[grhazelton]

We went to the Atlanta Zoo with the grandkids, one of our favorite jaunts. Other than the usual dismal run of Canikons I saw only one camera of interest, one of the lovely Fuji retro look cameras. Some poor sod using a Nikon with a sizeable zoom had his lens hood on, but in the stowed position. Wowzer. Nary a Pentax to be seen, let alone Sony or Olympus or anything else.

My brother was visiting and shot his little Kodak with the electronic viewfinder, 7.1 meg, 10 to 1 Schneider zoom. We loaded our shots into Lightroom and I must admit the little Kodak did a good job. Gotta get him into Elements or Picasa or some such, though.

[stevebrot]

I drive a Mazda 3 too.

I sold mine about 18 months ago and wish I had it back.


Steve

[stevebrot]

I have to take back my earlier comment on not having a recent sighting of Canon film cameras in the wild. Yesterday, I was asked to take a snapshot of a group of ladies at the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe. The lady handed me her Canon AE-1 Program (beautiful condition in black) and I did the shot for them. Nice camera.


Steve

[grhazelton]

I must like the underdog too. I choose Pentax for the colors, handling and features (any old glass fit without an adapter, in-body SR, etc.). I also prefer Mazda, even though Toyota (Canon) and Honda (Nikon) have a higher market share, who cares? Handling in a Mazda 3 or 5 is sporty; Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic, not so much.
Mazda: built for drivers.
Pentax: built for photographers :-D

Tell it! I have a 2010 Mazda3 Sport 5 door, 2.5 liter, 6 speed manual. It's a lot of fun! More road noise than I'd like, but the thing handles as if it were on rails. The big mouth looks better in darker colors, mine is red, and from the driver's seat the mouth can't be seen. I'm tempted to add some fangs. The 2014 model looks killer!

[Tonyr99]

Ok, that's it! Here's my 04 3

[grhazelton]

Ok, that's it! Here's my 04 3

Excellent! Great color, and I like the coordination with the young lady's top. My brother rented a Mazda3 which he and I drove from Pittsburgh to D.C. We were both greatly impressed. He then bought a Mazda3 5 door sport, a 07 I think, and I bought my red '10 6 speed manual 5 door with the 2.5. Such fun on the twisties!

[grhazelton]

The latest Consumer Reports magazine had a small listing of DSLR camera ratings... Pentax K-30 and K-5 were at the bottom. A Canon T3 (the plain old T3 not T3i) was even above the Pentax cameras in the lineup.

Not sure how they tested those, but it does seem to show the common view of Pentax SLR cameras.

Back in the day CR tested and panned the Rollei 44, sales of which tanked. That little cutie has since attained cult status. Too bad 127 film is so hard to find. After that I gave up on any reliance on CR's photo testing.

Same sort of thing with stereo gear, which in addition to objective measurements, which CR doesn't present in graphs, tables, etc, which would be the scientific way, has a strong subjective element, especially speakers and vinyl pickups - remember those? So, I read all such reviews with bemused wonder and amusement. But then a lot of the reviews in The Absolute Sound and to a lesser degree Stereophile also rely on squishy language - "velvety, chocolately background" - although they do have some hard data. Please, don't start me on the "sound" of interconnects...!

[dubiousone]

LOL,
I've heard Canon and Nikon 'won' the advertising war. Perhaps that's true. Another way to look at it is there's more for the rest of us!

I've only recently acquired a Pentax DSLR, today as a matter of fact, a matter of the right PRICE at the right time and I'm in love! I've been looking for a less expensive DSLR for those situations I would be reluctant to take a more expensive camera and a used K100DS at $150 fit that bill rather nicely!

