[Jonathan Mac]

Although much of this is absolutely true, I believe it has always been this way. From Kodak Brownies to Instamatics to Canon SureShots and Sony Cybershots to smart phones, SLRs have been the consumer's entry into the pro world that reveals it's only a tool and the difference between the two are not the tools but the user.

Pentax is the least obvious choice for a beginner because most of the features that make them special are not the kinds of features a beginner would understand as valuable.

Yep, Pentax has fewer gimmicks and perhaps makes you work a bit harder to get results, but that's how you learn.

[Cerebum]

Although much of this is absolutely true, I believe it has always been this way. From Kodak Brownies to Instamatics to Canon SureShots and Sony Cybershots to smart phones, SLRs have been the consumer's entry into the pro world that reveals it's only a tool and the difference between the two are not the tools but the user.

Pentax is the least obvious choice for a beginner because most of the features that make them special are not the kinds of features a beginner would understand as valuable.

I started my DSLR life with Pentax because the used K30 was cheap! I loved Pentax from the start but I think I am only just beginning to truly understand why Pentax are special. I know there are things the others have but Pentax originals (ibis, wr (at first, no longer unique but most of the others don't have it across the range), tiny limited lenses, CTE wb, magnesium bodies, 100% viewfinders)are always overlooked. Canon and Nikon are similar, there's only really Fuji and Olympus that look different. All of them however are better at advertising. I think Pentax will continue to be overlooked unless the K3iii makes a really big impression at launch

[Alex645]

I started my DSLR life with Pentax because the used K30 was cheap! I loved Pentax from the start but I think I am only just beginning to truly understand why Pentax are special. I know there are things the others have but Pentax originals (ibis, wr (at first, no longer unique but most of the others don't have it across the range), tiny limited lenses, CTE wb, magnesium bodies, 100% viewfinders)are always overlooked. Canon and Nikon are similar, there's only really Fuji and Olympus that look different. All of them however are better at advertising. I think Pentax will continue to be overlooked unless the K3iii makes a really big impression at launch

That's true. My first Pentax was a K1000....cheap. My first medium format SLR was a Pentax 645....least expensive. Got my son into Pentax DSLRs with the K50....same price as entry level Canikon.

To me, the K3iii will only keep Pentaxians in the family. They really need a K30/K50 model to not be overlooked. The K70 has dollar for dollar a better value and features than the competition, but it's competing in a price range that is usually the upgrade price for most Canikon shooters.

And what would I suggest they call the new entry level model? The K1000! Or maybe the K1k?

[Serkevan]

Yep, Pentax has fewer gimmicks and perhaps makes you work a bit harder to get results, but that's how you learn.

I'd rather say they have *other* gimmicks, but they are all advanced stuff: composition adjustment, astrotracing and pixel shift aren't what a beginner needs.

What Pentax gives you, as a beginner, is a camera that gets out of your way with an excellent control layout (their entry level offerings have historically been the only, or one of the few, sub-1000€ cameras with two proper e-dials!!), intuitive menu system, Hyper Program/TAv and a good OVF.
I think those are all qualities that a beginner *who wants to get into the craft* would appreciate. I try to be a proselyte but the mirrorless marketing machine with the promise of eye-AF is a tough rival - telling a beginner "don't worry, the camera will do everything" is a lie but it's an effective lie

[Lev]

I'd rather say they have *other* gimmicks, but they are all advanced stuff: composition adjustment, astrotracing and pixel shift aren't what a beginner needs.

What Pentax gives you, as a beginner, is a camera that gets out of your way with an excellent control layout (their entry level offerings have historically been the only, or one of the few, sub-1000€ cameras with two proper e-dials!!), intuitive menu system, Hyper Program/TAv and a good OVF.
I think those are all qualities that a beginner *who wants to get into the craft* would appreciate. I try to be a proselyte but the mirrorless marketing machine with the promise of eye-AF is a tough rival - telling a beginner "don't worry, the camera will do everything" is a lie but it's an effective lie

No it really works, eye AF is good especialy in Sonys but it is terrible opportunity for beginner to learn

[Serkevan]

No it really works, eye AF is good especialy in Sonys but it is terrible opportunity for beginner to learn

Oh no, Eye-AF works and it's wonderful... but it won't give you a good photo, just a well-focused one .

[BigMackCam]

I'd rather say they have *other* gimmicks, but they are all advanced stuff: composition adjustment, astrotracing and pixel shift aren't what a beginner needs.

What Pentax gives you, as a beginner, is a camera that gets out of your way with an excellent control layout (their entry level offerings have historically been the only, or one of the few, sub-1000€ cameras with two proper e-dials!!), intuitive menu system, Hyper Program/TAv and a good OVF.
I think those are all qualities that a beginner *who wants to get into the craft* would appreciate. I try to be a proselyte but the mirrorless marketing machine with the promise of eye-AF is a tough rival - telling a beginner "don't worry, the camera will do everything" is a lie but it's an effective lie

No it really works, eye AF is good especialy in Sonys but it is terrible opportunity for beginner to learn

Though many here might disagree, I actually think some of the older Pentax DSLRs provide the best opportunity to learn the craft. The K10D has pretty much everything a new enthusiast photographer could need to learn with, and little to confuse or get in the way. It has a good OVF, full complement of controls (including dual e-dials) that are well laid out, a few simple menus, single and exposure bracketed shooting, all the major modes, SR, and it's simple to use. About the only things missing are Live View, higher ISO performance and KAF4 compatibility... none of which should be a major problem for someone just starting out. Importantly, it's *cheap*. You can pick up a K10D, often with one or two kit lenses, for silly low money - and when the student is ready to move up to a newer, more complex model (or decides the craft of photography isn't for them after all, which is just as likely), it can be sold for more-or-less what was paid. These older cameras just don't depreciate much any more, since they're so inexpensive to begin with...

