[Scooterpilot]

Hi All,

Upon returning home from work one day, I found that burglar's grabbed my K10D, Tamron Macro lens, telephoto lens etc., and other accessories I had.
The K10D was a great camera. Now Pentax has been assimilated by Ricoh. I haven't been following the forums; nor, have I been following Ricoh's line of business and don't have any idea how stable Pentax is within Ricoh's business portfolio.
With the above being said, I've been looking at two camera's, the first is the K3. I've called numerous camera shops and the common response is the lack of availability for accessories for the K3, lens manufactures are not producing as many after market lenses for Pentax as they use too. Is this becoming an issue, obtaining newly engineered after market lenses for Pentax cameras? Please chime in here.
The other camera I was looking at was the Nikon D 7100. Again I called numerous shops and they touted the availabilty of accessories. That's all well and good; however, my research revealed the image quality is not as good as the K3. Don't know if that is true or not, that just what the internet revealed while I did the research.
The bottom line question is: Is there issues with after market lenses and accessories for the Pentax K3? What are your thoughts on the K3? Knowing I'm on a Pentax forum, I'll ask, what are you thoughts of the Nikon D7100 body versus the K3?
Any insight you can provide is greatly appreciated.

[VoiceOfReason]

I have had no problem getting lenses from 8-500mm for my K3 along with a couple nice flashes, the GPS unit, and a couple teleconverters. Sure, you don't have as much aftermarket available for it as you do with Nikon, but if you can't get a full kit together with what is available you aren't looking. If you like Pentax, backward compatibility with old lenses, and good features you can't beat a K3.

[AquaDome]

The Nikon D7000 is a better built camera than the D7100. I prefer my K-3 over them both. If you think you're going to need some specialty lenses that cost thousands of dollars, go with Nikon. If you've been happy with your K-10D for years, a K-3 should be plenty of upgrade. There are a lot of good lenses already out there and some new ones come out once in a while.

[jddwoods]

Hi All,

Upon returning home from work one day, I found that burglar's grabbed my K10D, Tamron Macro lens, telephoto lens etc., and other accessories I had.
The K10D was a great camera. Now Pentax has been assimilated by Ricoh. I haven't been following the forums; nor, have I been following Ricoh's line of business and don't have any idea how stable Pentax is within Ricoh's business portfolio.
With the above being said, I've been looking at two camera's, the first is the K3. I've called numerous camera shops and the common response is the lack of availability for accessories for the K3, lens manufactures are not producing as many after market lenses for Pentax as they use too. Is this becoming an issue, obtaining newly engineered after market lenses for Pentax cameras? Please chime in here.
The other camera I was looking at was the Nikon D 7100. Again I called numerous shops and they touted the availabilty of accessories. That's all well and good; however, my research revealed the image quality is not as good as the K3. Don't know if that is true or not, that just what the internet revealed while I did the research.
The bottom line question is: Is there issues with after market lenses and accessories for the Pentax K3? What are your thoughts on the K3? Knowing I'm on a Pentax forum, I'll ask, what are you thoughts of the Nikon D7100 body versus the K3?
Any insight you can provide is greatly appreciated.

If you thought the K10D was a great camera you will find the K-3 a far greater camera. I want from K10D to K-5 to K-3 and each one was a significant improvement over the previous one. High quality lenses are very easy to get for the K-3. Once I got my first Limiteds, some of them I bought used I was hooked on a system of small high quality primes. No way I would give up on these and jump to Nikon or Canon. If anything I think Pentax is better under Ricoh than it was under Hoya when the K10D was in production.

[jimr-pdx]

Hi All,

I've called numerous camera shops and the common response is the lack of availability for accessories for the K3, lens manufactures are not producing as many after market lenses for Pentax as they use too. Is this becoming an issue, obtaining newly engineered after market lenses for Pentax cameras? Please chime in here.

Any insight you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Many items are available, but sadly numerous camera shops do not stock them. Pentax gear doesn't turn over fast enough so very few stores carry them, unless they also do online sales. Online options are abundant, but it's true that Tamron and Sigma have cut back on K-mount lenses (that could change with 36x24 camera, hard to say). The big question is how many exotic lenses do you need? Pentax covers quite a range, but they don't cover it three or four times like Nikon or Canon. I tend to turn the issue on its head: aren't those two putting a lot of resources into making several very similar lenses to cover every contingency?

Pentax has been more about small and simple kits.. and I like that.

