Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
01-06-2017, 05:53 AM   #31
Veteran Member
Na Horuk's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Slovenia, probably
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,186
Why Pentax?
- Green Button
- TAv mode
- Catch in Focus, even with manual lenses
- Pancake lenses with high IQ
- good features like WR, QS (not unique, but might be more accessible than with some other brands)
- Wide K-mount compatibility, even with decades old glass
- Solid cameras (in hands, feel much better than what the competition offers for same price)
- Good price. Very little Pentax stuff is overpriced. Most of it is very fair and has a great performance to cost ratio
- Small, compact cameras, but still feature-rich
- Great ergonomics, button placement, and sensible Menu layout

We take these for granted, but many brands are weak on one or more of these.

QuoteOriginally posted by nixxo2002 Quote
But how Pentax want to get the new customers , from new generation , or it's not a Pentax problem now ?
This has been a problem for Pentax for years. Marketing, advertising, getting new people. A lot of potential photographers don't even know Pentax exists. Pentax has always relied on the products to speak for themselves, and the cameras like K-5, K-1 definitely were good ambassadors - but that is not enough in this day and age. Websites, online advertisements, print and TV media ads, this is where Pentax/Ricoh has to invest.

01-06-2017, 06:40 AM   #32
Veteran Member




Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 768
QuoteOriginally posted by bertwert Quote
Nope, I just got Pentax for the best bang for the buck and love it!
What he Said plus Quality & millions of heritage Lenses since the late 70's for me !
01-06-2017, 07:29 AM   #33
Forum Member




Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 90
I started using Pentax in the late 70's. Accumulated some Pentax lenses. When Pentax finally released a "reasonably" priced DSLR (Ds), I bought one because of lenses I already had. I am not into sport or BIF photography, so the deficiencies of the Pentax system are not concerns for me.

What made me keep buying Pentax is because of the innovations found in successive models. I am extremely impressed with the pixel shift technology and have been using it quite extensively since acquiring a K-3II last year. That was the sole reason for buying the K-3II since I am already very satisfied with the K-5IIs.

I have a fairly extensive collection of quality lenses, switching brand is possible but costly. But the real question is why. Even though I have more gear than I need, I still don't consider myself a gear head. Gear is only enabling me to do what I like to do, it is the least important factor IMO. So there is little reason for me to switch brand.
01-06-2017, 07:45 AM   #34
Pentaxian




Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Western Canada
Posts: 12,273
QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
I'm not sure about Canada, but in the US it sure does. Up until recently the 645Z was pretty much in a league of its own price-wise.
Thx for the info Adam.

01-06-2017, 08:19 AM - 1 Like   #35
Junior Member




Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Photos: Albums
Posts: 38
Switched to Pentax a Year Ago

I've been shooting for nearly 35 years. I started with a Minolta X700 ... meandered through various point & shoots ... then an Olympus Pen (mirrorless) ... then, I moved to Canon. I went with the SL1 - light, small, features. Because I do a lot of hiking and it was easy to carry, it seemed a good fit (basic, but solid). But as I evolved as a photographer, I wanted to move to a more semi-pro camera/lens. The Canon 80D was just about to launch, but I didn't sense it was worth the upgrade. So I started exploring options - which camera (and camera system) was best. After reading lots of reviews, watching hundreds of videos, and looking at what would best meet my needs, I settled on Pentax. Why? The menus made sense, it was feature rich with plenty of options, they were ergonomically comfortable, there's no slap (love the quite shutter sound), and most important, they produce fantastic images. With that, I sold all my Canon gear, and bought the K-3, lenses, and related equipment; one of the best decisions I've made. I've since bought my daughter a K-50 and I recently added a K-1 to my kit. Sure, Canon and Nikon dominate 80% of the market. And yes, there isn't a retailer in my area where I can physically touch a Pentax DSLR. And of course, the K-1 has a limited lens range in the DFA line. I can accept those realities that many others have discussed on this thread. But at the end of the day, I know Pentax is a world-class brand who ensures their gear is top quality. I'm now a proud Pentaxian and a happy Pentax evangelist wherever I go.
01-06-2017, 08:59 AM   #36
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
ehrwien's Avatar

Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 2,772
Was looking for an entry level dslr, coming from a mirrorless Nikon1 V1, so anything would have been a step up from lens selection, image quality, ergonomics,...
Scanned the market and it took me a while to even find Pentax as an alternative, but as soon as I compared Pentax' entry/mid level cameras to those of Nikon and Canon, there wasn't really much of a choice left.
-Bigger/brighter viewfinder
-Two wheels
-WR
-IBIS

Last edited by ehrwien; 01-15-2017 at 01:37 PM.
01-06-2017, 09:58 AM   #37
Senior Member
rjm007's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Uxbridge UK
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 218
Why do I lean towards Pentax ? An element of nostalgia for sure. My first SLR was a Pentax K1000 I got for my 21st and that's been a few years. When I went digital (after a dalliance with compacts) I bought Canon because they had the range and availability. Having moved of late to mirrorless I went to Sony with legacy glass. Apart from an interest is more esoteric brands I seem to be acquiring a collection of film era Pentax lenses. Why ? Build, quality, IQ and price converge where I need them to.

I would like to move back to Pentax when I go full frame. Is the K1 the camera to do it ? Certainly very tempting but it's not an immediate need so I'll bide my time. I just hope Pentax are still around. The market is very tough and being successful in one market may well not be enough if you want to develop and market your own products. R&D and marketing needs really deep pockets. I really don't want to see Pentax do a Hassleblad.

01-06-2017, 10:15 AM - 1 Like   #38
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: San Mateo, CA
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 179
I broke my Canon Pellix in 1986, the day after my son's birth, so I had to buy a new camera ASAP. Having become a father of two, I needed performance at a modest price, so I bought a Pentax Program Plus. That body is still in near-mint condition despite being used mostly on frequent camping trips. So when it came time to buy a DSLR, of course I stayed with Pentax. I've had a K20d, K01, K50, K3 and K1; I'm keeping the latter two.

Besides bang for the buck, I love the Pentax ergonomics. The K1's large size allows me to operate it with thick gloves on, and I can shoot intuitively, just as I've done with the K3. The K01 was not a good mirrorless implementation, so I sold it. I don't really care whether Pentax tries mirrorless K-mount again.

The full-metal chassis of the DSLRs is heavy, but tough. When a strap came apart, my K3 fell 4 feet to a gravel path with a Sigma 120-400 attached. It acquired a small scratch near the hotshoe, but that was the only consequence.

I was tempted by the Nikon D800 upon its introduction, but I'm glad I waited for the K1. The FF images it produces, even when viewed at 1:1 on a HD 25" monitor, are impressively clean and amenable to PP. The first K1 image I entered in camera club competition won first place. I see no reason to adopt another system in the foreseeable future.
01-06-2017, 11:30 AM   #39
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Larrymc's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Mississippi, USA
Posts: 5,245
QuoteOriginally posted by Kunzite Quote
Why not?

By the way, if there's no significant disadvantage I'd rather support the smaller brand. Why? Because we'd all lose when a brand and its unique characteristics would disappear. We lost Minolta, which was perhaps the camera maker closest to Pentax; Sony is not the same.
Following the crowd is not my style

I whole heartedly agree with you. Following the crowd certainly is not my style either. So far my K-3 is all the camera I need and it came at a great price, so did my K-50.
01-06-2017, 12:03 PM - 3 Likes   #40
Huy
Forum Member




Join Date: Jan 2014
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 87
I go with Pentax for the price and compactness.

I mainly shoot studio portrait and some landscape with a K-3 + DA* 50-135 combo.

Just a fun comparison (I don't intent to insult any mirrorless shooter).

K-3 body: weight: 800 g, price: $800 (the price I actually bought)
DA* 5-135 : weight: 765 g, price: $1046 (current at B&H, I believe the market price is around $800)
Combo: weight: 1565 g, price: $1846

Equivalent mirrorless system: Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Lens

Fujifilm X-T2 body: weight: 507 g, price: $1599
Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8: weight: 995 g, price: $1599
Combo: weight: 1502 g, price: $ 3198

Fujifilm Camera+Lens may have superior AF system, but I found the Pentax AF is sufficient. I believe the low light focus capability is just as good as Pentax (correct me if I'm wrong)

The X-T2 sensor size is 23.6 x 15.6 mm, the K-3 sensor size is 23.5 x 15.6 mm. I believe the image quality is pretty much equal.

