[biz-engineer]

It's hard to draw a clear line about pentax AFS, it depends on camera model and lens. Some Pentax combos are faster to lock focus than some other brand combinations. A Sony 28-70 kit lens on a Sony A9 is slower than a Pentax 28-105 on a K1. That show that most Pentax lenses are limited AF speed, not the Pentax camera body. I guess that's why Ricoh never made any meaningful communication about AF, simple because a lot of Pentax users are using old lenses and it would kill their dream of a K3 successor that would strong improve AF on their lenses. to learn that their lenses aren't fast. For instrance, the DFA28-105 is fast to focus on a K1 vs a DFA150450... so all that means is the K1 isn't the limitation but the DFA150450 is and would be a on K3 successor. Other case: a Tamron 150-600 SP (G1) on a Nikon D500 compared side by side to a DFA150-450 on a K1, the Tamron+Nikon combo is slower to lock focus at 450mm FL.

[Trickortreat]

so you picked a convenient, but irrelevant,comparison.
Now we know the state of affairs ten years ago.
Go to the History Channel's website if that is all you have.

Think what you will... D3xxx series had exactly the same af module for 7 years or so. That module is used on latest iteration of series too.
Besides, if you think that 2019-2015=10, ive got news for you...

[reh321]

Think what you will... D3xxx series had exactly the same af module for 7 years or so. That module is used on latest iteration of series too.
Besides, if you think that 2019-2015=10, ive got news for you...

You were comparing cameras with AF from 2005-2009 .... ten years ago. If you haven't tried a KP with a 55-300 PLM lens, you know nothing about current Pentax technology.

[Trickortreat]

You were comparing cameras with AF from 2005-2009 .... ten years ago

Pentax K-S1 is based on SAFOX IXi+, AF module from 2012. Thats NOT 10 year, and i was comparing it to an older AF module of different manufacturer, just so nobody could scream "ohnoes - you comparing it to some modern gizmo". If you want to make smirk regards, try to be accurate.

If you haven't tried a KP with a 55-300 PLM lens, you know nothing about current Pentax technology.

I dont, never claimed i did. Thats why i specifically wrote what camera and lens combos i've used and under what conditions.

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Last edited by Trickortreat; 05-30-2019 at 11:33 PM.

[BigMackCam]

Folks, let's keep this respectful and friendly. Thank you

[normhead]

You were comparing cameras with AF from 2005-2009 .... ten years ago. If you haven't tried a KP with a 55-300 PLM lens, you know nothing about current Pentax technology.

The difference being, Nikon has had great AF since film days, Pentax came late to AF. My K20D's AF was clunky. But since that camera Pentax has had the stated goal of improving their AF. After the K-5 every new flagship has had improvement to the AF system and even some of the lower end models. The K-P and DA 55-300 are the current Pentax standards in speed of AF and there will be more difference between 5 year old and current Pentaxes than there will be between older and current Nikons.

This became apparent to me when I bought my DA 18-135 years ago, and it left all my other Pentax lenses in the dust for AF speed. Now with the K-P, 16-85, 18-135 and 55-300 PLM, Pentax will compete with anyone. At this point it's not about who's fastest. it's about "does the camera hold you back." If the camera doesn't hold you back arguing over a few thousandths of second is pointless. Once everyone reaches an acceptable level of AF speed, choosing your camera for the fastest AF speed doesn't make any sense. And buy that I mean by the time you let your concentration go back to framing etc. in the viewfinder after initiating the FA system ,the camera has already locked focus before you are paying attention to the viewfinder. How long the camera waits for you is unimportant, as long as you don't have to wait for it.

What also makes no sense is folks who haven't invested in the DA 18-135 or 16-85 (with their DC motors) and 55-300 PLM or any of the new faster AF DFA lenses (DFA 28-105, DA150-450 or 70-200) the only question is, if speed means that much to you, why didn't you buy a faster focusing lenses?

It gets really tiring trying to convince people shooting Pentax screw drive lenses that Pentax AF is really quite good. There are some exceptions, my F 70-210 and Tamron 90 are both very fast focusing and screw drive. Simple truth, your AF cannot be good, if shooting with slow focusing lenses.

