heart felt point of view. Maybe it was your first birthday present, memories of loved ones who snapped pictures that friends/relatives took or that Pentax was a more practical way forward in expressing the way you view your environment.

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Last edited by Snaffles; 03-20-2009 at 06:37 AM. Reason: Wording of thread was poorly constructed

[ftpaddict]

Hi, I would like 2 know,with a passion, WHY Pentax cameras are or appear never 2b amongst the winners in photo competitions. Take the mag Digital Camera's Potographer of the Year comp. Not one Pentax camera,let alone a lens, was used in any of the catagories of the entrants who won or placed.The shooters used either Canon or Nikon,oh one used a Hasslebald. What is the matter with Pentax. I cant accept the old acorn that Pentax users are getting a raw deal from the comp orginisers or they have a deal with these companies,if so then why isnt Pentax????? So come on all you Pentax shooters give me some logical reasons for staying with Pentax. Please no nostalgia. Cheers.

It all has to do with the reader base. I for one never read any photo mags because they're full of Canon and Nikon; hence the reader base and overwhelming participation of them like-minded sheep.

If you honestly think that using another brand of camera will make you a better photographer and it is not YOU who are ultimately responsible for the output of your camera, then by all means, do it. We wouldn't want to hold back your brilliance.

[stevebrot]

I guess the reason is that you haven't entered any of your pics!

Steve

[pw-pix]

I always strip the EXIF from the pictures I upload to Flickr, etc.
The brand of camera and lens is not important.

[Wheatfield]

Hi, I would like 2 know,with a passion, WHY Pentax cameras are or appear never 2b amongst the winners in photo competitions. Take the mag Digital Camera's Potographer of the Year comp. Not one Pentax camera,let alone a lens, was used in any of the catagories of the entrants who won or placed.The shooters used either Canon or Nikon,oh one used a Hasslebald. What is the matter with Pentax. I cant accept the old acorn that Pentax users are getting a raw deal from the comp orginisers or they have a deal with these companies,if so then why isnt Pentax????? So come on all you Pentax shooters give me some logical reasons for staying with Pentax. Please no nostalgia. Cheers.

I'd like to know why you decided that an annoyingly big font was required.
To answer your question, I expect it comes down to a numbers game. Pentax has a very small % of the cameras in use, with the consequence that it is statistically unlikely that a Pentax camera user is going to win a contest.
If which brand of camera used to win contests is important to you, then by all means, follow your heart and buy into a different brand.
If your pictures are important to you, then stay with what you are using, or buy a different brand, it really doesn't make that much difference.
A Nikon or Canon will not make you a better photographer, it will just make you a wank with a Canon or Nikon rather than a wank with a Pentax.

[bwield]

Hi, I would like 2 know,with a passion, WHY Pentax cameras are or appear never 2b amongst the winners in photo competitions. Take the mag Digital Camera's Potographer of the Year comp. Not one Pentax camera,let alone a lens, was used in any of the catagories of the entrants who won or placed.The shooters used either Canon or Nikon,oh one used a Hasslebald. What is the matter with Pentax. I cant accept the old acorn that Pentax users are getting a raw deal from the comp orginisers or they have a deal with these companies,if so then why isnt Pentax????? So come on all you Pentax shooters give me some logical reasons for staying with Pentax. Please no nostalgia. Cheers.

A logical reason to stay with Pentax? ... Because you want too. I dont understand why people want to justify why they should stay with or swtich to a brand.
I think Wheatfield is probably right in that the number of Canon and Nikon users far outstrips pentax users. Does this mean Pentax cameras are terrible? I dont think so. But if you need a canon or nikon to win a contest then buy one. Why ask us for logical reasons to stay?

[redpigeons]

to me its like this
if you are a beginner and just want entry level camera and a kit lens
I would look at the very successful XSI (there is a reason why they are so popular)
Pentax starting to be a good option / even the best option when you are advance/ or a pro photographer
if you a travel shooter the weather resistant is the best you can get
if you use a lot of prime lenses Pentax have the best prime lenses around for the price and some would say best primes period.
but its is not for every one

both canon and Nikon had for couple of years now a very popular entry level series
they also have a better selection for amateur lenses. if you want to go pro with canon or nikon its going to cost you about twice the price of a Pentax.

the Pentax LTD lenses is something that no other brand can give you

Hi, Sorry for the bold red of Pentax,it was not intentional nor did I choose the colour red. As far as helpful content I found most of your remarks rather hostile and ,in the case of Wheatfield abusive. I was not intending to berate Pentax as I have excellent prime lenses by Pentax and find the pictures I take with them are of very good quality. By in large I feel that most of you have missed the point of my question apart from Redpigeons. I was under the impression that this would be a good topic for discussion rather than a slagging match. So can we start afresh and answer my question. Cheers

Hi, I have just refreshed this page and "suprise" the red bold print has vanished.

It's all about percentages, Pentax has a smaller user base than C&N. Then you can also take into account the large number of P&S entries that are entered into these contests.
Then you can take into account the other reasons given above. Then you can also take into account the possibility of a bias amongst the judging panel, some of them maybe sponsored by C&orNorSony.
Then you can take into account that some people may think you a Troll.

I don't see how Pentax poor showing in contests should be affecting your decision to stick with Pentax. The photographer wins the prizes not the camera. Have you entered any contests with your Pentax? If you didn't win, did you think you might have if you had a different brand of camera?Why did you buy a Pentax in the first place?

Your question seems very naive (or Trollish).

If you had not included the last two sentences, you would not have received hostile responses.

BTW, my comments above should not be considered hostile, I am merely pointing out what others will be thinking.

[Marc Langille]

Second richest photo competition in the world (total prize list $100,000). I shot with Canon and Pentax. My Pentax images placed higher...

These are my placings in the competition:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/37654-pentax-takes-1st-2...ges-total.html

Official results on the website:
http://valleylandfund.com/cgi-bin/photos/photos.cgi?db=default&uid=default&v...arc%20Langille

Regards,
Marc

[creampuff]

Snaffles, do a search on this forum first.

My good friend beat thousands of submissions from other makes to win last year's Singapore Young Photographer of the Year award.
He got prize money, got interviewed in the local press, got featured in a bunch of local photography magazines and had his works displayed.
He was using PENTAX, specifically the K100D then.

[PentaxPoke]

Second richest photo competition in the world (total prize list $100,000). I shot with Canon and Pentax. My Pentax images placed higher...

These are my placings in the competition:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/37654-pentax-takes-1st-2...ges-total.html

Official results on the website:
Valley Land Fund Contest Winner

Regards,
Marc

Hmmm snaffles, kind of shoots down your theory huh? (I smell a troll)

Thanx for your reply Damn Brit. Perhaps my question appears 2b blunt it was not my intention 2 upset any one. My frustration is with the comp runners who seem to have an issue with Pentax users,perhaps at the end of the day it's 4 the money+promo. I am a happy snapper + have entered contests, it 's not sour grapes. But frustration that it is evdent that Pentax users appear not 2 have a look in these days. I have seen a lot of quality pics from Pentax users,that would give C&N users a run 4 their money, on this site,Photocamel,Deviant Art and Flickr. I am confident taking pics with my Pentax cams+lenses and get a healthy response from the public.

You've got some beautiful shots Marc