[monochrome]

At least it isn’t a Saturn.

[Wheatfield]

Identify what feature is holding you back, and if you find someone else has it, then go for it. I do question what that is though. New gear is fun. No doubt about it. It's neat opening up that box and thinking of all you can do, but the bottom line is for most of us, the cameras have more capabilities than we do. I honestly have not used all the features on my K3-II and K-1 II. I would say try to get whatever you think you want in hand first. Perhaps rent it. I got to play with a buddies D800 for a day, and when done, I was sure my K-1 was my preference.

It's rarely about what is "holding someone back" This stuff is generally brought on by internet angst about not being a member of a large herd, as if that is going to save them somehow.

Here's the thing about large herds: they can get annihilated by a disease getting into them. In the business world, that disease is called shareholder value.

Buy an EOS and watch Canon drop the EF mount in favour of the RF mount. Buy an RF mount camera and watch Canon drop it because the mount doesn't gain traction.
Watch Sony drop out of the game altogether if they stop getting the ROI that they think is required.
Watch Nikon drop the F mount in favour of the Z mount, or watch them drop the Z mount if it doesn't sell.

Meanwhile, watch Pentax soldier on as a small enough part of a very large company that the shareholders don't even know it's there.

There is safety in being small.

[VE2CJW]

What I really wanted to say is that I'm afraid that Pentax isn't going anywhere and that my equipment might become worthless if Pentax folds. It's not that I don't like my K1, I love it. Best camera I ever had. I'm always overwhelmed by the quality of the pictures when they appear on my computer screen, even before I process the RAW files. Compared to my K1, my two Sony cameras are not the best but they fill a specific need that I have, birding and travel. The RX100 M3 fits in my shirt pocket. You guys are right about not going too fast. I also think that the new Canon and Nikon stuff might not go anywhere. I read somewhere that mirrorless cameras are not selling very well and that the best sellers in a falling market are the entry level DSLR by Canon. Of course, Sony is doing very well and it might be because of marketing. The best full frame body that outsells all the other major brands combined is the Sony A7III, there has to be a reason for that. I'd like to see ahead 2 years from now to see who has gone under and what is still selling. I think 4/3 cameras will die a slow death. Don't watch for my stuff in the market, I'll keep using it because it totally satisfies my needs. Since I sold my K70 to buy a K1, I'm not going back to APSC bodies anyway. I love the cropping possibilities of a 36 megapixels camera.

---------- Post added 06-25-2019 at 02:54 PM ----------

I never thought that I was opening such a big can of worms, sorry guys. But I have to say that I love most of the opinions that have been expressed in this thread. Some are very profound and are big eye openers. I'm not going away, I'm even looking at a nice Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 lens that a friend might sell soon. That's about the only thing missing in my arsenal. I'm not a prime lens maniac but I do have a nice 1982 model 50mm 1.4 manual lens that I love. Let's hope that Pentax will still be there when a couple of the others go away.

[Wheatfield]

What I really wanted to say is that I'm afraid that Pentax isn't going anywhere and that my equipment might become worthless if Pentax folds. It's not that I don't like my K1, I love it. Best camera I ever had. I'm always overwhelmed by the quality of the pictures when they appear on my computer screen, even before I process the RAW files. Compared to my K1, my two Sony cameras are not the best but they fill a specific need that I have, birding and travel. The RX100 M3 fits in my shirt pocket. You guys are right about not going too fast. I also think that the new Canon and Nikon stuff might not go anywhere. I read somewhere that mirrorless cameras are not selling very well and that the best sellers in a falling market are the entry level DSLR by Canon. Of course, Sony is doing very well and it might be because of marketing. The best full frame body that outsells all the other major brands combined is the Sony A7III, there has to be a reason for that. I'd like to see ahead 2 years from now to see who has gone under and what is still selling. I think 4/3 cameras will die a slow death. Don't watch for my stuff in the market, I'll keep using it because it totally satisfies my needs. Since I sold my K70 to buy a K1, I'm not going back to APSC bodies anyway. I love the cropping possibilities of a 36 megapixels camera.

---------- Post added 06-25-2019 at 02:54 PM ----------

I never thought that I was opening such a big can of worms, sorry guys. But I have to say that I love most of the opinions that have been expressed in this thread. Some are very profound and are big eye openers. I'm not going away, I'm even looking at a nice Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 lens that a friend might sell soon. That's about the only thing missing in my arsenal. I'm not a prime lens maniac but I do have a nice 1982 model 50mm 1.4 manual lens that I love. Let's hope that Pentax will still be there when a couple of the others go away.