Why (you might ask) did Pentax even make slow focussing lenses? A few years ago, I did a quick and dirty comparison across about 10 brands, and the unavoidable conclusion was slower focusing lenses had better focussing accuracy. For a long time Pentax was focussed on accuracy, not speed of AF. To some that made the AF of other systems seem better. But part of that was not looking very carefully at the images. One magazine that did some actual testing, found the K-3 better than any of it's competitors in it's price range at nailing acceptable focus and was the only one to have focus accuracy over 95%. Every one else including the 7100 were below 90.

The information has always been out there. That's not the issue. The issue has always been the uniformed coming in and shouting down the more knowledgeable.

I've been making this point for about 6 years. No Nikon or Canon user has ever agreed with it. All they are interested in is bias confirmation. I'm not sure why "you have to give something to get something" is so difficult to comprehend. In any case, Pentax now has both fast focusing and accurately focussing lenses in their stable. People can buy what suits them, regardless of what the nay sayers might think. Buying a slower focusing more accurate lens instead of a faster focusing lens is a personal choice. But no one has the right to buy the slower lenses, and then complain Pentax AF is not fast enough. That's just wrong. Pentax makes what you want, you didn't buy it.

[Dan Rentea]

What also makes no sense is folks who haven't invested in the DA 18-135 or 16-85 (with their DC motors) and 55-300 PLM or any of the new faster AF DFA lenses (DFA 28-105, DA150-450 or 70-200) the only question is, if speed means that much to you, why didn't you buy a faster focusing lenses?

Norm, shooting with a 300mm f2.8 or with a 400mm f2.8 lens makes lenses like Canon/Nikon/Sony/Pentax 70-200mm f2.8 or lenses like Canon 100-400mm, Pentax DFA 150-450mm, Nikon 200-500mm looks like old mules. But those lenses come with a price. And the cameras with dedicated af processors come with a price also.

That being said, for day to day photographers (including also the ones who makes a living from weddings, corporate events, etc.) I really doubt that there is a full frame camera released in the last 5 years that can't do the job. If I have to pick a single thing that makes me hesitate to pick a K1, that thing has nothing to do with af or with lenses or even with flash system now that Godox started to release compatible flashes and triggers. The slow buffer speed (writting files to cards) is the only "issue" that would make me angry from time to time. Otherwise...I can adapt my shooting style to Pentax af or to any other camera af. As long as we have options and money in our wallets, we can be happy when comes to gear. The ones unhappy with current offers will not be happy not even 20 years from now.

[normhead]

Norm, shooting with a 300mm f2.8 or with a 400mm f2.8 lens makes lenses like Canon/Nikon/Sony/Pentax 70-200mm f2.8 or lenses like Canon 100-400mm, Pentax DFA 150-450mm, Nikon 200-500mm looks like old mules. But those lenses come with a price. And the cameras with dedicated af processors come with a price also.

That being said, for day to day photographers (including also the ones who makes a living from weddings, corporate events, etc.) I really doubt that there is a full frame camera released in the last 5 years that can't do the job. If I have to pick a single thing that makes me hesitate to pick a K1, that thing has nothing to do with af or with lenses or even with flash system now that Godox started to release compatible flashes and triggers. The slow buffer speed (writting files to cards) is the only "issue" that would make me angry from time to time. Otherwise...I can adapt my shooting style to Pentax af or to any other camera af. As long as we have options and money in our wallets, we can be happy when comes to gear. The ones unhappy with current offers will not be happy not even 20 years from now.

I have to agree with you. Using a K-1 for anything other than landscape (as it's sold as a field camera) is truly irritating. After 2 years, if I could only keep one, it would be the K-3. There are times when I depend on 8 fps and the 23 shot buffer. As long as a faster FPS for birds etc. is available, the K-1 will be my landscape camera.

One of the reasons I find the idea of the Nikon D850 so appealing is K-1 IQ with 10 FPS. That's just dream stuff. It looks like a camera that could do everything I do now with both my K-3 and K-1, except for the part where I'd have to buy longer heavier much more expensive glass to match my K-3 telephoto performance. Never the less the pipe dream of finding one camera that is good at everything lives with the D850. I'm not sure another camera comes close.

