When will Pentax catch up to the other big makers?

**Rondec** · 08-17-2018, 12:52 PM - **5 Likes**

Life is too short to deal with things that irk you on the internet. It is probably better to ignore fellow Forumites that aggravate us then to get into flame wars with them.

Often the issue is with phrasing and it does feel as though the OP is a bit inflammatory. "When will Pentax catch up..."

Of course, your perception of Pentax depends on your needs. To me, they are one of the best still photography companies out there. It may be that still photography is passe at this point, but I still enjoy it far more than video. I do shoot video of my kids and such, but for the most part it just ends up on hard drives to languish. Honestly, I am not a big fan of shooting video with SLRs either. The issues are as much ergonomic as anything else and no, the experience of shooting video with a Nikon D5600 isn't very much different from shooting it with a KP or K3. It may offer a few more options with video, but it doesn't offer 4K video or many of the other features that are offered by mirrorless cameras. In point of fact, Panasonic and to a lesser extent Sony are the way to go if you want ILCs that shoot video and Nikon is trailing pretty badly at this point.

Each camera maker has things that they do really well and other things that they don't do quite as well. Canon and Nikon have lens line ups that are unmatched by the other brands. You may not need all those lenses, but they are there. Sony has mirrorless full frame. Pentax has tightly made, ergonomic bodies that offer weather sealing for less than you can get with other brands. Features like pixel shift and astro tracer can allow you to get close to medium format quality with much smaller sensors. Shake reduction gives stabilization to fast primes -- something that only Sony and Olympus offer too. Obviously there are plenty of areas that Pentax can and will improve over time, but I still am convinced that they offer some of the finest shooting experiences out there right now.

I wouldn't encourage the OP to sell his gear, but more evaluate the things that are important to him and things that he truly needs. It may be that the best thing is to add a Panasonic camera for video purposes if that is really important. I don't know that Nikon is the way to go for that though. Either way, welcome to the Forum. We are a friendly sort and if we seem a bit upset by your introduction, we have met a few too many trolls along the road.

Last edited by Rondec; 08-17-2018 at 01:03 PM.

**Mikesul** · 08-17-2018, 12:53 PM - **3 Likes**

I am always amazed at the number and energy of the posts responding to this kind of post. It may not be intentional trolling but it sure has upped our post count without accomplishing much along the way. How many time do folks have to say the same thing?

pschlute · 08-17-2018, 12:53 PM

Originally posted by Takker

I remember Pentax being ahead of the curve in the early period of DSLR development but that time is long gone.

I think you need to see a doctor if your memory is that bad.

**Rondec** · 08-17-2018, 12:56 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by pschlute

I think you need to see a doctor if your memory is that bad.

I too, wonder about this statement. The K100 did offer shake reduction on the sensor, which was something new. The K10 seemed like a pretty nice camera too, but none of these seemed particularly "ahead of the curve." Certainly the *ist D was far from the first digital ILC.

**TedH42** · 08-17-2018, 01:00 PM - **8 Likes**

Damn. Ran out of popcorn again. Carry on, people - I'll catch up when the fresh batch is popped.

derekkite · 08-17-2018, 01:11 PM - **4 Likes**

I dunno. I bought the K1 and got a full frame high resolution sensor for about a grand less than the comparable Nikon. I just sent it off and for less than a grand I get the next version updated features. The lenses I have are great, the 150-450 fits my long needs well with some flexibility. Video? I'm happy with what it does, but I don't do professional video. If I did, I would look at something else designed for that purpose.

For the money I get very good image quality. Yes other brands have this feature or does that better, but my Pentax does a full frame pixel shift, has a built in astro tracer, I use it in any weather imaginable with no worries. When I'm out shooting with friends, they get some shots I don't, and I get some shots that they don't.

In the years I've been using Pentax, starting with the K5, the accessories, new bodies, lenses etc. that have been released have been what I wanted to buy.

pschlute · 08-17-2018, 01:11 PM

Originally posted by Rondec

I too, wonder about this statement. The K100 did offer shake reduction on the sensor, which was something new. The K10 seemed like a pretty nice camera too, but none of these seemed particularly "ahead of the curve." Certainly the *ist D was far from the first digital ILC.

The "curve" started way earlier than 2006/2008, which was the point I was making. The OP knows about as much when it comes to digital camera as he does about Pentax. ie not a lot

**dadipentak** · 08-17-2018, 01:12 PM - **3 Likes**

Nothing like a pointless heated thread to move things along.

stevebrot · 08-17-2018, 01:22 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by pschlute

I think you need to see a doctor if your memory is that bad.

