[normhead]

It is provable that Macs are overpriced.

It is provable that Apple has the highest profit margins in the industry. That's different from over-priced. Clearly aa good number of people disagree, based on their values, maybe not using yours.The Tech spec guys can come up with a case for Apple being over-priced. But they don't consider the whole package. That's like people comparing lens specs and jumping to conclusions without checking to see how the lens renders. Apple gets the money they do, by providing an integrated platform where everything works together 100% of the time. It's been a long time, since they were the fastest, but they've always been the top or near in customer satisfaction. IN photography, specs don't tell my why I use my 21 ltd when my 18-135 is better spec'd at 21mm. it's because technical specs in both computers and lenses are probably the least important way of measuring customer satisfaction. It's the whole experience.

[SSGGeezer]

Now lets see...what was the original topic of this thread...oh yeah...are Pentaxians really that rare...

And sometimes even a bit persnickety!
I see Pentax users from my area here on the forum but have not run into them in the wild yet. I am trying to convert a Canon shooter who likes solid cameras by trying to convince her to go and hold a K-1. I think she would be hooked if she just held that lovely beast.

[Mikesul]

Why on earth are you guys arguing about Apple in a thread about how rare Pentax equipment is? I thought the Apple/PC wars ended 20 years ago. Now, more to the point, how many of you are still using Amigas?

[lesmore49]

I see Pentax users from my area here on the forum but have not run into them in the wild yet. I am trying to convert a Canon shooter who likes solid cameras by trying to convince her to go and hold a K-1. I think she would be hooked if she just held that lovely beast.

I agree about the difficulties of trying to convert other camera users to the Pentax way. Over the years I've been asked why would I use Pentax, what's the appeal...do Pentax cameras actually have anything good going. I've tried to explain but they don't seem to get how good Pentax equipment...at least IMHO..is.

I've been and continue to be a voice in the wilderness...regarded by others as having some kind of odd 'affectation'...as a photographer who perhaps isn't quite right.

Close to 40 years ago I was able to use for a long weekend a Leica M4 and Leitz 28mm, 50 and 90mm lenses. I ran a lot of film rolls through the body.

Self disclosure, I have an old Leica rangefinder and 50mm collapsible Leitz Elmar lens...I have very high regard for Leica equipment.

Anyway had a great time with the 'borrowed' Leica equipment . I also tried a little experiment. I took photos of the same subject, same lighting, same time, relatively similar focal length lens...using my Pentax ES ll body and my 50mm F 1.8 Takumar and 135mm F 3.5 Takumar. I compared the 50's of both Leitz and Takumar and the 90 Leitz with my 135 Takumar.

I used the same film, same ASA , enlarged the photos to 8 X 10 and checked them out with my eagle eye. I couldn't tell any difference in image quality and if anything I preferred slightly the Takumar rendition to the Leitz rendition.

So what does all this mean ? Other than I found...in my opinion..that both makes of lens are top quality equipment and that up to 8 X 10 produce similar results, I don't know....what more do I need to assess. Nothing I think, in the end the eye is the best judge .

But I also started thinking after my informal test of lenses, that I was selling my Takumars (and Pentax lenses) and Pentax bodies short. Pentax makes wonderful equipment, but we as Pentaxians seem to spend a lot of time defending the equipment.

[normhead]

All in ones are also hard to work on so people will buy Apple Care contracts, and forget about upgrades!. Macs have some amazing monitors available but there are monitors for any computer that are just as good, you just have to look harder and avoid the office supply stores when shopping.

That's your opinion SSGeezer. But, it's sadly uniformed. The design philosophy Apple went to was formed after noting, motherboard level repairs are rarely successful. It's really stupid to put a new graphics card into a 4 year old computer. It's much better to use current technology with current technology. They are actually designed for each other. There is so much you don't understand about the user feedback, history and reasons for the way Apple does things it does...

