Originally posted by biz-engineer Perhaps you don't have a K1 , that's probably why.
No, that's not why. I've handled the K-1 a few times so I know exactly what it's like, plus I own the K-3II, K-3 and K-5 - all of them very, very solid cameras indeed. Years back, I spent an enjoyable hour or so playing with a 645D outside SRS Microsystems' store - so I know what that's like too, and I assume the 645Z is at least of equivalent quality. As I said, Pentax are - IMHO - amongst the most solid and robust cameras, at least at the "flagship" body level.
Originally posted by biz-engineer When I tried the GFX50S and GFX100S, I wasn't quite impressed by the build quality, especially for the price point.
I held the medium format Fujfilm cameras briefly at the event, and I thought they were pretty good - but honestly, I don't have any experience with other current medium format gear of comparable technical spec and price. A few years ago I handled a first-generation Hasselblad X1D, and that felt like
real quality...
Originally posted by biz-engineer When I tried an X-A5, it felt very cheap.
I don't know about the X-A5, but the current X-A7 is GBP £599 including a 15-45mm lens. These days, that kind of money is the low end of entry level for a complete APS-C kit... so I guess it
would feel cheap compared to a £1,500 - £2,000+ body and £1,000 lens. No surprise there. Personally, for the money, I thought the various brands' entry level gear was decent enough - but you get what you pay for, that's for sure.
Originally posted by biz-engineer Objectively, my 2000 euro K1 feels higher quality than the GFX100S at 6000 Euros. And there is a bigger gap between 645z vs GFX100S. It's just that if you rinse a GFX100S and K1 under the shower, the GFX100S will be dead immediately, while it's highly likely the K1 will still work. Now , the bigger question is if I really need to have my K1 under the shower or under rain, usually not, and when it's raining I manager to keep my camera dry regardless what brand it is. I'm questioning the relative value of high grade weather sealing, which you don't really need if you take care of your equipment. That said, I have no doubt that more mid-range and high-end mirrorless camera from the last few years, are capable to deliver excellent images(*).
I really don't want to get into another brand face-off and "
which one is King" debate in terms of value and quality, especially between cameras where the technical specs aren't even comparable. There's so much subjectivity in such discussions, it's impossible to reach agreement and in any case it serves no useful purpose. All I'm saying is, IMHO all of the higher-end equipment from all of the brands appears to be of good quality and solidly built. Some aspects in some brands are better or worse than others, depending on your point of view, but they're all decent when you consider the technical specs and pricing. Going back to my original comment, I still feel high-end Pentax gear is superbly built - but the "competition" (for want of a better term) is pretty darned good too, IMHO. I expected a bigger quality gap between Pentax and some of the other equipment I tried, but I was pleasantly surprised - and I'd be quite happy shooting any of the higher-end bodies and lenses from any of the brands. You may feel differently, and that's fine...