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 12-12-2020 at 07:06 AM.

[EnglishBob]

My son was outside for 3 hours last night using his William's RedCat telescope and a Canon Rebel my wife chose for a Christmas present two years ago. The Canon allowed him to learn and practice full manual control of shutter and aperture, and using the RedCat gave him experience with focusing pinpoints of light.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) the Rebel seems to be engineered for failure and often locks up or even fails to function.
Because of this, my son does not use the tracking features of his telescopes mounting system for any long extended exposures.
This Christmas a Pentax KP is under the tree, along with a some other goodies. The KP is built like a tank, and with its battery grip and astro pixel shift features he will be in hog heaven. The Canon served its purpose while it lasted, but now the training wheels are off.
My son also drives a stick shift 2005 Mazda 3, shoots a Bear recurve Kodiak, and uses tube amps with his ancient Fender Jaguar.
There is a future for Pentax, especially if Canon drifts towards mirrorless cameras.

PS - I reminded my wife not to feel bad about the Rebel because our son can now use the lenses in the K1000 her dad gave her when she was a teenager.

[normhead]

Pentax is set up for criticism in this thread and there's been lot's. What's missing is "what's better."

Every time I have ever looked at "what's better" I find a lot of reasons why it's not. Us Pentax users have had to absorb all this criticism for things Pentax, why the critics just sit behind cover, and take pot shots.

I'm not entertaining any more of this until we see some camera to camera comparisons. Pentax against the world is ridiculous. Lets start on equal footing... we all present the camera we think is best, and defend it, the same way those of us from time to time recommend Pentax defend our decisions.

These threads all seem to be "put Pentax up on the fence and see who can hit it with a 22 from 50 metres." It's unfair to Pentax, not that anyone here seems to care much about being fair to Pentax.

[mirceattl]

I started my DSLR life with Pentax because the used K30 was cheap! I loved Pentax from the start but I think I am only just beginning to truly understand why Pentax are special. I know there are things the others have but Pentax originals (ibis, wr (at first, no longer unique but most of the others don't have it across the range), tiny limited lenses, CTE wb, magnesium bodies, 100% viewfinders)are always overlooked. Canon and Nikon are similar, there's only really Fuji and Olympus that look different. All of them however are better at advertising. I think Pentax will continue to be overlooked unless the K3iii makes a really big impression at launch

I subscribe to the above. I myself started from K-x and was impressed by its features and photo quality. Going up to a used K-5 (for a short time only) and then to my actual K-5IIs, I fully understood the Pentax strong points.

[Photos-by-Chas]

Long time ago when I was choosing between brands, I made my choice mainly because of nice community, then body itself was if not better, at least at the same level to other brands for much lower price, visual appearance and ergonomics, all these stuff helped me to pull trigger. So what would be an inspiration for new users choose Pentax in these days?

For me the decision to go with Pentax was made around forty years ago when I was looking for a replacement for my Petri. I bought the Petri for financial reasons, it was affordable for me at the time. The company went out of the camera business and
my camera had shutter problems. My replacement was a Pentax K1000, for reputation, feel was similar to my Petri, and cost was easily within my budget. Since then I've been a loyal Pentaxian.

[EnglishBob]

Pentax is set up for criticism in this thread and there's been lot's. What's missing is "what's better."

Every time I have ever looked at "what's better" I find a lot of reasons why it's not. Us Pentax users have had to absorb all this criticism for things Pentax, why the critics just sit behind cover, and take pot shots.

I'm not entertaining any more of this until we see some camera to camera comparisons. Pentax against the world is ridiculous. Lets start on equal footing... we all present the camera we think is best, and defend it, the same way those of us from time to time recommend Pentax defend our decisions.

These threads all seem to be "put Pentax up on the fence and see who can hit it with a 22 from 50 metres." It's unfair to Pentax, not that anyone here seems to care much about being fair to Pentax.

Put your Pentax up on the fence during a sudden Spring shower and watch the critics run to grab their cameras and take them back to the barn until the sky stops falling.

[texandrews]

Put your Pentax up on the fence during a sudden Spring shower and watch the critics run to grab their cameras and take them back to the barn until the sky stops falling.

Hi from Baltimore, EnglishBob. Lemme know if you ever want to try out a Z...

[zapp]

Hand a Pentax to a beginner to make him/her happy.

[Lev]

Hand a Pentax to a beginner to make him/her happy.

He will be like:
- Tey, this thing is heavy!!!

- That's because you've got a real damn camera man!