[Nicolas06]

The only reasons you need a battery grip is if you are a portrait/wedding photographer or a very long exposure or elapse time photographer. Most other people buy it just because they want to look pro.

Stats/Sources?

You could start a pool, about grip, people that buy the additionnal one and why... Including the option "to look like a pro". After we can discuss that once we hava at least 100 responses.

[Nicolas06]

IN the spirit of the original poster, if one is a dedicated wildlife shooter, enough to have a 600mm lens, chances are that one would not select a mirrorless as your main camera. Then again, when 'blad has just come out with a mirrorless Med format camera, perhaps its a sign that conventions are changing.

Mirrorless used to mean smallish m4/3, then aps sensored Nex and Fuji, now FF and Med Format. Whether a camera is mirrorless or not, has nothing intrinsic to do with the size of the camera and its capability to support large lenses.

That's true but currently there no mirrorless that match a D5 for action/sport. It doesn't exist. While in 5-10 years we may get different market segmentation, today, for somebody after action/sport, a mirrorless body isn't the best choice.

Could change. but in today market, mirrorless body still seems to concentrate on size/weight as their core advantage.

The latest MF mirrorless is a cropped MF, exactly like 645Z... The crop factor is 1.3 vs FF. That's not really a game changer. The latest phase one make more sense.

[surfar]

I can't say I've ever needed a grip

You may change your mind when you get the K1, Ive small hands and K1 is about right but the battery use isn't.I carry a spare in my K-01 but i'll be getting a grip and coming to terms with the size it adds.

[mee]

Your photos won't be as tight.

[Transit]

Yeah, you want a K-3II ... don't fight it... relax ... accept the K-3II into your life ... resistance is futile!

.............

Don't get me wrong: I do want a K-1, but mainly just for my SMC Pentax M f2 85mm. I really want to use that lens on a full frame camera!

you crazy fool.... sell the lens and remove the temptation !
I replaced mine with the 77 so have no desire for a K-1
arggggggggg

[zoolander]

hi there.
I had a K5IIs, then K3II and now I put all my money in to K1. K1 is very nice and feature packed. Bit heavy but I like that solid feeling. Can't say anything bad about K5IIs and K3II either. Tracking AF wasn't on par with a competition but I don't think you will find anything that those cameras not going to be up to. Even the Flu card in my opinion worked better then WiFi on Sony a7 which I owned before. I've been hip hoping between the brands a lot and if I am not with Pentax, I would probably go back to Fuji for their great lenses, built quality and retro look but even then it wouldn't be perfect. There is not a perfect camera. So you have to decide what brand you want to stick with and then learn to work on the shortcomings which a part of every brand.

You hit the nail on the head. There isn't a perfect camera or perfect camera system. You have learn to work with any shortcomings they have, but some are worse than others.

However... Even though the grass is literally greener in Fuji land (colors are very accurate!)

I don't know bro, I'll shoot a K-3 side by side with my Fuji X-A1, and there's wildly different colors with Fuji especially with landscapes. I was down at a beach in Western Australia, and the X-A1 was just yuck ! Sandy beaches, pine tree's were appalling, and its over-exposey. But Portraits and street photography are really really nice, but landscapes look like video game scenery.It may be better with a XT1, but not from the research I've seen. So there's much to be said about Pentax's excellent image quality - I won't let go of it now matter how cool Fuji lenses are.

[Rondec]

Stats/Sources?

You could start a pool, about grip, people that buy the additionnal one and why... Including the option "to look like a pro". After we can discuss that once we hava at least 100 responses.

He's a Sony guy now and I think folks who shoot Sony cameras are much more concerned about appearances than folks who shoot Pentax. Beyond which, we Pentaxians are a cheap bunch, who won't buy a new lens if there is a fifty year old one that we can make work. So, why are we going to buy grips just to try look like we know what we are doing?

[ularula]

You hit the nail on the head. There isn't a perfect camera or perfect camera system. You have learn to work with any shortcomings they have, but some are worse than others.



I don't know bro, I'll shoot a K-3 side by side with my Fuji X-A1, and there's wildly different colors with Fuji especially with landscapes. I was down at a beach in Western Australia, and the X-A1 was just yuck ! Sandy beaches, pine tree's were appalling, and its over-exposey. But Portraits and street photography are really really nice, but landscapes look like video game scenery.It may be better with a XT1, but not from the research I've seen. So there's much to be said about Pentax's excellent image quality - I won't let go of it now matter how cool Fuji lenses are.

Thanks! Again that mention of off colours in nature for Fuji... And I was thinking lack of IBIS and smallish battery were the compromises/showstoppers concerning Fuji...

[philbaum]

That's true but currently there no mirrorless that match a D5 for action/sport. It doesn't exist. While in 5-10 years we may get different market segmentation, today, for somebody after action/sport, a mirrorless body isn't the best choice.

Could change. but in today market, mirrorless body still seems to concentrate on size/weight as their core advantage.

