is it just me?

adwb · 03-25-2013, 02:36 AM

I have been running a course for a group of dslr owners most of which, like usual, own the usual other brand suspects.

what has become apparent to me as a dedicated Pentax user is that these other brands menu systems and button allocations are radically different to ours

simple tasks like changing flash output power and even altering the iso on some models is a nightmare. The bodies with one dial only are the worst.

I thought it was me then I found that most of these owners cannot find something or a function that they have not used before with out using the manual .

Am I biased or just too used to Pentax or is there something incredibly intuitive about the Pentax menu systems and the options available via a button push?

Clavius · 03-25-2013, 02:46 AM

Nope, you are correct. Pentax ergonomics and user interface are far ahead of their competition. I've been using mixed gear for year, Pentax, Canon, Sony and others, and Pentax UI is the best. Canon is the worst IMO, both in UI and ergonomics.

Sonata · 03-25-2013, 04:16 AM

Another mark in favor of staying with Pentax. I hate digging in menus....

**Kerrowdown** · 03-25-2013, 04:47 AM

I use the other big two brands as well and there is a level of familiarity about the menu systems, once you get in amongst them.

By that I mean, you tend to work out what you need, to let you achieve what you need to do, and these settings you can change relatively quickly.

With the once in a blue moon stuff, you do have to dig a bit in all menus systems to find it. I've seen me even go to a Pentax manual fairly recently, to check out the sensitivity extended ISO range settings, purely because its not something I play with that often.

zman · 03-25-2013, 04:54 AM

When I finally decided to retire my old film Minolta SRT and enter the digital world, the attraction to buy my Pentax K100DS was the the ease of use of its menus. I checked out all the competition back then and they left me scratching my head. Simple works for me.

**Ash** · 03-25-2013, 04:59 AM

Yet Canon ( in particular) have had no trouble selling their cameras with difficult UIs. Some photographers are clearly either overlooking that disadvantage or get used to the system's UI.

Pentax make tools for photographers with their desires in mind, rather than it just being another gizmo put together by electronics engineers.

redimp · 03-25-2013, 05:05 AM

It is often commented that the Pentax menu system looks dated. Well, if looks dated means intuitive with things in the right place and easy to find then i am happy to use a dated display.

GibbyTheMole · 03-25-2013, 05:16 AM

Originally posted by Clavius

Pentax ergonomics and user interface are far ahead of their competition. I've been using mixed gear for year, Pentax, Canon, Sony and others, and Pentax UI is the best. Canon is the worst IMO, both in UI and ergonomics.

I would agree with that. I'm sure I'd get used to something else, but Pentax just does ergonomics & menus right, IMO.

**JimJohnson** · 03-25-2013, 06:37 AM

Originally posted by Ash

Yet Canon ( in particular) have had no trouble selling their cameras with difficult UIs. Some photographers are clearly either overlooking that disadvantage or get used to the system's UI.

Or these photographers rarely if ever go beyond full automatic control and only use their camera like a glorified point & shoot.

calsan · 03-25-2013, 07:30 AM

Using a Canon 450d at work, I wasn't aware that you could set the exposure! I used to whinge that it would be nice to be able to set the aperture to one setting and the shutter speed to another like on a film camera.

ha ha . Bit embarrasing. My k10d I bought because I picked it up and could actually use it.

**TER-OR** · 03-25-2013, 07:51 AM

I've had a little opportunity to help a Cannon user figure a few things out. Generally he's a better photographer but spent a year or so cloning out a dust spot on his finished photos...figuring out where the mirror lockup is took a while, but a quick blow with my blower dislodged the dust. Digging through the menus wasn't as simple as the Pentax setup though.

Two wheels makes quick adjustment a lot easier, though, I don't think I'd buy a single-wheel camera.

Sony seems fairly straightforward with menus, though.

kenyee · 03-25-2013, 08:01 AM

Originally posted by Ash

Yet Canon ( in particular) have had no trouble selling their cameras with difficult UIs. Some photographers are clearly either overlooking that disadvantage or get used to the system's UI.

That Sony ad a while back said most people run their DSLRs in A=Awesome mode....they don't need to use menus when their magic flash and AF works all the time

**Ash** · 03-25-2013, 08:31 AM

Originally posted by kenyee

That Sony ad a while back said most people run their DSLRs in A=Awesome mode....they don't need to use menus when their magic flash and AF works all the time

That must be what Pentax are missing from their cameras. Imagine what we could do with an Awesome mode?

**boriscleto** · 03-25-2013, 08:43 AM

Originally posted by Ash

That must be what Pentax are missing from their cameras. Imagine what we could do with an Awesome mode?

But we have P=Professional mode!

**Ash** · 03-25-2013, 09:06 AM

No way! Why doesn't anybody tell us about these features?!?

