Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!

madisonphotogrl · 03-13-2008, 10:33 AM

I really hope this doesn't open a can of worms.. but here I go..

I was talking to a photographer friend of mine and told him i was looking to buy a Pentax set up. He's a Canon man, prev. a Nikon man, and told me that Pentax is a limited system. I know some photographers who are all about equipment, and this particular friend never has been. Have any of you used the "other" systems before and come back to Pentax? In my opion how may lenses can a company really make without repetition?

jshurak · 03-13-2008, 10:39 AM

Originally posted by madisonphotogrl

I really hope this doesn't open a can of worms.. but here I go..

I was talking to a photographer friend of mine and told him i was looking to buy a Pentax set up. He's a Canon man, prev. a Nikon man, and told me that Pentax is a limited system. I know some photographers who are all about equipment, and this particular friend never has been. Have any of you used the "other" systems before and come back to Pentax? In my opion how may lenses can a company really make without repetition?

what are you shooting with? The K10D is compatible with nearly every lens Pentax has ever made. Can Canon and Nikon shooters claim that? There are a lot of members of this forum that are Canon converts that have never looked back.

The only regards that I can think of Pentax being 'limited' is due to supply and demand. Canon and Nikon have however much of the market that that's what local camera stores tend to stock. They stock more Canon and Nikon gear purely from a financial stand point, because that's what they're going to sell more of. Therefore its much easier to find new Canon and Nikon gear.

Ask your photographer how much his Image Stabilization lens cost.

vievetrick · 03-13-2008, 10:40 AM

That is the silliest thing I ever heard, Well, today anyway. 24 Million lens produced to work on any of the DSLRs available. Maybe yo should ask him how many of the lens built by the Nikon or Canon are acutally affordable. Sure it can be tougher to find Pentax gear but it is out there if you look. That is just silly.

Jeff you type faster then me

What he said.

rormeister · 03-13-2008, 10:50 AM

All of the above, but WAIT, don't forget about in-body Shake Reduction. You get it for ALL those lovely Pentax lenses, where with the other manufacturers (note my neutrality) build all the SR into each lens. I think your friend isn't totally familar with Pentax. Don't worry, you made a great choice IMHO.

madisonphotogrl · 03-13-2008, 10:54 AM

Oh thanks!! I haven't purchased my K10D yet but it is so impressive at the local camera shop. I just don't want to be one of those photographers selling their equipment in five years because Pentax doesn't have the lens I "need". I had some film stuff and fell on hard times so I had to sell. NOW I am more settled and ready to dive into digital. I don't like the feel of the Rebel line and I am not able to invest a grand+ into a dslr body. I really liked the feel of the K10d and it's perfect timing with the K20D being released I see the price on the K10D is coming down...

TaoMaas · 03-13-2008, 10:54 AM

Pentax is only a limited system depending on how you intend to use it. For someone like me who shoots mostly landscape/nature types of things, it doesn't feel limited at all. Pentax has some great prime lenses in the focal lengths I use most, plus the image quality of Pentax DSLR's are as good or better than other cameras in their price range. Their line of zooms was a bit sparse at the high-quality end of things, but they're taking steps to fix that. However, if you are shooting more action oriented pictures, like sports or wildlife, then you may very well feel limited by the Pentax line. Long, fast lenses are essentially not available for Pentax cameras at this time and as has been debated extensively, the AF system isn't as quick as Nikon's or Canon's. So it's really a matter of what kind of pictures you like to take as to how limited you'll feel.

madisonphotogrl · 03-13-2008, 10:58 AM

I feel so silly asking opinions on others on what I should use...

kenyee · 03-13-2008, 10:59 AM

Depends on what lenses you want.
E.g., go try and get a 70-200/2.8 in a Pentax mount now and you can't get it new (until Sigma/Tamron release theirs in the later half of the year).
Pentax doesn't have the new tilt-shift lenses Nikon just released for the architectural folks.
Pentax doesn't have the 1000mm $10K lenses that Canon has for sports shooters.