The DA* 50-135 can be neck-to-neck with any similar lens in term of sharpness.

To me, I just cannot justify to pay $1352 more for a 63 g less system.
01-06-2017, 12:08 PM - 1 Like   #41
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Nov 2015
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 824
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by na horuk Quote
this has been a problem for pentax for years. Marketing, advertising, getting new people. A lot of potential photographers don't even know pentax exists. Pentax has always relied on the products to speak for themselves, and the cameras like k-5, k-1 definitely were good ambassadors - but that is not enough in this day and age. Websites, online advertisements, print and tv media ads, this is where pentax/ricoh has to invest.
exactly , what i mean
01-06-2017, 12:14 PM - 1 Like   #42
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Nov 2015
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 824
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by bm75 Quote
common customer doesn't know that pentax is on the market. People in the age of 40 or 50 or about know pentax from the film days , like olympus or the dead minolta, and they know how good it was on film and thay can presume the quality in digital. But young people (the most of it...obviously not all) dont't recognize pentax as a major brand simply because they even cannot test a camera in big electronic stores.

That's a mess and that's what ricoh have to fix. High quality and value is on the pentax-ricoh side, ricoh has to make it visible for the customer. I hope this will happen soon.
so thru
01-06-2017, 12:20 PM   #43
Veteran Member




Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Italia
Photos: Albums
Posts: 354
That' s much more a point about the real compactness of MC towards APSC DSLR cameras ( me considering Pentax' as the most compact of the market in the pro/semi pro segment). MC have different features that make them "special" ; fuji's lenses are high quality and are pricy. I tend not to compare DSLR and MC . But yes, you're right: Pentax' camera bodies are smaller and more rugged compared to the equivalent Canon/Nikon semipro/pro c. bodies and for my hands they have a more ergonomic design.
01-06-2017, 12:31 PM - 1 Like   #44
Forum Member




Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 64
What got me to go for Pentax instead of nikon or Canon is that I was able to buy a decent/good camera body (k5iis) and several lens to build a decent kit under 1000$ canadian.
K5iis - 450$
Da 35mm f2.4 - 120$
M 50mm f2 - 20$
m 28mm f - 40$
M 200mm - 15$
F 28-80mm f3.5-4.5 - 10$
DA 18-55 (non-WR) - 50$




Need I say more? I have a decent amount of lenses for cheap (most are manual focus but that's not an issue for me) that cover a good focal range (all I'm really missing is something to bridge the 80mm and 200mm and something to go to 300mm and I will be golden). Event with my tripod I still fall under the 1000$ mark (a bit more if you count filters, cleaning kits, sling bag, etc.)
01-06-2017, 12:55 PM - 1 Like   #45
New Member




Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 13
In 2013, so not so long ago, I booked a trip to Iceland, and decided that it would be a nice moment to step into the world of DSLR. Until then I only had a 5Mp Canon Powershot.

At that time I mainly looked at Canon, this was the brand I knew, and that most people seemed to have. But I'm not a follow the crowd kind of guy, so at started searching a bit further, and found the Nikon's, the mirrorless options, and Pentax. I skipped the mirrorless types at that point, It didn't see the benefits, so what was left was Canon, Nikon and Pentax. I read some tests on the internet, and the K30 came out as very good value for money. Only weak point being video, but I did not care much for that anyway. I did however like the fact that the Pentax was weather resistant.

With that in mind I visited the camera store, so I could feel the different camera's in my own hands, and that was for me really a decisive moment. The Pentax felt like a much more decent body than the canikon's in the same price range. And so I bought my K30 with a 18-135 lens, and I haven't regretted it since.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, canon, dslr, pentax, photography, step
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Why raccoon, why? <insert grumbling here...> Auzzie-Phoenix General Talk 20 04-17-2016 03:47 PM
Why buy Pentax in 2016? johnhilvert Photographic Industry and Professionals 72 01-21-2016 02:46 PM
WHY is B&H closed on Saturdays? WHY? CeciProAm Ask B&H Photo! 8 11-26-2014 11:36 AM
Burning of the Koran ... ! Why? Why? Why? jpzk General Talk 128 09-14-2010 04:45 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:28 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top