It doesn't matter what brand of gear you have, if the company folds it will likely increase in value for the short term while people try to pick stuff up to future proof themselves against inevitable equipment failures.
If you want to talk about how well Sony is doing, take a wander over to DPReview and see how the posts from a large percentage of Sony "users" read like paid advertisements. I'm quite certain that Sony is paying people to post positive stuff on forums as part of their advertising budget. Nothing else explains the rabid fanboyism surrounding the brand.

[btnapa]

Even Tony & Chelsea Northrup seem to think that Pentax is dying.

So is Olympus and Hasselblad. While we are at it, why not add Nikon and Canon too. According to all the stats, they are losing market share in big numbers... to non other than Fuji and Sony. So I guess no one is safe anymore.

BTW, what is it you are missing from Pentax lineup? I looked at my system too starting about a year ago. For me, I needed a camera with more video capability. I had a call from a client who wanted 4K video. So I invested (minimally) in Fuji to take advantage of their 4K capabilities. Sony was too expensive as I did not want to invest big bucks in a secondary system. If I need the ultimate in still quality, I have my K1 and a bunch of fantastic Pentax and non-Pentax lenses. The added advantage of the Fuji is that with a simple cheapo adapter, I can put my Pentax FA Limited and a bunch of other manual lenses on the Fuji for some fun shooting. I contemplated selling some of my Pentax gear but at the end decided to keep most of them. I may still sell a few items (lenses mainly) that I am not using at all. In another words, I am selling to thin the herd not because Pentax is going out of business. I did the same when I was shooting Canons for almost 12 years. I bought and sold a lot of gear as the needs changed.

Now if you are really set on getting rid of your Pentax gear altogether, I endorse Fuji!!

[biz-engineer]

It doesn't matter what brand of gear you have

You are right, don't forget that nevertheless Pentax is the best (without being such fanboy like Sony's).

[BigMackCam]

What I really wanted to say is that I'm afraid that Pentax isn't going anywhere and that my equipment might become worthless if Pentax folds.

With respect, I believe your concern is unfounded. Look at Samsung... it pulled out of the digital photography market a couple of years ago, but there remains a healthy used market for the equipment (especially the higher-end stuff). A lot of folks were quite heavily invested in the NX platform, and their cameras and lenses were still working fine when Samsung pulled the plug. Some of them decided to stay with the platform, and why not? By all accounts, the cameras and glass were (and still are) very good. Then again, Sony's A-mount has been all but dead for a good while now (OK, there are still a couple of new cameras still available, and a dwindling number of lenses - but most people acknowledge the slow, painful death of the mount). But look at the used prices - they're very healthy.

In the unlikely event that Ricoh decides to kill off Pentax, I suspect someone will buy it, just as Ricoh bought it from Hoya. But even if that doesn't happen and Pentax simply ceases to be, there will be plenty of people willing to buy your gear (I think you might have realised this based on some of the previous responses here ).

The best full frame body that outsells all the other major brands combined is the Sony A7III, there has to be a reason for that.

Part of it is due to marketing, built up over time since the original A7. Part of it is that mirrorless technology is newer than DSLR and still developing, and some folks are simply excited and tempted to try it - and Sony is the most established brand in that sector of the market - it is, for want of a better term, a relatively safe bet. A big part of it is that the A7III - like the A7II and original A7 before it - is the most accessible (read "cheapest") full frame camera in Sony's current line up. Lastly, the lens range plays a part; it's reasonably mature and filled out by now (though still not complete, arguably).

But these mirrorless bodies don't suit everyone. I quite like them for manual focusing and adapted lens use cases (hence why I own an A7II), and I like some of the information I can overlay in the EVF (particularly the live histogram) - but I still find an optical viewfinder more pleasurable to use. Regardless, it's a different experience shooting with an EVF compared to an OVF, and some folks simply don't get along with EVFs.

I'd like to see ahead 2 years from now to see who has gone under and what is still selling.

You, and the management of every camera and lens manufacturer out there

Don't watch for my stuff in the market, I'll keep using it because it totally satisfies my needs.

I think that's wise. Put aside worries about what might or might not be, and the financial value of your kit. Waste no time or emotion thinking of it. Enjoy your camera and lenses now and make good use of them. They'll be just as capable in the unlikely event that Pentax folds, and there'll always be folks ready to buy them from you

---

Last edited by BigMackCam; 06-25-2019 at 12:17 PM.