03-25-2013, 02:36 AM	#1
adwb Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bristol UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,636	is it just me? I have been running a course for a group of dslr owners most of which, like usual, own the usual other brand suspects. what has become apparent to me as a dedicated Pentax user is that these other brands menu systems and button allocations are radically different to ours simple tasks like changing flash output power and even altering the iso on some models is a nightmare. The bodies with one dial only are the worst. I thought it was me then I found that most of these owners cannot find something or a function that they have not used before with out using the manual . Am I biased or just too used to Pentax or is there something incredibly intuitive about the Pentax menu systems and the options available via a button push?

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03-25-2013, 02:46 AM	#2
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	Nope, you are correct. Pentax ergonomics and user interface are far ahead of their competition. I've been using mixed gear for year, Pentax, Canon, Sony and others, and Pentax UI is the best. Canon is the worst IMO, both in UI and ergonomics.

03-25-2013, 04:16 AM	#3
Sonata New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: North Carolina Photos: Gallery Posts: 24	Another mark in favor of staying with Pentax. I hate digging in menus....

03-25-2013, 04:47 AM	#4
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,804	I use the other big two brands as well and there is a level of familiarity about the menu systems, once you get in amongst them. By that I mean, you tend to work out what you need, to let you achieve what you need to do, and these settings you can change relatively quickly. With the once in a blue moon stuff, you do have to dig a bit in all menus systems to find it. I've seen me even go to a Pentax manual fairly recently, to check out the sensitivity extended ISO range settings, purely because its not something I play with that often.

03-25-2013, 04:54 AM	#5
zman Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Western NY Photos: Albums Posts: 515	When I finally decided to retire my old film Minolta SRT and enter the digital world, the attraction to buy my Pentax K100DS was the the ease of use of its menus. I checked out all the competition back then and they left me scratching my head. Simple works for me.

03-25-2013, 04:59 AM	#6
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Yet Canon ( in particular) have had no trouble selling their cameras with difficult UIs. Some photographers are clearly either overlooking that disadvantage or get used to the system's UI. Pentax make tools for photographers with their desires in mind, rather than it just being another gizmo put together by electronics engineers.

03-25-2013, 05:05 AM	#7
redimp Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Lincoln Photos: Albums Posts: 106	It is often commented that the Pentax menu system looks dated. Well, if looks dated means intuitive with things in the right place and easy to find then i am happy to use a dated display.

03-25-2013, 05:16 AM	#8
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	Originally posted by Clavius Pentax ergonomics and user interface are far ahead of their competition. I've been using mixed gear for year, Pentax, Canon, Sony and others, and Pentax UI is the best. Canon is the worst IMO, both in UI and ergonomics. I would agree with that. I'm sure I'd get used to something else, but Pentax just does ergonomics & menus right, IMO.

03-25-2013, 06:37 AM	#9
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,772	Originally posted by Ash Yet Canon ( in particular) have had no trouble selling their cameras with difficult UIs. Some photographers are clearly either overlooking that disadvantage or get used to the system's UI. Or these photographers rarely if ever go beyond full automatic control and only use their camera like a glorified point & shoot.

03-25-2013, 07:30 AM	#10
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,548	Using a Canon 450d at work, I wasn't aware that you could set the exposure! I used to whinge that it would be nice to be able to set the aperture to one setting and the shutter speed to another like on a film camera. ha ha . Bit embarrasing. My k10d I bought because I picked it up and could actually use it.

03-25-2013, 07:51 AM	#11
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	I've had a little opportunity to help a Cannon user figure a few things out. Generally he's a better photographer but spent a year or so cloning out a dust spot on his finished photos...figuring out where the mirror lockup is took a while, but a quick blow with my blower dislodged the dust. Digging through the menus wasn't as simple as the Pentax setup though. Two wheels makes quick adjustment a lot easier, though, I don't think I'd buy a single-wheel camera. Sony seems fairly straightforward with menus, though.

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03-25-2013, 08:01 AM	#12
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Originally posted by Ash Yet Canon ( in particular) have had no trouble selling their cameras with difficult UIs. Some photographers are clearly either overlooking that disadvantage or get used to the system's UI. That Sony ad a while back said most people run their DSLRs in A=Awesome mode....they don't need to use menus when their magic flash and AF works all the time

03-25-2013, 08:31 AM	#13
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Originally posted by kenyee That Sony ad a while back said most people run their DSLRs in A=Awesome mode....they don't need to use menus when their magic flash and AF works all the time That must be what Pentax are missing from their cameras. Imagine what we could do with an Awesome mode?

03-25-2013, 08:43 AM	#14
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,473	Originally posted by Ash That must be what Pentax are missing from their cameras. Imagine what we could do with an Awesome mode? But we have P=Professional mode!

03-25-2013, 09:06 AM	#15
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	No way! Why doesn't anybody tell us about these features?!?