So, the answer is, it depends on what he meant and what you want. If what he meant is not something you want, it doesn't really matter ;-)

ncinpa · 03-13-2008, 11:02 AM

If you are committed to purchasing products from what your local camera store has on the shelf on any given day, then the range and availability of Pentax products is going to be limited and disappointing compared to Canon and Nikon. But if you are willing to (a) wait for your local camera store to order stuff for you or (b) purchase from on-line retailers, then unless you are a very high-end professional, the range and availability of Pentax products is very likely to exceed your skill set.

And by using the phrase "your skill set," please understand I don't mean that in a condensending manner. My personal photographic skill set was pretty much left in the dust, never to catch up, when I started using a Kodak 110 Instamatic with the flash cubes on top in 1971. I have always had way more camera than I knew what to do with.

drabina · 03-13-2008, 11:08 AM

I think your friend was right. Pentax owners are "limited edition" photographers. All the best from all models and in limited quantities. Not like the mass market C*.*ns and N*.*ns

Andrew Faires · 03-13-2008, 11:08 AM

Pentax may be a limited system based on your friends needs. However, it's your needs you need to consider and whether or not Pentax is or isn't meeting them now and whether or not they continue to produce the gear you will need in the future.

I'd hardly call Nikon a limited system, but your friend moved from there to Canon, so there was (in all likelyhood) something specific he needed that Nikon didn't provide at the time.

There have been people who shot with Pentax who have now moved on because they required something specific that Pentax didn't offer. And likewise, there have been people who shot other brands move over to Pentax for the exact same reason.

"Limited" is defined by the individual.....nothing else.

jshurak · 03-13-2008, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by rormeister

All of the above, but WAIT, don't forget about in-body Shake Reduction. You get it for ALL those lovely Pentax lenses, where with the other manufacturers (note my neutrality) build all the SR into each lens. I think your friend isn't totally familar with Pentax. Don't worry, you made a great choice IMHO.

Hehe! that's what my last sentence was for!

davemdsn · 03-13-2008, 11:20 AM

Pentax is more limited than Canon and Nikon. Pentax offers a more selective lens set and far fewer "gadgets" than the two bigger companies. The question is, how many of those lenses and gadgets do you need, or even more importantly, how many will you buy?

For example, Canon and Nikon both offer WiFi on certain camera models. Neat, but I don't need it. Nikon offers a type of wireless flash system built into their top models. I have heard a lot of people say it is inconsistent and I would rather have the cheap radio trigger I use on my Pentax.

So, Pentax is limited in some ways. Limited can be a good thing. Limited means they focus on doing what they do very well. I believe the new K20 to be the best APS-C DSLR on the market. I Wouldn't drop it from a balcony like the guy on YouTube does with his D3, but it is quite sturdy and will take lots of photos in harsh conditions. It also costs $3,700 less.

Pentax has a smaller lens selection, but some of them are held as the best available lenses on the market. Most pros don't shoot with more than 4-6 lenses. Pentax has more than that in their "Limited" series (FA and DA), plus the DA*. Their discontinued F* and FA* lenses have been favorably compared to Zeiss lenses.

I agree that Pentax is limited, but I have been shooting their gear for 12 years, 10 of them doing professional portraiture and weddings. Every once in a while I think about changing, but when I look at the options for doing so I end up staying with Pentax.

TaoMaas · 03-13-2008, 11:25 AM

Originally posted by madisonphotogrl

I feel so silly asking opinions on others on what I should use...

Why? Do you think we didn't do the same thing? Ask away! We all like talking about this stuff or we wouldn't be on here every danged day.

The trick isn't in getting us to give our opinions about photography...it's in getting us to shut up!

**Canada_Rockies** · 03-13-2008, 11:38 AM

Originally posted by TaoMaas

Why? Do you think we didn't do the same thing? Ask away! We all like talking about this stuff or we wouldn't be on here every danged day.

The trick isn't in getting us to give our opinions about photography...it's in getting us to shut up!

I'll never shut up. It's in the genes.

