[Transit]

I'm the opposite,
I'm always trying to recruit new Pentaxians, often by locating the camera for them
Then I can't wait to force my favourite lenses on them.
Had fun getting my K50/1.2 back from a certain person in Wellington until I dangled an M85/2 in front of him

Pete

[grhazelton]

Had fun getting my K50/1.2 back from a certain person in Wellington until I dangled an M85/2 in front of him

Pete

If I'd loaned my 50mm f1.2A to anyone I'd take a massive security deposit! Over the years I've occasionally loaned tools to "friends;" all too often they were returned damaged. As things now stand I'll lend tools to a select few who I know are careful. I've had folks ask to borrow vinyl from me. Never! I am a ritualistic fanatic with my vinyl. I'd have to inspect the potential borrower's turntable/arm/pickup/stylus and their vinyl/personal hygiene first.

My ex-wife wanted me to send her negatives/slides I'd taken of our daughter when she was a young child. I tried to explain to her that such are entirely irreplaceable, unlike, say, a Rolex watch. I ended up sending her a DVD of scans of selected negatives, so that she could have them printed.

[Transit]

He was more trustworthy than me
The only thing I don't lend is the chainsaw and the woman
Pete

[savoche]

I never expected I would post in this thread... But I was at a happening last night and noticed a guy using a camera with a big microphone mounted, filming the musicians. That was a K-5 with a 21 Ltd I guess he didn't know that the K-5 isn't any good for video

(I shouldn't talk, though. I haven't tried the video mode in the 15 months I've had my K-5. But I guess I'm with the "buy a video camera for video" crowd.)

[Jodokast96]

Was out at lunch this past Sunday. The restaurant hosts a classic car meet up. While I'm sitting there eating, I look out the window and see a guy shooting what looks like a Pentax, maybe an ME. So I wander on out when I'm done, chat the guy up a bit, and sure enough it is a Pentax. It turned out to be a very pristine K1000 with a 28mm.

[ChooseAName]

Pentaxians seem to be showing up more at the local attractions. The past two times I've gone to the zoo with my daughter, I've seen a K10D with FA 50 macro (spoke briefly with this guy, didn't have time for the other two people), a Pentax film shooter, and an older guy with several bodies hung around his neck, at least one of which had the big red PENTAX on the strap. Yesterday at the aquarium I saw one Pentax other than mine. I've also sold a couple of my cheaper lenses locally so it's nice to know that there are at least 5 other Pentax cameras in the Atlanta area

EDITED TO ADD:
We were, of course, massively outnumbered by Canikons. I even saw two Sony shooters too But I guess since I counted as a Pentax shooter, we had equal representation to Sony.

Also, is it just me, or does it seem like using pop-up flash would produce horrible pictures at the aquarium? It seems like it would just reflect off the acrylic and you wouldn't be able to see anything but a flash. A lot of the Canikon DSLR shooters were doing this.

[Alizarine]

Also, is it just me, or does it seem like using pop-up flash would produce horrible pictures at the aquarium?

It does. I don't know if the glass is also coated with something to make it a bit more reflective and tinted at the same time? Flash photography is discouraged in local aquariums in my place because fish get stressed with lots of popping lights

[nmrecording]

When I talk to Canikons I get 2 responses:
1. Pentax still makes cameras? (With a sly chuckle)
2. Who is Pentax?

I would say 80% of the Canikons I find are impressed with my Pentax when they ask me about it. Maybe Its just because Im in marketing so it comes more natural to me, but after talking it up quite a bit, the Canikons seem impressed that our Pentaxs seem superior in most aspects. I think the fact that Pentax doesn;t market their cameras at all in the US gives people the impression its either 2nd rate or some kidn of off-brand, cheap knockoff camera company.

Just my .02 from my experiences.

We are indeed a rare breed.

I took a few pics for a guy that had a cannon higher end SLR and while it had faster AF, the colors were washed out and not as vibrant as my Pentax.

Pentaxian for life

[DaveHolmes]

I'm starting to see more and more of them...

[Jonahhart]

I'm a photo student in the boston area, and recently one of my professors decided to show her work to anyone who was interested. It was incredible portraiture series in NYC public green spaces, and was soon to be published. As she described her most recent body of work, one of my other professors (wicked tech nerd, and canon user) interjected with :

"Well. Hey! What did you shoot with for this series?"

