Am I the only one who feels left out buying a pentax?

Irfanintekhab · 03-01-2016, 12:28 PM

Hey everyone,
It was a tough decision, going from Nikon to pentax, I had some issues with it in the beginning. With focus being blurred. And in India pentax market is really not so well. So had issues with support. Anyway somehow it automatically got fixed after so many months. I don't regret it a bit now. But that experience just put a dent in my confidence to really recommend or when I am commercially working. It's like that little phobia settled in.

Anyway apart from that I am really happy with the camera. Now that it's one year with k3. It gives me everything I need. And I've blown some people away by its image quality and convinced many people to switch too. Some people didn't even know and thought of it to be full frame till many months. Who never heard about Pentax dslrs. However I feel left out in matter of how common it is.

First is the support from other products, everyone supports canon/Nikon. Next is rentals. Next is support. Especially in India. It's so rare to find anything Pentax that sometimes I just feel like ditching this camera. No one even knows Pentax does DSLR!

I just wanted to know is it really that rare in your country/region? Do you feel the same sometimes? Do I switch? Cuz this is sometimes coming in way of my commercial work. And to switch is kind of a tough call. It's like back to zero and I'll have to deal with some broken months if I switch.

Please let me know where do you live and do you feel the same? And any suggestions. I live in Hyderabad, India & Kuwait, and this problem seems to be in both the places

stevebrot · 03-01-2016, 12:41 PM

I don't know about feeling "left out", but I would definitely think twice if I needed camera-generated income and the brand I was considering had no presence in my region or country. At the very least, I would own a back-up K-3 body and maybe even a K-S2 (that makes three total) as insurance against the long time to get repairs done.

I would also have seriously considered a D7100 over the K-3 at the time of your original purchase.

Irfanintekhab · 03-01-2016, 12:44 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

I don't know about feeling "left out", but I would definitely think twice if I needed camera-generated income and the brand I was considering had no presence in my region or country. At the very least, I would own a back-up K-3 body and maybe even a K-S2 (that makes three total) as insurance against the long time to get repairs done.

I would also have seriously considered a D7100 over the K-3 at the time of your original purchase.

That was exactly my confusion. But after holding k3, as honest as I can be, 7100 felt like a plastic toy. K3 really has a very assuring and solid feel to it.

**TER-OR** · 03-01-2016, 12:48 PM - **1 Like**

Nope, I enjoy the weather sealing and ergonomics - though I'm still learning the K3II after years with the K5. People don't know Pentax well but I know they notice as I adjust settings while never looking away from the viewfinder. I really don't think there's a better system out there for my field macro work. Lenses - well, I'd love to play around with a Sigma 180mm macro, but can't justify the money.

Where I do feel a bit left out is long telephoto, but since I don't have the budget anyway...I'd like to try the DA300 with 1.4X teleconverter.

Cameralensrentals.com is in NW Indiana, and carry plenty of Pentax gear. It's not down the street but it's regional. The US is a different market though, and it's very much worth considering what support is in a region.

As far as peer pressure goes, let your work speak for itself.

biz-engineer · 03-01-2016, 01:16 PM

When you have a camera or lens issue, to be repaired, the difference between Pentax and Canon/Nikon is that with Pentax you have to manage yourself the shipment and communication to the repair service. With Canon/Nikon when you purchase to a shop, the shop does the job for you, but most shops don't repair themselves, they send the camera to a repair center. That being said, shops in my area say that Pentax repair is very slow compared to Canon/Nikon, I don't know if this is true.

pete-tarmigan · 03-01-2016, 01:20 PM

See this ongoing thread:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/109990-we-really-rare.html

vonBaloney · 03-01-2016, 01:23 PM

Yes, for certain purposes being part of the majority is advantageous. However, as I dedicated "non-joiner" if Pentax were to become very popular (it if overtook one of the other brands), I'd probably think twice about staying. The way the market is going, it isn't unthinkable that Pentax and one of the other brands could somehow end up under the same corporate umbrella...

normhead · 03-01-2016, 01:31 PM

There was the other day when one of the other forum photographers were out shooting Gray Jays, Some Nikon toting guy came up. I wonder if he felt left out?

btnapa · 03-01-2016, 01:45 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by Irfanintekhab

Hey everyone,
It was a tough decision, going from Nikon to pentax, I had some issues with it in the beginning. With focus being blurred. And in India pentax market is really not so well. So had issues with support. Anyway somehow it automatically got fixed after so many months. I don't regret it a bit now. But that experience just put a dent in my confidence to really recommend or when I am commercially working. It's like that little phobia settled in.

