[monochrome]

And if my pics look so good, does that not make me the better photographer? Because I did it with a mere Pentax?

Not because it was a mere Pentax. But you are probably a better photographer regardless.

[Prakticant]

I believe Olympus was No 4 those times.
Other brands like Yashica, Contax also to be considered up the ladder of SLRs.

-----

Once Minolta had the Maxxum in the mid-80s, the big three brands were established.

[kadajawi]

People buy Porsches but the speed limit is still 70.

For Americans perhaps Can you spell Autobahn? Oh Germany, land of the free (driving underpowered eco hatches at speeds illegal in most other countries).

Where do you guys keep running into brand snobs? I never do...

I don't think you can say the camera doesn't matter. It does, to a certain degree. It doesn't matter as far as composition goes, but lighting... some flash systems are better than others, and having good low light performance can help getting a shot that you would otherwise have to lit up artificially. A good camera can make things easier for you (good, easy to use controls, or useful features, ...), or helps you reach the highest possible resolution. If the camera wouldn't matter, pros would run around with EOS 1100Ds. A 7D, or 5D/1D will save them time, effort, and get somewhat better quality, and it will survive all the abuse you could throw at them.

It's simply somewhere in the middle.

[hjoseph7]

For the past 25 years or longer when it comes to photography equipment it been Canon/Nikon. Some people don't even know about other brands believe it or not. Canon and Nikon also have huge advertising budgets. If you ever look in the back of a photography magazine it is kind of tough to find the name Pentax. I used both Canon and Nikon cameras in the past, but I also used Minolta, Olympus and Pentax cameras. One thing that hurt Pentax was jumping on the digital bandwagon a little late. I think even financially pressed Olympus was faster to the gate. However Pentax is making a strong come back starting with the K- series of digital cameras and their limited lenses. I hope they keep it up so they can get a bigger piece of the pie. Me myself I got over that brand-loyalty stuff a long time ago. I just buy the equipment that better fits my needs, who cares what the Pros think...

[Canada_Rockies]

One of the main reasons I have stayed with Pentax since 1961 is that I never had to buy a whole system at once when the mount changed. When my original 1957 Asahi Pentax shutters wore out, I bought a used KX with a 55/1.8 on it. The original complete with Takumar 55/2.2 preset was traded a couple of years later to a collector for an M 135/3.5. I was in a local historical park one day, and saw a gentleman with two Pentaxes, a Spotmatic F and a KX like mine. He was using the Spottie to use his long lens in screw mount. As I didn't need it any more, I sold him my Mount adaptor K on the spot. And, yes, that was stupid because I now have a 55/1.8 S-M-C Takumar and had to buy a new Mount Adaptor K to use it.

Minolta and Canon both screwed their "loyal" users when they changed mounts and made them buy whole new kits. No upgrade path.

[Stavri]

One of the main reasons I have stayed with Pentax since 1961 is that I never had to buy a whole system at once when the mount changed. When my original 1957 Asahi Pentax shutters wore out, I bought a used KX with a 55/1.8 on it. The original complete with Takumar 55/2.2 preset was traded a couple of years later to a collector for an M 135/3.5. I was in a local historical park one day, and saw a gentleman with two Pentaxes, a Spotmatic F and a KX like mine. He was using the Spottie to use his long lens in screw mount. As I didn't need it any more, I sold him my Mount adaptor K on the spot. And, yes, that was stupid because I now have a 55/1.8 S-M-C Takumar and had to buy a new Mount Adaptor K to use it.

Minolta and Canon both screwed their "loyal" users when they changed mounts and made them buy whole new kits. No upgrade path.

They wanted Focus by wire for the video shooters...that's how they justified the act of screwing their customers....Sony's plans to abandon their Alpha mount (not a speculation btw, they're pulling the plug) is despicable, I once looked at the a900 and a99 with admiration, now the whole system reeks of decay.

[kadajawi]

They wanted Focus by wire for the video shooters...that's how they justified the act of screwing their customers....Sony's plans to abandon their Alpha mount (not a speculation btw, they're pulling the plug) is despicable, I once looked at the a900 and a99 with admiration, now the whole system reeks of decay.

Focus by wire for video shooters? Video shooters like to shoot ancient MF lenses (or new MF lenses that are ridiculously expensive). Or do you mean wired and wireless follow focus systems? They are usually based around manual focus lenses, with an attachment that has a motor that is able to turn the focus ring. Then the focus puller has a device in his hand he can turn in order to turn the focus ring without touching the camera.

Focus by wire seems to be more used in order to reduce the size and weight of lenses, or to enable a lens to have a very short throw (for the AF motor) with a long throw for MF usage. Just look how fast say the 18-55 focuses compared to the 50 1.8, and how much more noisy the latter is. That lens is good for manual focusing, the 18-55 is good for auto focusing. And many AF lenses are also not MFable without disengaging the motor... while that can be done (my 18-55 for example) it costs more. Focus by wire just seems more cost effective.

