[dadipentak]

Primarily, I stick with Pentax for same reason I went Pentax in the first place (with a K100D): Pentax was unique in offering in-body SR. This not only means I'm not paying for SR every time I buy a new lens but it gives me access to a wide range of awesome vintage Pentax lenses. There's also inertia: I'm not a gear-head, I just like to take photos. I'm not entranced by technology--I wrestle with it. I only use about 15% of my gear's functionality on a regular basis--and pretty casually at that. I recently picked up a 4/3 system for reasons of portability and I'm starting to get some nice results from it. I'll thin out my Pentax gear to make room for it but plan to keep and continue to use the primo Pentax stuff. I mean, those lenses!

[Trickortreat]

I meant to comment on this, but forgot to in my last response...So, do you (or did you, in recent times - the last few years, for example) see Pentax as a "large camera and lens maker"? That's quite interesting, as it's not how I see it - and maybe that's in part why we see things differently.I see Pentax as very much a niche player - similar to, though obviously not the same as, Leica. I don't know how Ricoh Imaging's employee numbers compare to someone like Nikon, Canon or Sony, but I'd hazard a guess that they're significantly lower, and have been for some years now. Which leads me to wonder if the perception of Pentax as a "large camera and lens maker" might be rooted in its earlier prominence in film photography, when in fact its current incarnation is of a very different scale (and has been for several years). Maybe this is one reason why a relatively small section of Pentax users expect a great deal more from the brand than is currently on offer...

Thing is - some of the pentax gear really started to show its age - especially the DA primes. While i dont have any complaints about their optical performance - a focusing ring that rotates during AF is just a waaaay outdated design that belongs in the film era.
The DA 35 2.4 AL, while being a good lens could also get a slight bump to at least f2. Fuji 35mm f2 for example is almost as small and light. It is made of metal and has WR. Fuji alsno isnt a bigh player and has a niche user base.

[iudex]

I mean, those lenses!

Many people (or most of them) here mention lens lineup as a main reason to stay. Funny is, I left mostly because of the lenses. I fully agree that Pentax has a wide range of APSC lenses and I really loved some of them. But while I loved the recent ones (16-85mm, 15mm, 70mm...), I was not so raptured by the older ones. For example the wideangle lenses. I really loved my HD DA 15mm Limited, it was so small and light, while optically nice, it was my main hiking lens. But there were times when I felt a need for something a bit wider and most importantly faster (f4 was unusable at night or indoors), so I looked at the two possibilities: the 12-24mm and 14mm. However the zoom, while wider, was the same f4, so not an improvement. The 14mm f2,8 looked ideal on paper, both wider and faster. However it was way bigger and heavier than the 15mm and optically no match to beautiful Limited. This is where some Pentax lenses show its age: a lens introduced in 2004 (one of first DA lenses, made for first DLSRs with only 6 MPx) struggles a bit on modern cameras. And Pentax had seemingly no intention of upgrading these old lenses (at least new HD coating etc.). The new wideangle zoom has been in the roadmap for years, and when it finally came close to production, Pentax kept delaying it (recently a release date no earlier than 2019); plus it seems it will be huge. So despite having a lot of lenses, many of them are old and not that great and new or upgraded APSC lenses dont come.
Now I bought a Fuji 14mm f2,8, exactly the same specs as Pentax 14mm, however much smaller and lighter (235g vs. 420g). So it has exactly what I have been looking for: a lens that is wider and faster than Pentax 15mm, yet only marginally bigger and with the same optical quality (if not better).

So while for the majority Pentax lenses are the reason to stay (and it is a perfectly acceptabe reason), for me paradoxically it was a reason to leave.

[cyaspacecowboy]

I stick with Pentax because I started off shooting film on a K1000 and found it convenient that it supports their legacy of lenses on their modern DSLR's.

I currently own a K-3. Can that do pixel shift? Can I send it into Ricoh for a software upgrade?

[totsmuyco]

After 4 years I still consider myself new to Pentax. The reason why I stayed with Pentax is the same reason why I chose it.