Anyway apart from that I am really happy with the camera. Now that it's one year with k3. It gives me everything I need. And I've blown some people away by its image quality and convinced many people to switch too. Some people didn't even know and thought of it to be full frame till many months. Who never heard about Pentax dslrs. However I feel left out in matter of how common it is.

First is the support from other products, everyone supports canon/Nikon. Next is rentals. Next is support. Especially in India. It's so rare to find anything Pentax that sometimes I just feel like ditching this camera. No one even knows Pentax does DSLR!

I just wanted to know is it really that rare in your country/region? Do you feel the same sometimes? Do I switch? Cuz this is sometimes coming in way of my commercial work. And to switch is kind of a tough call. It's like back to zero and I'll have to deal with some broken months if I switch.

Please let me know where do you live and do you feel the same? And any suggestions. I live in Hyderabad, India & Kuwait, and this problem seems to be in both the places

If you intend to do paid work, a second or perhaps a third body is a must. I live in the US. I came from Canon. Canon support for pros is perhaps the best in the industry. Luckily, I have had no issues with my Pentax cameras or lenses. I hear a lot of horror stories about Pentax repairs. I also like Nikon offerings. As I mentioned I am a former Canon owner. Honestly, I think they all do a good job. Pentax gives you more bang for the buck among the three I mentioned.

I have serious issues with K3 and K5IIs focusing. If I were to shoot weddings like I did back in the mid-2000 (with my Canon system), I would seriously look at Nikon. Canon mid-range cameras suck when it comes to focusing too. I do not do weddings anymore and for the type of work I do, Pentax more than delivers. Now with the full frame, I think for the money, I will have more than what Nikon or Canon can offer.

Pentax as a system, is not nearly as complete as Nikon or Canon but for most work, it has enough to satisfy even the most demanding pros. I like Pentax, I always liked Pentax. It is cool to be different among my Nikon and Canon shooting friends. I get ridiculed a lot as I used to by Nikon and Canon guys when I owned a Pentax MX back in the days. But I do not care. When it comes to image quality, Pentax is as good if not better than all the other players.

As far as support, you are not alone in India. Even in a big market such as the US, Pentax has not done a good job with support. There are rumors that the situation is about to change with opening of a US based support (repair) center. I do not know what Ricoh/Pentax plans are for the rest of the world. Hopefully they will support Pentaxians all over the world and bring back the glory they once had.

stevebrot · 03-01-2016, 01:56 PM

Originally posted by biz-engineer

...the difference between Pentax and Canon/Nikon is that with Pentax you have to manage yourself the shipment and communication to the repair service.

The OP lives in India and/or Kuwait. Ricoh/Pentax has no distributor in those parts of Asia.* This causes an issue for warranty repair (send to Japan?) and parts availability. Depending on country shipped from/to for service, there may be severe problems related to customs with potential additional expense. It is not a pretty picture.

OTOH, both Nikon and Canon have a mature presence for photography products in both those countries.

Steve

* You can buy Pentax in Kuwait, but it is not clear who handles service. Ricoh has a distributor in India, but they sell mostly business machines. Ricon and Pentax camera sales are in their infancy and it is my understanding that there is no service network.

amp · 03-01-2016, 02:44 PM

Btnapa said "I have serious issues with K3 and K5IIs focusing.

Btnapa. I'm curious to know exactly what type of focusing issues you're having with the k3? Are you talking about shooting sports? Curious to hear your thoughts. Additionally, would you say the Nikon 7100/7200 are significantly better than the k3 regarding focusing?
Thanks

**clackers** · 03-01-2016, 03:44 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by btnapa

I have serious issues with K3 and K5IIs focusing. If I were to shoot weddings like I did back in the mid-2000 ...

Odd. I don't have any camera focusing problems with either my K-30 and K-S1 at events (including a wedding workshop at a real ceremony). Any errors are mine.

The cross point in your K-3 is as good as it gets in the industry, rated to f2.8 at light levels down to -3eV, so who would do this better?

It could be said that for 3D tracking Nikon is king, but that's irrelevant in wedding, product, landscape, portrait, still life, macro, street photography, etc. And it's useful in sports, but not necessary - I shot a rodeo last weekend, handheld, AF-C, back button focus, and it was fine. (K-30, Tamron 70-200mm f2.8)

ChristianRock · 03-01-2016, 04:35 PM

Get a spare used body like the K5II and be happy, you will still pay less than the equivalent Canikon body.

starbase218 · 03-01-2016, 04:36 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Irfanintekhab

That was exactly my confusion. But after holding k3, as honest as I can be, 7100 felt like a plastic toy. K3 really has a very assuring and solid feel to it.

