[RonHendriks1966]

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...

Sensors improved little since the introduction of the K-5 in 2010. There are more pixels, but overal the sensor almost reached peak then.

---------- Post added 25-06-19 at 22:59 ----------

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 ?

Born in 1966

[Wheatfield]

In the case of the LX my lust was unrequited and I never did manage to get one.

I have three. If you want one, just send me some money and it's yours.

[AggieDad]

Shoot. I just want to buy a ball cap with PENTAX on it.

C’mon Pentax, when are ya gonna design a new cap!? 😀

[reh321]

At least it isn’t a Saturn.

I don't understand this comment.

My wife drives a 2005 Saturn, which we purchased in 2008 with something like 50K miles on it. She will drive it until she doesn't. If she still needs another car, we will purchase one of a different brand. In 2011 I gave my Chevrolet car to our daughter {who totaled her previous car}, and purchased the Ford Fiesta I'm still driving today; each of us moved snow shovel, ice-scraper, and other implements from former car to replacement car without incident or issue.

[BigMackCam]

Shoot.

Great advice

[lesmore49]

Sensors improved little since the introduction of the K-5 in 2010. There are more pixels, but overal the sensor almost reached peak then.

---------- Post added 25-06-19 at 22:59 ----------



Born in 1966

That's what I thought.

[Wheatfield]

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 ?

Films were getting better and better from the 1960s well into the 1990s.
Some of the improvements were dye stability, this was something that wasn't visible, but it still mattered, granularity was getting finer with every new generation, colour fidelity got increasingly better, tonal range increased, etc.

Many years ago, like in the late 1990s, I did a series of tests for the PDML that involved testing various print films for dynamic range and granularity. I wish I still had them, but they are long lost now. One of the films I used was a roll of Kodacolor II that had sat forgotten in my deep freeze for some 3 decades.
It was grainier than Fuji 800, and had at least a stop less range.

One of the things that I noticed back then (I was working in photolabs at the time) was that Kodak was making very incremental improvements while Fuji was leapfrogging themselves. In the consumer end, Fuji was yards ahead of Kodak. Where Kodak excelled was market support. Fuji didn't sell much by way of large format B&W, for example, nor did they support the B&W darkroom or lab side of the industry.
Where Kodak had their finger in every pie of the photo industry, Fuji cherry picked.

[reh321]

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.

The value of a camera is the images it produces while you own it; those images would be just as good tomorrow if Pentax folded as they are today; if Pentax folded tomorrow, the K-1 would not suddenly lose its ability to provide breathe-taking images. People who talk about lenses and bodies as "investments" are mis-using the term, since no one really expects it to gain in value over time.

[reh321]

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 ?

In 1969, when I got my first 35mm camera, I used 25 ASA Kodachrome - the film Kodak called 'K'.
In 1979, when I got my first Pentax DSLR, I used 25 ASA Kodachrome - the film Kodak called "KM'.
I could go on, but there is a pattern here.

[KiloHotelphoto]

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

Next marketing push? When did they have their first marketing push?

[lesmore49]

I have three. If you want one, just send me some money and it's yours.

Thx for the offer. Back in around '84 or so, I came very close to getting an LX . I looked at, handled it, hemmed and hawed, then thought maybe I need to think about this. I also wanted a medium format, actually a Pentax 6 X 7 with a 90 leaf shutter Tak lens, but it was over my budget then. But there was also the Mamiya 220 Pro F, TLR out there too.

It came down either the LX or the 220 Pro F and my wife said make a choice, either the LX or the medium format Mamiya.

I chose the Mamiya. It was/is a good camera. Still have it, with a 65 wide angle, 80 normal and 180 telephoto. It's been a good camera and I've got lots of good images with it, over the years.

Over the years...I've sometimes wondered...should I have gone with the LX ? Don't know, the LX would of been a phenomenal camera, but on the other hand I had a couple of 35 mm bodies already...ES ll, S1a, K1000 and vintage Leica llf. So I went with the medium format/interchangeable lens system that the Mamiya offered.

