[wissink]

A couple weeks ago at our local camera club, we had the proprietor of a local camera shop and a Canon rep show off gear leading into the holidays. I got to play with the following.
Canon
T5i
6D + 40mm pancake
1Dx
7Dmii
P&S super zoom


Nikon
D750 + Tamron 150-600

Pentax K50 Red

Various others I'm forgetting.

What a neat experience, as I've never really held any other DSLR's other than my K3, my dad's Pentax Film SLR 20 yrs ago, and briefly a D3100, T3, SL1 at Walmart. Generally everything is behind glass or a counter.

I expected to not necessarily regret the K3, but more drool over something else--7Dmii, 1Dx, etc. I didn't get to see any images as they were all lacking memory cards, but everything else felt not only foreign (where's the on switches?), but... just not as nice to hold. The only camera I kept going back to was the 1DX, which makes me think I need to save up for a K3 battery grip. I left really appreciating what I have and feeling more connected to my K3 in some way. Perhaps it's because it fits in the hand better (for me) and seems to satisfy my need for minimalism and efficient controls. I'm sure users of other brands would say the same. The only thing that got me wondering was the autofocus system overlayed this red grid like pattern in the viewfinders (at least on the Canon's) whereas the K3 has a red dot. It could simply be an asthetic difference, but I found it much easier to see when focus was achieved. I'm visually impaired and often have to focus several times before I can see where / if the red dot is showing. This is true for single focusing point as well because I can rarely see the focusing screen's lines and thus can't find the center of the screen. Perhaps someone out there can offer advice on improving visibility or red dot brightness. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regardless, I'm happy with my K3. Now I need some more primes . And that 150-600 Tamron was rather exciting to hold.

PS. I did manage to acquire a free pen and lens cloth from Canon. Is this blasphemy?

[LaurenOE]

PS. I did manage to acquire a free pen and lens cloth from Canon. Is this blasphemy?

Now you can write negative stuff on the bathroom stalls about Canon and wipe your butt at the same time!

[wtlwdwgn]

It's good you got a chance to sample the other brands. IMHO, the most important thing in a camera body is how it feels in the hand. Pentax does a good job with camera 'feel' and confusing button placement. They are not so complicated that you have to read the manual to take the first shot either. I have bigger hands so I like having the battery grip on my bodies. We can also buy a complete system for less than the cost of one of the other guys lenses. I have the other guys stuff too but I always wind up with a Pentax.

[Docrwm]

Those events are always fun for me and I too find that I keep coming back to Pentax because of ergonomics, menus, and general performance (although I would like even better AF).

[roberrl]

Ever since I first tried a friends S1A I've found that Pentaxes fit my hand best. I've tried others from time to time particularly Canikon as friends have bought them but they never seem to be so comfortable. Lately I've bought a Sony body to use with my Pentax glass via an adapter and it is just not so easy or comfortable to use.
But it's always good to try the rest then come back to the best.

[Docrwm]

Ever since I first tried a friends S1A I've found that Pentaxes fit my hand best. I've tried others from time to time particularly Canikon as friends have bought them but they never seem to be so comfortable. Lately I've bought a Sony body to use with my Pentax glass via an adapter and it is just not so easy or comfortable to use.
But it's always good to try the rest then come back to the best.

Tried a Panasonic MILC and found that it just did not feel right in my hands. So, I shoot K-5iis, K-01, and Q and am very happy.

[chuck_c]

Now you can write negative stuff on the bathroom stalls about Canon and wipe your butt at the same time!

Love it !

[tvdtvdtvd]

Every Canon I've ever held has left me with the impression that the layout was done with little or no thought
towards actual usability. The Elph is the sole exception, which I always thought was a great design.

Nikon on the other hand always gave me the impression of brute force efficiency. Layout is good but no
further refinement is done to trim away the bulkiness.

[wissink]

Now you can write negative stuff on the bathroom stalls about Canon and wipe your butt at the same time!

Haha yes I can. Nothing like overexposed humour to lighten the mood of any bathroom stall. I'm sure there are many fascinating textures to photograph in such places! There is nothing like lint free microfibre to make one's butt sing, Canon or otherwise. Mind you I am considering selling my Canon S100. It's how I got into RAW and some of my favourite images were made with it. It's also completely pocketable and after all its the camera "you have with you." I just don't have it with me any longer, my K3 doesn't like to share. At one point I bought a cold shoe -> 1/4-20 adapter with the intention of piggy backing the S100 on top of the K3, possibly for POV video. I am really not interested in filming while on a photo walk, there is already too much to take in, and I don't need to learn edit video too. I'm still trying to catch up on my images.

I recall spending months researching brands and camera bodies before I stepped up to a DSLR. The K3 seemed to fit all my current wants, as well as fulfill a wide variety of shooting styles as I expand my knowledge and gain experience. I had no interest in buying something like a T3i, which had no more manual control than my S100, and only some improvements in IQ--namely because of the sensor size. The processor was actually a generation older. I didn't want creative modes or presets, I wanted a tool that did the job, and did it well with no extra fluff. Thus far the K3 fits my needs and feels fantastic in my hand. I'm sure a K5iis and the like would have been just as good, but I didn't want to buy another body anytime soon. I can't afford it. Speaking of which anyone want to trade an S100 for a BG5 grip? haha

The feel really is a package deal. I'm currently recalling all the car analogies I"ve read on Pentax Forums... Perhaps the K3 is a 2 seater that hugs the road, responds to the lightest touch, has the power to climb the podium and grace to make any drive worth going slow... and blah blah blah... but it really is nice in the hands .

