[Ex Finn.]

Video in a DSLR is a bonus and nice to have, but for shooting for real, I prefer a camcorder.
So, not planning to leave. Happy with focus speed, SDM, weather sealing, high ISO noise and ergonomics and the cost, Pentax rock`s.

Cheers, Mike.

For HD video that is "affordable", a C`non HF S10 comes to mind, they say it takes nice stills also

---

Last edited by Ex Finn.; 06-08-2010 at 04:14 PM.

[clark]

I'm not leaving Pentax. Why is it that people have a desire for an item that is designed to do one thing extremely well do something else also. I want my camera designed for one purpose. I want it to be capable of better photographs than my poor talent allows so that I know what I'm getting is the best I can get. I don't want my DSLR to be a video camera, a Barbie Doll size laptop with 47 million aps, able to make phone calls or have a built in defibrillator! I want it to take photographs. Period.

CW

on the contrary, my iphone replaced an entire bag full of ipod's, psp's, diaries, and other rubbish

I currently shoot with a very old pentax ist dl, and occasionally a k1000 film camera- no new feature on any pentax SLR have ever prompted me to upgrade, i'm perfectly happy with where I am- but i'm getting seriously into videography now, and plan on investing in my own camera, an SLR is the clear choice for me, but the kx or the k7 don't do what I want right now so I have canon or panasonic to go to, but I still love shooting pentax m, so I would love love the k8 to be all I want for video and stills, I like the idea of carrying one device to do both (and do both well)


I actually think it's unfortunate that SLR's are so good at video, because (and I do truly feel for you photographers), I feel that video capabilities (whether people use it for true cinematic experiences, or just to waste it shooting hours and hours of useless footage) has become the norm to the point where autofocus improvements, or FF sensor, have to be put on hold for improvements to video
but pentax 'should' have done a leica and not touched video, but they did, and now they have to develop it

[DanWeso]

I have no need for video.

[Jasvox]

I disagree. If that is true, then why should we own a DSLR at all because a P&S is just as good? :

Apples and oranges between comparing image quality of a DSLR and a P&S than video of a dedicated HD camcorder versus a DSLR.

Sure, if you like showing off DOF effects ad nauseum, a DSLR may just be for you, but for general high quality HD (1080p) recording, I have seen some fantastic results out there for less than what a DSLR costs.

Jason

[dom777]

It´s not comparing apples and oranges at all. Let me try to explain:

A simple P&S lets you take beautiful pictures where nearly everything is in focus due to the tiny sensor. It won´t work well in lowlight, but in sunlight theres little to no chance you can screw up a picture you want to take. Still many many people have chosen to get a dslr maybe to get more artistic freedom, because now you can shoot beautiful lowlight with interchangeable lenses, can play with depth of field and so on. But the tradeoff is that in the first days/months, it is hard to get the settings right and you have so many things you can do to ruin the image you want to take.

If you agree on what I just said, you can transfer that nearly completely to video: sure you can get a camcorder with AF and stuff which will get you perfect and nice looking video. But you won´t get the look and freedom you get when using a dslr for video with all the lenses, the big sensor and amazing low light capabilities (come on, lowlight with most camcorders looks like crap). I agree on the part that a dedicated HD-camcorder may have a more "clean-looking" image due to the lack of moire, but that´s just one limitation you get with a dslr and I bet time will solve it. There are even tests out there showing that you could use a dslr to cut in between film-shots on a Kodak in 2k without much noticeable difference in the look. I don´t think you can tell that from any camcorder at all.

Oh and maybe someone could merge this thread with the "frustration with pentax"-thread, because I feel like these are nearly identical discussions with different people responding.

[Jasvox]

I am more than a little familiar with the size of the sensor and its attributes to IQ, but again, apples and oranges. Apples being freedom, quality, size, cost, end result....oranges being lenses, larger sensor, etc... My point is one doesn't do it all and those blaming Pentax or whatever on poor video are jumping ahead of what technology versus price can offer right now....or you could just get a 5DII and have more complete video capabilities while still preferring a DSLR as your medium.

Either way, time and tech advances will surely give those seeking very high quality, manually controlled video shooting DSLR, but right now, not there yet.

My opinion only and I am sure there are more than a few who will disagree with me, but that is expected.