[btnapa]

Cameras aren't like Yogurt, there is nothing on the box saying "Best before 6/25/2019".

That is a good one. I think Pentax marketing people should adopt your line for their next marketing push!!

[aurele]

What I really wanted to say is that I'm afraid that Pentax isn't going anywhere and that my equipment might become worthless if Pentax folds. It's not that I don't like my K1, I love it. Best camera I ever had.

Well, if pentax was to fold out, you would still be able to get those k1 for a steal and use them for years and years.

I'll keep using it because it totally satisfies my needs.

You wouldn't change your wife after 20 years of mariage, well, because we never know, she could pass out ?

It's very strange question (i know) but it shows you how much i don't understand why you start thinking about changing body and lenses, when you say you have something that satisfy your need, and you like a lot.

[Wheatfield]

You are right, don't forget that nevertheless Pentax is the best (without being such fanboy like Sony's).

Let's face it, there are some areas where Pentax fails in rather spectacular fashions, but for every one of their failings, they have a strength somewhere else that is not answered by the other brands. It all evens out.

[lesmore49]

Who knows about whether anything is going to be around ? I understand that Nikon isn't doing so hot and I'm not sure what will be happening with the myriad of lines that Canon has going right now. It's musical chairs over at Canon right now and it seems like a sure thing that something will be cancelled...like a lens mount..sometime soon. Talk about being stuck with an orphan camera line...I sorta recall Canon doing something similar a number of years ago.

Also overall expensive camera equipment sales have been going down for years.

I don't know why we want ...as we are led to perceive by marketing arms...new and improved camera equipment ...couple times a year. Back in the film days, Pentax had new stuff every so often...but they also had the entry line...the K1000...available for around 20 years + and the top of the line...Pentax LX for 20 + years. I had a K1000 and lusted after an LX for a couple decades. In the case of the LX my lust was unrequited and I never did manage to get one.

Now I have a K10D, Km, K5 and K1 and the icing on the cherry is my newly acquired Ricoh GR ll. I use 'em all and I'm still learning new stuff on a regular basis with the K1 and GR ll.

I feel I really have no need for new , fresher, better equipment than I have now. Think the GR ll came out in 2013 and the K1 in 2016...but they still have more features and performance (especially the K1) than I can use. I've had the K1 since Feb. 2017 and I'm still amazed by what this baby can do.

So think about it...are you really outgrowing the technology in your current Pentax stuff...or do you really just want something new ? Nothing wrong with whatever you need or want in camera equipment, but think about it, analyze yourself.

Did I need the Ricoh GR ll, when I already had my K1? No of course not. For the most part I think the novelty of a new camera appealed to me. I wanted it, more than I needed it and I rationalized myself into a new camera. I would say a lot of us there are like me.

[RonHendriks1966]

I don't know why we want ...as we are led to perceive by marketing arms...new and improved camera equipment ...couple times a year. Back in the film days, Pentax had new stuff every so often...but they also had the entry line...the K1000...available for around 20 years + and the top of the line...Pentax LX for 20 + years. I had a K1000 and lusted after an LX for a couple decades. In the case of the LX my lust was unrequited and I never did manage to get one.

Well back then it was film that was improving over time.

[lesmore49]

Well back then it was film that was improving over time.

I don't think so. I was taking pix for a publishing company in the late '60's and I was till using similar film over the next 30 years. What film were you using in the '60's ?

[Kerrowdown]

I just use multiple brands as and when required to get the job done, but at the moment I'm finding mirrorless as a bit of a novelty... but that's just me old school, for the time being at least.

[BigMackCam]

Well back then it was film that was improving over time.

But here's the thing... Whilst sensors are still improving (today's parallel to film back then), such improvements are becoming increasingly incremental and marginal. The 2017 Pentax KP - excellent little camera though it is - relies on a slightly improved sensor and clever in-line noise reduction to achieve its undoubtedly impressive raw files. But I can get surprisingly close to those results - not quite, but close - with my 2013-vintage K-3. Yes, it requires a little more work in raw development post-processing... but not much. That's no criticism of the KP... rather, it shows how little sensors of the same class are improving in recent years. That we can take pretty high quality raw photos at ISO 100 - 6400 is remarkable, and that covers most users' needs. So... the need to frequently upgrade in today's digital photography world (and the extent of benefits therein) is fast diminishing...