Are we really THAT rare?

Maromero · 12-18-2012, 08:27 PM

"Why Pentax?" If you have to ask, you wont undertand.

JohnM · 12-18-2012, 09:41 PM

Originally posted by Aardvark

You think you are rare?

try shooting with a Samsung GX20 and you will know what it is like to be Billy No Mates

Amen, brother. It got to the point where I took a black Sharpie to the Samsung logo on top of my GX10 in an attempt to stop all of the questions and weird looks.

dmort · 12-18-2012, 09:47 PM

I live in nyc and I have seen pentax gears twice - both times at the bronx zoo. Now, I'm also a q owner. I've never seen another in the field.

I got to b and h fairly often and if you tried to find the pentax stuff (or someone with a decent knowledge of pentax equipment) you'd be looking for a long time. You get a funny look when you ask for it.

CRPhoto · 12-18-2012, 10:07 PM

I've just helped a cousin to get her Pentax K-30 WHITE with the 18-55WR lens. She loves the color (I think it looks really cool in white!), and now that my K5 IIs has just arrived then I can sell my old K-5 to another cousin....so that makes 2 more Pentaxians in Costa Rica!!

Culture · 12-18-2012, 10:29 PM - **1 Like**

Yesterday was an exceptional day for me. I went to my sisters graduation in a city 70km from the city that I live in, and of-course was shooting there. This city has a smaller population than mine city. I have driven through it several times.

After the graduation party we took my sister to lunch in the city center. As we parked the car, I saw a huge sign, PENTAX. Now this was how it happen. I was just looking around and I saw the sign pentax, turned to concerntrate. Then I froze, blinked and turned back, PENTAX!!! Goose pimples all over my skin. I wonder if CANIKON people will ever get this kind of rush I had. Interestingly it was PENTAX, NIKON, CANON. But PENTAX was the first word. Go figure.

Anyway we parked the car and I excused myself to go to the shop. It was like stepping into Candyland. K-5II, K-5IIs, K-30, Qs all enclosed behind glass closets. Lenses, sweet beautiful lenses. I was speechless I couldnt even speak when the sales guy came to ask if I need help.

To make a long story short, I looked at the K-30 (which I am planning on buying) and the K-5II just so I can say that I have held the legendary k-5II in my hand and I have seen paradise.
I plan to buy from them if I can get a bargain just to support the shop for giving me a wonderful day yesterday. I also know where to go if there is ever a new model of Pentax.

Mr Spocko · 12-19-2012, 06:18 AM

Yes rare very rare. All the other 3 makers are in much larger numbers than Pentax.
Not that this matters, but even one camera shop I went into said that they were basically wasting their time with the Pentax models, sell very few of them..high cost of lenses is putting people off too (thanks to Ricoh's dumb strategy)

The last person I saw with a Pentax was some student with a Pentax K1000
I don't expect the brand to be around for that much longer..or if it is just tiny tiny market share. Ricoh are doing a lousy job just as Hoya were.

**Photos-by-Chas** · 12-19-2012, 06:39 AM

Originally posted by Mr Spocko

one camera shop I went into said that they were basically wasting their time with the Pentax models,

I found similar reactions a few years ago when I went into a Ritz Camera store. I asked the clerk about Pentax and he made some comment indicating that Pentax was a lousy brand, the only ones worth talking about were Canon and Nikon. His attitude was condescending and patronizing. No wonder there are only 18 Ritz camera stores nationwide. I just did a search for them and they advertise, "We're back." They won't get my business unless they handle Pentax and have some knowledge about the cameras and lenses.

Alizarine · 12-20-2012, 05:03 AM - **1 Like**

Was in a local animation convention last weekend in Manila, and lo and behold - 5 other Pentax users were there! 2 K-30's, 1 K-r, 1 K-x and an X-5. Seems Pentax is fast becoming popular in my city...

HSV · 12-25-2012, 07:38 AM

I was in Houston's Bush Intercontinental airport yesterday...saw a girl with a K-7 or K-5 (didn;t get to read the label), with a DA star (not sure if 16-50 or 50-135).

hangman43 · 12-25-2012, 05:23 PM

In the last year I went to a High School football game and saw a Pentax there went to the Zoo 4 times and saw 1 Pentax at each one of the visits sold a lens to a local guy that had a *ist D so that is not bad for Birmingham Alabama which does not have a store that sells them.

Mechan1k · 12-25-2012, 05:49 PM

I was hoping to have a look at the K-01 .... I went to a few stores that I was expecting to stock Pentax ... nope ... sorry .... we don't sell enough and dont stock them.
I found a Paxtons ... they stock Pentax .. but not K-01 in store .... only store that has one at the moment is the Sydney CBD store (and I can't get in there easily anyway just to look at it)

Just goes to show ... they don't even given the public a chance to buy one if there aren't any in the shops ... and shops that are supposed to stock them ... don't.

