[cputeq]

I went to the local Ritz camera shop here to get a Pentax lens July 4th. They had one and only one in stock: a 55-300mm. They told me not to buy it as Pentax is not going to be in business next year at this time. They said it is soon going to go the way of Minolta. They said most of the retail industry is already phasing out Pentax to phase in more Canon and Nikkon. In the end, they would not sell me the 55-300m. I was quite disappointed and very sad indeed!

Sorry, but this sounds like pure garbage. For one, don't trust what any camera store tells you. Many of them are full of fanboys. Just head to the Canon forum over at DPReview -- You'd swear Canon is the only brand in existence -- if you aren't shooting Canon, you can't take good photos.

People are human -- most people try to push whatever brand they shoot. The simple fact Ritz "refused" to sell you a lens should tell you they're morons.


As for Pentax disappearing - Not likely. They just entered a partnership with Samsung and are part of Hoya. Hoya is already a huge optics manufacturer, but wasn't into cameras (before).

Pentax firing US sales reps sounds like a restructure is underway, but we'll see. I really don't see Pentax disappearing any time soon.

[oxford_artist]

I went to the local Ritz camera shop here to get a Pentax lens July 4th. They had one and only one in stock: a 55-300mm. They told me not to buy it as Pentax is not going to be in business next year at this time. They said it is soon going to go the way of Minolta. They said most of the retail industry is already phasing out Pentax to phase in more Canon and Nikkon. In the end, they would not sell me the 55-300m. I was quite disappointed and very sad indeed!

They've been saying that for 5 years, it ain't any more so now than then.

No Pentax? Try a Samsung!

[babelphotos]

Sorry to see a Pentax user go.
One thing i learned over the years is how to go around the Pentax limitations and always did some descent pics.
I cant afford Canons and Nikons and quite frankly.....not sure that even if i could afford them i would use them.
I worked for 14 years selling cameras and i tested them all.....the F5, The Eos1..and still today, the best camera i ever tested was the Nikon 90x, but its a film camera.
Sure the K20 is not perfect, it underexposed badly, slow for sport photography and the focus sucks big time.
But there is always a way to go around all those problems and it takes some work.

[saladin]

i don't get it really. unless your requirements have suddenly changed, none of the pentax digitals will have ever met your needs. you must have been bitterly disappointed with the 1st and K10 too.

having said that, if FPS and AF are big requirements for your usage, then Canon or Nikon are the way to go. Good luck with whatever you choose - they do make excellent camera's.

[saladin]

They've been saying that for 5 years, it ain't any more so now than then.

No Pentax? Try a Samsung!

just on the samsung thing, i saw yesterday a shop selling the GX20 with a kit lens for $ 1,300 Australian. The K20 with a kit lens was $1,800 Australian. That is a staggering difference for essentially identicle camera bodies.

[superbass]

I went to the local Ritz camera shop here to get a Pentax lens July 4th. They had one and only one in stock: a 55-300mm. They told me not to buy it as Pentax is not going to be in business next year at this time. They said it is soon going to go the way of Minolta. They said most of the retail industry is already phasing out Pentax to phase in more Canon and Nikkon. In the end, they would not sell me the 55-300m. I was quite disappointed and very sad indeed!

Ha! I used to work for a Ritz Camera in Delaware. Their employees are driven by ignorance and greed (sales incentive), just like most other workers in America. The stores will only stock the equipment that they sell, and most of the employees only push Nikon because of the sales incentive (Canons pretty much sell themselves with the "I wanna shoot like the pros" attitude of most buyers). So that usually leaves most stores with very little Pentax equipment. Even though what they said is partially a load of bs, it's also partially true. Some of their stores will be phasing out Pentax to focus on the more widely known brands and to restructure their inventory. You should (depending on the competence of the employee) be able to order any Pentax lens from any Ritz store without any trouble. They may not have them in stock, but they can order it and ship it to you or the store.

I would have been disappointed as well, it's really mind boggling how people will lie and mislead other people for the most insignificant reasons.

