[lesmore49]

I still shoot with my Me Super as well, I would but a Pentax film MF but I am not sure where I could get it developed now days..

Gear is only a part of the story for sure.. I am out of town until the week end and have not placed the rest of the Canon gear up for sell yet.. So Lesmore49 you may have a point..

PS.. If your 50+ then your right..: ) wow I can't believed I typed that about me!!

Kevin,

Hard for me to believe but I'm 60 + (61) and I've been into cameras and photography (in my case they are two separate things ) since 1968......42 years (boy I'm getting old )....when I bought my first SLR, a Pentax S1a, which still works and I still have, along with the Sekonic light meter that I bought along with it.

I'm shooting mostly digital now...but every so often I drag my old Mamiya , Leica and Pentax film gear out and click away.

I get the film developed at a camera store.

I'm also a bit surprised how much digital gear I've acquired since 2007, when I bought my first DSLR, a K10D. Since then....about 6-7 lenses (lost count)...macro, telephoto, 'normal' 50 F1.4, fish eye, a few wide angles...another body (KM /K2000), flash, mono pod, remote, etc...it never stops.

But on car trips, my very accommodating wife lets me pack two- three camera bags full of gear, mono pod, tripods..into the car.

I've never sold any photo gear in my life so far....you never know when you might need it....and I still enjoy using my Leica rangefinder and big Mamiya.....although with film disappearing...for how long.

BTW....one camera I've been thinking of adding to my repertoire is the Canon 5D, Mk 11....with the Canon 17-40 L. I've always liked that FF....but it wouldn't be a replacement for my Pentax gear...just an addition.

Les

[melander]

welcome to the forums troll...err i meant kevin lol

I invested in a Canon system why probably because i can but you know what i remain on this forum because most people here understand, "the image" and how you get it there are many multi system and format users in here too but from all the discussions you'll find they care primarily about "the image", yes some will talk about the tools nothing wrong with that as you'll find many respect all the tools and very little will start a brand war heck call them "fanboys" but for which brand, they own them all at one point or another lol

My main reason being here is the community and a the knowledge they have and mostly if you read between the rants, raves and trolling you'll either pass on that knowledge or actually learn something (well for me at least)...most here don't waste time arguing about brand X vs Brand Y, they might at some point but i think they're just bored and humouring the thread

that said, brand wars are a BIG no no here, just letting you know.

to answer you choice question, it's a Pentax forum lol, if the K5 surpasses the 5D and gives better value vs Canon then why not go all Pentax?

btw if you went to a Canon forum, you'll never hear the end of it...only the working pros will understand i find.

I could invets in a Nikon D3s if I would want to, I got the fonds to do so, And im no stranger to spending money on stuff I want. But I chose Pentax. Try getting a d3s and a lens down in a kayak, or a d700 with a lens, or a d5 mk2 and a lens...

Just because you can, dont meen that its the right move to do so.

[ludoo]

Me on the other hand, I would love to own the 5d MKII but I simply cannot afford it. I am not a professional, I just really like amateur landscape, architecture, family portraits, pretty much everything and do not plan on ever becoming a professional but I find the 5Ds pictures to be much better than my Kx. The 5D has an almost 3D quality to them that I cannot get enough of.

It's funny, because a couple of weeks ago I finally sold my 5D, and bought a K-x. And I'm really happy with it.

True, the 5D has a great sensor and in the right conditions will deliver photos with a certain "something", but I could not stand its bulk, size, awful controls and poor wb anymore. And after only a few days with the K-x, I am pleasantly surprised by its great handling and especially the rich colours it produces. I don't think I'll regret my 5D.

A caveat: I could not care less about AF performance, as I only shoot manual lenses.

[kenyee]

Is the 5DMkII focusing slow for real? Not what I'd have expected.

Yes...most 5D wedding shooters only use the center AF point and focus/recompose...
I've also shot w/ a canon shooter who couldn't focus if you're doing sun flare shots...

[Kevin B.]

Thanks everyone for the input..

I shot Sony for about 4 years A700, A850, A100. I have owned Pentax K10, K20, K-x, K-7 and the Canon 7d and 5d mk2.. Out of all of these cameras The Sony A850 produced the best detail and resolution (imho) then the Pentax system.. Why did I move away from Sony? They lack support for the semi to pro shooter as you can see they have abandoned that market and I want to take my photography to another level. Hence Pentax !!
They may not produce a massive line up but that is ok because in my book what they do produce has some cutting edge feature that I find that I needed and didn't know it..

Anyway I have had the problem of trying and selling e-bay has made that to convenient..

each system has it's pro's and con's we just need to choose our poison..

Happy Shooting

[KxBlaze]

It's funny, because a couple of weeks ago I finally sold my 5D, and bought a K-x. And I'm really happy with it.

