K-x for paying gigs? What if it is a crazy color?

Steve Beswick · 12-28-2010, 11:45 PM - **1 Like**

The title pretty much covers my question, but to elaborate, I have been thinking of parting with my K10 for something newer. I do like my K10, but I could really use something with better high ISO performance, and the lack of features on a K-x is not a real issue for me.

My concern is this - I do get the occasional paying job - a small wedding, an engagement set, the odd graduation. Will showing up with a K-x around my neck send the wrong message? Also, what if I decided to go with one of the colors - right now it is a toss up between the white, the navy blue, and the bright green. I'm largely thinking of the colors because they can be purchased new very inexpensively. How glossy are the colors in real life? In product photos the navy looks like it is wet!

orly_andico · 12-29-2010, 12:07 AM

well you could cover it with gaffer tape..

but that said, many paying patrons expect you to show up with a huge camera (with portrait grip), large white lens, and big flash. If you show up with a neon-colored K-x your fee will probably go down. :-O

hawk1500 · 12-29-2010, 02:29 AM

yeah I don't know if I would show up with a hot pink camera to a professional shoot. Sad to say, but a non-Canikon is already a strike in most people's eyes, a green camera might freak them out even more.

I had the navy blue and I liked it...it's not THAT shiny, but you can definitely tell it's not black, if that makes any sense.

hoanpham · 12-29-2010, 03:19 AM

If you got paid, go and get the k5 with grip, and perhaps several flash units & light stands as well. Don't go out with a 'toy'. With correct attitude and 'dress code' you may increase your bill 15-20% to fund the equipment - don't be cheap, be professional.

Best regards.

JHD · 12-29-2010, 03:48 AM - **1 Like**

Don't pretend to be pro when you're an artist. Dress like an artist and bring artsy gear. You didn't choose Pentax to blend in with the crowd.

Steve Beswick · 12-29-2010, 04:17 AM

Originally posted by hoanpham

If you got paid, go and get the k5 with grip, and perhaps several flash units & light stands as well. Don't go out with a 'toy'. With correct attitude and 'dress code' you may increase your bill 15-20% to fund the equipment - don't be cheap, be professional.

Best regards.

Considering that the next paying photo job I have pays a whopping $200, and that is the only one that is lined up for the foreseeable future, I just don't think the K5 is in the budget. I'm not being cheap, I simply do not have the money. If I did have $3,000 laying around to drop on camera gear this thread would have never been made. I think you mistook "paying" for "pays well".

Besides, I HATE add-on grips.

Steve Beswick · 12-29-2010, 01:46 PM

Originally posted by JHD

Don't pretend to be pro when you're an artist. Dress like an artist and bring artsy gear. You didn't choose Pentax to blend in with the crowd.

I like your line of thinking, but still - even as an artist, is the white or the navy blue out of line?

I have already decided I don't want the green for myself, regardless of what the customer thinks. I can just see it being like when I bought an orange Mustang. For the first couple of weeks you can stand around and say "woo hoo! I have an orange Mustang!", but then after a while you find yourself thinking "Man that car is really orange." Ironically I'm starting to find myself more drawn to the orange, - but I'm trying hard not to think about it.

magkelly · 12-29-2010, 02:13 PM - **1 Like**

Ultimately I say get what you want. Get the best camera for you in the color you'd like. Life is too short to give a rat's arse about what other people think about the color of your camera. If they're shallow enough to care more about what color (or brand) your camera is than what it's capable of and what you can do with it then they're probably not people you want to do business with anyway.

They're not seeing YOU. They're not seeing your work, they're only looking for what they believe to be cool, trendy and professional, what looks right to them, not what necessarily is. That's utter BS, IMHO.

Technically speaking a green K-x is the equal of a black K-x and and K-x of any kind is more than enough camera that you should be able to take it to any event and with a little skill on your part get the job done. Yeah, having a K-7 or a K-5 is probably going to be a better choice if you're going to be doing pro work, particularly outside, but a K-x isn't a bad choice for someone who is doing some pro work, some hobby and who needs an entry level, less expensive model to start with.

