Originally posted by BrianCollins I've been a Pentax shooter for a number of years now, but I have found the lack of lens availability frustrating.
Pentax's current lens lineup includes 20 prime lenses covering a focal length range from 14mm to 560mm and 17 zooms covering a range from 10mm to 450mm. Seven of the primes and three of the zooms are designed for 135 format SLRs even though Pentax does not have a 135 format SLR on the market.
Yes, the lineup is not as extensive as Canikon, but the lineup is more than sufficient to satisfy the needs of the vast majority of photographers.
And that's just Pentax's current lineup. It doesn't include 3rd party lenses, nor does it include legacy glass. Pentax has a decades long history of manufacturing excellent lenses, every one of which works on modern DSLRs, albeit some require an adapter.. Many of those lenses are readily available in the marketplace here, at keh.com, and on ebay.
So what availability problems have you encountered? If you need lenses that are not part of the readily available lineup (including current, third party, and legacy) then by all means switch to another nameplate that is a closer fit to your needs. But in my opinion the "lens availability" argument doesn't hold water for those without specialized needs, such as tilt-shift lenses.
---------- Post added 02-06-16 at 07:51 AM ----------
Originally posted by BrianCollins I plan to go pro when I'm finished school and want to be able to provide high quality images. Is it possible to do so and remain a Pentax shooter?
Yes, absolutely, but the reason Pentax may not be your best choice as a pro is not because of the gear, it's because Pentax doesn't have much In the way of service for professional photographers.
---------- Post added 02-06-16 at 07:56 AM ----------
Originally posted by DeadJohn Unless you are printing super large (24x30 inches or larger) your K-5 should look similar to the competition. Your zoom lenses aren't the best, but your DFA Macro1:2.8 100mm WR is superb. If that isn't giving sharp images maybe you need to micro-adjust your K-5 autofocus.
I have printed as large as 40x60 inches using a K-7 and the DA 18-135, and the photos are stunning. If you ever find yourself in Greencastle, PA pay a visit to the Coldwell Bankers Innovations real estate office and take a look..
Last edited by MPrince; 02-06-2016 at 05:58 AM.