[MetalUndivided]

And people wonder why Tony Northrup (I showed to my friends some of their videos) and other Youtube reviewers are called influencers

They're also churning out videos without much thought behind them. In a couple of very recent videos Tony claims that Pentax has dropped the K mount. *facepalm*
Yet somehow 20 minutes prior to that he brought up the quote from Ricoh executives that they expect people to go back to DSLRs after the mirrorless craze dies off in a couple of years. Does he really not see the connection?

Regarding the AF and reviewers the main pattern that I've noticed is that those who talk the most about Pentax AF being bad are the ones that have used it the least. They just take a glance at the spec sheet, see a relatively low number in the "Number of AF points" row and just conclude that the AF is terrible and trying it out isn't even worth the effort. Then in the case of K-1 they see a fairly low FPS number and voila, "I can't recommend this camera to anyone shooting sports or wildlife", case closed. Actual testing done? Zero.
The same can also be said about lens availability, among other things.

[MarkJerling]

...In a couple of very recent videos Tony claims that Pentax has dropped the K mount. *facepalm*...

That shows a level of ignorance that's simply unbelievable!

[Kobie]

They're also churning out videos without much thought behind them. In a couple of very recent videos Tony claims that Pentax has dropped the K mount. *facepalm*
Yet somehow 20 minutes prior to that he brought up the quote from Ricoh executives that they expect people to go back to DSLRs after the mirrorless craze dies off in a couple of years. Does he really not see the connection?

That's not what Tony said. When people watch videos or read articles, do they really listen/look at what's actually being said?
The video was about in his opinion in the future which systems/mounts will still be around. NOT that Pentax has dropped the mount. He doesn't see the K mount surviving. That's all he said. I think you need to watch the video again. No offence.

[MetalUndivided]

NOT that Pentax has dropped the mount

Uhh, no. His quote went something like "... I think... the mounts that aren't going to receive any new tech in the next 5 years are...Pentax SLR mount. Last time I looked they seem to have already dropped it." The part in italics is I'm fairly certain accurate word for word (currently at work and can't link the video for the precise quote).

So yeah, he did some research and somehow came to the conclusion that the K mount "isn't going to recieve any new tech in the next 5 years" and that Pentax has already dropped their SLR mount based on... ?????.

Also, if you watch his recent video on him selling lots of his unused gear, he has a couple of Pentax lenses (the 50mm with the plastic mount and something else) and he says something among the lines of "Pentax is done, sorry Pentax fans". I think his stance on Pentax is quite obvious.

EDIT

Right, I took a look at those videos during the lunch break.
Here's the first video I'm referring to, 25:40:

You Tube

You Tube

"There are couple of mounts that I feel confident will not be receiving new tech in 5 years, and that's the Pentax SLR mount. Pentax already seems to have dropped it."

Subjective? Yes. Claims that Pentax has dropped the K mount? Clearly, yes.

Here's the second video I'm referring to, 8:46:

You Tube

You Tube

"We have a couple of Pentax lenses, but I now believe Pentax is done. Sorry Pentax fans."

[surfar]

Tony's crystal ball is cracked(or on crack).

He makes lots of errors, he tests cameras and uses the wrong cards and wonders why the camera shuts down.

He is in the entertainment buisness,ably supported by his wife who just happens to read these forums.

Each week,they must produce.Theres over 1 million devotees,they need their Guru fix.

He may be half right about the mounts that are vulnerable,L mount dont have a user base and are late to the party.Its got a Samsung flavour.

[Rondec]

Think what you will... D3xxx series had exactly the same af module for 7 years or so. That module is used on latest iteration of series too.
Besides, if you think that 2019-2015=10, ive got news for you...

I guess I understand a little better where you are coming from if you are still using a KS-1 with screw driven lenses. Pentax has improved quite a bit since the KS-1 and while it is good in good light, it doesn't really compare to current generation Pentax cameras when it comes to auto focus.

Newer generation lenses -- those with DC motors, PLM, or ring motors -- will outperform earlier lenses in this respect as well.

[microlight]

My three most used lenses have three different focus systems: the 10-17 fisheye is screw-driven and doesn't need to be fast, the 20-40 Limited has a good DC motor which certainly keeps up with what I do with it, and the 55-300 has the PLM for which I very much echo what everyone else says about its speed. Certainly with the last two (and using shutter rather than focus priority when necessary as Norm suggested) I have no quibbles with the K-3II's AF.