[ThorSanchez]

I got a promotion at work, and had to have my picture taken for a newsletter article. The organizational photographer had a Canon of some sort, I believe it was a 6D with an 18-200mm lens. I mentioned about being a bit of an amateur photographer and she asked what camera I use. When I said I have a couple of Pentaxes she was kind of confused and seemed to not know that was a thing. And she's about my age, mid-to-late 40s.

[WorksAsIntended]

Well, she took a 18-200mm for portrait. She is propably not too much into equipment comparison.

Disclaimer: Of course she can be a very good photographer.

[Fotus Tuus]

I got a promotion at work, and had to have my picture taken for a newsletter article. The organizational photographer had a Canon of some sort, I believe it was a 6D with an 18-200mm lens. I mentioned about being a bit of an amateur photographer and she asked what camera I use. When I said I have a couple of Pentaxes she was kind of confused and seemed to not know that was a thing. And she's about my age, mid-to-late 40s.

Congratulations on your promotion and meeting an interesting photo friend. I wonder how this story ended?

[ThorSanchez]

Congratulations on your promotion and meeting an interesting photo friend. I wonder how this story ended?

That was pretty much it. I told her Pentax was kind of rare, but has some unique features like weather-sealed bodies. And her response was something like "oh, okay." I really don't know her photography background, I've had other experiences with our graphics department and they clearly were handed photography as an ancillary duty. Another guy who took my portrait a few years ago didn't know if his camera was APS-C or full frame, took backlit pictures under a vestibule, and then heavily edited the results until they looked very artificial.

[Jonathan Mac]

I got a promotion at work, and had to have my picture taken for a newsletter article. The organizational photographer had a Canon of some sort, I believe it was a 6D with an 18-200mm lens. I mentioned about being a bit of an amateur photographer and she asked what camera I use. When I said I have a couple of Pentaxes she was kind of confused and seemed to not know that was a thing. And she's about my age, mid-to-late 40s.

The 6D is a full-frame while any 18-200 would be for APS-C. Canon APS-C lenses can't be mounted on their FF cameras without damage.

Regardless, I wouldn't expect anyone who took a super-zoom for a portrait shoot to know much about Pentax or any other brand of photographic equipment.

---------- Post added 13-01-20 at 03:09 PM ----------

If it is important to you, you could move to japan.

Pentax aren't that common in Japan either, though they're certainly much easier to find new in shops.

[Fluegel]

Pentax rare? Yes without any doubt.
I would like to keep it that way.

Chats with users of mainstream cameras are pretty useless.
Users of Canikons are mislead thinking the world of photography ends with their cameras.

Do I take a lady photographer who turns up with an 18-200 mm lens to shoot a portrait seriously?
Absolutely no chance to start a discussion about gear with her.

Maybe Pentax users are not that rare at all.
I live in a small city and recently met three of them who live in my part of town.
All three bought gear from me, all three are true Pentaxians.

[WorksAsIntended]

Pentax has about 2-3% of market share, they are that rare.
I do not like people judgjing others by equipment "Users of Canikons are mislead thinking the world of photography ends with their cameras."
This has a very bad taste to me.

---------- Post added 01-13-20 at 08:52 AM ----------

Pentax has about 2-3% of market share, they are that rare.
I do not like people judgjing others by equipment "Users of Canikons are mislead thinking the world of photography ends with their cameras."
This has a very bad taste to me.

[ThorSanchez]

Pentax has about 2-3% of market share, they are that rare.
I do not like people judgjing others by equipment "Users of Canikons are mislead thinking the world of photography ends with their cameras."
This has a very bad taste to me.

We should extend the same respect and courtesy to others we would like from them. There are countless excellent Canon and Nikon photographers who ended up in that camp for perfectly legitimate reasons. They could have bought into a lower-tier camera because that's what they could afford. They ended up with a camera because that was what was on the shelf at their local store. They needed a good sports/wildlife camera and that isn't Pentax' strength. Maybe they wanted or needed or felt better about a brand with enough presence in the US to have easily available support and repair.

And if you shoot Canon or Nikon you might not be all that well versed in a brand with 3% market share. I certainly don't know the ins and outs of everything Leica or Olympus has to offer.

