Originally posted by lol101 Wheatfield, let me embarass you by stating that I am begining to like you very much!
Lucky for you you weren't within reach or I would have kissed you on both cheeks!
Of course, we will still need to see proper proofs of purchase for all these, just to be on the safe side and establish that you're not some Canon fanboy in disguise, but my intuition tells me that you're OK!
... and by the way I aslo own Canon gear and AF is indeed sizeably better on those than on my Pentaxes although your initial one-liner was clearly an overstatement.
So, it appears that Pentax's AF is very good, Canon's AF is excellent, none of them is perfect and each of them is making progress every year: how's that for being consensual?
Sure works for me.
Now, let me tell you why I think comparing a $1200.00 camera (K20) to a $5000.00 (Canon EOS1D) is a valid one.
First, forget about the manufacturing issues in the Canon, you can be assured that an EOD1D MkIV won't have anything wrong. Canon likely isn't stupid enough to let that happen again.
The comparison, while grossly unfair to the Pentax on the surface is still one that needs to be made. It's my way of saying "Look Pentax, this is what the state of the art is. This is what we want in our cameras. This is the kind of performance and build quality that we find desirable". It's not just about AF performance, or frame rates, or buffer speeds, it's about the entire package.
It's about a camera that is rugged enough to take a hit from falling off a tripod and not breaking, as much as it's about 27 full frames per second, and so many focus points you can't see the subject for the squares on the focus screen.
Is the K20 a good camera for the money? You bet your ass it is. I'll never argue otherwise. Could it be a much better camera for not much more money? I'd say yes, for sure it could be. Can Pentax put a world class camera on the market to compete with the best that the big boys in the sandbox can make?
Again, I say yes, they can, and I bet they'd sell every one that they made.
Is it likely to happen?
If we are satisfied with a K20 class chassis and don't demand more, then no, it isn't likely. We'll see incremental improvements, but we won't see major quantum leaps in build and performance.
If we don't demand it, they won't risk doing it.
But if they do it, we'd better be ready with our wallets to back them up, they won't do it twice if we don't.
Do I admit that the law of diminishing returns comes into play? Absolutely. World class costs money, a 20% performance and build quality increase would probably add 50% or more to the street price.
I think it would be worth it though, not just so I can photograph my little rocket sled of a dog, but for the same reason most of those expensive Nikons and Canons exist, which is because it is nice to own and use the very best that money can buy.
It's why I bought Pentax in the first place. As far as I am concerned, their lenses are the very best that money can buy.
It's why I own both a 77mmLTD and an A*85/1.4. It's why I own at least 8 50mm lenses, a 31mm lens and two 35mm lenses. It's why I have an A100mm/2.8 macro and an FA200/4 Macro. It's why I have an A15mm/3.5 and a DA14mm/2.8.
It's why I have an F*300/4.5 and a A600/5.6.
It's why I own 5 Limited lenses, and it's why I sought out black 31 and 77 mm lenses to replace my chrome ones.
I like owning and using the best that there is, and I consider lenses like these to be unsurpassed in image and build quality.
And Bella thinks so too.....
K10, A85 f/1.4