Their memory is accurate. The *ist D was highly regarded when it first came out (2003) despite being VERY expensive. The OP listed the *ist DS on their profile. They also listed the K10D, which was incredibly disruptive when it debuted in 2006. (I consider within five to six years of the first consumer dSLR* to be "early".)

Steve

* Fuji FinePix S1 Pro in 2000

Fenwoodian · 08-17-2018, 01:25 PM - **3 Likes**

.
For what I shoot, Pentax has been ahead of Canon/Nikon for a few years now. I sold all of my Canon and Nikon gear 4 years ago when the Pentax K-3ii came out. It was better than my Nik/Can gear, and the K-1 has taken that advantage and increased it many fold.

I think what turns some off from Pentax is the longish learning curve to get familiar with the many terrific features that Pentax offers that others don't. So, get yourself a modern Pentax digital camera, take the time to master it, and eventually you too may become a believer in Pentax (like I did/am).

garywakeling · 08-17-2018, 01:29 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by BigMackCam

I'm going to add my own general views here, without addressing each point you've raised individually.

Pentax is pretty much a niche brand, with nothing like the financial and manpower resources that Nikon, Canon and Sony (for example) have. As a result, it develops at its own pace. The cameras, lenses and accessories it releases are generally of excellent quality, very-well-featured and competitively-priced, so for those of us whose needs are met or exceeded by the specifications, Pentax is a very good choice indeed.

It's no secret that the larger brands are more advanced in certain areas of functionality (AF.C performance and video, for instance), and if that functionality is important to you, or lens availability doesn't match your requirements, Pentax probably isn't the right choice. I like to shoot a lot of adapted lenses from systems with a variety of different flange focal distances. I have a Sony A7 MkII for that. But Pentax is ahead of other manufacturers in some areas too... in-body image stabilisation and pixel shift, for instance, not to mention the high ISO capability of the KP. So whether you consider Pentax to be behind or ahead of the market (or merely keeping up) depends on your personal priorities and viewpoint.

In closing, don't expect Pentax to catch up with the biggest brands. As I already mentioned, it will continue to develop at its own pace. If your needs aren't being met by the brand, just switch - or fill the gaps by using a combination of brands.

And no... I don't believe Ricoh Imaging will kill off Pentax. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that it might sell Pentax one day, but I've no doubt the brand will be around for many years to come

Incidentally, you might want to view the results of a recent survey conducted on this site, HERE. I think you'll be interested to see which features the majority of respondents are (and aren't) most interest in...

Best rational answer so far. thanks for saying what I think too
If I hear one more time that the camera I use to take photographs needs super duper video, I will not be responsible for my actions. My previous film era camera was in production 20 years because the DNA of the company knew what a photographer needed, made it right the first time and I didn't have to upgrade every 6 months. Hmmm now they have upgraded the motherboard on the K1 and I can purchase that instead of a whole new camera, when will the other brands catch up with that idea.
Welcome to the forums and thanks for an interesting start.

bavd · 08-17-2018, 01:42 PM - **3 Likes**

I think this post is a clever way to get the number of posts up to 45.000!
But to answer the question, i do not think Pentax will ever be like canikon, and that is a good thing.
The day they do i wiil say goodbye to Pentax.

biz-engineer · 08-17-2018, 01:50 PM - **2 Likes**

Well, the sad truth is, for photographying the milky way, canon, nikon, sony etc are still at stone age. Pentax is the leading brand in this domain.

**BigMackCam** · 08-17-2018, 01:52 PM - **6 Likes**

Originally posted by bavd

I think this post is a clever way to get the number of posts up to 45.000!

I did check the OP's IP address, to see if it might be Adam in disguise

But no...

neokind · 08-17-2018, 01:56 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

The polite answer is, Pentax has a different take on the combination of features and strengths to blend into their cameras from many other camera companies. We already have the other cameras - made by other companies. One must presume a person who wants the features the OP pointed out as lacking should consider changing brands rather than asking Pentax to change its approach to suit his needs.

The statement, “I love my Pentax, but . . . ”, followed by a list of faults and omissions tends to trigger fellow members.

So, are you suggesting that one should not express frustrations or wants to avoid triggering fellow members?

08-17-2018, 01:12 PM - 3 Likes	#53
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Nothing like a pointless heated thread to move things along. Last edited by dadipentak; 08-20-2018 at 12:19 PM.