[johnmflores]

John,

Poll results are easily skewed by improperly conducted polls. See National Council for Public Polls. In particular, your series of polls suffers from the following flaws at the very least:

1. Unscientific - the person self volunteer to participate
2. Questions must be fair, must not be or seem biased
3. Poll language should not sway the answers
4. There should be a balanced set of choices for answers

You may feel there is the possibility of comparing results, but realize you are comparing flawed results. Any conclusion you derive at are best unreliable, at worst meaningless.

Song,

Please look at these polls in the spirit in which they were intended. They are simply an attempt to quantify some of the criticisms that people in this forum are levying against Pentax. These are not thorough market surveys (I've done those). These are more like those situations where a bunch of people are in a room and the speaker says, "Show of hands, how many like x?" To say that that type of informal surveying is completely invalid because it doesn't follow the strict guidelines you are referring too is a bit black & white.

Should Pentax make marketing decisions based on the small sample size of this self-selected group? No way. Does is start to quantify some of the criticisms most-often raised here? I'd argue yes.

What's been surprising for me at least is, despite the bias of the premise - leaving the brand - a clear majority of people are saying that they are not going anywhere. This is very different than some of the doomsaying drumbeats that dominate some of the discussions here.

And what I've found most valuable is respondents talk about their own situation - their background, what gear they have, what kinds of photos they take, etc... - and how that leads to their own conclusions. It's about having the proper tools to fulfill a creative vision, after all, not predicting where the market should or shouldn't go.

[johnmflores]

Oh and maybe someone could merge this thread with the "frustration with pentax"-thread, because I feel like these are nearly identical discussions with different people responding.

Now may be a good time to restate that this poll was intended to be about you as a creative person and the tools that you need to fulfill a creative vision, not about discussing what a camera is or where the market or technology is going. As you suggest, there are many other threads for that.

I'd much rather hear stuff like, "I shoot bug macros and had no interest in video, and then I started playing around with the K-x. Now I'm hooked." or "As a pro, I'm getting more and more requests for video. It's helping me carve out a niche in a crowded market." etc...

Thanks for playing!

[patrickt]

I would leave Pentax if the camera operation suffers in any way from the addition of video. If I want video, I will get a video camera. I also don't want a cell phone in my camera, games that can be played on the LCD, or a voice recorder.

[Lowell Goudge]

I was about to start a thread / poll of my own

How long will we wait to see johnmflores banned, but I won;t go that far, yet.....

Like many others to me this seems like a deliberate trolling attempt, it does not offer anything constructive to the forums.

you do not even offer any indication of what you mean by improved in any of your posts. every camera pentax has released has been improved over the previous model it replaces, therefore exactly what are you looking for.

Let's stop the bashing for the same of bashing. Please

As for the performance of pentax products and thier limitations, I have identified, at least with my own photography the biggest limiting factor. The person behind the viewfinder, i.e. ME

[Wheatfield]

I would leave Pentax if the camera operation suffers in any way from the addition of video. If I want video, I will get a video camera. I also don't want a cell phone in my camera, games that can be played on the LCD, or a voice recorder.

What he said.

[stevewig]

What he said.

ditto

[JHD]

I bought a DSLR because I want to take high quality pictures. What has video to do with that?

If people want a video camera, they should buy a video camera. It seems to me photography is attracting a lot of people with marginal interest in picture taking because they want a flipping video camera.

If I was going to do a poll I would ask a more pertinent question like... 'How long will you wait for sun positioning remote control?' Man, if Pentax can't produce one by the end of the year, I'm dumping all my Pentax gear in the trash!

[TaoMaas]

I bought a DSLR because I want to take high quality pictures. What has video to do with that?

If people want a video camera, they should buy a video camera.

Many of us DID buy a video camera, but now that more and more manufacturers are offering HD video on their DSLRs, we'd like to see Pentax improve on that area so that we can carry one camera for two purposes.

It seems to me photography is attracting a lot of people with marginal interest in picture taking because they want a flipping video camera.

Oh, please! Our camera club has new members coming into it at every meeting. To my knowledge, not a single one of them joined as some kind of roundabout way to get into video.

[clark]

If people want a video camera, they should buy a video camera

why is everyone failing to realise that the reason I shoot video on an SLR as opposed to a camcorder is exactly the same reason I shoot stills on an SLR and not a point and shoot
i.e. I dont want it to be easy, I want it to be something where I get a quality result which came from months of practice and know how, something that impresses me


no one is saying that 6 years from now the k12d will have a mobile phone and a wifi hotspot generator, but why is everyone failing to see the similarities between still and moving images, a camera and a video camera are just light sensitive boxes, one takes a still frame, the other 24fps- the technology is exactly the same