[kalison]

Hello,

As some of you may know, I joined the Pentax ranks a couple months ago. Being a former Nikon shooter (meager two years) to shooting with Canon for several years I was at a point where I didn't think there was anything left to do. I was content.

When I was in the range for an upgrade for my 50D, I naturally was very intregued by the Canon 7D and the Nikon D300s... I didnt want to jump over to ANY brand because of my investment of Canon gear, and my former love for those products. Those two cameras body only were still more than I wanted to spend on a body. One of the big aspects of moving to one of those was for proper weather sealing. Here in Iowa I love to risk my gear in high winds, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. This was very appealing to me, however in the Canon camp you don't get proper weather sealing till you spend a minimum of 1600 and upwards to the vaunted 1D series of 5-8000. Those were out of my reach.

Call it boredom or just general lack of excitement and budgets tightening. I wanted something that was new to me... different but it had to be highly durable and affordable. I started researching other less advertised camera brands. I was thinking that maybe there was a really nice brand out there that offers great prices and great products because there is no "name tax". Pentax.

Now, after countless hours of reading forums and reviews. Reading that many Pentax followers were extremely happy with their cameras I was getting more excited. I was very excited to hear that Pentax has kept legacy mount compatibility. Excellent glass at extremely great prices! I was getting much closer to giving Pentax a try. Only took a few posts on this great forum to find out that the Pentax name is still highly regarded.

As some of you know by now, I did switch. I have become enamored with my new Pentax! However something changed. Something happened during my switch that was much more than gear or glass. I discovered manual photography. See previous to me (in my lifetime) manual shooting has never been talked about. From the Nikon camp it was talked about a bit, Canon always seemed as though those days were over, not Pentax. People here talk about it and still use it on a regular basis.

Litterally my first lens for my K-7 that arrived before the body did, was the highly regarded 50mm 1.7 M series. Now I ordered my 16-45 based on recommendations here and for the first week or two, I never touched the M. Then I finally picked it up and mounted it. I was really bad with manual focus, I relied so much before on AF that I didn't have an eye for it. I thought I would never do it again, I just didn't quite have exposure and the focus right. I kept doing it, kept on trial and error. Then... I finally was getting it, and the photos were looking better and better! I discovered something so exciting to me, photography became alive to me again in a way I never expected.

Okay, so this is becoming a length of text most people wont read, so I am going to fast forward a bit to present day.

To this day, I have collected 6 SMC M lenses. Manual has become something that I prefer to do now. I find it highly rewarding. It took me a while to get used to it, but now I am beginning to trust my instincts. I have stopped chimping my shots even! A good example of this was last week. I went to a Roller Derby. I took nothing but my 50/1.7 and sat in the "suicide seating" where you were almost guaranteed to get a face of lace and skates. I took a few shots and admittedly I had to chimp them because this was the hardest lighting I have ever faced.... along with women on skates... it was going to be a challenge, oh and I wasn't going to use flash!

I got my first few test shots and began shooting the event. At one point in the shoot I stopped thinking, I just did. I was able to take my instincts on shutter speed, ISO, and Aperture and set it and shoot not worried that I was doing it wrong. Now, I did miss shots don't get me wrong. I, however was extremely pleased with what I got. It felt really rewarding to see the fruits of my patience in learning this art/skill. I saw the Canon and Nikon shooters from across the way. Big zooms expensive flash units, they must have thought I was crazy. This whole experience was like everything coming together... my skill, instinct, and gear were all coming together... the camera felt like an extension of myself.

Could I have never switched and done this? Sure.
Does Pentax have the best camera in the world? No.
Would I have acquired this skill/art if I stayed with the Canon/Nikon Camp? I don't know, not for sure anyway. As I said before, in my lifetime AF is about as common as it comes. No one really ventured into talking about non AF or old glass. I wont say that owning a Pentax forced me to do it, but it certainly gave me the freedom to try it.

Thanks to Pentax for allowing me to reach back in time and get a hold of legacy glass which allowed me to delve into a new world, and I want to thank everyone here on the boards for being supportive and giving me a lot of insight on the brand Pentax. I have not regretted coming to this camp for a second.

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Last edited by kalison; 06-17-2010 at 01:10 AM.

[treetop flyer]

Great post! I just added my first M lens (the 50mm f/1.7) and I too am thrilled with the images I'm getting from it. The legacy glass and build quality attracted me to Pentax (along with this forum!) and I'm happy to be part of the "family."