08-17-2018, 01:22 PM - 1 Like	#54
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by pschlute I think you need to see a doctor if your memory is that bad. Their memory is accurate. The ist D was highly regarded when it first came out (2003) despite being VERY expensive. The OP listed the ist DS on their profile. They also listed the K10D, which was incredibly disruptive when it debuted in 2006. (I consider within five to six years of the first consumer dSLR* to be "early".) Steve * Fuji FinePix S1 Pro in 2000 Last edited by stevebrot; 08-17-2018 at 01:31 PM.

08-17-2018, 01:25 PM - 3 Likes	#55
Fenwoodian Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,874	. For what I shoot, Pentax has been ahead of Canon/Nikon for a few years now. I sold all of my Canon and Nikon gear 4 years ago when the Pentax K-3ii came out. It was better than my Nik/Can gear, and the K-1 has taken that advantage and increased it many fold. I think what turns some off from Pentax is the longish learning curve to get familiar with the many terrific features that Pentax offers that others don't. So, get yourself a modern Pentax digital camera, take the time to master it, and eventually you too may become a believer in Pentax (like I did/am). Last edited by Fenwoodian; 08-17-2018 at 04:50 PM.

08-17-2018, 01:50 PM - 2 Likes	#58
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Well, the sad truth is, for photographying the milky way, canon, nikon, sony etc are still at stone age. Pentax is the leading brand in this domain. Last edited by biz-engineer; 08-17-2018 at 01:56 PM.

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08-17-2018, 12:52 PM - 5 Likes	#46
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	Life is too short to deal with things that irk you on the internet. It is probably better to ignore fellow Forumites that aggravate us then to get into flame wars with them. Often the issue is with phrasing and it does feel as though the OP is a bit inflammatory. "When will Pentax catch up..." Of course, your perception of Pentax depends on your needs. To me, they are one of the best still photography companies out there. It may be that still photography is passe at this point, but I still enjoy it far more than video. I do shoot video of my kids and such, but for the most part it just ends up on hard drives to languish. Honestly, I am not a big fan of shooting video with SLRs either. The issues are as much ergonomic as anything else and no, the experience of shooting video with a Nikon D5600 isn't very much different from shooting it with a KP or K3. It may offer a few more options with video, but it doesn't offer 4K video or many of the other features that are offered by mirrorless cameras. In point of fact, Panasonic and to a lesser extent Sony are the way to go if you want ILCs that shoot video and Nikon is trailing pretty badly at this point. Each camera maker has things that they do really well and other things that they don't do quite as well. Canon and Nikon have lens line ups that are unmatched by the other brands. You may not need all those lenses, but they are there. Sony has mirrorless full frame. Pentax has tightly made, ergonomic bodies that offer weather sealing for less than you can get with other brands. Features like pixel shift and astro tracer can allow you to get close to medium format quality with much smaller sensors. Shake reduction gives stabilization to fast primes -- something that only Sony and Olympus offer too. Obviously there are plenty of areas that Pentax can and will improve over time, but I still am convinced that they offer some of the finest shooting experiences out there right now. I wouldn't encourage the OP to sell his gear, but more evaluate the things that are important to him and things that he truly needs. It may be that the best thing is to add a Panasonic camera for video purposes if that is really important. I don't know that Nikon is the way to go for that though. Either way, welcome to the Forum. We are a friendly sort and if we seem a bit upset by your introduction, we have met a few too many trolls along the road. Last edited by Rondec; 08-17-2018 at 01:03 PM.

08-17-2018, 12:53 PM - 3 Likes	#47
Mikesul Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,594	I am always amazed at the number and energy of the posts responding to this kind of post. It may not be intentional trolling but it sure has upped our post count without accomplishing much along the way. How many time do folks have to say the same thing?

08-17-2018, 12:53 PM	#48
pschlute Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Surrey, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,202	Originally posted by Takker I remember Pentax being ahead of the curve in the early period of DSLR development but that time is long gone. I think you need to see a doctor if your memory is that bad.

08-17-2018, 12:56 PM - 1 Like	#49
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	Originally posted by pschlute I think you need to see a doctor if your memory is that bad. I too, wonder about this statement. The K100 did offer shake reduction on the sensor, which was something new. The K10 seemed like a pretty nice camera too, but none of these seemed particularly "ahead of the curve." Certainly the *ist D was far from the first digital ILC.

08-17-2018, 01:00 PM - 8 Likes	#50
TedH42 F/8 & Somewhere Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Colorado Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,412	Damn. Ran out of popcorn again. Carry on, people - I'll catch up when the fresh batch is popped.

