[barefootdesigns]

With a lifetime avocation to photography, starting with the Spotmatic, I have been following this thread with great interest, and angst. The iconic Spotmatic taught me photography--that is, the Depth of Field (DOF) button schooled me, with every click, how to see a photograph. I will be eternally grateful and, yet, wondering how we always hear about the K1000 over the Spotmatic, when it is only the latter camera which offers that incredible, captivating DOF button.

Today I ran across a long 2016 article (with kudos to Jonathan Gorse) on the DP (Digital Photography Review) web site that left me almost in tears of gratitude for its appreciation of Pentax through the years, with a spotlight on the flagship K-1. Anybody who still uses Pentax cameras, of any kind, will be grinning like an idiot by the time he reaches the end of the article, and probably alarm the family when he stands and begins clapping loudly and dancing around the room. Yeah, it's that reassuring to us "rare" shooters. Here's the link:
Jonathan Gorse Photography | Pentax K1 - the 35mm legend returns...

Regressing a bit, here's an earlier article, also by Jonathan Gorse, with yet more history and praise for OUR camera:
Jonathan Gorse Photography | Why I shoot with Pentax cameras

As much as I'm a a fanatical Pentaxian, I have to admit that there is one "other" camera which inhabits my dreams, the newly announced Leica matte black M Monochrom "Stealth Edition" (limited to 125 sets) with glow-in-the-dark markings, for only $15,750. Check it out!
Leica reveals matte black M Monochrom 'Stealth Edition' with glow-in-the-dark markings: Digital Photography Review

After reading the two Pentax articles, I regained hope that one day, before long, we can shed our "Maytag repairman" personas and regain the throne from wence Pentax once ruled the photographic world. Really!

[Lord Lucan]

The iconic Spotmatic taught me photography--that is, the Depth of Field (DOF) button schooled me, ..... wondering how we always hear about the K1000 over the Spotmatic, when it is only the latter camera which offers that incredible, captivating DOF button.

There were plenty of other cameras that offered a DoF preview, not least the Spotmatic's immediate successor, the KM, which was a Spotmatic with a K mount instead of a screw mount. A year later Pentax removed the DoF and self-timer from the KM for cheapness and thus created the K1000. It was a shame that the KM was then discontinued; the KM and K1000 must have used the same production line and surely Pentax could have had production runs of both, according to demand.

The Jonathan Gorse article is a good overview, although sounding a bit like a sales pitch. Certainly in the 1980's when I bought my first SLR, Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Fuji and Minolta were "equals", and were "the big six", in general perception, sales shelf space and publicity (in the UK anyway). Gorse hits the nail on the head with :-

The Canon camera you bought with some cheap consumer lenses bore little relation to the professional grade Canon F1 that the pro's were shooting on Wimbledon centercourt at the time, but people wanted to be seen shooting what the pro's were using and in marketing terms that was enough to swing the market in Canon and Nikon's favour. Pentax were late to that particular party

It was a huge mistake for Pentax to be so tardy with a FF DSLR, missing the chance for a new start in the contest for market share.

[normhead]

It was a huge mistake for Pentax to be so tardy with a FF DSLR, missing the chance for a new start in the contest for market share.

Many companies don't have FFs, and almost all don't have 645s.

To my mind, the company got old and conservative and lost it's focus. It thought it was there to make money for it's CEO and shareholders, not cameras. Once the bean counters are in charge, innovation stops.

There is simply no risk worth taking in the minds of the bean counters. Bean counters never see staying conservative in a changing world as a risk. Someone should wave Pentax in front of their faces.

[Larrymc]

With a lifetime avocation to photography, starting with the Spotmatic, I have been following this thread with great interest, and angst. The iconic Spotmatic taught me photography--that is, the Depth of Field (DOF) button schooled me, with every click, how to see a photograph. I will be eternally grateful and, yet, wondering how we always hear about the K1000 over the Spotmatic, when it is only the latter camera which offers that incredible, captivating DOF button.

Today I ran across a long 2016 article (with kudos to Jonathan Gorse) on the DP (Digital Photography Review) web site that left me almost in tears of gratitude for its appreciation of Pentax through the years, with a spotlight on the flagship K-1. Anybody who still uses Pentax cameras, of any kind, will be grinning like an idiot by the time he reaches the end of the article, and probably alarm the family when he stands and begins clapping loudly and dancing around the room. Yeah, it's that reassuring to us "rare" shooters. Here's the link:
Jonathan Gorse Photography | Pentax K1 - the 35mm legend returns...

Regressing a bit, here's an earlier article, also by Jonathan Gorse, with yet more history and praise for OUR camera:
Jonathan Gorse Photography | Why I shoot with Pentax cameras

As much as I'm a a fanatical Pentaxian, I have to admit that there is one "other" camera which inhabits my dreams, the newly announced Leica matte black M Monochrom "Stealth Edition" (limited to 125 sets) with glow-in-the-dark markings, for only $15,750. Check it out!
Leica reveals matte black M Monochrom 'Stealth Edition' with glow-in-the-dark markings: Digital Photography Review

After reading the two Pentax articles, I regained hope that one day, before long, we can shed our "Maytag repairman" personas and regain the throne from wence Pentax once ruled the photographic world. Really!

Now I know why I chose Pentax and am sticking with Pentax! Excellent article!!

Larry

[normhead]

I know why I chose Pentax, if i wanted to borrow lenses from Ryerson Polytech I had to have a Pentax body. I wish I could get all poetic about it, but I can't.

