[KiloHotelphoto]

* subject to change, upwards, significantly as new D FA* primes will be released

They do have a roadmap, and I'm interested in the 85 1.4 if that will ever be available. I just don't see Pentax getting back into the wildlife/sports lenses, development cost are high and the buyers aren't there. I'm sure plenty of Pentax users would love to have a new DFA 600 F4 and DFA 400 2.8 but people complain about the price of a DFA 150-450 and DFA 70-200 2.8 so how many would actually pay for them.

The entire Pentax FF line can be bought for about $17,000

That doesn't say much about their line. They have a great body in the K1 they just need to get lenses that can get the most out of it on the market.

[Kunzite]

They do have a roadmap, and I'm interested in the 85 1.4 if that will ever be available. I just don't see Pentax getting back into the wildlife/sports lenses, development cost are high and the buyers aren't there. I'm sure plenty of Pentax users would love to have a new DFA 600 F4 and DFA 400 2.8 but people complain about the price of a DFA 150-450 and DFA 70-200 2.8 so how many would actually pay for them.

Pentax is back into the wildlife/sports lenses, with the DA 560mm, D FA 150-450mm and D FA* 70-200mm - they're just not a top contender.
How many is "plenty"? You would've been one of them from what I read; but we're talking about $10,000-$12,000 lenses here, not the $2,000 D FAs. I hope Pentax will have such lenses again, but I can't hope to buy them.

That doesn't say much about their line. They have a great body in the K1 they just need to get lenses that can get the most out of it on the market.

The idea was that they're not asking you to pay for what they don't offer

---------- Post added 21-10-17 at 08:56 PM ----------

So I'll just summarise by saying I'm happier shooting with Nikon.

Which is fine, as long as you're letting us be happier shooting with Pentax

[starbase218]

Which is fine, as long as you're letting us be happier shooting with Pentax

If you are happy, that's nice. I have no control over that happiness.

[Kunzite]

Control over my happiness? Why would you?

[starbase218]

Control over my happiness? Why would you?

So I can't let you be happy or unhappy.

[Kunzite]

Sorry but this is getting weird. Why would you seek to influence my happiness? And why would I seek any sort of approval with someone I don't even know?
I hope you're not trying to say that you'd want to make me unhappy with Pentax and seeking "happiness" with another brand.

[starbase218]

Sorry but this is getting weird. Why would you seek to influence my happiness? And why would I seek any sort of approval with someone I don't even know?
I hope you're not trying to say that you'd want to make me unhappy with Pentax and seeking "happiness" with another brand.

Yeah it is getting weird.

I'm not trying to influence your happiness. But you seemed to imply that I was capable of doing exactly that:

Which is fine, as long as you're letting us be happier shooting with Pentax

At least that's how I read it. So that's what I responded to. I'm not trying to make anyone unhappy.

This is kind of a ridiculous discussion though. Let's end it.

[Rondec]

I'm currently selling off all my Pentax gear, having travelled for 4,5 months with a Nikon D7100, 12-24/4, 17-55/2.8 and 70-200/4 VR. When I came back home, I saw my K-3 on the table with the 16-50 attached. Picked it up, focused a few times, and that's when I knew I would switch. Even on this forum people sometimes admit SDM as in the DA* lenses is a joke. Sorry, but I can't laugh anymore.

Pentax does have its advantages. I think it's an excellent brand for their lower-end value. A K-70 with kit lenses and maybe Limiteds is great. But the whole DA* stuff has broken me up. I'm sorry, I can't take it seriously anymore. And that's no basis on which to invest into even more expensive fullframe stuff. Assuming I'd even find their offerings in that segment attractive, which I don't. For one thing, the new Tamron rebadged DFA's are more expensive than the original Tamrons, yet they've taken out some stuff (stabilisation). For another, I have little interest in big and heavy f/2.8 fullframe zooms.

So yes, I am losing some money. But I gain freedom. And I need freedom if I want to become a better photographer. Photography is about freedom in the first place. I think I forgot that.