We tend to get myopic here, thinking that in a just and right world everyone would end up as a Pentaxian because our choices were objectively correct. Maybe they were for us. But not for everyone. Maybe not even for most people.

[Serkevan]

A friend of mine uses Sony APS-C because it is the smallest and lightest gear that does what he needs. Another one uses Nikon because he tried one out, liked the ergonomics, and changing systems when yours is perfectly fine is nonsensical. Another 'nother has Canon because her boss wanted his older gear to be used and loved, so he gave her a very good price*. I use Pentax because it was the cheapest way to get into photography with a well-built body and a wealth of cheap vintage lenses to play around with**.

For all of us, a change in the gear someone else used, an ebb in the Evilbay tide or Olympus having a good sale would have meant completely different gear. And I'm sure we would not be particularly (un)happier

*I'm not getting into specifics, but I'm talking jaw-dropping, no-brainer cheap.
**Came for the price-quality ratio, stayed for the quality

[WorksAsIntended]

For most of the things there is one manufacturer doing a better job, so it is natural that for different usecases different brands are the best to get into.
I know a few very good photographers, and they use quite different equipment to each other.

[swanlefitte]

At least 80% of people with a camera went to a store and bought what was offered. So yeah most canikon are clueless. You have to go out of your way to have a Pentax so most pentaxians are not clueless. A die might have an equal chance of 1-6 but given 2 i put my money on 7.

[WorksAsIntended]

I am out of here, no need for that stupid "lets be better than others" bs.

[Lord Lucan]

And if you shoot Canon or Nikon you might not be all that well versed in a brand with 3% market share. I certainly don't know the ins and outs of everything Leica or Olympus has to offer.

I don't know the ins and outs of Leica and Olympus either, but at least I have heard of them, and of Fuji and Hasselbald etc - and I respect those brands too. I think the point that started this particular part of the thread was that a professional photographer with an expensive Canon FF had never even heard of Pentax, which I think is poor..

When I first bought an SLR camera, a Pentax, I knew nothing about the camera market so I first did some research on all the brands, seeing what they each had to offer and reading reviews etc. If I did that again today I think I'd still choose Pentax. But perhaps I'm just odd not to buy the first thing I see, or the first thing a salesman puts in front of me, on impulse.

[ThorSanchez]

I don't know the ins and outs of Leica and Olympus either, but at least I have heard of them, and of Fuji and Hasselbald etc - and I respect those brands too. I think the point that started this particular part of the thread was that a professional photographer with an expensive Canon FF had never even heard of Pentax, which I think is poor..

When I first bought an SLR camera, a Pentax, I knew nothing about the camera market so I first did some research on all the brands, seeing what they each had to offer and reading reviews etc. If I did that again today I think I'd still choose Pentax. But perhaps I'm just odd not to buy the first thing I see, or the first thing a salesman puts in front of me, on impulse.

I think you're taking that a little out of context. This is a person who has responsibilities for photography, graphics, etc for an engineering and technical organization. It's likely that the camera is owned by the organization, and she had no input into its selection or the 18-200mm lens. She may not actually be a photographer, but might have a degree in graphic design or similar. Taken that way, I don't think it's that unusual that she didn't seem to realize Pentax still makes cameras. It's likely she's never seen a Pentax camera in a store (I've shot only Pentax for nearly a decade and haven't), and didn't really pay attention to reviews or magazines with Pentax coverage.

---------- Post added 01-13-20 at 07:09 PM ----------

At least 80% of people with a camera went to a store and bought what was offered. So yeah most canikon are clueless. You have to go out of your way to have a Pentax so most pentaxians are not clueless. A die might have an equal chance of 1-6 but given 2 i put my money on 7.

But since there are 15 or 20 times more Canon and Nikon users as Pentax most of them could be clueless and there'd still be more bright, thoughtful, talented Canikon photographers than Pentax.

[swanlefitte]

But since there are 15 or 20 times more Canon and Nikon users as Pentax most of them could be clueless and there'd still be more bright, thoughtful, talented Canikon photographers than Pentax.

Absolutely and even more people who don't happen to have a camera on them. I just have low expectations that if I strike up a conversation with these people that it will go anywhere. Actually people with cameras usually are to absorbed in their own world to converse. The people without cameras are more present and social.