08-17-2018, 01:11 PM - 4 Likes	#51
derekkite Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Nelson B.C. Posts: 3,782	I dunno. I bought the K1 and got a full frame high resolution sensor for about a grand less than the comparable Nikon. I just sent it off and for less than a grand I get the next version updated features. The lenses I have are great, the 150-450 fits my long needs well with some flexibility. Video? I'm happy with what it does, but I don't do professional video. If I did, I would look at something else designed for that purpose. For the money I get very good image quality. Yes other brands have this feature or does that better, but my Pentax does a full frame pixel shift, has a built in astro tracer, I use it in any weather imaginable with no worries. When I'm out shooting with friends, they get some shots I don't, and I get some shots that they don't. In the years I've been using Pentax, starting with the K5, the accessories, new bodies, lenses etc. that have been released have been what I wanted to buy.

08-17-2018, 01:11 PM	#52
pschlute Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Surrey, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,202	Originally posted by Rondec I too, wonder about this statement. The K100 did offer shake reduction on the sensor, which was something new. The K10 seemed like a pretty nice camera too, but none of these seemed particularly "ahead of the curve." Certainly the *ist D was far from the first digital ILC. The "curve" started way earlier than 2006/2008, which was the point I was making. The OP knows about as much when it comes to digital camera as he does about Pentax. ie not a lot

08-17-2018, 01:29 PM - 2 Likes	#56
garywakeling Moderator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,759	Originally posted by BigMackCam I'm going to add my own general views here, without addressing each point you've raised individually. Pentax is pretty much a niche brand, with nothing like the financial and manpower resources that Nikon, Canon and Sony (for example) have. As a result, it develops at its own pace. The cameras, lenses and accessories it releases are generally of excellent quality, very-well-featured and competitively-priced, so for those of us whose needs are met or exceeded by the specifications, Pentax is a very good choice indeed. It's no secret that the larger brands are more advanced in certain areas of functionality (AF.C performance and video, for instance), and if that functionality is important to you, or lens availability doesn't match your requirements, Pentax probably isn't the right choice. I like to shoot a lot of adapted lenses from systems with a variety of different flange focal distances. I have a Sony A7 MkII for that. But Pentax is ahead of other manufacturers in some areas too... in-body image stabilisation and pixel shift, for instance, not to mention the high ISO capability of the KP. So whether you consider Pentax to be behind or ahead of the market (or merely keeping up) depends on your personal priorities and viewpoint. In closing, don't expect Pentax to catch up with the biggest brands. As I already mentioned, it will continue to develop at its own pace. If your needs aren't being met by the brand, just switch - or fill the gaps by using a combination of brands. And no... I don't believe Ricoh Imaging will kill off Pentax. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that it might sell Pentax one day, but I've no doubt the brand will be around for many years to come Incidentally, you might want to view the results of a recent survey conducted on this site, HERE. I think you'll be interested to see which features the majority of respondents are (and aren't) most interest in... Best rational answer so far. thanks for saying what I think too If I hear one more time that the camera I use to take photographs needs super duper video, I will not be responsible for my actions. My previous film era camera was in production 20 years because the DNA of the company knew what a photographer needed, made it right the first time and I didn't have to upgrade every 6 months. Hmmm now they have upgraded the motherboard on the K1 and I can purchase that instead of a whole new camera, when will the other brands catch up with that idea. Welcome to the forums and thanks for an interesting start.

08-17-2018, 01:42 PM - 3 Likes	#57
bavd Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Almere (NL) Posts: 96	I think this post is a clever way to get the number of posts up to 45.000! But to answer the question, i do not think Pentax will ever be like canikon, and that is a good thing. The day they do i wiil say goodbye to Pentax.

08-17-2018, 01:52 PM - 6 Likes	#59
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,673	Originally posted by bavd I think this post is a clever way to get the number of posts up to 45.000! I did check the OP's IP address, to see if it might be Adam in disguise But no...

08-17-2018, 01:56 PM	#60
neokind Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Sunny San Diego Posts: 336	Originally posted by monochrome The polite answer is, Pentax has a different take on the combination of features and strengths to blend into their cameras from many other camera companies. We already have the other cameras - made by other companies. One must presume a person who wants the features the OP pointed out as lacking should consider changing brands rather than asking Pentax to change its approach to suit his needs. The statement, “I love my Pentax, but . . . ”, followed by a list of faults and omissions tends to trigger fellow members. So, are you suggesting that one should not express frustrations or wants to avoid triggering fellow members?