I've started building PCs in 94 so don't think you know something I don't. I was working in a computer store when the first PC hit the market. I was involved in discussions on Ars Tecgnica for years. Every company wants to make money, not just Apple, do you honestly think the companies that sell you your components are running those companies as a hobby? If wanting to make money is a crime, everyone is guilty of it. Not just Apple. Apple is better at it. This endless PC nonsense implying Apple users are some kind of un-informed cult who don't know as much as they do, is just insulting. I understand Apple, I understand that I may pay a bit more for Apple product, but I also understand what I'm paying for. Apparently you don't. Personally, its a straight up decision for me.. I know what PCs offer, I know what Apple offers, I chose Apple. Please don't continue with your ignorant theme that seems to be "I'm better than Apple users because I know more than they do." Many of them know everything you do and more, and still chose Apple. The question is "What do they know that you don't?"

Anyway back to the topic at hand.
I probably shoot pictures of 50-60 photographers a year. Here's a few of this years crop.


It's getting close to a year now since I saw this guy, brand new K1, 15-30 and 150-450. No other Pentax gear, so clearly new to the brand.


It's getting close to a year since I met him, and forum member Knock booked a trip with us, in part because he's seen my work on the forum and also shoots Petax, so I'm not sure if that counts as a Pentax spotted in the wild. Here he is with his K-70.


So the year end tally is 2 out of 50 or 60. That's actually a pretty good year... some years I don't see any. Right now with my daughter-in-law staying with us for a few weeks (or months) while my step son sells his house, she has my old K-x, so there are three different Pentax shooters in the house at the moment. Of course all the cameras are cameras I paid for, but hey...

I am starting to wonder how long it will take to see one this year. It's not really very predictable when you might see one. Every time I go to the park I know I'm going to see Canons and Nikons, often the same guys over and over, and there is definitely getting to be the occasional Sony. Pentax shooters remain a once or twice a year thing, and not every year.

[bigdavephoto]

I did forget to say in my last post that while was in a camera store in Muncie Indiana recently, I was talking to one of the sales men and told him that I always go to the used section because I am an oddball and I use Pentax cameras. Lo and behold, so does he. I was a bit surprised because I thought all the sales people in that store only used Nikon and Canon.

[normhead]

I did forget to say in my last post that while was in a camera store in Muncie Indiana recently, I was talking to one of the sales men and told him that I always go to the used section because I am an oddball and I use Pentax cameras. Lo and behold, so does he. I was a bit surprised because I thought all the sales people in that store only used Nikon and Canon.

Hey, I was in Muncie once in my youth. Ball State right?

[SSGGeezer]

Never been to Muncie, lived in Bloomington for 12 years though.

[bigdavephoto]

Hey, I was in Muncie once in my youth. Ball State right?

That's where Ball State is. That is one of the things about that camera shop. They normally have a few K1000 with 50mm lenses in stock. When I was there, I think they had 1 K1000 but come around May, they will have between 5 and 10 after the kids at Ball State sell them back.

[yucafrita]

Why on earth are you guys arguing about Apple in a thread about how rare Pentax equipment is? I thought the Apple/PC wars ended 20 years ago. Now, more to the point, how many of you are still using Amigas?

Here! I have an A500, an A600, two A3000. The best computer concept ever. Desktop/workbench was called "Intuition" and it was. Destroyed by incapable management. Probably they were doomedTM... Linux comes close for me.

Pentaxes I have a Z10, Z20, Super A and MZ-S and a K-5IIs... btw, to keep the topic...

[Mikesul]

Yes. Although it makes me a little nervous to say so Pentax and Amiga would seem to have a lot in common, except Pentax is still here. I never owned an Amiga but I had fanatical, loyal friends who did. Hopefully we never become that rare.

[slartibartfast01]

Just saw a white DSLR being used by a member of the speed skating audience at the Winter Olympics. Surely a Pentax

[clackers]

Just saw a white DSLR being used by a member of the speed skating audience at the Winter Olympics. Surely a Pentax

Was it able to focus on a skater?

If so, it couldn't have possibly been one of our cameras ... Tony Northrup told me that!

[slartibartfast01]

Was it able to focus on a skater?

If so, it couldn't have possibly been one of our cameras ... Tony Northrup told me that!

Good point.

[Jonathan Mac]

Just saw a white DSLR being used by a member of the speed skating audience at the Winter Olympics. Surely a Pentax

It used to be that white DSLR meant Pentax, but at least one of the big two now also make them in white. Of course, they don't look as good as the Pentax ones.