I know i can get it online ... that's no issue .... but i want to go and have a look ad hold one before making the decision.

One thing I did see though ... was a biography on a top photographer for NatGeo ... from Australia ... and this is what I saw.

Photographer Jason Edwards Biography -- National Geographic

Colbyt · 12-25-2012, 06:21 PM

We really are that rare. Sad but true.

40 years ago I discovered an obscure Bourbon brand called Marker's Mark and now it it an International hit with people who appreciate a good Bourbon whiskey.

28 years ago I discovered a first class, older camera maker named Pentax. They sold a somewhat secret brand when it came to consumers.

They are both first class but the Bourbon is sold at retail by the the retailer for whatever the market will pay. It costs a lot more some places than others. I suspect without proof that the distiller makes the same gross profit on each unit (with discounts for volume purchases).

There may or may not be a moral to this story, only you and Pentax corporate can make that call.

Alizarine · 12-26-2012, 11:36 PM

Originally posted by Mechan1k

One thing I did see though ... was a biography on a top photographer for NatGeo ... from Australia ... and this is what I saw.

Looks like a Z-series film cam to me, and what's that? FA600?

edit:

I stand corrected, it's an MZ-S :

(photo from Nat Geo stocks)

better view of the lens:

(photo from Nat Geo stocks)

and it seems he also shoots digital:

(photo from aucklandmuseum.com)

Colbyt · 12-27-2012, 08:08 AM

You sure that isn't a mortar hiding behind a camera?

**OrangeKx** · 12-29-2012, 04:35 PM

A comment regarding the original intent of this post... are we that rare? I drove east of Camas, WA to Cape Horn this morning to take sunrise pics in the Gorge. It was cold (of course) but dry and a bit too cloudy. Bad color, flat light, just not good for shooting. I took two pano series shots and was done. I walked away from my tripod and was talking to another guy about the conditions and we agreed it was not good. I walked back to my tripod to start putting my stuff back in the car and he walks around behind his Jeep and was looking at my camera. He asked me what kind of camera I was was using. "Pentax... it's a K-x, my first DSLR, blah, blah, blah." He said he bought Cannon when he went to DSLR but had a Pentax years ago. He was cool and all. His final comment was, "... well, I've just never seen an orange camera before." I do get looks with it, that's for sure.

12-26-2012, 11:36 PM	#1993
Alizarine Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Manila Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,185	Originally posted by Mechan1k One thing I did see though ... was a biography on a top photographer for NatGeo ... from Australia ... and this is what I saw. Looks like a Z-series film cam to me, and what's that? FA600? edit: I stand corrected, it's an MZ-S : (photo from Nat Geo stocks) better view of the lens: (photo from Nat Geo stocks) and it seems he also shoots digital: (photo from aucklandmuseum.com) Last edited by Alizarine; 12-26-2012 at 11:42 PM.

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12-18-2012, 08:27 PM	#1981
Maromero Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 28	"Why Pentax?" If you have to ask, you wont undertand.

12-18-2012, 09:41 PM	#1982
JohnM Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chicago, Illinois Photos: Gallery Posts: 39	Originally posted by Aardvark You think you are rare? try shooting with a Samsung GX20 and you will know what it is like to be Billy No Mates Amen, brother. It got to the point where I took a black Sharpie to the Samsung logo on top of my GX10 in an attempt to stop all of the questions and weird looks.

12-18-2012, 09:47 PM	#1983
dmort Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Bronx, NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 415	I live in nyc and I have seen pentax gears twice - both times at the bronx zoo. Now, I'm also a q owner. I've never seen another in the field. I got to b and h fairly often and if you tried to find the pentax stuff (or someone with a decent knowledge of pentax equipment) you'd be looking for a long time. You get a funny look when you ask for it.

12-18-2012, 10:07 PM	#1984
CRPhoto Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Jose, Costa Rica Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 260	I've just helped a cousin to get her Pentax K-30 WHITE with the 18-55WR lens. She loves the color (I think it looks really cool in white!), and now that my K5 IIs has just arrived then I can sell my old K-5 to another cousin....so that makes 2 more Pentaxians in Costa Rica!!

12-18-2012, 10:29 PM - 1 Like	#1985
Culture Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Vaasa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 818	Yesterday was an exceptional day for me. I went to my sisters graduation in a city 70km from the city that I live in, and of-course was shooting there. This city has a smaller population than mine city. I have driven through it several times. After the graduation party we took my sister to lunch in the city center. As we parked the car, I saw a huge sign, PENTAX. Now this was how it happen. I was just looking around and I saw the sign pentax, turned to concerntrate. Then I froze, blinked and turned back, PENTAX!!! Goose pimples all over my skin. I wonder if CANIKON people will ever get this kind of rush I had. Interestingly it was PENTAX, NIKON, CANON. But PENTAX was the first word. Go figure. Anyway we parked the car and I excused myself to go to the shop. It was like stepping into Candyland. K-5II, K-5IIs, K-30, Qs all enclosed behind glass closets. Lenses, sweet beautiful lenses. I was speechless I couldnt even speak when the sales guy came to ask if I need help. To make a long story short, I looked at the K-30 (which I am planning on buying) and the K-5II just so I can say that I have held the legendary k-5II in my hand and I have seen paradise. I plan to buy from them if I can get a bargain just to support the shop for giving me a wonderful day yesterday. I also know where to go if there is ever a new model of Pentax.

