Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

View Poll Results: Why a Pentax DSLR?
Price 52750.62%
Better Options 41039.39%
Loyal Follower 24423.44%
Good Optics 40038.42%
Hate the main stream big brands like canon and nikon 19118.35%
Just do, that's all 625.96%
Other.. please specify 23722.77%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 1041. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
07-11-2009, 05:17 PM   #121
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: CT, USA
Posts: 498
Because I owned Pentax film SLRs and a full array of PK mount lenses.

07-11-2009, 05:46 PM   #122
Forum Member




Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 91
Distinctive image rendering

My affair with Pentax's digital SLR's began with the *istDS. Affordability and compatibility with nearly ALL K-mount and screw-mount lens ever produced were the primary factors in my decision to work with Pentax gear.

When I was moving to digital SLR's from film, I had a very extensive Nikon 35mm film system. I found Nikon DSLR's to be over my budget. I sold all my Nikon gear to fund the purchase of the *istDS plus 2 DA-series lenses and I still had money left to buy an extensive line-up of Pentax A-series lenses. I've never looked back.

Amonst all the DSLR brands, I now find that Pentax offers me a distinctive image rendering, provided you don't screw around with images too much in post-processing. And yes, I do shoot RAW exclusively.
07-11-2009, 06:07 PM   #123
Inactive Account




Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Shelburne, MA
Posts: 131
QuoteOriginally posted by 24X36NOW Quote
Because I owned Pentax film SLRs and a full array of PK mount lenses.
Yup same here, already had plenty of film kit, the awesome backwards combatibility was a huge bonus.
07-12-2009, 02:53 PM   #124
Senior Member




Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Chicago/Cleveland
Posts: 176
My dad gave me his ME, and then I found an ME Super that has been serving me well in the film realm ever since. Because of that, I decided to stick with the brand when it was time to get a DSLR. That, and I wanted to be different. Everyone I know has, or wants either a Nikon or a Canon (including my dad). I like telling people my age that I just ordered a Pentax, because they give me a kind of "wtf is that?" look.

07-12-2009, 03:54 PM   #125
Veteran Member
WheresWaldo's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: North Carolina
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 498
I picked loyal follower, but the real reason is that I am cheap and already had a bunch of Pentax glass and did not want to start all over again. If I did not have any Pentax items I might have gone Nikon instead.
07-13-2009, 08:14 AM   #126
Senior Member




Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Posts: 215
For me it's all about image quality...I shot Canon gear for years (1D mkII, 5D, etc...) and the to me the Pentax images look more like film. Canon makes great gear and they have some advantages over other brands, but to my eye Canon images look like video stills not photographs. that plus I love Pentax glass ;-)
07-13-2009, 11:57 AM   #127
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Seattle
Posts: 659
Other

Because I have a large collection of PK lenses.

If Pentax never had the MZ-S, I would be a Nikon photographer.

Prior to the MZ-S, I had a few Chinon 35 mm cameras and a Mamiya 645. My Chinon lenses were mostly manual focus.... so when auto focus started to become the in-thing, at the time, Nikon was the leader! But for features and price, the $1100.00 MZ-S was a beautiful camera to behold! From 2000 to 2004, I had invested over $5000 in lenses and accessories. I did purchase the *st but was never impressed with it.... then I waited until the K20D. At this point, I had already invested a lot in the PK mount system and it wasn't economical for me to consider switching at this time.

07-13-2009, 12:12 PM   #128
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 330
It all began a long two years ago. As a freshman in college I was always taking photos on a pentax W10. I liked it a lot but I wanted something more serious. My family and I were having lunch one day in downtown and I said that I wanted to look next door at the cameras. I went in initially to inspect the Canon cameras with no real idea of what i was looking for. I just assumed that Canon was hands down the "best" since all of my friends had it. However once I set my hands on a Canon it just didnt feel right. It was plasticy, light, seemed like overall cheap build quality. Interestingly to my right I listened in on a conversation of a salesman showing some customers the Pentax K100d. It looked like an awesome camera. He talked abou SR, DR, weathersealing (a big selling point for me). ect. Wanting something a little more I took a look as the k10d and was sold. Before the purchase however i needed to do a bit of thinking...but not for long. the next day my parents and I strolled into the store and came out with the K10d kit and a 70-300 lens. I bought the K20d just before a trip to Costa Rica.
07-13-2009, 12:24 PM   #129
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Seattle
Posts: 659
QuoteOriginally posted by jbcampbell Quote
For me it's all about image quality...I shot Canon gear for years (1D mkII, 5D, etc...) and the to me the Pentax images look more like film. Canon makes great gear and they have some advantages over other brands, but to my eye Canon images look like video stills not photographs. that plus I love Pentax glass ;-)
Okay, everyone is entitled to their opinion but what the heck are you talking about?

It's perfectly normal to have a bias but this is ridiculous. Do you really, truly believe what you wrote? Are you suggesting that 10's of thousands of Canon photographers, including more than half the photographer's working for National Geographic could improve their quality by switching to Pentax.

Please don't say yes because even the greatest of the Pentax zealots might not be able to digest that.

