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03-16-2017, 07:15 AM   #16
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Designing and developing high quality finished products take years! Getting the concept is relatively easy but fine tuning it is the time consuming part. Software development has shaved substantial amount of effort from lens design. It has leveled the playing field and the reason why Sigma and Tamron are both coming out with high quality optics.

03-16-2017, 07:20 AM - 3 Likes   #17
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Sometimes I wonder how photographers could get sharp and well focused shots in pre-autofocus / film days.
03-16-2017, 07:26 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by bobbotron Quote
While the pentax AF might not stack up to the competition, I think that a lot of photographers don't appreciate there's also a lot of skill to operate AF well. Tracking your subject, getting a good lock, waiting until focus is acquired before taking the shot.
I haven't used a modern Nikon, so I can't compare my low-cost Pentax to them. I will say that my low-cost Pentax is dumb; if it starts off focused at a very close distance, it seems to give up before auto-focusing something at a much greater distance. I understand that I need to use MF to move it to a more distant focus point, but it should be smart enough to do that itself if it cannot AF at a close distance.
03-16-2017, 07:26 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
...The problem is there are not enough of us.
Fixed that for you. We aren't significantly different than users of other brands. Without more of us, though, sales volume remains small and you can't find Pentax on many store shelves.

03-16-2017, 07:28 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by 08amczb Quote
More AF points needs more processing power, wich needs more battery power. I think the next flagship model should have a better processor (for 4k also) and a better AF modul with more AF points with more coverage. Lenses were improved a lot recently too, so now everything is given. I think in the near future we will complain about the p-ttl flash system insted of the AF.
Nikon D5600 has even better AF than K-1, but it has 1230 mAh battery and not better processor.
03-16-2017, 07:31 AM - 4 Likes   #21
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How lenses are made - think of the capital required to buy these machines.

03-16-2017, 07:34 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by DeadJohn Quote
Fixed that for you. We aren't significantly different than users of other brands. Without more of us, though, sales volume remains small and you can't find Pentax on many store shelves.
Pentax isn't on store shelves because at the price we're willing to pay there isn't enough profit to justify shelf space.

03-16-2017, 07:51 AM - 1 Like   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
Pentax isn't on store shelves because at the price we're willing to pay there isn't enough profit to justify shelf space.
No, Pentax isn't on store shelves because there simply aren't enough of us period. It is the same reason there isn't a lot of Sigma for K mount.. and Tamron for K mount.. and other 3rd party for K mount.

We're a pin point sized group of users compared to lake sized group of Canikon. And, thus far, the system isn't attractive enough to pull Canikon users over to K mount. If anything, those people are used to paying top dollar and they're not coming over in large number.

That said, showing off the finely tuned sports model and comparing it against an all-in-one model is not very fair. Compare K-3/K-1 to D7200/D810. I think those are still better at tracking... but the difference is a bit smaller.
03-16-2017, 07:55 AM - 7 Likes   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by jonlg Quote
I find it frustrating that Pentax seems incapable of keeping up with the competition in this area and am puzzled why they can't.
As a wildlife shooter, I keep up with the competition all the time. Not only that I get great images with a system that's 10% of the cost of what a lot of these guys are shooting. I find it frustrating that people imply they are going to buy a D500 to get pictures of their kids.

But lets compare to what you get from Pentax for about the same money.

D500 K-1
20 MP - 36 MP
100-51,200 --- ISO 100-204800
DX - FF -

You could just as easily ask for that price, why doesn't Nikon release a camera capable of 204,800 ISO. Why don't they just reverse engineer what Pentax has done? Every camera is a series of tradeoffs, price, technical specs. etc.

But if you think you can't do pictures of your kids, airshows etc. with Pentax products, you haven't been paying attention.

Anything you can do with a D500 you can do with a Pentax with technique. ANd those shots you saw taken with a D500, you had to have good technique to get those too. There simply is no technology good enough to cover for folks using bad technique.

The number of times people have come on to say they need a D500 or 1Dx or something to take pictures of their kids, well, it's getting real old.

Here's a strategy for those entertaining these kinds of thoughts. Ask what techniques will help you get pictures of your kids, or airshows or whatever, someone who's doing it with Pentax gear will help you out. That's what the forum is for, not wondering why Pentax doesn't make a product like one some other camera company does.

But if you must know Pentax is ruled by the god hociR and he has issued a decree, that no Pentax camera shall be as good at AF as any Nikon camera because it is deemed an unnecessary frill, foisted on the public by unscrupulous companies like Canon and Nikon to squeeze more money out of the public. Huge campaigns are run to try and convince the average Joe he needs world class AF to take pictures of his kids. People are so gullible.

hociR is saving us from our own insecurities. A few sessions with a shrink would be cheaper than a a 1Dx, and there'd still be money left over to take a course from someone who does what you want to do.

Last edited by normhead; 03-16-2017 at 08:07 AM.
03-16-2017, 08:03 AM - 4 Likes   #25
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There's also the Wayne Gretsky problem. You don't go where the puck is. You go where the puck is going to be. They have the skill and vision to be a leader, but most of us don't see what's coming.

Ricoh Theta is Gretsky.

Last edited by monochrome; 03-16-2017 at 08:27 AM.
03-16-2017, 08:17 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
There's also the wayne Gretsky problem. You don't go where the puck is. You go where the puck is going to be. They have the skill and vision to be a leader, but most of us don't see what's coming.

Ricoh Theta is Gretsky.
Wayne Gretsky
" He comes from nowhere, he passes to nowhere, somebody scores."

I'm not sure the Theta fits the description.

But, we digress.
03-16-2017, 08:26 AM - 1 Like   #27
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My son just streamed a local HS Lacrosse Game with my Theta S (and another feed with his phone) while he shot D80 video from a tripod. Both streaming devices were attached to the camera with GoPro mounts. He had 7,000 peak follows on the Theta stream - more than the 180 stream.

Didn't see that coming.

I suspect Pentax will continue to incrementally improve AF with each new model, but it's like boiling a frog. We won't notice when Pentax AF is actually 'good'.

I don't think they'll make a 'comes from nowhere' AF score, which is an issue. The other guys aren't standing still, so how does Pentax incrementally catch up?

Last edited by monochrome; 03-16-2017 at 08:32 AM.
03-16-2017, 08:35 AM - 1 Like   #28
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By having their increments slightly larger than the competition's?
(it would take a while, though...)
03-16-2017, 08:35 AM - 1 Like   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
I suspect Pentax will continue to incrementally improve AF with each new model, but it's like boiling a frog. We won't notice when Pentax AF is actually 'good'.
I switched from the K-30 to the KP and I think now the AF turned to good. (I have never used any DSLR's from other brands.)
03-16-2017, 08:49 AM - 3 Likes   #30
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if you want pentax to do well as a company, you have to admit where they're failing compared to everyone else, REGARDLESS OF YOUR PERSONAL RESULTS.

my brother-in-law bought a consumer nikon with a kit lens, and the af was so fast and silent, i though it was turned off. will he get better images than i do? hell no. does pentax have a shitload of work to do on af? hell yes.
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