[dms]

-- For me the in body shake reduction is the most important difference. Every lens on the Pentax has shake reduction vs the NIkon where they are costly if lens has it, and generally I believe it's the longer focal lengths.that offer it. Except for that I think the feel/ergonomics of the camera is important, and that is mainly your holding/trying them.
-- The range of lenses and accessories is deep enough on either system. On a point by point comparison they each likely will have their strengths.
-- Personally I use/used Nikon mostly for film (because I feel it is more robust for backpacking--especially in winter) and the only digital cameras I used are Pentax--simply because I started with them (they were inexpensive for semi-pro body and accepted all my Pentax lenses from the early 1960's).

[ramseybuckeye]

Hi All,

Upon returning home from work one day, I found that burglar's grabbed my K10D, Tamron Macro lens, telephoto lens etc., and other accessories I had.
The K10D was a great camera. Now Pentax has been assimilated by Ricoh. I haven't been following the forums; nor, have I been following Ricoh's line of business and don't have any idea how stable Pentax is within Ricoh's business portfolio.
With the above being said, I've been looking at two camera's, the first is the K3. I've called numerous camera shops and the common response is the lack of availability for accessories for the K3, lens manufactures are not producing as many after market lenses for Pentax as they use too. Is this becoming an issue, obtaining newly engineered after market lenses for Pentax cameras? Please chime in here.
The other camera I was looking at was the Nikon D 7100. Again I called numerous shops and they touted the availabilty of accessories. That's all well and good; however, my research revealed the image quality is not as good as the K3. Don't know if that is true or not, that just what the internet revealed while I did the research.
The bottom line question is: Is there issues with after market lenses and accessories for the Pentax K3? What are your thoughts on the K3?

From what I have read I believe that Pentax has grown in market share in the last year. They have certainly put out more products, new cameras and new lenses. I suspect in many camera shops that certain manufacturers offer salesman incentives to sell their cameras. I know I was in one several months ago and the salesman did not want to show me a K-3, he tried to say it was an awful camera, I could pretty well guess he had not tried one.

[Davidparis]

Hi All,

Upon returning home from work one day, I found that burglar's grabbed my K10D, Tamron Macro lens, telephoto lens etc., and other accessories I had.
The K10D was a great camera. Now Pentax has been assimilated by Ricoh. I haven't been following the forums; nor, have I been following Ricoh's line of business and don't have any idea how stable Pentax is within Ricoh's business portfolio.
With the above being said, I've been looking at two camera's, the first is the K3. I've called numerous camera shops and the common response is the lack of availability for accessories for the K3, lens manufactures are not producing as many after market lenses for Pentax as they use too. Is this becoming an issue, obtaining newly engineered after market lenses for Pentax cameras? Please chime in here.
The other camera I was looking at was the Nikon D 7100. Again I called numerous shops and they touted the availabilty of accessories. That's all well and good; however, my research revealed the image quality is not as good as the K3. Don't know if that is true or not, that just what the internet revealed while I did the research.
The bottom line question is: Is there issues with after market lenses and accessories for the Pentax K3? What are your thoughts on the K3? Knowing I'm on a Pentax forum, I'll ask, what are you thoughts of the Nikon D7100 body versus the K3?
Any insight you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Gee whiz...sounds like the retailers are still playing the Pentax "underdog" game. Indicating that accessories and such are hard to find for the K-3 or other Pentax models is pure hogwash. The Pentax offer on lenses and ancillary equipment, both for new and older used units, is perfectly sufficient. If you were a satisfied Pentax owner, I would certainly suggest handling and comparing the K-3 against the D7100 and you'll probably simply see and feel the quality in favor of the Pentax. Good luck and happy shopping.

[snpsht]

I went through the same decision and also encountered the negativity of sales staff.

My decision was also between Nikon and Pentax and what decided me in the end was the feel of the K-5 in my hand and that it was water resistant.

Changed up to the K-3 and I can honestly say I have never regretted getting a Pentax. I buy online and there are more lenses and accessories than any person could need or afford. Have a look at the lens reviews on this site.

I do the odd course and I am finding different teachers (pros) are picking up my K-3 and after a few minutes simply don't want to give it back!

That said, they're all good these days, so I'd base my decision on what's comfortable to use.

[RMabo]

Tamron has but back on Pentax K-mount production, but they are still available 2nd hand. And the Tamron 18-250 is sold by Pentax under the Pentax brand anyway... Sigma has still many nice options for Pentax K-mount, but they are focusing more and more on 24x36 lenses and less so on APS-C. Their newer 24x36 hasn't been released in Pentax mount, maybe this will change when Pentax gets the 24x36 camera out this winter. So there's a market trend here among third party lens developers to spend less R&D on APS-C lenses and more on 24x36. Sure you can use 24x36 lenses on APS-C (as long as the mount fits), but they are bigger and heavier...