Not that I really need to lose money btw. I could get the Tokina 16-50 and 12-24 for my D7100. Optically they are the same as the Pentax lenses, but they are cheaper. And actually I paid 300 euros for my AF-S 85/1.8. The Pentax 70 Limited I bought was more expensive and a bit slower.

But I wouldn't want to go back to the performance of my 16-50. The AF-S 17-55/2.8 is just so much better. Bokeh-wise, AF speed-wise and sharpness-wise. It's bigger and heavier, but much better. And the 70-200/4 VR is smaller and lighter than the 60-250/4, so that makes up for it. Actually, it more than makes up for it; in this case, my Nikon gear is lighter than my Pentax gear.

As for other Pentax advantages, yes the UI is better, yes it has IBIS with all the features that that offers, yes it has weather sealing, yes it feels very nice in the hand. So it has the icing on the cake. It's just a shame that the cake itself isn't as good as others.

You sound a little bitter.

If Pentax gear didn't work for you then it's fine to move on. I still shoot with my K3 and DA *16-50 and 50-135 regularly and while I don't get K-1 type high iso from them, they do fine for what I shoot (family photos/vacation/landscape). I suppose the rest of us have to develop a certain level of skill to deal with our gear deficiencies.

Regardless, good luck. Nikon makes excellent gear too.

(I didn't take the OP's point to be slamming any other gear, but more to say that he still appreciates what Pentax has to offer).

[Kunzite]

I'm not trying to influence your happiness. But you seemed to imply that I was capable of doing exactly that:

Sorry, but the "control" over my happiness part triggered some red flags... I'm glad to see it was nothing.

We are able to influence others' "happiness" (maybe not as much with Pentax, as with being here) by what and how we post. Being too bitter about your old brand, for example - no, we don't have to join and become equally bitter. Yet there are people who expect precisely that.
On some other places I'm seeing brand jumpers I've never heard of before, with nothing to say but how brand X is so much better than Pentax.
And even if we're "unnecessarily" positive about Pentax, people should not be too eager to correct us. Perhaps their standards are not as universal as they believe.

[starbase218]

You sound a little bitter.

Well, then just maybe my 10-day Vipassana meditation course and 4,5 month trip have paid of.

edit: I read "better", not bitter. Which in itself may say something about my state of mind now that I've made this choice.

If Pentax gear didn't work for you then it's fine to move on. I still shoot with my K3 and DA *16-50 and 50-135 regularly and while I don't get K-1 type high iso from them, they do fine for what I shoot (family photos/vacation/landscape). I suppose the rest of us have to develop a certain level of skill to deal with our gear deficiencies.

I have gotten many shots I'm happy with with my Pentax gear. I'm just not willing to invest in it any more. My goal was never to develop skills to make the camera work. My goal was to learn and improve my photography. Whatever that means I'm just beginning to discover.

Regardless, good luck. Nikon makes excellent gear too.

I choose Nikon, but it really isn't that important. Not to me anyway, other than the fact that you have to have faith in your gear. For me, I have more faith in Nikon. It feels better. Beyond that, though, it's not important. It's a starting point. The gear allows you to shoot. But it still has a viewfinder and a shutter release button, just like Pentax. I still have a way to go from that point of view. Like how to act in a way that allows me to e.g. capture meaningful moments between perfect strangers on the street without them being upset about it. That's what I'd like to do. I can think of that now.

(I didn't take the OP's point to be slamming any other gear, but more to say that he still appreciates what Pentax has to offer).

Me neither. I simply responded to his request for experiences from people who jumped to other brands.

---------- Post added 10-21-2017 at 11:20 PM ----------

Sorry, but the "control" over my happiness part triggered some red flags... I'm glad to see it was nothing.

We are able to influence others' "happiness" (maybe not as much with Pentax, as with being here) by what and how we post. Being too bitter about your old brand, for example - no, we don't have to join and become equally bitter. Yet there are people who expect precisely that.

I think I'm probably able to influence people close to me in a big way. Actually, I know I am. With forum members, though, not so much, I think. But if I have, I'm sorry. It was never my intention. I was just in a bad situation and felt powerless to do anything about it.