I've always had a soft spot for Pentax, my earliest camera was a rather annoying fugica-mamiyamat-something or other, I don't remember the brand but it was just what a teenager who made a buck ten an hour bussing tables (not including tips) could afford. I do remember it didn't have an automatic return mirror...you had to cock the shutter to get the mirror down! So I saved those tips and bought a Mamiya because I couldn't quite afford that Pentax I lusted for (got that about 40 years later, BTW) Later it was Canon. Then, I went to a Powershot which was fine because I was more into snapshots than photography.

I finally dived into DSLR's and back into photography. I forgot how much FUN it is! I can tell you that the 'big box' stores seem to feature Nikon or Canon. Usually those models that...well, you know. They're good cameras but the market drives the features and the price perhaps. Those that appreciate the features that a professional grade camera has (and I'm not one of those) probably prefer different models than what's in those big box stores and I really don't know why Pentax isn't better represented.

I CAN tell you that around these parts in central AZ Nikon and Canon are very common. No one seems to carry Pentax. I wonder why because my first Pentax DSLR is a BEAUTIFUL camera and one I believe will give me very long service and complement my D50. In fact, after only a couple dozen shutter actuations I am now second-guessing what I thought would be my next camera, D300/D7000 or maybe...

[kadajawi]

LOL,
I've heard Canon and Nikon 'won' the advertising war. Perhaps that's true. Another way to look at it is there's more for the rest of us!

I've only recently acquired a Pentax DSLR, today as a matter of fact, a matter of the right PRICE at the right time and I'm in love! I've been looking for a less expensive DSLR for those situations I would be reluctant to take a more expensive camera and a used K100DS at $150 fit that bill rather nicely!

I've always had a soft spot for Pentax, my earliest camera was a rather annoying fugica-mamiyamat-something or other, I don't remember the brand but it was just what a teenager who made a buck ten an hour bussing tables (not including tips) could afford. I do remember it didn't have an automatic return mirror...you had to cock the shutter to get the mirror down! So I saved those tips and bought a Mamiya because I couldn't quite afford that Pentax I lusted for (got that about 40 years later, BTW) Later it was Canon. Then, I went to a Powershot which was fine because I was more into snapshots than photography.

I finally dived into DSLR's and back into photography. I forgot how much FUN it is! I can tell you that the 'big box' stores seem to feature Nikon or Canon. Usually those models that...well, you know. They're good cameras but the market drives the features and the price perhaps. Those that appreciate the features that a professional grade camera has (and I'm not one of those) probably prefer different models than what's in those big box stores and I really don't know why Pentax isn't better represented.

I CAN tell you that around these parts in central AZ Nikon and Canon are very common. No one seems to carry Pentax. I wonder why because my first Pentax DSLR is a BEAUTIFUL camera and one I believe will give me very long service and complement my D50. In fact, after only a couple dozen shutter actuations I am now second-guessing what I thought would be my next camera, D300/D7000 or maybe...

Wait a moment. You've got a D50, and bought a K100DS to complement it when you don't want to carry your expensive camera? I've used the successor of the D50... the D40x well, I had to cause my *istDs finally gave up, but the D40x was no match even to that ancient Pentax. Your K100 is way ahead of the D50...

[tim60]

LOL,
I've heard Canon and Nikon 'won' the advertising war. Perhaps that's true. Another way to look at it is there's more for the rest of us!

I've only recently acquired a Pentax DSLR, today as a matter of fact, a matter of the right PRICE at the right time and I'm in love! I've been looking for a less expensive DSLR for those situations I would be reluctant to take a more expensive camera and a used K100DS at $150 fit that bill rather nicely!

I've always had a soft spot for Pentax, my earliest camera was a rather annoying fugica-mamiyamat-something or other, I don't remember the brand but it was just what a teenager who made a buck ten an hour bussing tables (not including tips) could afford. I do remember it didn't have an automatic return mirror...you had to cock the shutter to get the mirror down! So I saved those tips and bought a Mamiya because I couldn't quite afford that Pentax I lusted for (got that about 40 years later, BTW) Later it was Canon. Then, I went to a Powershot which was fine because I was more into snapshots than photography.

