[reeftool]

Outgrown? I doubt it. I bought a K10D 5 1/2 years ago and a K5 9 months ago. Probably 80% of the various settings and modes remain unused in both. I use both bodies on a regular basis. I have other cameras available to me (my daughter has a Nikon and a Canon). Nothing wrong with them at all but I prefer to shoot with my Pentax bodies. If I was a pro who used a flash a lot, I might look at the other guys but hardly ever use my flash and it does what I need.

[normhead]

I'm really curious... how would outgrowing a K-10 be equivalent to outgrowing Pentax? Pentax released the K-5 hoping you'd outgrown your K-10.

[Docrwm]

A friend of mine who is a pro shot with w 20 D until last year when she finally picked up a 5d2, Like me she would shoot some live events. she invariably would resort to flash though unless prohibited (and shows where it is prohibited also tend to be large show with good lights so less of an issue)
you couldn't place your images with Getty now with a camera like the 20d or D70 (or D200) they use the camera type as a defacto filter now

Did Ansel Adams use a good enough camera for Getty? I love some of these restrictions from big companies. Quality photos only come from X, Y, Z equipment is just very demeaning to the skills needed to be an outstanding photographer. I guess the assumption (and we know about those) is that if you are really a "real photographer" you'll have "real" equipment.....and so it goes.

[eddie1960]

Did Ansel Adams use a good enough camera for Getty? I love some of these restrictions from big companies. Quality photos only come from X, Y, Z equipment is just very demeaning to the skills needed to be an outstanding photographer. I guess the assumption (and we know about those) is that if you are really a "real photographer" you'll have "real" equipment.....and so it goes.

yes he did, you can still place large format image with Getty

I think the large influx of shooters who think they can be a Getty shooter because they have a DSLR is one of the reasons they do stuff like this. there are more agencies than Getty (they haven't bought them all up yet)
they did by Redferns which specialized in music. that pissed me off because I'd just submitted a few items on the recommendation of a redferns tog i knew, and they sent a generic we only accept blah blah camera with a getty letterhead. not sure i would have made the cut if it was still redferns but i'll never know. being recommended by one of their shooters used to be a way in though (and I sent the images he though should go)

[Docrwm]

Sorry about your experience with them but my main argument still holds. No longer will we actually look at content, or take the recommendation of an established professional, instead we'll make the decision based on the tools you use not the output. I know plenty of Doc's that own REALLY expensive professional quality camera+lens systems that cost them $10k+ that still have the flash on for telephoto shots.......but Getty would take their output.......stupid.

[eddie1960]

Sorry about your experience with them but my main argument still holds. No longer will we actually look at content, or take the recommendation of an established professional, instead we'll make the decision based on the tools you use not the output. I know plenty of Doc's that own REALLY expensive professional quality camera+lens systems that cost them $10k+ that still have the flash on for telephoto shots.......but Getty would take their output.......stupid.

it is dumb, and Getty would only then look at their output. getting them to take it still generally requires talent in one of their fields of endeavour
Another friend started her own stock agency of sorts for alternative music togs just because of this type of thing. the site is locked down, and numerous mags that will still actually pay for shots have password protected access (the list of mags gets smaller every year though - it got locked down after a European newspaper stole an image for an obituary and then fought the invoice she sent)

[FrancisK7]

Yup, sure did. It was the AF that did it for me.

[FrancisK7]

Sorry about your experience with them but my main argument still holds. No longer will we actually look at content, or take the recommendation of an established professional, instead we'll make the decision based on the tools you use not the output. I know plenty of Doc's that own REALLY expensive professional quality camera+lens systems that cost them $10k+ that still have the flash on for telephoto shots.......but Getty would take their output.......stupid.

I think everyone can agree that owning expensive equipment does not a good photographer make. On the Nikon FM board, if you look at the "Your Best Nikon Shots", some could have been taken with an iPhone or a regular P&S, yet the exif reads "D700" or "D3".

Just crazy!

[hcarvalhoalves]

I feel like I've outgrown my K-x too. The viewfinder is too small for manual focusing, which I learned to favor. The camera is still too big also, I would rather own something smaller that I could carry around in my bag and doesn't attract so much attention. I'm tired of how many times I had "security staff" coming after me and saying I needed a permission to take photos of something. For christ's sake, I'm just a hobbist! The moment you take a DSLR out the bag, you look like an alien.

I would "upgrade" to a 35mm body if I could, since it gives me all I want, but unfortunately processing film is not an option anymore, so chances are I'll sell my gear and buy a rangefinder now that I know better.