Happy shooting!
Treetop

[dragonfly]

My first manual lens was an A50 1.7 and I was really excited about the pictures I was taking. Much more than the kit lens.

[hangu]

I bought a Canon Xsi last year specifically for a 3 week long vacation. After the vacation I kind of stopped taking photos. It wasn't until I got a K-x and all the great manual focus lenses recently that I discovered how much I loved photography. Right now, the only AF lenses I own are a F50 1.7 (great price), DA12-24 (no manual focus equivalent) and the kit lens that I never use. The rest of my collection are all MF lenses. I don't care how great AF lenses get, I'm sticking with MF, it's an integral part of photography that most people are completely missing out on.

You need to try some of the Takumars, they're just a pleasure to use.

[luke0622]

Hi Jon, very glad that you love your Pentax gears...
where in Iowa are you from? Ames here, there are a few Pentax shooters here in town...

[kalison]

Thanks for the posts guys! I just really wanted to share how much Pentax and this community changed the world of photography for me.

Hi Jon, very glad that you love your Pentax gears...
where in Iowa are you from? Ames here, there are a few Pentax shooters here in town...

I'm in Cedar Rapids. Nice to know there are a few! None of my shops carry any Pentax stuff. The most I have found is a K1000 and some nice SMC M glass on consignment.

I know we have another guy up north in Cedar Falls area too!

Very cool post. Thanks for sharing, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Your current approach to photography is something that we all ought to remind ourselves with now and then, if not daily.


However, I have to warn you. You have early signs of very very serious LBA.

[mysticcowboy]

Great post. Glad to see you finding the manual passion. Or, maybe I'm not. The more people who join the M club the more prices creep up. ;-)

michael mckee
My Port Townsend – A City in Photographs – 365

[kalison]

Very cool post. Thanks for sharing, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Your current approach to photography is something that we all ought to remind ourselves with now and then, if not daily.


However, I have to warn you. You have early signs of very very serious LBA.

Thanks for reading it! I am glad you enjoyed it. I just couldn't believe how much I fell in love with Pentax and the K-7. I am always thinking about how much I have learned just coming over to this camp.

Yeah, I can't stop. I just won an auction for the SMC M 28mm 2.8 and I just received my first ever Limited glass. DA 70. WOW what a piece of glass!

Great post. Glad to see you finding the manual passion. Or, maybe I'm not. The more people who join the M club the more prices creep up. ;-)

michael mckee
My Port Townsend – A City in Photographs – 365

Haha, thanks for reading it, glad you enjoyed it! Sorry if I am causing more glass to be bought up!

[JACOBY]

Good post kalison. I felt the same thats why I went from a nikon d3000 to a like new K100d that old glass and shooting manual is the tops

[Pablom]

I can relate to what you are saying as I too am a former Nikon user, and interestingly my first manual lens was the A 50/1.7.
Now, how about showing us some of the "fruits of your patience" from the Roller Derby?

[pcarfan]

Enjoyed reading your post. I want to mention. not because you came from Nikon or Canon, but the part about your love for Pentax, as all of us can relate to that. I would enjoy a similar post from a life-long Pentax user equally, it is the joy for photography that thrilled me.

At this point, for me, the K-7 is the significant factor that contributes to my enjoyment of photgraphy. Lenses are amazing and I covet them too.....Yeah! the FA limiteds, the DA limiteds and the FA*'s are fantastic lenses, but if not for the camera interface I probably wouldn't enjoy photgraphy as much as I do with the K-7. K-7 is an extension of me which helps me fully exploit the lenses.

My first manual focus Pentax lens in in the mail, the A 50/1.7 and I should receive it today . Just before reading your post I had sent a pm to a member who had posted some film shots that floored me with it's unique flavor. So, I am going to dust off my brother's (may neeed a service) Pentax Super program and try some film as well.

I have a feeling the A 50/1.7 is not going to be my last Pentax MF lens.........

[kalison]

I can relate to what you are saying as I too am a former Nikon user, and interestingly my first manual lens was the A 50/1.7.
Now, how about showing us some of the "fruits of your patience" from the Roller Derby?

Sure! They aren't the best in the world... but it was a blast to get them and I am pleased with the results being my first attempt.


Roller Derby 2010 pictures by JKaliJ - Photobucket

[reeftool]

That's a nice series! Pretty nice results.

[Pablom]

Sure! They aren't the best in the world... but it was a blast to get them and I am pleased with the results being my first attempt.


Roller Derby 2010 pictures by JKaliJ - Photobucket

you caught some impressive moments from the suicide seats