Originally posted by bluestringer My response is always this: I had a canon/nikon a few years ago, I've been moving up every since.
I'm very much looking forward to writing an article along these lines for SLRLounge.com.
IMO, these days it's not even something to be proud of to say you shoot Canon, although Nikon does have a bit of a good thing going for them. Really, the hot ticket seems to be Sony and Fuji etc. Everybody is posting about how they've "dumped" their Nikon / Canon system for the lighter and smaller and high-tech mirrorless systems from....Sonuji? Fujony? I dunno. But as a hardcore adventure photographer, neither of them seems to offer me what I want. Pentax does.
So, I dumped all my Nikon DX gear, and am happily awaiting the K-3 II and a 16-85 WR, Rokinon 10mm f/2.8, and Rokinon 16mm f/2. And when the Pentax full-frame body arrives, I may even happily dump my Nikon D750, too...
The next time somebody looks at your Pentax and rolls their eyes or scoffs, just shrug it off and then make them weep with confusion when they see your images. ;-)
=Matt=
---------- Post added 05-27-15 at 09:57 AM ----------
Originally posted by traderdrew That is an interesting take on questioning everything. I agree questioning everything should be used within scientific circles. I choose not to run my life like that. Mainly because the truth can resonate within me when I hear it. Good post. You and I could probably have a few good conversations.
Not in every way, but at least in some, I do choose to live by this. As a Nikon owner, and as someone with extensive experience with both Nikon and Canon, I felt "inescapably" attached to my Nikon system, until I reviewed the K-3 last year. It was only then that I realized I needed to question my status quo.
I very carefully tallied up my wishlist of things that would comprise the ultimate camera for me. Adding the O-GPS1 to the equation, Pentax had more of these things than any other, by far. (Side note, for those who are interested: I also realized that mirrorless systems, though they are all the rage right now, were actually WORSE than DSLRs for what I do. But that's a whole different discussion!)
Next, I very carefully weighed my budgetary options, considering such high-end and high-performance options from the recent Sony + Zeiss marriage. Pentax bodies made anything else look laughably over-priced, and even some of the budget Pentax lenses offered weather sealing. As I've mentioned elsewhere I do wish that Pentax had partnered with Tokina for a 11-16 2.8, like they allegedly did for the 12-24 f/4, but other than that, the system is awesome!
Finally, last but not least I very carefully studied the interface and customizations of the K-3 in particular, because customizability and specific functionality is extremely important to me. Lo and behold, I found the Pentax interface / experience to offer enough of what I needed, at least for landscape and adventure photography. (For weddings and portraits, IMO nothing beats the latest generation of Nikon bodies, and their incredible leap forward in face detection both while shooting and during image playback.)
So, there you have it. Question EVERYTHING. Sometimes. :-P