03-13-2008, 10:33 AM	#1
madisonphotogrl Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 270	Is it true?! I really hope this doesn't open a can of worms.. but here I go.. I was talking to a photographer friend of mine and told him i was looking to buy a Pentax set up. He's a Canon man, prev. a Nikon man, and told me that Pentax is a limited system. I know some photographers who are all about equipment, and this particular friend never has been. Have any of you used the "other" systems before and come back to Pentax? In my opion how may lenses can a company really make without repetition?

03-13-2008, 10:40 AM	#3
vievetrick Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Easthampton - Massachusetts - USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,183	That is the silliest thing I ever heard, Well, today anyway. 24 Million lens produced to work on any of the DSLRs available. Maybe yo should ask him how many of the lens built by the Nikon or Canon are acutally affordable. Sure it can be tougher to find Pentax gear but it is out there if you look. That is just silly. Jeff you type faster then me What he said. Last edited by vievetrick; 03-13-2008 at 10:41 AM. Reason: Jeff was quicker

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03-13-2008, 10:39 AM	#2
jshurak Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: philadelphia Posts: 626	Originally posted by madisonphotogrl I really hope this doesn't open a can of worms.. but here I go.. I was talking to a photographer friend of mine and told him i was looking to buy a Pentax set up. He's a Canon man, prev. a Nikon man, and told me that Pentax is a limited system. I know some photographers who are all about equipment, and this particular friend never has been. Have any of you used the "other" systems before and come back to Pentax? In my opion how may lenses can a company really make without repetition? what are you shooting with? The K10D is compatible with nearly every lens Pentax has ever made. Can Canon and Nikon shooters claim that? There are a lot of members of this forum that are Canon converts that have never looked back. The only regards that I can think of Pentax being 'limited' is due to supply and demand. Canon and Nikon have however much of the market that that's what local camera stores tend to stock. They stock more Canon and Nikon gear purely from a financial stand point, because that's what they're going to sell more of. Therefore its much easier to find new Canon and Nikon gear. Ask your photographer how much his Image Stabilization lens cost.

03-13-2008, 10:50 AM	#4
rormeister Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 626	All of the above, but WAIT, don't forget about in-body Shake Reduction. You get it for ALL those lovely Pentax lenses, where with the other manufacturers (note my neutrality) build all the SR into each lens. I think your friend isn't totally familar with Pentax. Don't worry, you made a great choice IMHO.

03-13-2008, 10:54 AM	#5
madisonphotogrl Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 270 Original Poster	Oh thanks!! I haven't purchased my K10D yet but it is so impressive at the local camera shop. I just don't want to be one of those photographers selling their equipment in five years because Pentax doesn't have the lens I "need". I had some film stuff and fell on hard times so I had to sell. NOW I am more settled and ready to dive into digital. I don't like the feel of the Rebel line and I am not able to invest a grand+ into a dslr body. I really liked the feel of the K10d and it's perfect timing with the K20D being released I see the price on the K10D is coming down...

03-13-2008, 10:54 AM	#6
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Pentax is only a limited system depending on how you intend to use it. For someone like me who shoots mostly landscape/nature types of things, it doesn't feel limited at all. Pentax has some great prime lenses in the focal lengths I use most, plus the image quality of Pentax DSLR's are as good or better than other cameras in their price range. Their line of zooms was a bit sparse at the high-quality end of things, but they're taking steps to fix that. However, if you are shooting more action oriented pictures, like sports or wildlife, then you may very well feel limited by the Pentax line. Long, fast lenses are essentially not available for Pentax cameras at this time and as has been debated extensively, the AF system isn't as quick as Nikon's or Canon's. So it's really a matter of what kind of pictures you like to take as to how limited you'll feel.

03-13-2008, 10:58 AM	#7
madisonphotogrl Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 270 Original Poster	I feel so silly asking opinions on others on what I should use...

