[Frogfish]

Well, in France, we are quite strong... Pentax has a 2-digits market share in DSLRs here, something about 13%.

And indeed, I know nearly more Pentaxians than anything else... At work, of known photogs around me, there is 4 pentaxians, 4 nikonians, one Canon, one Oly...
Pentax has cameras in over half the brick & mortar shops around here (including those mass market stores like Carrefour or Auchan), so trying one is not too hard. Lenses and accessories are sometimes hard to come by, but you can still order them easily...

Carrefour even ran an absolute steal deal on the Kx on April : Kx+18-200 sigma for 600€ with a 300€ cashback in coupons! I sold the 18-200 for 150€, happy me!

What a fantastic deal !

Your experiences in France just go to show that if marketed properly, and stocked in more outlets, then Pentax can definitely compete with CaNikon on performance and reputation, or so it seems.

[Frogfish]

Saw a European with a K20D I think in Singapore. 2 cousins in Malaysia shoot Pentax. In my town in Germany a newspaper photographer had a Pentax. A friends friend also has a Pentax. In China I saw none, it was even almost impossible to find a shop selling Pentax cameras and accessories. In Finland I met a fellow student who also shot with a Pentax (making it 2 Pentax, 1 Canon and 1 Nikon!). But yeah, you don't see Pentax shooters that often. It's an exclusive club, which I quite like, because if you see another Pentax shooter you might get a friendly nod or smile, I doubt that happens when you own a Canikon.

I can only comment on Shanghai.

Canon dominate with Nikon not far behind. Leicas and even 645Ds & Hasselblads are also popular with the people with real money (many) but there are also plenty of places to buy Pentax.

In fact in the mall where I bought my K7, and some lenses, there are two dedicated Pentax dealers as well as a plethora of shops selling Pentax lenses and also many 2nd hand shops selling Pentax lenses and film & digital cameras. Online there are huge numbers of dealers selling Pentax cameras and lenses. Pentax are certainly not rare in China, even if dominated by those two.

[paperbag846]

In canada, the only pentax shooter I met was someone who sold me a lens on craigslist.

Otherwise I have never seen a pentax in the wild. Most stores do not carry them, or very little. Often, when I ask, I get a chuckle from the clerk. They don't know what they are missing .

Pentax really needs to step up their visability in this country, but it might have something to do with the total dominance of a few chains in the GTA that don't seem very keen on the brand for one reason or another.

[turboseize]

I drive SAABs and shoots PENTAX. I like these boutique brand's character. And I don't want to be part of the me too big brand crowd.

Was at the monthly Saab drivers gathering in Berlin yesterday. Total number of attendants 10, of which 4 claim photography their hobby. 3 of these 4 shoot Pentax.

[SteveM]

In canada, the only pentax shooter I met was someone who sold me a lens on craigslist.

Where about's in Canada are you? In BC it's fairly common. In Victoria, Octoberfest last weekend, Pentax was equal with Nikon and Canon from what I could see. It's not unusual to see at all.

[mano]

Met the first "other pentax user" within days after getting my K200.

I showed my new toy to a friend who imediately had to get one himself :-).

[bang_ito]

Yes we do rare. But I guess our skills and passions in taking great shots are not as rare as the camera :-)

Plus...

I am dare to be rare...

[Digitalis]

In my part of the world I see more Leica photographers than Pentax. Usually tourists that have an insufferably high opinion of their photography and/or money to burn.

[scarr2k]

Too funny. I do feel like an outcast sometimes with my Pentax among other shutterbugs.

[magkelly]

You know it's funny I almost never see anyone with a Pentax in our town walking around, or in my local Photography groups. I can't buy one in any store here locally, but I still see the odd ad for a used one on my local CL so I figure somebody must be into Pentax around here besides me. Where they are I don't know though...

[m8o]

I return to the OP and title of this thread. Given the early/initial impressions of recent K-5 owners I think I have to answer the title with "not for long".

[Canada_Rockies]

Where about's in Canada are you? In BC it's fairly common. In Victoria, Octoberfest last weekend, Pentax was equal with Nikon and Canon from what I could see. It's not unusual to see at all.

McBain Camera in Lethbridge, Alberta, carry Pentax in equal counter space with Nikon & Canon. I was there a week or two ago (I live about 200 km West, in BC). They had K-7, K-20, ALL the DA lenses and ALL three flashes - 360, 540 and 160 ring light. Prices a bit more than on the web, but they are really worth keeping in business. McBain is a chain, with Lethbridge the smallest city they have a shop in. At home, I think I am the only Pentaxian in our 3,825 (according to the sign) residents.

[GibbyTheMole]

Yeah, we're rare. I have yet to stumble onto another Pentax DSLR user... Doesn't matter what brand of camera you have, tho. A body is a body & any properly functioning camera will produce the same results. Anyone who doesn't realize that is a moron.

[AngryCorgi]

I was at the National Air and Space Museum 2 weekends ago...saw at least 4 guys/girls shooting Pentax...most of them were K-x cameras (one K100D mixed in). That was the most Pentaxians I have seen at one place at the same time.

[paperbag846]

Where about's in Canada are you? In BC it's fairly common. In Victoria, Octoberfest last weekend, Pentax was equal with Nikon and Canon from what I could see. It's not unusual to see at all.

Toronto. I'm likely younger than a lot of you folks here, so take what I say with a grain of salt. All of the older folks I mention Pentax to, they all light up and remember their experiences with the old system. However, the younger folks I speak to really only think about Canon vs. Nikon, and Pentax sounds like a weird off-brand substitute to them. I don't bother defending it, unless someone says something REALLY stupid . E.g., A canon friend of mine told me that the K20d was confusing to operate. Now the k20d does fall flat in a few areas, but ergonomics is NOT one of them! However you know what you know, I suppose.

Another friend of mine, when I explained the awesome backwards compatibility of Pentax, mentioned: "Oh yeah, they're like Nikon then." Nevermind you have to spend over 1000 dollars just to get a nikon camera with an AF motor... and that none of them will image-stabilize your 30 year old glass. But they don't want to hear those things... because all of their zoom lenses are so goddamn expensive .

Good to hear that there are more Pentax users in BC... I'm wondering if it's more popular out there because of the amazing opportunities for wildlife shooting. Not that Ontario is starved, but I would think the Pentax system would be the one to bring to the hills (unless you have a 5000 dollar + canon system).