Sorry, but this sounds like pure garbage. For one, don't trust what any camera store tells you. Many of them are full of fanboys. Just head to the Canon forum over at DPReview -- You'd swear Canon is the only brand in existence -- if you aren't shooting Canon, you can't take good photos.

People are human -- most people try to push whatever brand they shoot. The simple fact Ritz "refused" to sell you a lens should tell you they're morons.

Normally I'd be with you and agree, but I did work at Ritz for a while so I'm a bit biased. There are good people in the world, and while I did sell a good deal of Pentax gear, I also made sure I treated the customers as if they were a family member or a friend (even if it meant down selling or selling a brand I did not prefer). When people make generalizations like that it tends to hurt the few good people that try to make a difference.

[Rener]

Faster auto focus and more frames per second. Even then, I though I would hold on for a while and see what Pentax was going to do. Then came the announcement that Pentax had fired all their US sale reps and cut their advertising budget. That did it. A company cannot survive without marketing and a vision. Hoya seem to have neither for Pentax

Heck they can’t even bring the DA* 60-250 to market that was announced two years ago.

A very sad day indeed![/QUOTE]

Faster AF?, see the link below and certainly the K20 will deliver in most situations, and more FPS, I am wondering when you bought the K10 are you not aware about the 3FPS. The usual "mantra" is I missed the opportunity but then again even the papparazzis will miss opportunity if they are not anticipating the shots, no wonder they use the machine gun approach. Be well and hope your new gear whatever you choose will make you an accomplish photographer.

Cheers,

Rene

A day at the races (Churchill Downs, Louisville): Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

[MRRiley]

I went to the local Ritz camera shop here to get a Pentax lens July 4th. They had one and only one in stock: a 55-300mm. They told me not to buy it as Pentax is not going to be in business next year at this time. They said it is soon going to go the way of Minolta. They said most of the retail industry is already phasing out Pentax to phase in more Canon and Nikkon. In the end, they would not sell me the 55-300m. I was quite disappointed and very sad indeed!

Unfortunately not a real Pentax Ad... See Ads Pentax should run...

[morfic]

So what will you be using the D300 fps on? I'm not surprised the 5D didn't work for you, it's a slow useless camera with which noone can make a living.....

[nasty nat]

Ha! I used to work for a Ritz Camera in Delaware. Their employees are driven by ignorance and greed (sales incentive), just like most other workers in America. The stores will only stock the equipment that they sell, and most of the employees only push Nikon because of the sales incentive (Canons pretty much sell themselves with the "I wanna shoot like the pros" attitude of most buyers). So that usually leaves most stores with very little Pentax equipment. Even though what they said is partially a load of bs, it's also partially true. Some of their stores will be phasing out Pentax to focus on the more widely known brands and to restructure their inventory. You should (depending on the competence of the employee) be able to order any Pentax lens from any Ritz store without any trouble. They may not have them in stock, but they can order it and ship it to you or the store.

I would have been disappointed as well, it's really mind boggling how people will lie and mislead other people for the most insignificant reasons.

Because of the reasons you explained so eloquently I usually buy my cameras and lenses on line. No bias, no commissions (at least none that directly affect me), and no one pushing something on you. All that being said, I would like to know if one thing the Ritz employee told me is actually correct. I am having a bit of an issue taking 250mm to 300mm pictures without getting plenty of noise, so I was looking at the Pentax 55m-300mm lens to replace my current Sigma 28-300. The store employee told me the lenses were essentially equal in all respects. Is this really true? I find that hard to believe.
P.S. which Ritz did you used to work for in DE?

[Wheatfield]

Faster AF, more FPS eh.

Well i will agree the Pentax AF system is slower than my Nikon system, but i don't use my Pentax cameras as i do my Nikons.

I shoot for money with Nikon, I shoot what matters with Pentax.

I have the D2H that will fire like a machine gun, but have never used it that fast. Even at reining events, i rarely have it set at more than 3fps, and that gets all the action needed.

Unless you NEED 40 fps, whats the point in having it or wanting it.