Having held the D7200 in my hand a few times in stores, I can second this - the K-3 feels much more solid. From the shape of the grip to the feel of the buttons, it feels more like a reliable tool.

Originally posted by clackers

It could be said that for 3D tracking Nikon is king, but that's irrelevant in wedding, product, landscape, portrait, still life, macro, street photography, etc. And it's useful in sports, but not necessary - I shot a rodeo last weekend, AF-C, back button focus, and it was fine.

Well, wildlife is another category where it can come in handy. And actually, I think street photography may also benefit from it. If your subject is walking on the street, there is movement, so some kind of tracking is welcome I think. I don't think you need "the best" tracking for it, but AF-S is not really useful when e.g. your subject is walking towards you.

For landscape, product, still life and macro you could probably do without AF in most cases anyway.

stevebrot · 03-01-2016, 04:41 PM

Originally posted by amp

Are you talking about shooting sports?

He is talking about shooting weddings.

Outside of the staged portraits, there are significant AF challenges with weddings. A good example would be the brides entrance as she walks up the aisle. Lighting is often a bit dim and there are no options for repeat of a missed shot. You must nail focus and will have only a few seconds total for all attempts. Oh, and there are extra points awarded for not making a spectacle of yourself in the process.

At my daughter's wedding a year ago, the pro shooting the outside wedding used a FF Canon with (IIRC) a 70-200 for the ceremony itself and switched to cropped sensor with a short zoom for the reception. I did fine with my K-3 at the rehearsal the day before and at the reception, but am not sure it would have worked day of for the actual "trip down the aisle".*

Having said all of this, I know of high-end pros that routinely shoot weddings with manual focus medium format film** (

) and have no problems getting the critical shots...no AF, no SR, no machine-gunning...

Steve

* As I remember the day, I always chuckle. I was walking her across the meadow towards the last rank of chairs and she wanted to hurry. I saw that the photog was not "set" and whispered to her to slow down or she was not going to get any photos.

** Here in the Portland area, many brides insist upon at least partial use of B&W film

03-01-2016, 12:28 PM	#1
Irfanintekhab Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 59	Am I the only one who feels left out buying a pentax? Hey everyone, It was a tough decision, going from Nikon to pentax, I had some issues with it in the beginning. With focus being blurred. And in India pentax market is really not so well. So had issues with support. Anyway somehow it automatically got fixed after so many months. I don't regret it a bit now. But that experience just put a dent in my confidence to really recommend or when I am commercially working. It's like that little phobia settled in. Anyway apart from that I am really happy with the camera. Now that it's one year with k3. It gives me everything I need. And I've blown some people away by its image quality and convinced many people to switch too. Some people didn't even know and thought of it to be full frame till many months. Who never heard about Pentax dslrs. However I feel left out in matter of how common it is. First is the support from other products, everyone supports canon/Nikon. Next is rentals. Next is support. Especially in India. It's so rare to find anything Pentax that sometimes I just feel like ditching this camera. No one even knows Pentax does DSLR! I just wanted to know is it really that rare in your country/region? Do you feel the same sometimes? Do I switch? Cuz this is sometimes coming in way of my commercial work. And to switch is kind of a tough call. It's like back to zero and I'll have to deal with some broken months if I switch. Please let me know where do you live and do you feel the same? And any suggestions. I live in Hyderabad, India & Kuwait, and this problem seems to be in both the places

03-01-2016, 03:44 PM - 1 Like	#12
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	Originally posted by btnapa I have serious issues with K3 and K5IIs focusing. If I were to shoot weddings like I did back in the mid-2000 ... Odd. I don't have any camera focusing problems with either my K-30 and K-S1 at events (including a wedding workshop at a real ceremony). Any errors are mine. The cross point in your K-3 is as good as it gets in the industry, rated to f2.8 at light levels down to -3eV, so who would do this better? It could be said that for 3D tracking Nikon is king, but that's irrelevant in wedding, product, landscape, portrait, still life, macro, street photography, etc. And it's useful in sports, but not necessary - I shot a rodeo last weekend, handheld, AF-C, back button focus, and it was fine. (K-30, Tamron 70-200mm f2.8) Last edited by clackers; 03-01-2016 at 05:55 PM.