I finally dived into DSLR's and back into photography. I forgot how much FUN it is! I can tell you that the 'big box' stores seem to feature Nikon or Canon. Usually those models that...well, you know. They're good cameras but the market drives the features and the price perhaps. Those that appreciate the features that a professional grade camera has (and I'm not one of those) probably prefer different models than what's in those big box stores and I really don't know why Pentax isn't better represented.

I CAN tell you that around these parts in central AZ Nikon and Canon are very common. No one seems to carry Pentax. I wonder why because my first Pentax DSLR is a BEAUTIFUL camera and one I believe will give me very long service and complement my D50. In fact, after only a couple dozen shutter actuations I am now second-guessing what I thought would be my next camera, D300/D7000 or maybe...

Here in Australia big shops often charge the suppliers for allowing their stuff into the shop. So the shelf space is paid for by the providers of the products.

Big box type stores also want to minimise lines of inventory, so they often have one product in each class - and definitely do not have competing brands in the same shop at the same time.

[Richard Briggs]

I have a Mazda MX5, a Pentax and spit on Apple. Is there indeed something about Pentax buyers personalities?

[Cynog Ap Brychan]

I have a Mazda MX5, a Pentax and spit on Apple. Is there indeed something about Pentax buyers personalities?

I'm not an Apple man, either, and my car is perfectly inappropriate for someone of my years. Perhaps Pentaxians are a bit, shall we say... "individual"?

[Waratah]

My land lady walked past my garage while I was repairing a bike this afternoon, Pentax camera bag over shoulder. She has a K7 and described it as waaaay too complicated for her needs, she took better photos in the film era and it was all a bit daunting - challenge accepted! 20 seconds to show her "P" mode, the green button, the rear e-dial, set to jpegs with vivid settings, and I think she'll take a small step forward. Her interest is street photography, in particular the back of people's heads.

[dubiousone]

Here in Australia big shops often charge the suppliers for allowing their stuff into the shop. So the shelf space is paid for by the providers of the products.

Big box type stores also want to minimise lines of inventory, so they often have one product in each class - and definitely do not have competing brands in the same shop at the same time.

I prefer to shop at the 'camera' store rather than big box whenever I can. I do go there to look and sometimes buy, but they don't usually have knowledgeable staffing...

Interesting how their marketing strategy works...

Wait a moment. You've got a D50, and bought a K100DS to complement it when you don't want to carry your expensive camera? I've used the successor of the D50... the D40x well, I had to cause my *istDs finally gave up, but the D40x was no match even to that ancient Pentax. Your K100 is way ahead of the D50...

I know, I'm silly! I really couldn't pass up a $150 Pentax and I'm slowly figuring out that its going to put my D50 to shame in some respects. When I made the switch to DSLR I chose Nikon over canon, even though I was a 'Canon guy' for a long time. Nikon just felt better to me and the availability of lenses and accessories, not to mention that almost no one around my little neck of the woods carries Pentax was how I ended up with the D50. Bought that used in very nice condition and the BIG seller was how the controls were laid out. Control knob on the left, LCD on top. That D50 was my pick as the price was right and its an older camera that's simple and I've found, almost ideal for a beginner like me

I had been looking at the D300, D7000 or...but something in that line of Nikon for an eventual second camera/step up when I was ready and now I've got this...dilemma. Hasn't been but 24 hours and that Pentax...just grows on you! First, it's a Pentax. It's set up control-wise just how I like it. It's pretty simple to use and even a numbskull like me can make it take some really nice shots! Like my D50 I've learned maybe 10% of the features but here's the kicker; when you pick something up and it just...feels right and works for ya...

Guess I'll just to have to buy a bigger camera bag...one side for Nikon, the other for Pentax....

[mamethot]

I think we're about to encounter more and more pentaxians in the next year...

After all, Ricoh might have a plan...