The latest MF mirrorless is a cropped MF, exactly like 645Z... The crop factor is 1.3 vs FF. That's not really a game changer. The latest phase one make more sense.

I agree, my mirrorless and the K1 are no D5. A friend in my photography club has one and he's been bringing back some amazing bird pics. But 1400+gms, its 40% heavier than a K1, 230% heavier than my mirrorless. At $6500, twice as expensive as my mirrorless. 14fps is fast for a full frame and the D5 does that by having 2 processors - therefore the extra weight and cost.. My mirrorless can only crank out 5 or 6 fps and my K3 can do over 8fps which is quite decent. But i really don't need a D5 for what i do and certainly don't want to carry it.

Went to a popular kite surfing area nearby, first time i've been there when the surfers are out. They seem to know somehow when the conditions are just right. This was taken at 200mm which is the maximum Sony lens i have at this point. Would have been nice to have something longer, like a 400mm. But thats what all ILC cameras are about - you can go lightweight with primes and normal lenses - or you can go long with more weight and a tripod if needed. Folks say that the weight savings for a mirrorless is not there when going long. Well - yeah - but with ILC, one doesn't need to be long all the time.

[Sliver-Surfer]

He's a Sony guy now and I think folks who shoot Sony cameras are much more concerned about appearances than folks who shoot Pentax. Beyond which, we Pentaxians are a cheap bunch, who won't buy a new lens if there is a fifty year old one that we can make work. So, why are we going to buy grips just to try look like we know what we are doing?

I use 100year old lenses I use new lenses I use half a dozen different camera systems. I am tolerant of all brands..

[surfar]

I use 100year old lenses I use new lenses I use half a dozen different camera systems. I am tolerant of all brands..

Yes, completely agree....One brand doesn't cover want I want to do....If you only use one brand you restrict yourself to the limitations of such brand and have to pay that brands prices for their specific tool.


Tech is moving QUICKLY,some brands aren't!

[Rondec]

I use 100year old lenses I use new lenses I use half a dozen different camera systems. I am tolerant of all brands..

Nice. Just not tolerant of folks who happen to like bigger cameras, or grips?

[Sliver-Surfer]

Nice. Just not tolerant of folks who happen to like bigger cameras, or grips?

No I never said that. I said large DSLR grips were made that way not for ergonomics but to accommodate large L-ION and Large Compact flash Cards available at their inception and people just got used to them. They are not a natural progression of ergonomics. There are no other grips be it guns, steering wheels, canes, chainsaws, Joysticks, Axehandles..ect. that are made so thick and that is was wrong for you to say the ergonomics of the A7 was bad when it is generally the size of what film cameras have evolved to.

[Nicolas06]

I agree, my mirrorless and the K1 are no D5. A friend in my photography club has one and he's been bringing back some amazing bird pics. But 1400+gms, its 40% heavier than a K1, 230% heavier than my mirrorless. At $6500, twice as expensive as my mirrorless. 14fps is fast for a full frame and the D5 does that by having 2 processors - therefore the extra weight and cost.. My mirrorless can only crank out 5 or 6 fps and my K3 can do over 8fps which is quite decent. But i really don't need a D5 for what i do and certainly don't want to carry it.

Went to a popular kite surfing area nearby, first time i've been there when the surfers are out. They seem to know somehow when the conditions are just right. This was taken at 200mm which is the maximum Sony lens i have at this point. Would have been nice to have something longer, like a 400mm. But thats what all ILC cameras are about - you can go lightweight with primes and normal lenses - or you can go long with more weight and a tripod if needed. Folks say that the weight savings for a mirrorless is not there when going long. Well - yeah - but with ILC, one doesn't need to be long all the time.

Yeah everybody take what is best for him (or what he think his best). And we don't have all the same needs.

I started Pentax a bit out randomly, because the K5 got really nice reviews, price was right, low light perf was nice. So I got it with 17-70. I am still with Pentax but mostly primes now. Ltds essentially. I often just go out with DA15ltd, DA35ltd, FA77. I upgraded to K3 because K5 off center point AF were not good enough to do shallow dof with AF.

I checked mirrorless alternatives, and in my case, I don't feel I would get anything more. The DA15 would have no field curvature and be f/2 and the FA77 would be 2-3 time heavier and much longer. The overall package would be around the same size. The price, no better. The FA77 is the lens that get the most use, so the performance and size/weight of the equivalent lens with same framing is key. The only smaller tele with similar reach I know for APSC or better and that is as small or smaller is the DA70. All the other brand have huge things.

So for me, even through I check it on a regular basis, I didn"t find something that please me. I am afraid m4/3 is a bit limited for quality, Fuji not smaller. Sony FF more expensive and significantly bigger. So I stay with what I have, and hope Pentax will decide to make a WA/UWA that is not too big and also has no field curvature. I would also be interrested by a K02 with an EVF and AF as good (but not necessarily better) as K3... To get something that is 500g instead of 800g. It doesn't exist, so I keep the K3.