[Mooncatt]

It just seems that it is so convenient to use the camera that comes with your cellular phone....which can take some pretty good photos.

Hitting a nerve with me here.* My wife only uses her phone for photos and usually takes better pics than me of our kids. Not only do they look really good, but she seems to have a knack for getting them all to look at her and at least make a presentable face at the same time. When you have 8 kids, this is no small feat! It happened again yesterday, posing them all together during an outing and I don't think any of mine came out as well as one of hers.

*I do say that with jest, not actually triggered.

[K-Three]

and I note that when I'm taking a photo, many times, but not always, other people will give me space.

More often than not, I see folks lining up behind me to see what I was looking at and pointing their phones at it, too often I've got my 55-300 out, an no phone will find that shot.
Had some high school girls see me walking around with my K3III, and overheard them refer to it as a "serious" camera

[Alex645]

Just curiosity on my part, if you consider the K70 as too expensive as an entry level DSLR, would you consider, and possibly recommend, a slightly older used camera for a student entering the photography avocation? If so, what would you suggest? The brand is immaterial, just a good beginner camera.

When it comes to DSLRs, the danger of older used cameras can become parts and repairs.

Avocation=hobby or minor occupation. The least expensive DSLRs are being bought by cautious parents, unsure if photography will become an avocation. If it was an avocation, then the budget usually increases. Much of the decision at home starts with what is already in their closet. Canonites, Nikonians, and Pentaxians generally stick to their biases and familiarity and convenience of swapping parts.

It is uncommon for a parent that has always shot with Canon to be okay with their child wanting to go rogue with a non-Canon. If the student has a job and is independent, then for their own identity, they will intentionally switch to another brand.

For avocation, I think you can't go wrong with most medium level DSLR like the Canon 60D or 80D, Nikon D7200 or D500 or D750, and most not too old Pentaxes that have dual wheels and is weather sealed.

A good beginner camera for a one and done student will be different than a good beginner camera for a hobbyist or a freelancer or a pro. Also different priorities depending on what they want to shoot. Canon has an edge for sports and video. Nikon and Pentax is better for landscapes, street photography, higher contrast and low lighting.

Also as I've mentioned before, in some circles, the brand will get you in the door or will keep you out. It's a simpleton's gate keeper, but if you have no control over the bias, make your life easier and carry that brand. It's why I switched from Minolta to Nikon when I was a young pro.

[deus ursus]

Hitting a nerve with me here.* My wife only uses her phone for photos and usually takes better pics than me of our kids. Not only do they look really good, but she seems to have a knack for getting them all to look at her and at least make a presentable face at the same time. When you have 8 kids, this is no small feat! It happened again yesterday, posing them all together during an outing and I don't think any of mine came out as well as one of hers.

*I do say that with jest, not actually triggered.

I have a similar experience in my relationship. Whenever we need a group shot of our kids, she asks me to take the shot with my camera, so I kneel or crouch to get a good POV for the shot. Then she stands behind me with her phone and gets all the attention from the kids, so she gets the best shots, while I get the ones with the kids looking somewhere above the camera.

[Mooncatt]

I have a similar experience in my relationship. Whenever we need a group shot of our kids, she asks me to take the shot with my camera, so I kneel or crouch to get a good POV for the shot. Then she stands behind me with her phone and gets all the attention from the kids, so she gets the best shots, while I get the ones with the kids looking somewhere above the camera.

Most of my kids are too old to use those "lens monster" props to get their attention. I've been seeing a lot of RGB generic ring lights popping up, though. Maybe get one of those to get their attention, then turn it off right before the shot.

If someone made something like that, where it cycles colors or whatever as an attention getter, and pressing the shutter makes it either turn off or turn white, I'd be all over it.

[JoelA]

Ok, so a data point.

We are just back from a 3 week holiday.

London, Various places in Croatia, Paris.

Not a single Pentax. None. Nada.

Lots of Nikon and Canon. A few Lumix too.

And what became a running joke, an amazing number of backwards lens hoods.

The best was in Split, Croatia, where a guy was complaning to his wife that his "expensive new Nikon does not work cause he keeps getting steaks of light in his pictures"!