True, the 5D has a great sensor and in the right conditions will deliver photos with a certain "something", but I could not stand its bulk, size, awful controls and poor wb anymore. And after only a few days with the K-x, I am pleasantly surprised by its great handling and especially the rich colours it produces. I don't think I'll regret my 5D.

A caveat: I could not care less about AF performance, as I only shoot manual lenses.

You just reminded me of the size, weight and feel of the 5D which is very big, bulky and heavy. I was really just focusing on the IQ. And now that I think about it (it's been a while since i shot a 5D) the 5Ds IQ is great but I remember the color being a little bland. Now this probably could be fixed with some settings but the Kx color rendition is a little better and as for the feel of holding it in your hand, the Kx is by far the most comfortable camera I have held (maybe the K7 too).

\ the Kx is by far the most comfortable camera I have held (maybe the K7 too).

You must have some tiny hands! I have medium sized hands and my hands just hurt to hold the Kxs for very long. It's mostly my pinky, it has nowhere to go. I picked up the 7D and it molds to my hand.

[FullertonImages]

I've been told that the Canon 5d is kinda aimed at the studio shooter, which is something that Pentax excels at.

That's wht I heard their intent was as well. Which is interesting, because as far as I can tell, it has caught on most with wedding shooters and DSLR video people.

[DJEZRAJ]

Hi Kevin. I can only offer my non "pro" perspective. (apply grain of salt to taste)

I guess your decision may also rely on what system APS-C or Full Frame can best support the type of photography you most often do. Also the gear required may also have an effect.
What I know of Full frame is it can obtain shallow depth of field with ease. However this may mean using a tripod more often. The lenses may be bigger and heavier and there may be more of it?
One could speculate that a Pentax system could potentially be lighter and smaller and this for you may or may not be important.
Both systems are great and i would never discount Canon I think they make some great L Glass. If you are happier with the results of one format over another that may be the most important Factor. If both formats seem equally good perhaps ergonomics and weight are the key?

Good luck
Roger

[lesmore49]

I find I can get very narrow DOF using my 50mm normal F 1.4. This lens makes fantastic quality in pix.

[FullertonImages]

I find I can get very narrow DOF using my 50mm normal F 1.4. This lens makes fantastic quality in pix.

But you could get even shallower DOF with a 50/1.4 on FF...

[lesmore49]

But you could get even shallower DOF with a 50/1.4 on FF...

I have just read today that Hassleblad has brought out a $10,000 or so Medium format....sounds like the 10 grand Pentax 645 has struck a nerve.....prices are starting to move downward.

Being an old medium format film guy (Mamiya system)....I would love to have a digital medium format....rather then a FF....although I would love to have a FF.

Maybe in the next 3-5 years...there will be a basic Medium format digital that is priced around the price of a good FF.

[Kevin B.]

I agree I think I would prefer to jump to MF miss the FF.. In fact I may pick up a Pentax film MF 645.. Now I am a rookie with that format but it would be fun to shoot...need to see if Wolf camera can develop it.. Denver does not have a lot of outlets to choose from..

[lesmore49]

I agree I think I would prefer to jump to MF miss the FF.. In fact I may pick up a Pentax film MF 645.. Now I am a rookie with that format but it would be fun to shoot...need to see if Wolf camera can develop it.. Denver does not have a lot of outlets to choose from..

I really enjoyed using medium format. My Mamiya is a 6 X 6....a bit bigger negative then the Pentax 645....which is a 6 X 4.5.

Then of course there is that fine old studio, film workhorse....the Pentax 6 X 7, which as it's name implies uses 120 / 220 film as the other medium formats mentioned...but has a larger negative...a 6 X 7.

About 25 years ago, I rented a Pentax 6 X 7, which looks like a 35 mm Pentax SLR on steroids.

The lens I rented with this monster camera was the Pentax 90 mm F 2.8 with a leaf shutter. I used my Sekonic light meter and gray card, to determine F stop, shutter speed...as the light meter head (light meter was match needle) was an option on the 6 X 7 .


It was a magnificent unit and I was very impressed with the picture quality....hard to beat a 6 X 7 negative for detail in the MF world.

The one I rented had a Pentax rosewood (wooden) handle, but I found I needed to use my tripod.

My tripod at that time was a lightweight model and after a short while....the head tightening mechanism broke under the strain of the weight of the 6 X 7.

As a result I quickly picked up a very robust Leitz Tiltall tripod...which handled the weight quite well.

I never got a Pentax 6 X 7....but I always wanted one.

Les

[Kevin B.]

Ok actually you got me to thinking.. Might be best to hold on to the 5dII and add the k-5.. After more thought and the direction I want to go with my photography the 5dII would fit the bill as well..

But I will always keep the K-7,K-5

Plus I had not thought of the m42 adapter for the canon.. I think this is a must..

I did just buy the Pentax 70mm and 40mm Limited waiting for them to arrive!!

Anyway thanks more to ponder!!

Kevin