I'm probably going to start doing some pro work later this year or maybe early next year with one myself. It just so happens that it's likely that one I'm going to be getting will be a black camera, but I wouldn't just sneer at it and not buy it and use it if it had happened to be pink or whatever. If I was the type to be that conscious of what other people think I probably wouldn't be using a Pentax in the first place. But I do, and with pride, and I would still say that even if my Pentax DSLR was multi-colored in primaries like that one that looks like a plastic lego toy! It's what's inside the camera body that ultimately counts. I do like a nice looking camera, sure, but function always trumps fashion in the end.

Pentax actually having the option for both? Win-win scenario I think. Me, I wouldn't actually mind a K-x or a K-r in Schiaparelli shocking pink, or Halloween Green or Crayola Purple. I'm an artist and I'm a definite freak for color. Black is chic, but it's not the only "cool" color on the planet. IMHO a camera is only as "professional" as the person using it regardless of what shade the plastic cover is.

Forget the pack mentality thing and get what makes you happy. You'll like your camera far more and probably use it more for having one in a color you actually like. You're the one who has to live with it after all. It should really be about you. Never mind about what the rest of the world thinks.

We live in a world where people routinely elect lying idiots to higher office. Where people who already have a cell phone wait for hours in the pouring rain in a bad economy to get the latest and greatest I-phone even though it probably costs as much to 1/2 to 3/4 of a month's rent. Where people who are barely making a paycheck still pop $5-6 for a cup of coffee several times a day when they could just buy a darned coffee maker and some "gourmet" coffee and make that same cup for .75 back at the office.

I mean think about it. These are the very same people who are going to be sitting there, giving your maybe not black K-x a dim look and deciding how "professional" you are based on the fact that your camera isn't the black Canikon they expected you to have. Your potential clients. Now, which seems more silly to you? Actually getting a green K-x or letting people with that mindset decide what kind of photographer you are based on what brand your camera is and what color it is?

Yeah, you might lose a job here or there buy buying a colored K-x. But I'm quite sure that in the end it won't seem nearly as bad as having to deal with people who probably haven't a clue as to what a good photographer's camera kit should really entail. People who care about the color of your camera more than the contents of your portfolio are very likely to drive you crazy doing jobs for them. On the other hand people who get why you bought a non-standard camera are likely to be fun to work with. They might actually like it when you get creative and welcome something more than your standard boring one note portrait session.

sgtkashim · 12-29-2010, 02:13 PM

Hrm...
I shot a rally race about year or so ago, just for the hell of it, using a friend's (he was driving in the race, you see) Canon XSi. It's a larger camera than the Kx, but it's not exactly a monster. Now... I also had a 70-200 F4L perched on the nose, which helped the image a big. That lens is big and white, and looks very intimidating. No grip, though.

Throughout the whole event, I was asked what my website was, how much I charged for prints, whether I did other events, etc. I'd never shot an event before, at that point. I didn't even have my own SLR. A big part of it is attitude, I think. I spent half the day lying under a dumpster at a corner of the track (in case a car missed the turn), and looked at least half like I new what I was doing. I had a camera backpack on, and I had a lens with lots of dials. The Kx may look small, but... put a big lens or a lens with an aperture ring on it, and it'll look professional enough. I really think only photo-enthusiasts will even know the difference.

That said, there was a Judge-whats-his-name case where the wedding photographer pissed off the customer, and the judge (binding arbitrator, not really a judge) sided w/ the customer, because the photog used a low-end rebel and got the prints at walmart...

Just be careful. :F

eddie1960 · 12-29-2010, 02:30 PM

What sells you to a client is your portfolio not your gear, if it makes you more comfortable keep the k10 as your big serious looking camera, and take along the kr in a cool colour. Personally I want the robot Kr just for interview gigs as an icebreaker and Benjikan shoots for hi end fashion mags with a white k-x amongst other cameras in his arsenal and also like the robot cam. one advantage of the coloured one is people will relax a bit more around you as it isn't that huge big ass canon with a massive white lens (that isn't as sharp due to lens os lol)
And put a good lens on it
When you are meeting with the client for the first time perhaps have the colored one with you, if the reaction is negative show them some samples from it and mention you do have another camera (the k10) but you like the results from this one more in many cases as it puts people more at ease an makes them more natural. If they balk just bring the k10
Really most people don't know the difference and it is your work that sold them on you. (and in your case your prices, I'd start raising them a bit - then the k7/k5 will come along faster)
as for the photographer who used a rebel and got the prints at walmart, he was just stupid. The rebel with a good lens and a grip and no-one would know the difference but getting walmart prints instead of having a proper print job done that was just dumb
If I quote a wedding it always includes the options of properly printed and bound leather books with the cover embossed
prints are always quoted for archival prints with some form of quality storage.