[Jonathan Mac]

Ok, so a data point.

We are just back from a 3 week holiday.

London, Various places in Croatia, Paris.

Not a single Pentax. None. Nada.

Lots of Nikon and Canon. A few Lumix too.

And what became a running joke, an amazing number of backwards lens hoods.

The best was in Split, Croatia, where a guy was complaning to his wife that his "expensive new Nikon does not work cause he keeps getting steaks of light in his pictures"!

I've always thought that the Nikon users were just a smidge smarter than the Canon ones and were able to put their lens hoods on the right way round. I wonder what he thinks it's for? Does he know it's detachable?

[Wheatfield]

I have literally never seen another Pentax user in the wild. It's not something that bothers me.

[Photos-by-Chas]

I have literally never seen another Pentax user in the wild. It's not something that bothers me.

I am sure that it does bother some but not all. I just think of it that Pentaxians do not feel a need to brag about their camera preference so they do not flaunt them like CanSoNikon owners do.

I do recall several years ago, while on my first Alaska trip, we were on a whale watching excursion and I noted there seemed to be no other Pentax cameras on board. As I was moving to a different spot on the boat, another passenger with, I think a Canon, gave my camera a strange look as I passed by. I looked at him and said, "It's a Pentax." That seemed to confuse him all the more. I continued on my way to where I took a few more photos.

[gofour3]

I was in NYC last week and saw a Pentax K1000 and a couple other non Pentax film cameras.

Phil.

[tim60]

I have literally never seen another Pentax user in the wild. It's not something that bothers me.

I do see some Pentax uses in the city of the old university.

[Lord Lucan]

I just think of it that Pentaxians do not feel a need to brag about their camera preference so they do not flaunt them like CanSoNikon owners do.

I tend to put the camera away in a shoulder bag between shots, and I tend to be selective about shots (a film habit), so few people will see it. Moreover, most of my photos are landscapes with few people around, or none at all. I put the camera in the bag for protection, because I am often pushing through undergrowth or past trees or rocks, and there is a chance I might fall or trip over in such places. It has saved the camera a few times.

I rarely go to popular tourist areas so I don't see much of what other people are using either. The last time I saw anyone with a ICL camera was four years ago, an APS-C or 4/3 by the look of it from a distance, and it was not a Pentax.

I can't think of any advantage of people seeing me with a large pro-grade camera, but I can think of some disadvantages.

[mlag]

Ok, so a data point.

We are just back from a 3 week holiday.

London, Various places in Croatia, Paris.

Not a single Pentax. None. Nada.

Lots of Nikon and Canon. A few Lumix too.

And what became a running joke, an amazing number of backwards lens hoods.

The best was in Split, Croatia, where a guy was complaning to his wife that his "expensive new Nikon does not work cause he keeps getting steaks of light in his pictures"!

Just back from 10 days Croatia from Zagred to Dubovnik.
Didn't see a Pentax either.
But if I understand well, at least two were running around there...

Did see a lots of canon nikon olympus and sony (in that order)...and much more smartphones.

The worst was someone carrying two nikon D850 on neckstraps. One with what I guess a 28-100 & other a 70-200 mm lenses. Both large lenses, looked very heavy.

[mlag]

And what became a running joke, an amazing number of backwards lens hoods.

The best was in Split, Croatia, where a guy was complaning to his wife that his "expensive new Nikon does not work cause he keeps getting steaks of light in his pictures"!

The least you can expect from a new expensive camera, is that it pulls out the hood automatically, after all it is an automatic camera, it should correct all ( including user ) aberations.. no one buys advanced camera’s to apply manual settings, do we?

[Lord Lucan]

The worst was someone carrying two nikon D850 on neckstraps.

Some years ago (c1990?) I saw a guy carrying two Pentax 6x7s, taking pictures of trains. They were mounted side-by side on a plank of wood which was suspended from his neck by a strap, a bit like the tray of a street pedlar. I think they were coupled together so I'm guessing one was loaded with B&W and the other with colour reversal. Must have been back-breaking. I have carried one of them and that was bad enough.