[GlennG]

Yes. Similar to others, I have really noticed and become frustrated by the AF and low light/high iso on my k100dS, though that is only about 10 percent of the time. And, as you progress, I think you become more critical of your photos, so that aspect enters in as well. The k100dS also feels "slow" though I don't have anything to compare it to - it just feels slow (reviewing, etc.). Pictures are still very nice, though. At some point, you also begin to notice what a drag menu diving is to change settings, and hear of the great ergonomic stories of the k-5's, etc., and then read of pro's who say something like "ergonomics are everything!", and then you think to your self that your camera is WAY obsolete. So, does this sound like outgrowing my camera?

[Alizarine]

The k100dS also feels "slow" though I don't have anything to compare it to - it just feels slow (reviewing, etc.)

Once you get a hands-on sampling of the K-5 and K-30's performance, everything else becomes slow. I thought my K-x was really fast when I handled my friend's old Nikon D40 and D60, but came the K-5, I was stumped.

I feel like I've outgrown my K-x too. The viewfinder is too small for manual focusing, which I learned to favor.

I felt like that too when I got an old copy of the K2. While its VF is not as big as the MX's, it's still a huge cabin window compared to the K-x's prison-hole of a VF.

[GeneV]

The other thing that I have outgrown is the flash system. Last week, it worked okay and I had a few days of thinking that the Pentax system wasn't that bad, but it was just average and I shouldn't expect it to match canikon. Tonight, things return to normal. I can't rely on output when bouncing the 540 on the k5. I can't even rely on it firing or recycling quickly when brand new lithium batteries are in it. Tonight it took over 30 seconds for the damn thing to recharge and many times it was over a minute. The sync speed sucks and the built in wireless can be beyond frustrating. If Pentax can't give me FF at photokina they should at least give me a Better flash system.

The AF540FGZ on the K5 was a disappointment for me. I have the same problems with that combo as you mention, and I never had those with other bodies. It is not the flash cycling, but some intermittent oddity of communication between the flash and the body. I do feel I and the system have outgrown that flash as the top of the line option.

I find each newer, "better" body does something not as much to my liking as a predecessor; though many other functions are indeed better. So, no I have not outgrown any of my camera bodies. The K20d is my go-to for shooting with the AF540, especially wireless. The K10d is my favorite with old film lenses, especially the 135/2.5. The Kx is still my favorite travel body. I even found uses for the K100d, until I gave it away to a budding young photographer last year.

[k5astro]

Yes. Its all relative but I would like a pro (not prosumer) camera from Pentax that is still crop frame since I have invested in those lenses. The issue is noise. When compared to pro cameras, the K20D doesn't cut it. It can only generate professional quality images at ISO 100 - i.e. stock photo sites typically reject shots from the K20D above ISO 100. In the interest of reasonable prices, all of my lenses are F4 (except a 50mmF1.4) and at F4, I find I need good noise free images at at least ISO400-800 - ISO1600-3200 would be great, which as I understand it, is possible with the likes of canon and nikon.

[FrancisK7]

Biggest disappointment for me has been the DA*50-135 with the K5. On the rare occasions I use my AF540FGZ, it's off camera and in manual mode, fired with cybersyncs/PWs usually, so can't speak to the P-TTL experience.

It's the frakking AF that wrinkles my ass.

[eddie1960]

I feel like I've outgrown my K-x too. The viewfinder is too small for manual focusing, which I learned to favor. The camera is still too big also, I would rather own something smaller that I could carry around in my bag and doesn't attract so much attention. I'm tired of how many times I had "security staff" coming after me and saying I needed a permission to take photos of something. For christ's sake, I'm just a hobbist! The moment you take a DSLR out the bag, you look like an alien.

I would "upgrade" to a 35mm body if I could, since it gives me all I want, but unfortunately processing film is not an option anymore, so chances are I'll sell my gear and buy a rangefinder now that I know better.

While I agree the VF are too small, you are working from a worst case scenario, K7/K30/K5 all have much better VF than the Kx (100% and Pentaprism) I couldn't shoot on a pentamirror myself
Going RF is a damn expensive proposition if film isn't an option. the only RF in digital is the Leica, and even an old quite obsolete M8.2 goes for as much as a D800. then there are the lenses.
Fuji is an alternate but it's a long way from an RF and is apparently pretty poor for MF with no focus peaking, and since there is no RF patch that is problematic for manual focus people
If you shoot b/w film is easy since you can just process yourself as long as you have a sink. you can load the reels in a changing bag (though it's easier in a windowless room or closet)