[Trudger1272]

Funny! When I had my user sync error two weeks ago and thought I screwed up my K-3, I checked out one of the school's Canons and was totally lost. First I literally had to ask someone to help me set it. Then when I attempted to focus, I immediately lowered it from my eyes and told my model, "it's a wrap!" Being so frustrated, I truly felt trying to figure it out with 45 minutes remaining would be a waste of effort. So, when I choose a second brand to shoot with, I'm quite sure it won't be Canon. And now I have a K-5IIs as my second body.

[LaurenOE]

Funny! When I had my user sync error two weeks ago and thought I screwed up my K-3, I checked out one of the school's Canons and was totally lost. First I literally had to ask someone to help me set it. Then when I attempted to focus, I immediately lowered it from my eyes and told my model, "it's a wrap!" Being so frustrated, I truly felt trying to figure it out with 45 minutes remaining would be a waste of effort. So, when I choose a second brand to shoot with, I'm quite sure it won't be Canon. And now I have a K-5IIs as my second body.

Funny.

I will say this...in a professional situation - photography or otherwise - frustrations while on the job, are part of it.
Especially photography.
With so many things to keep track of, thinking on your feet and flowing with the hiccups are what separates the wheat from the chaff.

On EVERY shoot I do, something goes wrong.
It usually is small, and I have redundancies.
I adapt and work through it.

Being handed unfamiliar equipment especially a dSLR should not upset you so much that you call a "wrap".

The client or talent or whatever should never see you appear unprofessional.
That poor model must have thought she did something wrong!

Next time, take a deep breath, think about cameras and what makes them ALL the same, then wrap your mind around a particular brand's implementation of it.

Any photographer should be able to pick up ANY camera and produce images.

I love bashing Canikony as much as anyone, but calling a wrap over a little hiccup is not a great way to start a career.

[Trudger1272]

Being handed unfamiliar equipment especially a DSLR should not upset you so much that you call a "wrap".

Understood and respected but let me add a few things before you judge: to start this was my first shoot as a student. We get the studio for three hours at a time. The model was to meet with me before 1pm and the shoot was supposed to start at 2pm. Finding out she would be extremely late because the hairstylist I PAID wouldn't stay on the phone and facebook, I had to leave my bag of props in rush to save my slot and barely did. (2 minutes after 2) she made it there after 3:30 halfway in and still needing to get ready dressed and made-up. So NOTHING was small and EVERYTHING went wrong before the Canon even entered the picture. And now that I think about it, it was less than 45 minutes left.

But even with the few images I shot, I made the critique with no real negative feedback from my professor and a few pats on the back from classmates for still completing the assignment THAT SAME SHOOT. I attend two separate campus' while being an onsite property manager of two buildings in downtown Los Angeles so please don't, I handle situations better than most. If anything I'm super wheat.

Oh I forgot to add: the model still got mounted prints.

[LaurenOE]

Understood and respected but let me add a few things before you judge: to start this was my first shoot as a student. We get the studio for three hours at a time. The model was to meet with me before 1pm and the shoot was supposed to start at 2pm. Finding out she would be extremely late because the hairstylist I PAID wouldn't stay on the phone and facebook, I had to leave my bag of props in rush to save my slot and barely did. (2 minutes after 2) she made it there after 3:30 halfway in and still needing to get ready dressed and made-up. So NOTHING was small and EVERYTHING went wrong before the Canon even entered the picture. And now that I think about it, it was less than 45 minutes left.

But even with the few images I shot, I made the critique with no real negative feedback from my professor and a few pats on the back from classmates for still completing the assignment THAT SAME SHOOT. I attend two separate campus' while being an onsite property manager of two buildings in downtown Los Angeles so please don't, I handle situations better than most. If anything I'm super wheat.

Oh I forgot to add: the model still got mounted prints.

Well, that's a different story. Nightmare shoots..it happens to all of us.

[Trudger1272]

Well, that's a different story. Nightmare shoots..it happens to all of us.

Yeah it was a nightmare, so I apologize for the rant. To be completely honest, it makes doing studio shoots intimidating having your first shoot go so bad. Two days later I had my second shoot which was the complete opposite. In fact that model actually showed up at my apartment over an hour early and I had to literally pump myself up but, we nailed it. So a little redemption there.
When I bought my K-3 less than six months prior to this, I also picked up "The 3 Amigos" so thinking I broke it and wouldn't be able to enjoy my lenses for a while was truly devastating. The biggest thing I took from it was "be prepared for anything."

So, when I choose a second brand to shoot with, I'm quite sure it won't be Canon. And now I have a K-5IIs as my second body.

To quote myself, when I do get to a more serious level, I do plan on incorporating equipment from other brands, whatever it takes to get the job done. I've only been shooting just over a year and a half and actually started on a Nikon film body(FM2&FM2n)my 1st semester and medium format(Hasselblad 500cm)& large format(Sinar F1)the 2nd semester. I started digital in the 3rd semester with a K30. So I'm not brand loyal, I'm more like all over the place.

[hjoseph7]

Actually if someone where to give you those other brands for Christmas you would gladly take them...