good luck and just go get the camera you want and can afford, your work will sell you no your gear

JACOBY · 12-29-2010, 02:49 PM

I get looked down on for just shooting pentax but I don't let it bother me and I had years ago a blaze orange vega wagon it hauled my drum gear around one thing for sure I new where the car was.

Quicksand · 12-29-2010, 02:53 PM

A lot of useful things have already been said upthread, but let me throw in one more consideration:

At a wedding, you'll be expected to fade into the background. Nobody pays attention to the photographer. More to the point, nobody WANTS the photographer to be paid any attention. For the posed shots, it won't make any difference. But at the ceremony and reception, a brightly colored camera will be like wearing a clown nose.

If you were shooting rock shows or auto races, I'd say "sure, get the orange one!" But weddings, not so much.

Brides are pretty serious about this, for some reason.

magkelly · 12-29-2010, 03:01 PM

Easy solution for the Bridal photographer? Buy your K-x in white, grin. You'll still have your unique camera AND you'll blend in. ;P

JeffJS · 12-29-2010, 04:55 PM

I don't think most people are going to give a damn what color or brand name your camera is. Just don't show up with a phone-camera to do the job. Neon green may get you a couple strange looks. On the other hand, people may just think you're --- 'different'..

JHD · 12-29-2010, 08:00 PM

Originally posted by JeffJS

Just don't show up with a phone-camera to do the job.

But Ken Rockwell would if Nikon made one.

12-28-2010, 11:45 PM - 1 Like	#1
Steve Beswick Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,736	K-x for paying gigs? What if it is a crazy color? The title pretty much covers my question, but to elaborate, I have been thinking of parting with my K10 for something newer. I do like my K10, but I could really use something with better high ISO performance, and the lack of features on a K-x is not a real issue for me. My concern is this - I do get the occasional paying job - a small wedding, an engagement set, the odd graduation. Will showing up with a K-x around my neck send the wrong message? Also, what if I decided to go with one of the colors - right now it is a toss up between the white, the navy blue, and the bright green. I'm largely thinking of the colors because they can be purchased new very inexpensively. How glossy are the colors in real life? In product photos the navy looks like it is wet!