03-01-2016, 04:41 PM	#15
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by amp Are you talking about shooting sports? He is talking about shooting weddings. Outside of the staged portraits, there are significant AF challenges with weddings. A good example would be the brides entrance as she walks up the aisle. Lighting is often a bit dim and there are no options for repeat of a missed shot. You must nail focus and will have only a few seconds total for all attempts. Oh, and there are extra points awarded for not making a spectacle of yourself in the process. At my daughter's wedding a year ago, the pro shooting the outside wedding used a FF Canon with (IIRC) a 70-200 for the ceremony itself and switched to cropped sensor with a short zoom for the reception. I did fine with my K-3 at the rehearsal the day before and at the reception, but am not sure it would have worked day of for the actual "trip down the aisle".* Having said all of this, I know of high-end pros that routinely shoot weddings with manual focus medium format film** ( ) and have no problems getting the critical shots...no AF, no SR, no machine-gunning... Steve * As I remember the day, I always chuckle. I was walking her across the meadow towards the last rank of chairs and she wanted to hurry. I saw that the photog was not "set" and whispered to her to slow down or she was not going to get any photos. ** Here in the Portland area, many brides insist upon at least partial use of B&W film Last edited by stevebrot; 03-01-2016 at 04:51 PM.

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03-01-2016, 12:41 PM	#2
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	I don't know about feeling "left out", but I would definitely think twice if I needed camera-generated income and the brand I was considering had no presence in my region or country. At the very least, I would own a back-up K-3 body and maybe even a K-S2 (that makes three total) as insurance against the long time to get repairs done. I would also have seriously considered a D7100 over the K-3 at the time of your original purchase.

03-01-2016, 12:44 PM	#3
Irfanintekhab Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 59 Original Poster	Originally posted by stevebrot I don't know about feeling "left out", but I would definitely think twice if I needed camera-generated income and the brand I was considering had no presence in my region or country. At the very least, I would own a back-up K-3 body and maybe even a K-S2 (that makes three total) as insurance against the long time to get repairs done. I would also have seriously considered a D7100 over the K-3 at the time of your original purchase. That was exactly my confusion. But after holding k3, as honest as I can be, 7100 felt like a plastic toy. K3 really has a very assuring and solid feel to it.

03-01-2016, 12:48 PM - 1 Like	#4
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	Nope, I enjoy the weather sealing and ergonomics - though I'm still learning the K3II after years with the K5. People don't know Pentax well but I know they notice as I adjust settings while never looking away from the viewfinder. I really don't think there's a better system out there for my field macro work. Lenses - well, I'd love to play around with a Sigma 180mm macro, but can't justify the money. Where I do feel a bit left out is long telephoto, but since I don't have the budget anyway...I'd like to try the DA300 with 1.4X teleconverter. Cameralensrentals.com is in NW Indiana, and carry plenty of Pentax gear. It's not down the street but it's regional. The US is a different market though, and it's very much worth considering what support is in a region. As far as peer pressure goes, let your work speak for itself.

03-01-2016, 01:16 PM	#5
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,229	When you have a camera or lens issue, to be repaired, the difference between Pentax and Canon/Nikon is that with Pentax you have to manage yourself the shipment and communication to the repair service. With Canon/Nikon when you purchase to a shop, the shop does the job for you, but most shops don't repair themselves, they send the camera to a repair center. That being said, shops in my area say that Pentax repair is very slow compared to Canon/Nikon, I don't know if this is true.

03-01-2016, 01:20 PM	#6
pete-tarmigan Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Conception Bay South, New-fun-land Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,272	See this ongoing thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/109990-we-really-rare.html

03-01-2016, 01:23 PM	#7
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Yes, for certain purposes being part of the majority is advantageous. However, as I dedicated "non-joiner" if Pentax were to become very popular (it if overtook one of the other brands), I'd probably think twice about staying. The way the market is going, it isn't unthinkable that Pentax and one of the other brands could somehow end up under the same corporate umbrella...

03-01-2016, 01:31 PM	#8
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	There was the other day when one of the other forum photographers were out shooting Gray Jays, Some Nikon toting guy came up. I wonder if he felt left out?