[Alex645]

After reading the two Pentax articles, I regained hope that one day, before long, we can shed our "Maytag repairman" personas and regain the throne from wence Pentax once ruled the photographic world.

Thanks for sharing the article.

Pentax never really "ruled the photographic world" although for a decade or so the K1000 was the default king in many high school photography programs. And as many have noted, I doubt they can and will compete with Sony, Canon, or Nikon and have instead, found a special niche of features that have kept them viable and noteworthy for photographers that have different priorities and needs than the rest of the crowd.

In fact, I appreciate that Pentax models are not Canikony clones. If they were, I wouldn't have a reason to shoot Pentax other than the cost of switching.

[barefootdesigns]

Thanks for sharing the article.

Pentax never really "ruled the photographic world" although for a decade or so the K1000 was the default king in many high school photography programs. And as many have noted, I doubt they can and will compete with Sony, Canon, or Nikon and have instead, found a special niche of features that have kept them viable and noteworthy for photographers that have different priorities and needs than the rest of the crowd.

In fact, I appreciate that Pentax models are not Canikony clones. If they were, I wouldn't have a reason to shoot Pentax other than the cost of switching.

I started shooting 35mm in the '60's with an old second-hand German rangefinder that my dog eventually ate, developing B/W in a friend's darkroom. It did seem that the Pentax 35mm SLR cameras soon ruled, at least for us poor people who weren't professionals--but then, we made up the bulk of sales, I suspect. Not many people had ever heard of or seen a Hasselblad or Leica.

[Alex645]

I started shooting 35mm in the '60's with an old second-hand German rangefinder that my dog eventually ate, developing B/W in a friend's darkroom. It did seem that the Pentax 35mm SLR cameras soon ruled, at least for us poor people who weren't professionals--but then, we made up the bulk of sales, I suspect. Not many people had ever heard of or seen a Hasselblad or Leica.

Yes, I guess it all depends. In my world in the 60ʻs, I would have thought Kodak was king with GAF as the alternative brand. On the pro end, I remember Nikon for 35mm and Rollei TLRs. I didnʻt start photography as hobby until the early 70ʻs, and by that time, my entry level budget meant Yashica (SLR, TLR, and Super8).

[normhead]

1967 in Photo Arts at Ryerson Polytech, Pentax pretty much ruled the world. You either bought a Spotmatic or you carried a light meter. The built in light meter alone made Pentax the default for new buyers. There were other solutions but they were much less elegant. My class was 80% Pentax shooters. I can only really remember one Canon guy, One of my neighbour's fathers, had a SMC 600mm takamur in the closet for birds. MY buddy pulled it out one day while he wasn't home just just so I could see how big it was, he normally wasn't allowed to touch it. By 1975 my mom had a Nikon and my sister had an Olympus. But, Pentax had their moment.

[yucafrita]

I started shooting 35mm in the '60's with an old second-hand German rangefinder that my dog eventually ate....

Could you please elaborate on some details? My imagination fails how this could happen...

[TheOneAndOnlyJH]

Could you please elaborate on some details? My imagination fails how this could happen...

Must've been a really big dog!

[MikeStnly]

1967 in Photo Arts at Ryerson Po;utech, Pentax pretty much ruled the world. You either bought a Spotmatic or you carried a light meter. The built in light meter alone made Pentax the default for new buyers. There were other solutions but they were much less elegant. My class was 80% Pentax shooters. I can only really remember one Canon guy, One of my neighbour's fathers, had a SMC 600mm takamur in the closet for birds. MY buddy pulled it out one day while he wasn't home just just so I could see how big it was, he normally wasn't allowed to touch it. By 1975 my mom had a Nikon and my sister had an Olympus. But, Pentax had their moment.

Good morning Normhead - noticed you are 'Near Algonquin Park" - me and my K3 are on Hwy 35 just outside of Carnarvon. So there is another Pentax user close by. :-)

[normhead]

Good morning Normhead - noticed you are 'Near Algonquin Park" - me and my K3 are on Hwy 35 just outside of Carnarvon. So there is another Pentax user close by. :-)

When Tess and I were shopping for places after I retired, we looked in MInden. There was a place there we quite liked, bu the guy was asking about $30,000 over market value and was convinced he was going to get it. We ended up here.

We are pretty picky house shoppers. We want a long way from the road, backing onto crown land with thousands of acres of bush where we can put dog walking trails is a prerequisite.

If you're ever coming up let us know.

[grhazelton]

In my customary photo forays where other shooters are likely to be seen, real DSLRs are vanishingly rare. Cell phones seem to rule the turf, along with the occasional point and shoot. Along with the Atlanta Zoo and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, one of my favorite venues is the High Museum. The High mounts many excellent exhibits, for example, Henri Cartier Bresson, Salvador Dali, "dream" automobiles, and others. Photography in the museum is permitted, except of those exhibits on loan which forbid it. I wonder if copyright considerations inspire those exhibits which prohibit photography .An interesting recent tendency is that some of the visiting exhibits allow cell phone photography but forbid DSLRs. I have no idea why.

I wonder how many cell phone shooters have made any provision for preservation of their images? Do they down load images to a computer? Does that computer have a backup regimen in place? A typical family treasure is the iconic shoe box full of photos; perhaps even labeled on the back. With extreme luck the corresponding negatives have been saved. What sort of electronic shoe boxes are today's families bequeathing to the future?

[RookieGuy]

Mostly cloud storage