"A Pentax 67, why should that matter?..."

"(awkward laughter).., why not just buy a hassleblad? Pentax doesn't really make high end equipment."

".. I like the pictures it takes, and I like the aspect ratio. Okay moving on, any other questions?"

I am also the only Pentax user in the photo program (k-x currently), and one of the few that still shoots a lot of film. I'm really a freak.

[cksandberg]

I teach photo skills in Minnesota (and shoot a 645D) - my students are generally new or fairly-new shooters, and most are Canon or Nikon users. A few Sony Alphas and an occasional Pentax. My view: the power of very large advertising/marketing budgets. Pentax is to a large extent just drowned out by the huge volume of ads by the market leaders. I have no problem being in the clever minority...

[eddie1960]

I teach photo skills in Minnesota (and shoot a 645D) - my students are generally new or fairly-new shooters, and most are Canon or Nikon users. A few Sony Alphas and an occasional Pentax. My view: the power of very large advertising/marketing budgets. Pentax is to a large extent just drowned out by the huge volume of ads by the market leaders. I have no problem being in the clever minority...

this is the real issue, if Ricoh pours money into building the brand (an it does seem likely) then at some point we won't be as rare

[aurele]

I'm a photo student in the boston area, and recently one of my professors decided to show her work to anyone who was interested. It was incredible portraiture series in NYC public green spaces, and was soon to be published. As she described her most recent body of work, one of my other professors (wicked tech nerd, and canon user) interjected with :

"Well. Hey! What did you shoot with for this series?"

"A Pentax 67, why should that matter?..."

"(awkward laughter).., why not just buy a hassleblad? Pentax doesn't really make high end equipment."

".. I like the pictures it takes, and I like the aspect ratio. Okay moving on, any other questions?"

I am also the only Pentax user in the photo program (k-x currently), and one of the few that still shoots a lot of film. I'm really a freak.

This gave me a good laugh. i really enjoy i the "67 professor" answer quickly, brielfy, with the main argument of why using a 67 format instead of a 645, and in a way that meant "shut up, moron" to the other

only nerds care about the camera, most of the people just want to see the picture, and enjoy what they see, no mater it's a 1/2.7" sensor, a 24*36 or a 6*7.

[grhazelton]

I was skulking around various antique (read junque) shops in Chamblee, near Atlanta, and in one chanced upon a number of "golden oldies" - two Yashica Lynxes, an Argus C3 and a C4, some sort of Agfa, etc. The owner said that photography students were advised to get a film camera to really learn the craft. (I didn't say anything about using a fully automatic camera....) He must have noticed my K-5 because a few minutes later as we were about to leave he asked my my opinion on a price for a K1000 with a Takumar zoom mounted. I told him I didn't know the lens, but that the body should bring about $90 or so, but...it had a big obtrusive smear in the view finder. I didn't see any dirt on the eyepiece nor any damage to the mirror, but the smear if on the screen I felt would drop its "value" to no more than $50. Too bad, other than that it looked pretty good, 1 sec on the shutter sounded about right, etc.

My first gig as a "consultant"

At another shop I scored an Olympus OM-10, f1.8, and everready case for $27.50! It still had its inspection stickers on lens and body, and signs of absolutely minimal use. It had apparently been kept in the case, which has only a few scuffs. Two new cells and it sprang to life. I wonder if the owner felt it had died, since without cells the OM-10 shutter won't run, nor will the camera wind; in fact the mirror seems hung in mid-cycle. I'm running some BW through it to make sure all is well. I'm a happy camper!

[Chex]

Well, I was hard at work.. or hardly working.. when I saw a couple fumbling with a setup for self couples portraits in our little tourist town.. it was coffee time and my foreman know's I'm an avid shooter, he told me to go over and help them.. so I gladly did as the boss man said! When I approached this young European couple and offered to take some shots for them, they were more than happy to have someone to shoot for them. Took the camera in hand and looked, it was a nice little K100, which I had borrowed a friends earlier this summer to shoot while awaiting my D800's arrival. I said "It's nice to see someone shooting a Pentax!" The husband told me that they are fairly common in their part of Europe (I couldn't pin down their accent in our breif conversation) and have had it for quite some time. So after snapping a few pics for them, back across the road and back to the grind I went.