[FozzFoster]

As one of the "4 or 5 PF members", I would not take a chance on getting a snake-bitten K-70 - for $200 more you can get a KP and skip the drama.

In Canada, (Edmonton, anyway) the K-70 is $800 CAD and the KP is $1250 CAD. I would definitely recommend a K-70 as I expect the problems with it are minuscule and I bet the success rate is astronomical.
You never hear of the countless kids having fun on the trampoline, you only hear of the kids fallin' off the tramp.

[mikesbike]

Over here in the US the difference is about $200 USD.

[gatorguy]

We all choose as we do because it's what we like. I've never understood why a guy would want a black truck in Florida, but damn do they. They love 'em here. For me anything but.

MikesBike and I are perfect examples of owning both the K70 and KP but making different APS-C choices for very valid reasons, good reasons that matter to us. Even if the K70 and KP had been the same price I still would have made the same choice just as Mike would have. In my case it had nothing to do with price, it was mostly about the ergonomics. I bought the KP for the specs. Seemed like the logical choice and I was excited to get it. For me it wasn't the right choice. Like a black truck in Florida.

So to answer the OP's original question in the thread title: Yes it is.

My opinion remains, not that it matters since it's his child: Let the OP's son chime in on which camera, KS2 or KP, feels better to him and does what he wants the way he wants. Sometimes all you want is an ergonomically simple ice cream cone, maybe 2 scoops and dipped, and not the bowl full with sprinkles, marshmallow, caramel sauce, and a cherry even if the bowl has better specs

[aslyfox]

. . . Let the OP's son chime in on which camera feels better to him and does what he wants. . . .

there is a KP in the house

and no way to have the son try out a K 70 or K 3 II or both to find out what he might actually want

or is there ?

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Last edited by aslyfox; 08-29-2020 at 04:07 AM.

[gatorguy]

there is a KP in the house

and no way to have the son try out a K 70 or K 3 II or both to find out what he might actually want

or is there ?

The in-hand feel and controls layout of the K70 is nearly identical to the KS2 they already have. Better feature set, stability, and imaging is the big change rather than the ergonomics.

[aslyfox]

The in-hand feel and controls layout of the K70 is nearly identical to the KS2 they already have. Better feature set, stability, and imaging is the big change rather than the ergonomics.

then they may choose to rent a K 3 II

or not rent at all

I have no experience with either the K S2 or the K 70

[reh321]

The in-hand feel and controls layout of the K70 is nearly identical to the KS2 they already have. Better feature set, stability, and imaging is the big change rather than the ergonomics.

Stability certainly is important.
Our younger daughter was married in June, at a Cincinnati BnB.
The first thing I did was introduce myself to the photographer when we arrived.
Later, when taking photos of the wedding party, the photographer asked me to take a photo of her with them - I must admit that her Canon seemed strange in my hands.
Coming back to the original question, I still question the reliability of the K=70, but as long as the 13-year old understands that this camera may "fink out" in a few years, and knows what Dark Image Syndrome looks like in the beginning - so s/he will recognize the beginning - the K-70 would probably be OK.

[FozzFoster]

the K-70 would probably be OK.

ladies and gentleman, we have a convert!

[reh321]

ladies and gentleman, we have a convert!

I have a KP, and I will always say that the KP is a better choice, but I do recognize a few advantages of the K-70.

[FozzFoster]

I feel like PentaxForums is a skewed case study to determine the prevalence of the aperture failure problem.

There have been many, many camera units that have been sold that have been deemed 'snake-bitten'.
If one is unlucky and gets a dud, one seeks solutions... PentaxForums would come up in the first 1-3 hits on Google, I am sure. The unlucky folk voice their issue on the forum and posts slowly stack up over time to the point where it may look like every K-50 ever sold is going to go black... But when scaled to the rest of the many, many units that have been sold, I believe it is not as prevalent as looking through the PentaxForums lens would have one believe.