03-01-2016, 01:45 PM - 2 Likes	#9
btnapa Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1,614	Originally posted by Irfanintekhab Hey everyone, It was a tough decision, going from Nikon to pentax, I had some issues with it in the beginning. With focus being blurred. And in India pentax market is really not so well. So had issues with support. Anyway somehow it automatically got fixed after so many months. I don't regret it a bit now. But that experience just put a dent in my confidence to really recommend or when I am commercially working. It's like that little phobia settled in. Anyway apart from that I am really happy with the camera. Now that it's one year with k3. It gives me everything I need. And I've blown some people away by its image quality and convinced many people to switch too. Some people didn't even know and thought of it to be full frame till many months. Who never heard about Pentax dslrs. However I feel left out in matter of how common it is. First is the support from other products, everyone supports canon/Nikon. Next is rentals. Next is support. Especially in India. It's so rare to find anything Pentax that sometimes I just feel like ditching this camera. No one even knows Pentax does DSLR! I just wanted to know is it really that rare in your country/region? Do you feel the same sometimes? Do I switch? Cuz this is sometimes coming in way of my commercial work. And to switch is kind of a tough call. It's like back to zero and I'll have to deal with some broken months if I switch. Please let me know where do you live and do you feel the same? And any suggestions. I live in Hyderabad, India & Kuwait, and this problem seems to be in both the places If you intend to do paid work, a second or perhaps a third body is a must. I live in the US. I came from Canon. Canon support for pros is perhaps the best in the industry. Luckily, I have had no issues with my Pentax cameras or lenses. I hear a lot of horror stories about Pentax repairs. I also like Nikon offerings. As I mentioned I am a former Canon owner. Honestly, I think they all do a good job. Pentax gives you more bang for the buck among the three I mentioned. I have serious issues with K3 and K5IIs focusing. If I were to shoot weddings like I did back in the mid-2000 (with my Canon system), I would seriously look at Nikon. Canon mid-range cameras suck when it comes to focusing too. I do not do weddings anymore and for the type of work I do, Pentax more than delivers. Now with the full frame, I think for the money, I will have more than what Nikon or Canon can offer. Pentax as a system, is not nearly as complete as Nikon or Canon but for most work, it has enough to satisfy even the most demanding pros. I like Pentax, I always liked Pentax. It is cool to be different among my Nikon and Canon shooting friends. I get ridiculed a lot as I used to by Nikon and Canon guys when I owned a Pentax MX back in the days. But I do not care. When it comes to image quality, Pentax is as good if not better than all the other players. As far as support, you are not alone in India. Even in a big market such as the US, Pentax has not done a good job with support. There are rumors that the situation is about to change with opening of a US based support (repair) center. I do not know what Ricoh/Pentax plans are for the rest of the world. Hopefully they will support Pentaxians all over the world and bring back the glory they once had.

03-01-2016, 01:56 PM	#10
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by biz-engineer ...the difference between Pentax and Canon/Nikon is that with Pentax you have to manage yourself the shipment and communication to the repair service. The OP lives in India and/or Kuwait. Ricoh/Pentax has no distributor in those parts of Asia.* This causes an issue for warranty repair (send to Japan?) and parts availability. Depending on country shipped from/to for service, there may be severe problems related to customs with potential additional expense. It is not a pretty picture. OTOH, both Nikon and Canon have a mature presence for photography products in both those countries. Steve * You can buy Pentax in Kuwait, but it is not clear who handles service. Ricoh has a distributor in India, but they sell mostly business machines. Ricon and Pentax camera sales are in their infancy and it is my understanding that there is no service network.

03-01-2016, 02:44 PM	#11
amp Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 168	Btnapa said "I have serious issues with K3 and K5IIs focusing. Btnapa. I'm curious to know exactly what type of focusing issues you're having with the k3? Are you talking about shooting sports? Curious to hear your thoughts. Additionally, would you say the Nikon 7100/7200 are significantly better than the k3 regarding focusing? Thanks

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03-01-2016, 04:35 PM	#13
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	Get a spare used body like the K5II and be happy, you will still pay less than the equivalent Canikon body.

03-01-2016, 04:36 PM - 1 Like	#14
starbase218 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Planet Earth, Sol system, Milky Way galaxy, Universe Posts: 1,119	Originally posted by Irfanintekhab That was exactly my confusion. But after holding k3, as honest as I can be, 7100 felt like a plastic toy. K3 really has a very assuring and solid feel to it. Having held the D7200 in my hand a few times in stores, I can second this - the K-3 feels much more solid. From the shape of the grip to the feel of the buttons, it feels more like a reliable tool. Originally posted by clackers It could be said that for 3D tracking Nikon is king, but that's irrelevant in wedding, product, landscape, portrait, still life, macro, street photography, etc. And it's useful in sports, but not necessary - I shot a rodeo last weekend, AF-C, back button focus, and it was fine. Well, wildlife is another category where it can come in handy. And actually, I think street photography may also benefit from it. If your subject is walking on the street, there is movement, so some kind of tracking is welcome I think. I don't think you need "the best" tracking for it, but AF-S is not really useful when e.g. your subject is walking towards you. For landscape, product, still life and macro you could probably do without AF in most cases anyway.