12-29-2010, 02:13 PM - 1 Like	#8
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	Ultimately I say get what you want. Get the best camera for you in the color you'd like. Life is too short to give a rat's arse about what other people think about the color of your camera. If they're shallow enough to care more about what color (or brand) your camera is than what it's capable of and what you can do with it then they're probably not people you want to do business with anyway. They're not seeing YOU. They're not seeing your work, they're only looking for what they believe to be cool, trendy and professional, what looks right to them, not what necessarily is. That's utter BS, IMHO. Technically speaking a green K-x is the equal of a black K-x and and K-x of any kind is more than enough camera that you should be able to take it to any event and with a little skill on your part get the job done. Yeah, having a K-7 or a K-5 is probably going to be a better choice if you're going to be doing pro work, particularly outside, but a K-x isn't a bad choice for someone who is doing some pro work, some hobby and who needs an entry level, less expensive model to start with. I'm probably going to start doing some pro work later this year or maybe early next year with one myself. It just so happens that it's likely that one I'm going to be getting will be a black camera, but I wouldn't just sneer at it and not buy it and use it if it had happened to be pink or whatever. If I was the type to be that conscious of what other people think I probably wouldn't be using a Pentax in the first place. But I do, and with pride, and I would still say that even if my Pentax DSLR was multi-colored in primaries like that one that looks like a plastic lego toy! It's what's inside the camera body that ultimately counts. I do like a nice looking camera, sure, but function always trumps fashion in the end. Pentax actually having the option for both? Win-win scenario I think. Me, I wouldn't actually mind a K-x or a K-r in Schiaparelli shocking pink, or Halloween Green or Crayola Purple. I'm an artist and I'm a definite freak for color. Black is chic, but it's not the only "cool" color on the planet. IMHO a camera is only as "professional" as the person using it regardless of what shade the plastic cover is. Forget the pack mentality thing and get what makes you happy. You'll like your camera far more and probably use it more for having one in a color you actually like. You're the one who has to live with it after all. It should really be about you. Never mind about what the rest of the world thinks. We live in a world where people routinely elect lying idiots to higher office. Where people who already have a cell phone wait for hours in the pouring rain in a bad economy to get the latest and greatest I-phone even though it probably costs as much to 1/2 to 3/4 of a month's rent. Where people who are barely making a paycheck still pop $5-6 for a cup of coffee several times a day when they could just buy a darned coffee maker and some "gourmet" coffee and make that same cup for .75 back at the office. I mean think about it. These are the very same people who are going to be sitting there, giving your maybe not black K-x a dim look and deciding how "professional" you are based on the fact that your camera isn't the black Canikon they expected you to have. Your potential clients. Now, which seems more silly to you? Actually getting a green K-x or letting people with that mindset decide what kind of photographer you are based on what brand your camera is and what color it is? Yeah, you might lose a job here or there buy buying a colored K-x. But I'm quite sure that in the end it won't seem nearly as bad as having to deal with people who probably haven't a clue as to what a good photographer's camera kit should really entail. People who care about the color of your camera more than the contents of your portfolio are very likely to drive you crazy doing jobs for them. On the other hand people who get why you bought a non-standard camera are likely to be fun to work with. They might actually like it when you get creative and welcome something more than your standard boring one note portrait session. Last edited by magkelly; 12-29-2010 at 02:44 PM.

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12-29-2010, 12:07 AM	#2
orly_andico Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Manila, Philippines Posts: 97	well you could cover it with gaffer tape.. but that said, many paying patrons expect you to show up with a huge camera (with portrait grip), large white lens, and big flash. If you show up with a neon-colored K-x your fee will probably go down. :-O

12-29-2010, 02:29 AM	#3
hawk1500 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 270	yeah I don't know if I would show up with a hot pink camera to a professional shoot. Sad to say, but a non-Canikon is already a strike in most people's eyes, a green camera might freak them out even more. I had the navy blue and I liked it...it's not THAT shiny, but you can definitely tell it's not black, if that makes any sense.

12-29-2010, 03:19 AM	#4
hoanpham Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Strand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,366	If you got paid, go and get the k5 with grip, and perhaps several flash units & light stands as well. Don't go out with a 'toy'. With correct attitude and 'dress code' you may increase your bill 15-20% to fund the equipment - don't be cheap, be professional. Best regards.

12-29-2010, 03:48 AM - 1 Like	#5
JHD Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,406	Don't pretend to be pro when you're an artist. Dress like an artist and bring artsy gear. You didn't choose Pentax to blend in with the crowd.

12-29-2010, 04:17 AM	#6
Steve Beswick Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,736 Original Poster	Originally posted by hoanpham If you got paid, go and get the k5 with grip, and perhaps several flash units & light stands as well. Don't go out with a 'toy'. With correct attitude and 'dress code' you may increase your bill 15-20% to fund the equipment - don't be cheap, be professional. Best regards. Considering that the next paying photo job I have pays a whopping $200, and that is the only one that is lined up for the foreseeable future, I just don't think the K5 is in the budget. I'm not being cheap, I simply do not have the money. If I did have $3,000 laying around to drop on camera gear this thread would have never been made. I think you mistook "paying" for "pays well". Besides, I HATE add-on grips.

12-29-2010, 01:46 PM	#7
Steve Beswick Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,736 Original Poster	Originally posted by JHD Don't pretend to be pro when you're an artist. Dress like an artist and bring artsy gear. You didn't choose Pentax to blend in with the crowd. I like your line of thinking, but still - even as an artist, is the white or the navy blue out of line? I have already decided I don't want the green for myself, regardless of what the customer thinks. I can just see it being like when I bought an orange Mustang. For the first couple of weeks you can stand around and say "woo hoo! I have an orange Mustang!", but then after a while you find yourself thinking "Man that car is really orange." Ironically I'm starting to find myself more drawn to the orange, - but I'm trying hard not to think about it.