12-19-2012, 06:18 AM	#1986
Mr Spocko Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 254	Yes rare very rare. All the other 3 makers are in much larger numbers than Pentax. Not that this matters, but even one camera shop I went into said that they were basically wasting their time with the Pentax models, sell very few of them..high cost of lenses is putting people off too (thanks to Ricoh's dumb strategy) The last person I saw with a Pentax was some student with a Pentax K1000 I don't expect the brand to be around for that much longer..or if it is just tiny tiny market share. Ricoh are doing a lousy job just as Hoya were.

12-19-2012, 06:39 AM	#1987
Photos-by-Chas Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Northwest Pennsylvania, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,318	Originally posted by Mr Spocko one camera shop I went into said that they were basically wasting their time with the Pentax models, I found similar reactions a few years ago when I went into a Ritz Camera store. I asked the clerk about Pentax and he made some comment indicating that Pentax was a lousy brand, the only ones worth talking about were Canon and Nikon. His attitude was condescending and patronizing. No wonder there are only 18 Ritz camera stores nationwide. I just did a search for them and they advertise, "We're back." They won't get my business unless they handle Pentax and have some knowledge about the cameras and lenses.

12-20-2012, 05:03 AM - 1 Like	#1988
Alizarine Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Manila Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,185	Was in a local animation convention last weekend in Manila, and lo and behold - 5 other Pentax users were there! 2 K-30's, 1 K-r, 1 K-x and an X-5. Seems Pentax is fast becoming popular in my city...

12-25-2012, 07:38 AM	#1989
HSV Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 321	I was in Houston's Bush Intercontinental airport yesterday...saw a girl with a K-7 or K-5 (didn;t get to read the label), with a DA star (not sure if 16-50 or 50-135).

12-25-2012, 05:23 PM	#1990
hangman43 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Hueytown, Alabama Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,508	In the last year I went to a High School football game and saw a Pentax there went to the Zoo 4 times and saw 1 Pentax at each one of the visits sold a lens to a local guy that had a *ist D so that is not bad for Birmingham Alabama which does not have a store that sells them.

12-25-2012, 05:49 PM	#1991
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	I was hoping to have a look at the K-01 .... I went to a few stores that I was expecting to stock Pentax ... nope ... sorry .... we don't sell enough and dont stock them. I found a Paxtons ... they stock Pentax .. but not K-01 in store .... only store that has one at the moment is the Sydney CBD store (and I can't get in there easily anyway just to look at it) Just goes to show ... they don't even given the public a chance to buy one if there aren't any in the shops ... and shops that are supposed to stock them ... don't. I know i can get it online ... that's no issue .... but i want to go and have a look ad hold one before making the decision. One thing I did see though ... was a biography on a top photographer for NatGeo ... from Australia ... and this is what I saw. Photographer Jason Edwards Biography -- National Geographic

12-25-2012, 06:21 PM	#1992
Colbyt Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central Kentucky Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,417	We really are that rare. Sad but true. 40 years ago I discovered an obscure Bourbon brand called Marker's Mark and now it it an International hit with people who appreciate a good Bourbon whiskey. 28 years ago I discovered a first class, older camera maker named Pentax. They sold a somewhat secret brand when it came to consumers. They are both first class but the Bourbon is sold at retail by the the retailer for whatever the market will pay. It costs a lot more some places than others. I suspect without proof that the distiller makes the same gross profit on each unit (with discounts for volume purchases). There may or may not be a moral to this story, only you and Pentax corporate can make that call.

12-27-2012, 08:08 AM	#1994
Colbyt Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central Kentucky Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,417	You sure that isn't a mortar hiding behind a camera?

12-29-2012, 04:35 PM	#1995
OrangeKx Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Vancouver, WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 817	A comment regarding the original intent of this post... are we that rare? I drove east of Camas, WA to Cape Horn this morning to take sunrise pics in the Gorge. It was cold (of course) but dry and a bit too cloudy. Bad color, flat light, just not good for shooting. I took two pano series shots and was done. I walked away from my tripod and was talking to another guy about the conditions and we agreed it was not good. I walked back to my tripod to start putting my stuff back in the car and he walks around behind his Jeep and was looking at my camera. He asked me what kind of camera I was was using. "Pentax... it's a K-x, my first DSLR, blah, blah, blah." He said he bought Cannon when he went to DSLR but had a Pentax years ago. He was cool and all. His final comment was, "... well, I've just never seen an orange camera before." I do get looks with it, that's for sure.