[cxdoo]

One of the main reasons why Pentax Is Doomed is poor availability of the gear in stores and (some would say consequently) in general population. We're at a point where we report sightings of fellow Pentaxians, as if we're some elusive species on a brink (or already over?) of extinction.


First thing that comes to mind seeing some poor soul with that familiar strap around their neck, at least to me, is - How come you have a Pentax? Where did you buy it? Why?
This sounds awfully similar exactly the same as condescending questions I sometimes get from people carrying one of two more popular brands. But my questions arise for a very banal reason; I had to seek out all my gear online, and I bought practically all of it without seeing it / holding it in my hands / trying it out. I suppose it requires some faith (naivety? stubbornness?).


I also suppose I am not the only one who did so, so I'd like to confirm my feeling with wider audience.


So the question is very simple: Did you see in real life the Pentax camera you use, before you bought it?
I am aware it is a bit ambiguous as you might have seen the first one you got, but not the next one, however there is always an option to tell your full story.


As for myself:


* bought K100DS in 2007 online, haven't seen a real one before. What I did see is a K10D which was too much of a camera (and price tag) for me at that time.
* bought DA 50-200 the same year online, the same.
* bought K5II this year online, the same
* bought Tamron 17-50 & 70-200 & Pentax M50/1.7 online this year, the same

[wullemaha]

I voted "no", but have mixed examples.

1.) went to the camera store (Yodobashi) to buy a DSLR and saw Pentax for the first time while I was looking at the hundreds of DSLRs from Canon and Nikon (damn, they have way too many bodies!). Asked the sales guy about the K-30 because it looked great and felt good in the hand. "This is very good one" was the broken english explanation. "Why is it so much cheaper than the comparable bodies from Nikon/Canon" was my question which only got a embarrassed smile because of not-sufficient english to go into detailed explanations. So I said " it" and just bought it.

Liked it a lot, but after a while moved to Ricoh GR and sold the K-30.

2.) even though I love the GR, I was missing the flexibilities of a DSLR and decided to purchase the K-5IIs without even trying it out. At that point I knew Pentax well enough, was already a user on this forum, and did not need to test it.

LOVE THIS CAMERA, and will probably not sell it even if I buy FF sometime, if there ever is one to be had from Pentax.

[RonHendriks1966]

I did that before I bought the K20D wich was my first Pentax, but all other camera's I just ordered in. Some by mail delivered and others I collected at the store.

[pixie]

I voted "yes". Back in 2006 I was looking to buy my first DSLR. In those days camera stores carried Pentax in San Francisco. I believe it was Wolf Camera, I liked the build quality of the K100D over its Canikon competitors at my price range. I was sold. Since then I've bought the K20D and the K5, both online as Pentax have since disappeared from SF. Speaking of which, there seems to be only one real camera store remaining iin San Francisco today - Samy's, but no Pentaxes on the shelves.

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Last edited by pixie; 08-14-2014 at 03:11 AM.

[Timd]

My K200D was through much research and going to several shops to try out the K200D, the Nikon D60 and the Canon 350D (I think). The Canon felt like a toy, the Nikon was, well, ok but uninspiring. The Pentax felt solid and had SR and was weather resistant. My K5, FA50, DA18-135, DA35, DA60-250, Sigma 10-20, Sigma 70 were all bought sight unseen (The K5, DA35 and DA60-250 were ordered into my local shop, but the decision was made before I saw it)

This views on this forum is the reason for my confidence in my "sight unseen" purchases - thanks to all who have unknowingly assisted me!

[AldaCZ]

PEntax used to be a bog name so after a year or two with Canon G12 I wanted a dSLR...it was easy choice 2 dials and so on..

[patrick9]

Out of my six bodies and assorted lenses ,I held my first one a K-1000 back in 77/78. I bought it and a kit lens. Since then all the rest have been bought on line I have trusted Pentax and the folks( reviews) here enough to be fairly comfortable doing that. Plus I don't have much choice in that matter since there are no camera stores left near by.

[StephenHampshire]

I bought my first Pentax - a K100D - in a bricks and mortar store- Jessops - which sort of still exists, although my nearest branch doesn't...
I got the K20D online, at SRS Microsystems, sight unseen. I also got my K5 from them, I had held a K7 in another large retailers some way from home, but a year or two later when I went for the K5 I just ordered on line, but I knew what to expect. So I answered "no" to the poll.

[robert52]

Hi as I have owned Pentax slr for approx 25 years & lots of difrent Pentax lens etc so it was easy

[paraben]

In january 2011 I bought a K-x at the webshop of a big and well known German camera store, without ever holding one in my hands. At that time, I was looking for a nice DSLR set (just above entry level) at a good price. It really could have been any brand... Then I saw that nice offer of the K-x, combined with a Sigma 18-50 zoom. I did not look at Pentax so far, so I gathered a lot of information on the internet, and I found this to be a very nice camera to start with. It offered more value for money than the Canikony models at that time. And I never did regret it. When I visited some big media stores afterwards, I took some Canikony models in my hands, and I realised that I made the right choise
Two years after that, in january 2013, I bought a K-5 at a webshop. The K-5 was running out at that moment, otherwise I would not have made the upgrade, Still happy with it (not saying that Canikony make bad cameras).

[TER-OR]

My first DSLR, the K10 I bought used locally.
The second, and present, camera is a K5 I bought online.

[jrpower10]

I've bought three bodies. The K10 was the only one I handled before I bought. Why Pentax? Guess it's mainly because that's what I learned with as a kid in the early 70's. My father shot Pentax and started passing on gear, including film bodies, before I ever jumped to digital. Only other camera I ever owned was a Canon film-era EOS.

[Arjay Bee]

In 1973 my dad used a spotmatic and three primes, and I had an Olympus trip. In 1997 my dad gave me the spotmatic and lenses. My first Pentax.

In 2005 I handled an*istDS in a store but ended up buying a *istDL2 online together with a couple of zooms.

In 2008 the 20D came along so purchased that online. And now the K3 platinum preordered online.

All the rest of the collection of bodies and most of the old takumar lenses were obtained online as well but that is mostly cos I live 900kms from the nearest camera store.

[link81]

not directly. I played with my dad's K-X before i bought my K-30, so i had somewhat of an idea, but have never held or played with any other pentax DSLR's before that.

[Sergey K]

I got my first Pentax K100D and DA 50-200 at the local camera store where I tested both for a bit. I was really pleased with the "feeling" of the camera, grip, controls etc. I was "converted" to Pentax by one of my friend who is a doctor and still working with Pentax medical equipment. She said the company has a great reputation in making HQ optics so I never looked towards other brands actually (now, how silly is that!) and I still have no intention to try anything else.

I got my second Pentax camera (K-5) at the local store also, because it was a great deal. But I hadn't try it just because I was convinced in Pentax quality.

P.S. Oh, and I love that feeling when all Nikon / Canon shooters around stare at the brand name on my neck strap with a bit of concern