12-29-2010, 02:13 PM	#9
sgtkashim Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 90	Hrm... I shot a rally race about year or so ago, just for the hell of it, using a friend's (he was driving in the race, you see) Canon XSi. It's a larger camera than the Kx, but it's not exactly a monster. Now... I also had a 70-200 F4L perched on the nose, which helped the image a big. That lens is big and white, and looks very intimidating. No grip, though. Throughout the whole event, I was asked what my website was, how much I charged for prints, whether I did other events, etc. I'd never shot an event before, at that point. I didn't even have my own SLR. A big part of it is attitude, I think. I spent half the day lying under a dumpster at a corner of the track (in case a car missed the turn), and looked at least half like I new what I was doing. I had a camera backpack on, and I had a lens with lots of dials. The Kx may look small, but... put a big lens or a lens with an aperture ring on it, and it'll look professional enough. I really think only photo-enthusiasts will even know the difference. That said, there was a Judge-whats-his-name case where the wedding photographer pissed off the customer, and the judge (binding arbitrator, not really a judge) sided w/ the customer, because the photog used a low-end rebel and got the prints at walmart... Just be careful. :F

12-29-2010, 02:30 PM	#10
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,667	What sells you to a client is your portfolio not your gear, if it makes you more comfortable keep the k10 as your big serious looking camera, and take along the kr in a cool colour. Personally I want the robot Kr just for interview gigs as an icebreaker and Benjikan shoots for hi end fashion mags with a white k-x amongst other cameras in his arsenal and also like the robot cam. one advantage of the coloured one is people will relax a bit more around you as it isn't that huge big ass canon with a massive white lens (that isn't as sharp due to lens os lol) And put a good lens on it When you are meeting with the client for the first time perhaps have the colored one with you, if the reaction is negative show them some samples from it and mention you do have another camera (the k10) but you like the results from this one more in many cases as it puts people more at ease an makes them more natural. If they balk just bring the k10 Really most people don't know the difference and it is your work that sold them on you. (and in your case your prices, I'd start raising them a bit - then the k7/k5 will come along faster) as for the photographer who used a rebel and got the prints at walmart, he was just stupid. The rebel with a good lens and a grip and no-one would know the difference but getting walmart prints instead of having a proper print job done that was just dumb If I quote a wedding it always includes the options of properly printed and bound leather books with the cover embossed prints are always quoted for archival prints with some form of quality storage. good luck and just go get the camera you want and can afford, your work will sell you no your gear

12-29-2010, 02:49 PM	#11
JACOBY Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: PGH PENNA Posts: 340	I get looked down on for just shooting pentax but I don't let it bother me and I had years ago a blaze orange vega wagon it hauled my drum gear around one thing for sure I new where the car was.

12-29-2010, 02:53 PM	#12
Quicksand Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Ohio (formerly SF Bay Area) Posts: 1,519	A lot of useful things have already been said upthread, but let me throw in one more consideration: At a wedding, you'll be expected to fade into the background. Nobody pays attention to the photographer. More to the point, nobody WANTS the photographer to be paid any attention. For the posed shots, it won't make any difference. But at the ceremony and reception, a brightly colored camera will be like wearing a clown nose. If you were shooting rock shows or auto races, I'd say "sure, get the orange one!" But weddings, not so much. Brides are pretty serious about this, for some reason.

12-29-2010, 03:01 PM	#13
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	Easy solution for the Bridal photographer? Buy your K-x in white, grin. You'll still have your unique camera AND you'll blend in. ;P

12-29-2010, 04:55 PM	#14
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	I don't think most people are going to give a damn what color or brand name your camera is. Just don't show up with a phone-camera to do the job. Neon green may get you a couple strange looks. On the other hand, people may just think you're --- 'different'..

12-29-2010, 08:00 PM	#15
JHD Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,406	Originally posted by JeffJS Just don't show up with a phone-camera to do the job. But Ken Rockwell would if Nikon made one.