If you shoot landscapes, portrait etc, its pointless, but you don't say what you do with your cameras.

What ever system you decide to buy into just remember one thing, you will NOT be happy with it. Each system hase its highs and lows.

Once people realize that about digital, threads like this will diminish.

Dave

Dave, the sad fact is that the Pentax mindset seems to be "Don't Worry, Be Happy" that you can actually take pictures with their equipment. Pentax has been behind the body technology curve since Nikon introduced the F Photomic in the late 1960s, and has happily trudged along ever since.
This was fine when the state of the art was 5 FPS and they barely delivered 3 FPS, but is is no longer fine when the state of the art is 10 FPS, and they are still struggling to hit 3FPS.
Behind the curve is one thing, but too far behind becomes behind the 8-ball. They need to release a camera that can at least compete with a 5 year old Nikon in the major performance categories that people shop for, otherwise lens quality and the IQ thing won't make a whit of difference, and the aforementioned Ritz salesman will be proven correct.
Hoya isn't in the business of losing money, and the people in the Pentax division need to figure this out and start making bodies that compete, or they risk becoming yesterday's news.

[sluggo913]

Don't just drop your bomb and run, what brand are you going with and what do you expect to gain? Most of us can shoot sports with very little problem with our gear if anything it may be the lack of long fast glass that is the hold up, but I have put some of my shots next to shots taken with the nikons and canons with $4500.00 fixed length lenses and guess what there is no appreciable differance. Spend your money however you would like but I would not throw the baby out with the bath water. Very rarely do I have problems getting a moving target in focus on af-c however some times I would like to catch a little more of the sequence of a rush going down ice or a basketball shot but I would not get rid of my K10d for another brand.

Good luck in your search for the perfect tool.

[barondla]

I feel your pain. Cutting off dealers that didn't do over $90,000 last year was stupid. It will cost pentax a lot. Wanna bet their US body sales are way down this year vs last? Know many Pentax dealers who are very, very mad at Pentax US. They don't like having to get products from distributors ( Neither Nikon nor Canon do this in US). They feel double crossed. I had to really talk to calm the store owner down. He put up with Pentax business quirks for years ( and they with his). No lenses to ship. No bodies to ship. No DSLRs last year at Christmas. Now they say adios. He is still so mad. We have added Canon to the store. I have to order pentax because he won't. STUPID MOVE PENTAX! Small dealers that give a darn are all that care about not selling C&N. You just jabbed them in the eye. .
Hate to mention this but the pentax K20D will shoot at over 20fps. At a lower resolution, but hey, it is faster.
Rants over
thanks
barondla

Check out POINT & SHOOT CONTEST #8 in P&S forum. Enter #9. Any type camera except P&S. Any brand. Any subject.

[fwbigd]

Don't just drop your bomb and run, what brand are you going with and what do you expect to gain? Most of us can shoot sports with very little problem with our gear if anything it may be the lack of long fast glass that is the hold up, but I have put some of my shots next to shots taken with the nikons and canons with $4500.00 fixed length lenses and guess what there is no appreciable differance. Spend your money however you would like but I would not throw the baby out with the bath water. Very rarely do I have problems getting a moving target in focus on af-c however some times I would like to catch a little more of the sequence of a rush going down ice or a basketball shot but I would not get rid of my K10d for another brand.

Good luck in your search for the perfect tool.

There is no question in my mind that Pentax has the best glass in the world. It's just that I wanted something more than they (Hoya) were willing to give me. Most likely it will be a Nikon. It will not be a Canon.

[saladin]

it's too late now, coz you've sold it all off, but i would have considered keeping the pentax gear and just buying a high FPS body and task specific lenses for sports. i know this would mean you couldn't off-set the cost of the new gear with the sale money, but on the other hand if you want to shoot landscapes/portraits etc then you will have to buy extra lenses when you already had the glass and a perfectly adequate body for that. In fact, the K10 is probably superior in those area's to a lot of the Nikon / Canon alternatives.