I think that a rational mind will agree that the difference in lens quality when comparing the best of each manufacture is minimal and its hair splitting to say one is better than the other. Camera bodies? You can't imply that a $700 Pentax camera has better IQ than a $3000 Canon camera without expecting someone to take issue with that implication.
07-13-2009, 01:51 PM   #130
Veteran Member
georgweb's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Berlin, Germany
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,386
Voted: other

I've jumped into digital with the K100D (no upgrade so far) because I was a Praktica+Spotmatic guy, equals M42. There was no better camera for those lenses and the price was very competitive.
Recently I got hold of a 300/5.6 mirror lens which is as big as an 85mm manual lens. I can shoot it handheld with the shake reduction (that's the upper limit I think).

Georg (the other)
07-13-2009, 01:53 PM   #131
Inactive Account




Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Trabzon/Turkey
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,010
1-Lens quality (I guess loyal Pentax users pretty much forgotten Pentax lenses huge superiority over the most lenses including Canikons, they don't talk about lens quality issues because problems about lenses long forgotten, except bad copies of DA 16-50mm, I am coming from Canon world, Pentax lenses simply has 3D look with wonderful vivid colors)

2-In body SR (My 50 years old Tessars, Flektogons has SR ability now)

3-Price/Quality ratio.

Bests.
Can.
07-13-2009, 01:54 PM   #132
Veteran Member
NitroDC's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 342
Well, I saw a great deal at Circuit City, the K100D with the kit lens for $280. It was between that and a Canon S3. I was leaning towards the S3 because I thought "live view" would help me so much, but I'm glad I went to the Pentax. I previously wanted a Rebel XT or XTi, and then when a family member got one, I was so glad I went pentax. Most images came out overexposed, badly coloured, etc. I was happy to have the Pentax. Then a year or two passed and I have a K20D now.
07-13-2009, 02:17 PM   #133
Senior Member




Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Posts: 215
QuoteOriginally posted by pentaxmz Quote
Okay, everyone is entitled to their opinion but what the heck are you talking about?

It's perfectly normal to have a bias but this is ridiculous. Do you really, truly believe what you wrote? Are you suggesting that 10's of thousands of Canon photographers, including more than half the photographer's working for National Geographic could improve their quality by switching to Pentax.

Please don't say yes because even the greatest of the Pentax zealots might not be able to digest that.

I think that a rational mind will agree that the difference in lens quality when comparing the best of each manufacture is minimal and its hair splitting to say one is better than the other. Camera bodies? You can't imply that a $700 Pentax camera has better IQ than a $3000 Canon camera without expecting someone to take issue with that implication.
Wow, you get really worked up over this stuff don't you? All I said was that I personally like the look of the pentax images better. I never suggested or implied anything beyond that. You may want to cut back on the coffee, Red Bull or whatever!
I have used both brands extensively and I, me, personally like one over the other. Why is that so hard for you to understand?
07-13-2009, 02:48 PM   #134
Inactive Account




Join Date: Apr 2008
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 817
I chose the K10D about a year and a half ago for a few reasons. One was that I had a ZX-10 and 2 lenses from many years earlier, and wanted to still be able to use the lenses.

Another reason was that the K10D was almost universally well reviewed and well liked. However, some cameras from the other manufacturers were also well reviewed and well liked.

The primary reason I got a Pentax was due to the performance a features offered for the price I got it at. If I remember correctly it would have been at least $300 dollars more to get a 40D or D80 at the time, and they weren't even as well featured with respect to what I valued in a camera. At first the 40D was the front runner, but the weathersealing, in body SR, and comparative cost of lenses for pentax sealed the deal for me.

Now I also have the K-7, 7 k-mount lenses, and am very happy with my choice of brand.
07-13-2009, 06:08 PM   #135
Inactive Account




Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 155
I was travelling to a remote part of India at the start of the wet season, and the notion of a weather sealed camera appealed to me - so I purchased a K10D in 2007. It paid off. The subsequent year I was cruising the Irrawaddy in a remote part of Burma, and on the first night we were hit by a freak hurricane, forcing us to abandon ship for 90 minutes and shelter on a mud island. I had my K10D with me, and it suffered no damage, despite the relentless and torrential rain - although my lens (not weathered sealed) gave up the ghost for a couple of days until it dried out.

Still wondering if I will stick with the Pentax, however....as lenses are not as easy to get as those for Nikon and Canon.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, dslr, pentax, photography
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
About to buy my first DSLR (K-7), some lens advice please? Loren E Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 10 10-08-2010 09:21 PM
Newbie looking to buy used pentax dslr + everyday use lens for under $500 US demondias Welcomes and Introductions 7 08-09-2010 12:29 PM
Should I buy a Pentax DSLR? yotam Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 13 07-20-2010 08:22 PM
a Vietnamese newbie wonders where to buy pentax dslr in USA? hdsilver Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 12 02-02-2010 06:14 PM
What would urge you to buy a new Pentax DSLR? froeschle Pentax DSLR Discussion 39 12-09-2008 09:22 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:05 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top