My K-S2 has been brilliant. Super jealous that the K-70 came out shortly after - would love to own one (maybe one day)



---------- Post added 08-29-20 at 07:04 AM ----------

I have a KP, and I will always say that the KP is a better choice

curious, if I may ask:
If the aperture block problem never was - would you still recommend the KP over the K-70?
They have near the same feature set..
But the K-70 has a bigger grip, control wheels in more regular locations, and a fully articulating LCD screen.
All for "$200 USD" cheaper...

The odd grip alone is personally enough for me not to want to shoot a KP full time, love the look of it though!

[reh321]

I feel like PentaxForums is a skewed case study to determine the prevalence of the aperture failure problem.

There have been many, many camera units that have been sold that have been deemed 'snake-bitten'.
If one is unlucky and gets a dud, one seeks solutions... PentaxForums would come up in the first 1-3 hits on Google, I am sure.
The unlucky folk voice their issue on the forum and posts slowly stack up over time to the point where it may look like every K-50 ever sold is going to go black...
But when scaled to the rest of the many, many units that have been sold, I believe it is not as prevalent as looking through the PentaxForums lens would have one believe.

My K-S2 has been brilliant. Super jealous that the K-70 came out shortly after - would love to own one (maybe one day)

Not just this place.
At another photo discussion place, they have also heard of it - but don't really understand the details.
If any Pentax camera acts in any unexpected way, several local experts will chime in about it.

[FozzFoster]

Not just this place.

Yes, I understand. Perhaps I should have said "online Pentax discussion groups" instead.
I don't think it's an accurate representation to go to help forums to determine the population prevalence of a problem.
Not many K-50 owners actually look for online forums to just post "happy K-50 owner"...
But if each one did, I bet the whole aperture block problem would be drowned out with 'happy K-50 owner' posts...

[reh321]

curious, if I may ask:
If the aperture block problem never was - would you still recommend the KP over the K-70?
They have near the same feature set..
But the K-70 has a bigger grip, control wheels in more regular locations, and a fully articulating LCD screen.
All for "$200 USD" cheaper...

The odd grip alone is personally enough for me not to want to shoot a KP full time, love the look of it though!

The K-30 was my first modern 'large-frame' Pentax camera {cameras in my signature photo are arranged in chronological order as I got them}.
I "took a Canon vacation" for twenty years because I liked the EF/usm mount so much.
I got the K-30 in 2015 because we had an unfortunate cash shortage, and KEH was willing to sell it for $250.
For someone who has a cash shortage, I would recommend the K-70 - perhaps even with the aperture control issue.
Personally, I like the "flippy" LED because it hides behind the camera - better for discrete situations.
The grips don't bother me at all - I use the smallest one; even so, it is somewhat larger than the "ME/SE" and "Super Program" that I used forty years ago.

[FozzFoster]

I got the K-30

oh! but the K-30 is snake-bitten! it's doomed for sure, right?

---------- Post added 08-29-20 at 07:35 AM ----------

Topical:
"As with any survey, bias can skew our results away from actual trends in the larger camera population. The key bias in our case is nonresponse bias, as disgruntled users as well as Pentax fans were more likely to respond to the survey than happy users or those who aren't as tech-savvy. To put things in perspective, our records show that we have at least 1799 K-50 owners and 2659 K-30 owners on the forum, so overall survey participation was at most 10% of our user base. As very few owners responded from outside the forum, undercoverage was a second source of bias. If more than a third of all K-30 bodies in existence had failed by now, we would hear much more about this issue!"

Pentax Aperture Block Failure Survey Results - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

[reh321]

oh! but the K-30 is snake-bitten! it's doomed for sure, right?

My Canon Rebel died of processor failure in Fall 2013; I hadn't thought about replacements, so I just purchased another.
In December 2014, I purchased a Q-7.
By the next summer, I was sold on IBIS, and when the 'new' Rebel also had processor issues, then died, I was ready to replace it with a Pentax.
Because of my Q-7 experience, I immediately eliminated the K-01, but I was willing to use the Q-7 while I waited for an appropriately priced K-30/50.
I was unaware of the aperture control issues, but I am guessing that KEH had heard of them, which is why the K-30 was such an inexpensive price.
Once I did understand it, I got the FA 28-105 lens, and was ready when I was faced with the Dark Image Syndrome problems.