- Weather sealed - It rains a lot in the Philippines. I wouldn't like to be caught in the rain and worry so much if my gears will be damaged
- Rugged and sexy construction - I dropped my K-5 about 5 feet high and it's till alive with just a small scratch
- IBIS - I don't need to bother looking for in-lens image stabilizers so, any K-mount lens will be fine
- K-mount has existed for so many years
- Very good image quality - Can compete with other brands
- Value for money - I'm not sure if this is still valid at today's prices. However, I still think that it will cost you an arm and a leg to get weather sealed lenses with other brands

[ThorSanchez]

In 2012 I'd been using a Canon digital point-and-shoot for about a decade. The wife says "why don't we get a good camera for Christmas?" I knew almost nothing about DSLRs, so I started some research from scratch. To me it looked like Pentax was very good value for the money, I like the weather sealing and rugged construction, and the IBIS. Got a good deal on a K-30 with a 18-55mm kit lens. All those things are still true, although I now have six years of experience and am better informed on the branch's strengths and weaknesses. I'm also six years into collecting lenses and accessories I like. I stick with Pentax because they make good cameras that I am familiar with, I'm happy with a lot of my photos, and it would be a signficant expense and effort to switch brands.

I'm not particularly brand loyal, I've never bought the same make of car twice. But for now there's no compelling reason to switch from Pentax.

[mohb]

Inertia and satisfaction. I started digitalSLR with a istDL2 and then gone K7 K5 and K3 (plus a kx and K50 and an x-5) and never felt any interest in changing - they all take good photos and as the only sport I photograph is cricket the alleged shortcomings in AF are irrelevant.

[savoche]

I guess the reason I shoot Pentax is that I don't know of any other system doing what I need any better. Might be they're just as good but that's hardly a reason to change systems.

In spite of Canon, Nikon, and Fuji recently announcing exciting new cameras,

...and exciting new mounts? Some brands seem more eager to introduce new mounts than to support their old.

Fuji 35mm f2 for example is almost as small and light. It is made of metal and has WR. Fuji alsno isnt a bigh player and has a niche user base.

It also costs three times as much.

[Trickortreat]

It also costs three times as much

Of course, better construction warrants higher price. Limited lenses are the proof.
But I'd be happy with a small, light all plastic, modern optical design without the turning focusing ring during AF.

Originally posted by Cipher QuoteIt also costs three times as muchOf course, better construction warrants higher price. Limited lenses are the proof.But I'd be happy with a small, light all plastic, modern optical design without the turning focusing ring during AF.

Cost is one of the biggest reasons I stay with Pentax. Generally 20-30% less than comparable offerings from other brands, sometimes a lot more.


Stop any modern lens down a couple of stops and the images will be pretty much the same.

Fujifilm does have a much better selection of fast primes than Pentax.

[iudex]

It also costs three times as much.

Well this depends on where you live. In Europe Pentax is generally quite expensive, especially in my country (I bought almost all my Pentax gear from abroad). I have many times looked at great prices of Pentax gear (especially during sales like Black Friday etc.) on B&H, The Camera Store etc., but adding custom and taxes when buying from Europe makes it almost the same. However you can get Fuji lenses for great prices in some shops, for example the abovementioned Fuji 35mm/2 for 294 EUR here: http://www.eglobalcentral.eu/fujifilm-fujinon-xf-35mm-f2-r-wr-lenses-black.html
Btw. Pentax 35mm/2,4 is one of the cheapest Pentax lenses (along with the DA 50mm) and it is the cheapest build lens (all plastic), whereas the Fujinon 35mm is an all-metal, weather sealed lens, basically an equivalent to Pentax Limiteds or DA*. And we all know the price of the Limiteds or Star lenses.

[Trickortreat]

Cost is one of the biggest reasons I stay with Pentax. Generally 20-30% less than comparable offerings from other brands, sometimes a lot more.

Hmm... I can not agree with this. Prices are pretty much the same given the same level of build quality and optical performance.

[Lord Lucan]

When I bought my first SLR it was a toss-up between an Olympus OM20 (we used OM's at work in an engineering context), Minolta X-300 (my father used Minolta) and a Pentax ME-Super. Boy, I'm glad I chose Pentax; having built up a lens collection, look where Minolta and Olympus have ended up!

I did briefly look at Canon but their range seemed (at the time) split between pricey professional stuff and cheapskate stuff. Since then Canon have never got their act together wrt lens mounts and I just wouldn't trust them not to change their system yet again immediately after I invested in them. Nikon would be my next choice but I see no obvious advantage except faster autofocus (they say) which I don't need, and to equal or better my K-1 with a 24-70mmm F2.8 I'd need to go for the Nikon 850 and find nearly 2000 GBP more.

[iudex]

Fujifilm does have a much better selection of fast primes than Pentax.

Exactly. Pentax primes are great, but mostly quite slow, especially the DA Limiteds (f2,8 is the fastest aperture). Fuji primes from the "compact line" have mostly f2 (18mm, 23mm, 35mm, 50mm) and their line of fast primes is f1,4 (16mm, 23mm, 35mm) or even f1,2 (56mm).