As for accessories, there's plenty of options from Kenko and other brands... both for classic K-mount and for KAF mounts... But more for K-mount yes. Extension tubes, step up rings, etc. etc...

Hi All,

Upon returning home from work one day, I found that burglar's grabbed my K10D, Tamron Macro lens, telephoto lens etc., and other accessories I had.
The K10D was a great camera. Now Pentax has been assimilated by Ricoh. I haven't been following the forums; nor, have I been following Ricoh's line of business and don't have any idea how stable Pentax is within Ricoh's business portfolio.
With the above being said, I've been looking at two camera's, the first is the K3. I've called numerous camera shops and the common response is the lack of availability for accessories for the K3, lens manufactures are not producing as many after market lenses for Pentax as they use too. Is this becoming an issue, obtaining newly engineered after market lenses for Pentax cameras? Please chime in here.
The other camera I was looking at was the Nikon D 7100. Again I called numerous shops and they touted the availabilty of accessories. That's all well and good; however, my research revealed the image quality is not as good as the K3. Don't know if that is true or not, that just what the internet revealed while I did the research.
The bottom line question is: Is there issues with after market lenses and accessories for the Pentax K3? What are your thoughts on the K3? Knowing I'm on a Pentax forum, I'll ask, what are you thoughts of the Nikon D7100 body versus the K3?
Any insight you can provide is greatly appreciated.

You could just replace your stolen K10D .

[Rondec]

I guess I would say that there was a time when Pentax wasn't doing well at all a few years ago, when they were owned by Hoya. Few new products were released and their camera bodies really lagged in some areas. Ricoh purchased them about three years ago and has put out a lot of interesting camera bodies and lenses in the short time since then and it looks like they are planning to release a full frame camera in the fall.

I happen to live in a rural part of the country. The closest camera shops to me are over an hour's drive away. Locally a Walmart stocks a Canon T5 (or something like that) and a Nikon D3200. So, I end up doing my shopping on line. B and H and Adorama both have full line ups of Pentax gear and have excellent service and are quick to take gear back if it has any problems, so that's the direction I usually go.

As to why I use a K3? I have appreciate Pentax ergonomics, the line up of small, tightly constructed lenses, in body shake reduction, and lenses that offer weather sealing for prices that don't break the bank.

Probably the most important thing for you is not to focus on the camera body (although I personally would choose a K3 over a D7100), but on the lenses you would like to buy. Pentax doesn't have a lot of specialty lenses, but they certainly do have an excellent line up in the standard lenses.

[aleonx3]

Both D7100 and k-3 are very similar camera except of course mainly for the lens mount, in-body SR and more importantly camera body ergonomics (button layout and menu system). I just prefer the k-3 more than the D7100. I shoot events and using the rear AF button (with thumb) and shutter (with index finger) works out very smoothly. And I also prefer to use prime lenses as they tend to be faster with minimal distortion than zoom.

[Oldbayrunner]

Now Pentax has been assimilated by Ricoh. I haven't been following the forums; nor, have I been following Ricoh's line of business and don't have any idea how stable Pentax is within Ricoh's business portfolio.

One heck of a lot better than when Hoya owned it. I switched to Pentax from Olympus digital when they all but abandoned their dslr users because I have owned both Pentax and Ricoh film cameras and still do, Ricoh made some very solid feature laden film cameras for several years at an affordable price that with care taken perform just as well today as then. I felt at the time and still do with Ricoh at the helm Pentax would continue to provide it's dslr users with solid cameras in the years to come.

I've called numerous camera shops and the common response is the lack of availability for accessories for the K3,

It's not the lack of accessories so much as they're unwillingness to carry them beyond that which is readily promoted, popular and such. That is why most Pentax users rely on the Internet for their equipment opposed to local camera shops. I ran into the same thing when I owned Olympus equipment.

lens manufactures are not producing as many after market lenses for Pentax as they use too. Is this becoming an issue

Seriously how is this an issue? There are more than enough good to excellent lenses from Pentax and other lens mfg's, both AF and Manual, out there made for Pentax cameras than you could possibly want to own, carry or use. Sometimes the latest greatest lens isn't always the best or they are priced out of most enthusiasts budget and yet great photos still care taken with older available glass.

So the real bottom line is whether you want to go with a camera brand you are familiar with or something different. All in all they are cameras, both will perform based on the knowledge the photographer has or gains using them regardless

[boriscleto]

I know I was in one several months ago and the salesman did not want to show me a K-3, he tried to say it was an awful camera, I could pretty well guess he had not tried one.

Was that at Midwest?