[sarge]

Bang for buck

IBIS

Weather sealing

Backward lens compatibility

Used to own a ME Super and a K1000 years ago and loved them.

Size vs competition

Pixel shift

Astrotracer

[TaoMaas]

Originally, I wanted a Canon Ftb when I was a newby. But as I started looking at the published works of the photographers I admired, I saw that they were using Nikon or Pentax. I had a cheapo Yashica and it would take the screw-mount Pentax lenses, so I started buying Pentax stuff. Those first couple of lenses (a 28mm and a 35mm) were enough to get me hooked into the Pentax brand. In the film days, this wasn't a hard question. In digital, it's completely different. Why digital Pentax? Uh...mostly because I can use all my lenses without an adapter. I'm not opposed to changing systems, but I'm waiting to see what Pentax has to offer.

[Ian Stuart Forsyth]

Yes, attached to a durable metallic chassis!

What you don't see in this image is that behind that brass lens mount is its mounted to a plastic mirror box
Just the same as seen with the K5
Pentax K1 Camera and Lens [1400x518] : ThingsCutInHalfPorn


ref. File:Flickr pentax K5 2 (CC-BY-SA).jpg - Wikimedia Commons
If you look at where the steel screw goes thru the brass mount its anchored to a plastic mirror box

Here is a k1 cut away

steel screw going into plastic

K3II the same
Re: K3II lens mount bent! Insurance won't help this one?: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

same as the K7 the lens mount is anchored to plastic

Here is the K7


Here a blade has cut into the plastic box


Pentax 645Z Cut in Half - CP+ 2015 | PentaxForums.com
The only pentax bodies in production that have the lens mount attached to a metal sub frame is the 645d and 645Z


Here you can see that the 645 has a metal mirror box

http://img.thedigitalcamera.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Pentax-645Z-8.jpg

[Shakey]

Overall quality and value.

[clackers]

If you look at where the steel screw goes thru the brass mount its anchored to a plastic mirror box

Fair enough, you've convinced me!

[photobobhunt]

I went back to Pentax after I left the profession . I had Canon APS EOS IX and a 35mm Eos Elan. When I went to digital I wanted a smaller camera then got a ist* D.
I always appreciated the innovation in the Pentax product such as weatherproofing in even entry level cameras, front & rear IR remote sensors, a mirrorless that uses the same lenses (K-01) Which converts to a really nice IR Camera. Overall you get a lot for the buck.
All being said if I was starting over I would go to Nikon or Canon because of the variety of models available as well as the massive aftermarket support.
Pentax made their digital bones on APS - C but hasn't introduced a top line APS - Replacement for the K3 ( K3II is a update) going on 4-5 years. The K-70 is OK but is lacking in build quality to the K-3 . I also Have a K-S2 which I like, not love, and is similar to the K-70. The K-70 lacks in some of the things I appreciate with the K-3.
I do consider Pentax as the " Red headed step child" of the industry. Great ability, Little respect.
Finally with the exception of the K-1 and Medium format the current cameras seem to be aimed more for the casual photographer and not the photography enthusiast.
Bob H

[Ian Stuart Forsyth]

Fair enough, you've convinced me!

The funny thing is that the metal shell is in no way any park of the structure that holds any of the weight from the lens its just a shell.
The shell is held to the main body with only 5 screws that bolt onto the stainless steel chassis & only on the bottom of the camera. Every were else the outer shell is mounted to the underlying plastic chassis, just as in other companies that manufacture magnesium bodies they act more as a shell rather than part of the frame. In the K7- K3II the only anchor to the top portion of the magnesium shell is 2 screws into the plastic of the OVF and 1 on the side just below the flash that again goes into the plastic mirror box

[Bamtax]

At first, I bought Pentax because I needed a camera for my youngest brothers wedding. Pentax was the best deal.I broke the autofocus that night on a drunken beach walk after the reception. When years later I decided to give photography another try, well...I had two lenses from the last one, so....Pentax it was. I put the old lenses on the new camera...decided I needed some new ones...and it's all been one vicious circle from that day to this...got addicted to K-3s, wanted to take pics of birds, longer glass, faster glass, and now wider glass...along with primes, super zooms, yada, yada,yada. The whole sordid story. And now I'm old and folks keep telling me I should be using this camera or that camera, nag, nag, nag....which pretty much assures I'll die shooting Pentax. It just happened to me....

[Wingincamera]

With DSLR's I started out with a Canon 350 and finally went to a Canon FF. I loved the quality of the photos and low noise from the FF. I was collecting those "L" lens, which Canon thinks very highly of. But the size and weight started to make me look elsewhere. I looked at every thing available at the time, read their message boards and reviews and compared features of the different cameras. Finally I decided on Pentax for much the reasons already stated by others. I started selling all my Canon gear to finance Pentax and ended up with Pentax K-5 II and now use the K-S2. There was a learning curve, My first two lens was the Pentax 18-135 and the Pentax 100mm f/2.8 WR macro. The 18-135 was what I expected, but I was disappointed with the 100mm f/2.8 WR macro because I couldn't help but compare it the the Canon 100mm IS F2.8L Macro that I used with the Canon FF camera, and I returned the Pentax copy. I've sense fell in love with the the smaller Pentax lens and have no regrets at all. I now believe my mistake in comparing the Pentax & Canon macro lens was that one was used on a FF camera and the other a crop sensor.
Anyhow, I am a firm Pentax user.

[wodawprorszku]

My first DSLR was Pentax K100D. I was considering Canon and Nikon counterparts. Canon was "too plastic", Nikon had a very dark viewfinder so I picked Pentax.
Next thing I bought was used Tamron 28-300 which I'm going to sell now. After upgrading to K-S2 more than year ago and buying M50/f1.7 and plastic fantastic 35mm/2.4 I recently bought Tamron 70-200/2.8
I'm happy with my gear and don't think I really need anything more. Maybe some 18-50 with wide aperture... But with my kit lenses and bright 35 I'm not missing anything right now
For me, Pentax was the only DSLR I afforded that had a viewfinder bright enough to play with manual focusing. Once I got used to Pentax I don't plan to change the system. Not only because of tight budget, but mostly of the ergonomy and features. And the image quality of course. I see no value in switching to any other brand. Things that done people say are not available for Pentax are mostly too expensive for me either way