03-13-2008, 10:59 AM	#8
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Depends on what lenses you want. E.g., go try and get a 70-200/2.8 in a Pentax mount now and you can't get it new (until Sigma/Tamron release theirs in the later half of the year). Pentax doesn't have the new tilt-shift lenses Nikon just released for the architectural folks. Pentax doesn't have the 1000mm $10K lenses that Canon has for sports shooters. So, the answer is, it depends on what he meant and what you want. If what he meant is not something you want, it doesn't really matter ;-)

03-13-2008, 11:02 AM	#9
ncinpa New Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Charlotte Posts: 7	If you are committed to purchasing products from what your local camera store has on the shelf on any given day, then the range and availability of Pentax products is going to be limited and disappointing compared to Canon and Nikon. But if you are willing to (a) wait for your local camera store to order stuff for you or (b) purchase from on-line retailers, then unless you are a very high-end professional, the range and availability of Pentax products is very likely to exceed your skill set. And by using the phrase "your skill set," please understand I don't mean that in a condensending manner. My personal photographic skill set was pretty much left in the dust, never to catch up, when I started using a Kodak 110 Instamatic with the flash cubes on top in 1971. I have always had way more camera than I knew what to do with.

03-13-2008, 11:08 AM	#10
drabina Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 525	I think your friend was right. Pentax owners are "limited edition" photographers. All the best from all models and in limited quantities. Not like the mass market C.ns and N.ns

03-13-2008, 11:08 AM	#11
Andrew Faires Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ontario Posts: 744	Pentax may be a limited system based on your friends needs. However, it's your needs you need to consider and whether or not Pentax is or isn't meeting them now and whether or not they continue to produce the gear you will need in the future. I'd hardly call Nikon a limited system, but your friend moved from there to Canon, so there was (in all likelyhood) something specific he needed that Nikon didn't provide at the time. There have been people who shot with Pentax who have now moved on because they required something specific that Pentax didn't offer. And likewise, there have been people who shot other brands move over to Pentax for the exact same reason. "Limited" is defined by the individual.....nothing else.

03-13-2008, 11:18 AM	#12
jshurak Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: philadelphia Posts: 626	Originally posted by rormeister All of the above, but WAIT, don't forget about in-body Shake Reduction. You get it for ALL those lovely Pentax lenses, where with the other manufacturers (note my neutrality) build all the SR into each lens. I think your friend isn't totally familar with Pentax. Don't worry, you made a great choice IMHO. Hehe! that's what my last sentence was for!

03-13-2008, 11:20 AM	#13
davemdsn Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Boise, Idaho Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,413	Pentax is more limited than Canon and Nikon. Pentax offers a more selective lens set and far fewer "gadgets" than the two bigger companies. The question is, how many of those lenses and gadgets do you need, or even more importantly, how many will you buy? For example, Canon and Nikon both offer WiFi on certain camera models. Neat, but I don't need it. Nikon offers a type of wireless flash system built into their top models. I have heard a lot of people say it is inconsistent and I would rather have the cheap radio trigger I use on my Pentax. So, Pentax is limited in some ways. Limited can be a good thing. Limited means they focus on doing what they do very well. I believe the new K20 to be the best APS-C DSLR on the market. I Wouldn't drop it from a balcony like the guy on YouTube does with his D3, but it is quite sturdy and will take lots of photos in harsh conditions. It also costs $3,700 less. Pentax has a smaller lens selection, but some of them are held as the best available lenses on the market. Most pros don't shoot with more than 4-6 lenses. Pentax has more than that in their "Limited" series (FA and DA), plus the DA. Their discontinued F and FA* lenses have been favorably compared to Zeiss lenses. I agree that Pentax is limited, but I have been shooting their gear for 12 years, 10 of them doing professional portraiture and weddings. Every once in a while I think about changing, but when I look at the options for doing so I end up staying with Pentax.

03-13-2008, 11:25 AM	#14
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Originally posted by madisonphotogrl I feel so silly asking opinions on others on what I should use... Why? Do you think we didn't do the same thing? Ask away! We all like talking about this stuff or we wouldn't be on here every danged day. The trick isn't in getting us to give our opinions about photography...it's in getting us to shut up!

03-13-2008, 11:38 AM	#15
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by TaoMaas Why? Do you think we didn't do the same thing? Ask away! We all like talking about this stuff or we wouldn't be on here every danged day. The trick isn't in getting us to give our opinions about photography...it's in getting us to shut up! I'll never shut up. It's in the genes.

Is it true?!

Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!