On some other places I'm seeing brand jumpers I've never heard of before, with nothing to say but how brand X is so much better than Pentax.
And even if we're "unnecessarily" positive about Pentax, people should not be too eager to correct us. Perhaps their standards are not as universal as they believe.

Well, if they honestly feel that way, they should jump. Like I said, gear is not so important, but people should make the choices they're happy with, whatever the rest of the world thinks about those choices (unless they're violating the law or something).

And if you feel positive about Pentax, good, stay with it. If it is the best starting point for you to be able to not focus on gear but to focus on creating something meaningful (to you anyway), great.

As for universal standards, I don't care about that. It sounds too much like what other people find "normal" and can only serve to drown out my inner voice.

[Kunzite]

Jumping is not the issue; it's the staying behind and telling us how miserable they were with Pentax, over and over again.
Indeed, people should make the choices they're happy with, but that choice can be Pentax, too.

[stevebrot]

So I'll just summarise by saying I'm happier shooting with Nikon.

Cool! I hope you got good value for your Pentax stuff when you sold it off and did not have too much pain on the Nikon side of things putting together a kit.


Steve

[totsmuyco]

Well, then just maybe my 10-day Vipassana meditation course and 4,5 month trip have paid of.



I have gotten many shots I'm happy with with my Pentax gear. I'm just not willing to invest in it any more. My goal was never to develop skills to make the camera work. My goal was to learn and improve my photography. Whatever that means I'm just beginning to discover.



I choose Nikon, but it really isn't that important. Not to me anyway, other than the fact that you have to have faith in your gear. For me, I have more faith in Nikon. It feels better. Beyond that, though, it's not important. It's a starting point. The gear allows you to shoot. But it still has a viewfinder and a shutter release button, just like Pentax. I still have a way to go from that point of view. Like how to act in a way that allows me to e.g. capture meaningful moments between perfect strangers on the street without them being upset about it. That's what I'd like to do. I can think of that now.



Me neither. I simply responded to his request for experiences from people who jumped to other brands.

---------- Post added 10-21-2017 at 11:20 PM ----------



I think I'm probably able to influence people close to me in a big way. Actually, I know I am. With forum members, though, not so much, I think. But if I have, I'm sorry. It was never my intention. I was just in a bad situation and felt powerless to do anything about it.



Well, if they honestly feel that way, they should jump. Like I said, gear is not so important, but people should make the choices they're happy with, whatever the rest of the world thinks about those choices (unless they're violating the law or something).

And if you feel positive about Pentax, good, stay with it. If it is the best starting point for you to be able to not focus on gear but to focus on creating something meaningful (to you anyway), great.

As for universal standards, I don't care about that. It sounds too much like what other people find "normal" and can only serve to drown out my inner voice.

As I have stated in one of the threads, I know the weakness of the Pentax system and I have accepted them. My reason for staying is the system is rugged enough for my needs. I don't like lenses that gets fungus as I live in country where humidity is high. I like tough bodies and I think I have personally proven it when I accidentally dropped my k-5II at about 4 feet high.

I agree with your points and I know you will enjoy your new system. I know Nikon has better AF and more lens choices. Good luck.

As for me, I'll stay as long as the K-mount is alive.

[guinnessman]

For me, Pentax's value is in their bodies, with features that only found on more expensive prosumer Canon and Nikon bodies.

WR and SR for any lens is nice. However complaining about the AF or selection of lenses is probably a broken record at this point. I used to rant about the AF on my K20 all the time here, then I bought a K3 a couple years ago, and it's night and day. If Tamron/Sigma came out with their 150-600 in K mount, I'd probably buy that, and be done with LBA and desired focal lengths. Pentax is on the right path with DC and PLM (just pretend SDM wasn't a thing), and they can keep improving AF speeds bit by bit.

[totsmuyco]

Pentax is on the right path with DC and PLM (just pretend SDM wasn't a thing), and they can keep improving AF speeds bit by bit.

That's why I'm staying. I'm am certain that the AF will be developed. The way I see it is, AF is a double edge sword. It involves the body and the lens. PLM is a Pentax breakthrough.