Probably do again...because I wanted medium format at the time and the Mamyia TLR, albeit older design...still worked well.

If I was a pro at the time... I would of gone for the LX . They are exceptional cameras.

---------- Post added 06-25-19 at 04:56 PM ----------

In 1969, when I got my first 35mm camera, I used 25 ASA Kodachrome - the film Kodak called 'K'.
In 1979, when I got my first Pentax DSLR, I used 25 ASA Kodachrome - the film Kodak called "KM'.
I could go on, but there is a pattern here.

One of my favourites, same time period, also Tri-X.

---------- Post added 06-25-19 at 05:06 PM ----------

Films were getting better and better from the 1960s well into the 1990s.
Some of the improvements were dye stability, this was something that wasn't visible, but it still mattered, granularity was getting finer with every new generation, colour fidelity got increasingly better, tonal range increased, etc.

Many years ago, like in the late 1990s, I did a series of tests for the PDML that involved testing various print films for dynamic range and granularity. I wish I still had them, but they are long lost now. One of the films I used was a roll of Kodacolor II that had sat forgotten in my deep freeze for some 3 decades.
It was grainier than Fuji 800, and had at least a stop less range.

One of the things that I noticed back then (I was working in photolabs at the time) was that Kodak was making very incremental improvements while Fuji was leapfrogging themselves. In the consumer end, Fuji was yards ahead of Kodak. Where Kodak excelled was market support. Fuji didn't sell much by way of large format B&W, for example, nor did they support the B&W darkroom or lab side of the industry.
Where Kodak had their finger in every pie of the photo industry, Fuji cherry picked.

About a year ago I was looking at some WHA/NHL pro hockey pictures out of local newspapers...sports page stuff. The pix dated from the '70's/ '80's and boy were they grainy. Made me think about progress in photography.

I think it was the '80s that I started dabbling in Fuji film, mostly Kodak though and a bit of Ilford...if memory serves me correct. I also did a bit of home development...B+W...but I didn't have a permanent darkroom, so that didn't last very long.

I have to say, although I still use my film cameras, I'm in the digital camp. It took me a number of years to make that change from film to digital and at first I resisted, until I my wife took our first digital (Panasonic) and I took the K1000 \35-105 A lens to the same event and I was quite intrigued by the immediate picture display on the Panasonic and also the pics from the digital really didn't seem too bad.

That was the incident that made me think...hmmnn...there might be something in these digital cameras after all.

[beachgardener]

Pentax all the way man

[MarkJerling]

Everyone is waiting for a K3 II replacement which probably will never come.

I'm pretty sure Ricoh has said it's under development.

They don't seem to be interested in mirrorless cameras even if that seems to be the new trend.

Wisely, looking at the numbers.

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

You listen to $$$ony and Chelsea?

For now, my K1 and lenses are worth something. If Pentax fades away, it will be worthless.

I'm sure many members will disagree with that statement.

The Canon EOS RP wouldn't be a good choice because my K1 is a lot better.

Yeah. Have you looked through the EOS RP's viewfinder? Your K-1 is in a different class.

What do you guys think? Do you see Pentax fading away?

Nope.

How do you perceive that fact that they don't introduce really new stuff?

They're working on it. With the existing "stuff" being pretty good, there's less need for new "stuff" all the time.

Are you thinking of moving away from Pentax?

Hell no. You're on your own. Good luck.

[timb64]

Are you thinking of moving away from Pentax? If so, what are you looking at?

Nope,still perfectly happy with the results I get from my K5ii and pair of lenses.Some folk should,perhaps,spend less time worrying about their equipment and more time taking photos?!

[pschlute]

Nope,still perfectly happy with the results I get from my K5ii and pair of lenses.Some folk should,perhaps,spend less time worrying about their equipment and more time taking photos?!

Quite right.

Always find that those who moan loudest about equipment are the weakest photographers. They don't understand that a new camera or lens is not going to make their pictures any better.