[Dlanor Sekao]

Only place I run into "Brand Snobs" seems to be at the Grand Canyon (they Flock There).....the last "Snob" was a German tourist that informed me only a Leica M something could capture images to his standard and quite frankly Shit on me from on High because I was somehow in his way even though I had been set up for 3 hrs before he even got there. I was also advised that with my current Pentax gear was most likely very incapable of getting any good images anyway so maybe I could just move on ? Haha.....I MOVED for him !
Little did he know I was after a Squirrel that always came about the same time every day and I had always met it there with Pistachio's every afternoon and was just killing time.
The Haze and particulates were horrifying that day and NOBODY was getting any good pics in the early evening of the Canyon no matter what they were shooting. I fed the Squirrel and his buddy and didn't get a single shot ...... the Leica touting German left 20 minutes too early and missed the most beautiful sunset I saw in a long time......I quickly re-set and got a half dozen amazing images.
I could care less what he thought and when I ran into him again there was about 10 people around my dinner table looking at the "Wave" and "White Pocket" while I was processing images on a laptop with Wow's, Oohh's , and Ahh's , and lots of questions....... and none around his......I just smiled.
Think he realized he stepped on his "Ding" really bad when he overheard us making plans for the next day for several people to go with me to "White Pocket" with a couple new found friends ............all for free !
Offered to have him come along with us but for some strange reason I guess his Leica just couldn't make it....lol.
I meet Soooo many friendly people from all over the world....all we can do is be kind to the "Uneducated" and "Opinionated"....and let our amazing images speak for us instead !
I meet Brand Snobs....They ALL carry Leica ! Was he a "Pro"..... YES.....he was a Professional Jerk and he did have a Nikon also but wasn't touting "Its" virtues !
I meet a lot of Tourists from Japan and China.....My Pentax always gets the nod and a big smile !

[Tony Belding]

Focus by wire just seems more cost effective.

My focus-by-wire experience with my Olympus OM-D system has been horrible. Maybe some other company has done it right, I dunno.

[kadajawi]

My focus-by-wire experience with my Olympus OM-D system has been horrible. Maybe some other company has done it right, I dunno.

I'm not saying focus by wire is good. I'm just saying don't blame the video folks Maybe the ones who want a consumer video camera with AF, I don't know, maybe then there are advantages. But on the more ambitious/professional side of things MF is what people want.

Funny, I spoke to a Leica photog once, and he had nothing but praise for Pentax (IIRC).

[Stavri]

I meet Soooo many friendly people from all over the world....all we can do is be kind to the "Uneducated" and "Opinionated"....and let our amazing images speak for us instead !

I loved this part, I'll put it on my signature to remind myself to be patient when dealing with "difficult" people....

[Canada_Rockies]

Sometimes the German way of expressing things sounds harsh, but Germans are just like the rest of us otherwise. After they have been in another country and learn how we speak, they tone down. In German everything is declarative, even an opinion and meant as an opinion. It is a cultural bias.

That said, there are brand snobs out there by the dozen. In the photo class I used to give I took sample images and a box full of cameras and lenses. One of the images that garnered the best comments was never paired with the camera that actually took it by those who were viewing it. My wife, who has a better eye than I have for a potentially beautiful image, took it with an old camera with one shutter speed, no meter and a single focal length lens. It set my students up for the rest of the course, because I don't care what brand or model you are using; all I care about is the image you are capturing. The only recommendation I ever stress is that your camera should have a viewfinder. Holding a camera (or phone) at arms length is not the easiest way to get the framing right.

[Stavri]

My wife, who has a better eye than I have for a potentially beautiful image, took it with an old camera with one shutter speed, no meter and a single focal length lens.

Although I'm the more technically inclined, I often feel my wife's eye for composition is superior to mine. I don't know what it is, but she can get so much out a the kit lens and the K20D it makes me often jealous. I used to intentionally give her the least performing setup (she's handled a prime very few times), underestimating her needs and skill and she consistently produced exceptional photographs.

[redrockcoulee]

I have never experienced negative comments about using Pentax equipment. Some shared memories but not as many as when I am using the Hasselblad.

If some pro did come up to me and put down using Pentax I guess I would just put the Pentax away and pull out one of the Holgas. Laugh at my Holga I will pull out the 11X17 inch Iams cat food tin pinhole camera and make fun of their minature sensor.

As far as wifes go, mine is a trained artist, primarily a printmake but also taught fundamentals, drawing and painting. I am a much better artist because of her.I sometimes have to help her with the technical aspects but that is mostly as she is not interested in learning some thing new until she needs to do that thing which is using out in the field, high winds, fading light and we are far from the car. But I need to be nice to her as its her IAMS tin can camera and mostly her Holgas.

[monochrome]

Nearly all of our friends are older then we are - they're 65-75 - and by definition more accomplished in nearly everything we and they do. When criticizing my hobby (gently) my wife often points to a woman who has been shooting her entire adult life (it seems since the camera obscura) and would shame a large proportion of paid professionals if images were compared one-up. All my wife needs to say is, "Mary takes good photographs."

FWIW, Mary thinks it is cool that I have Pentax cameras and old lenses to go with my new stuff.

Done and Done.