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Forum: Pentax K-3 III Monochrome
05-10-2023, 03:13 PM
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21mm F3.2 AL Limited
18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL
on the K3 Mark III Monochrome.
I have others but I'm sort of fond of the 21mm on this camera.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III Monochrome
05-10-2023, 03:06 PM
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First, I still have the KP, it's my current color Pentax body. The arrival of the Monochrome K3 Mark III in the Jet Black finish sort of won me over in a way in that I took the plunge and got out of Nikon F. Nikon is a good company don't get me wrong, it's not a knock on them. I am one who ruminates when it comes to a big change in lens mounts, and I'd thought about this before but I had all the F mount stuff so I kept making a conservative "stick with what you got" choice. Investing in a K3 Mark III Monochrome and trying it out persuaded me to go with Pentax.
In a way for me, it is simpler too. I'm downsizing from over 30 Nikkors when you include my older stuff from the 70s on. I am converting now into K-mount and really there is a good selection of glass at a reasonable price. I already had quite a few for my KP but now I'm doing stuff like swapping out a Sigma 150-600mm F-Mount for a 150-500 K-Mount and it's fun again. I have to maintain discipline, or I collect too much stuff. I work for the largest chain of thrift stores in North America so truth be told I have a lot of stuff. It's time to downsize and streamline and I'm doing it with a concentration Pentax. I'm doing it across systems with some exceptions.
I'm not really partisan about camera brands to be honest. I just have a hunch that while mirrorless might continue to be dominant, the SLR design will continue. The analogy I make is the decline of vinyl records when CDs arrived. Everyone thought they were doomed. Lo and behold, after Napster and the MP3 came along, streaming vinyl is not only still there, but also en vogue. Vinyl has outsold CDs for the first time in a long time I've heard.
What I'd like to see is something like a Monochromatic K1. Although one of the reasons I'm back on the forum here is to review the differences between the Mark 1 and Mark 2 K1s and what people seem to favor in the glass. I just opted to sell my D850, and I really did like it. I just didn't see myself going to Z mount and I watched the prices drop on the old DSLR line. I do think you have to support a company like Pentax/Ricoh who have the courage to try sticking with the optical viewfinders. I just finally decided that for me it's the right system.
I'm not saying people who feel differently are wrong or anything like that. This is just more of a testament that if they stay in the game, they will find supporters and in fact win new ones with innovative items like the monochromatic body just released.
Here's a story on that for you. I had one of the Jette Black bodies in my shopping cart and was thinking about it. $2500, right? Well, I fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up early as I'm wont to do, and decided to see if the camera had sold out. The site said it hadn't. Then I noticed I got an email from Ricoh wondering if I had technical difficulties with my order. Finally, I went and looked and sure enough it was still in the shopping cart, so I pulled the trigger and ordered one. I returned to the product page just moments later. It was listed as "Sold Out". I'm not sure but i think I bought the last in that batch. True story.
Anyways I got my first digital Pentax SLR in 2020 during the shutdown. In 2023 I opted to stay with Pentax and I'm closing out most others. I'm keeping some Olympus equipment, but Pentax is going to be the primary system. It does what I want.
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Forum: Product Suggestions and Feedback
05-10-2023, 02:35 PM
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I was just posting elsewhere that if Pentax does release or rerelease a 35mm that would make a great full-frame camera.
One could argue other models might look more handsome or pretty of course but those would work for me too. My thinking is something that really only needs a battery for the meter etc might really catch on. Why get a Holga when you could buy a Pentax? Better pictures. If you want a different look try adapting some M42. Now I should admit I do still have a couple along with an MX so I might be partial but I think it might be a winner.
Now if you went whole hog you could start talking Pentax 67 Mark III.
Ahh well I guess I'll just keeping using my vintage cameras alongside the digitals. I guess when the Monochrome arrived here the other day it must have made me nostalgic.
Seriously though I think retro styling would make for some good marketing probably. Fuji sort of emulates an SLR look but these days only Pentax is in the SLR market to make an actual retro styled body not a mirrorless emulating the SLR. Not that I'm knocking Fuji mind you. Great cameras.
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Forum: General Photography
06-21-2021, 09:25 AM
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I found this thread sort of interesting. My thought is it's a bit different for each person. If you are doing film that's pretty cool. I've been into photography for over 30 years at this point I remember when it was all film lol. Now it's more a minority pursuit.
That being said...
One thing I do is audit classes. We're lucky in that we have a pretty decent program at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount MN. It is a way to update your knowledge and pick up new ideas. I'm not the only older person who does it but there's a lot of younger folks too. I've done both digital and film photography classes there over a three decade period. I offer that more as an idea if you want to advance your understanding and skills. I read lot of books too currently having around 40 photography titles on my Kindle but the group learning and structure is a resource that goes beyond just the books. You don't have to be a pro necessarily to develop a certain level of expertise in a given field particularly in photography. If you do a degree that's cool but I did mine in American and World History many years ago now. Once you develop a methodology for study and stick with it I think you'll get a lot out of taking a class. I'd extend that to beyond the physical classroom too. Over the course of the pandemic I soon tired of twiddling my thumbs after I was furloughed so I took about 40 credits altogether in online only classes. That works better for digital photography mind you as darkroom/analog is very different. For film I had to wait until the vaccines hit but then I went in and refreshed my memory of darkroom stuff too. Sure I knew a lot of it but what the heck lol.
I'm not saying it's right for everyone mind you and I am a bit of a learn by doing person myself when it comes to photography. I have far more film cameras than digital and I'm still nostalgic for those pre-digital times. I have something like 15 Pentax screw mount lenses in addition to my FA/DA lineup. Probably 30 Nikkors I mix with a D850 and an F5. So I suppose as hobby photo goes I'm somewhat advanced. Hey try reading a book. Take a class. Can't hurt might help.
Perhaps whether it's film or digital it's more a balance between the technical aspects and the artistic. I've heard that from a lot from students. I do think however that most people will benefit from absorbing some of the technical stuff. Even if they are mostly oriented on artistic development. There's a balance there. I think that's where a class can help. You have say a four month timeframe if you do what I do. If you do a degree it stretches out into years of course. You don't give up the artistic side forever just enough to complete a course of study. The same can be true of books but there you can take it in smaller chunks. It's cheaper of course too lol.
Just a couple thoughts in case anyone finds one thing or the other of use. I'm a firm believer that each learner has to strike the balance that suits them. I think instead of focusing on the digital versus film thing you might benefit by looking at art versus technical. Sure technology is more prominent now. I took classes 30 years ago too. There was a technical focus in a lot of it then too. Some felt autofocus destroyed creativity. I think the digital element is really more a reflection of life in the 21st century more broadly. In some ways many of the issues are the same. Work/life balance. Responsibility/freedom. Technical/Creative. Some people can probably absorb the technical at a higher rate than others. Sort of a spectrum concept. The trick might be to reach that balance where you get the information in effective quantities for you and your situation.
My thought is at least in the situations I've been discussing it can appear that the technical side does stifle the creative side. Temporarily. With time and patience most students I've known get back to their main interest. You benefit from the technical knowledge even if it's not really your main forte. It probably depends if you are right or left brain dominant who knows? Some people do get that negative perception of the technical aspect though for sure. The thing I'm pointing out is once you move past it the technical side gets incorporated and becomes an afterthought a lot of times.
As to being a student of photography? There's nothing wrong with being a lifetime learner. Automation will probably get more advanced. Whether it's a plus or a negative will depend on the person. It seems to me in my case it's a matter of striking the right balance. I'm on both sides of the question. I really like fully manual cameras even without so much as metering. Sunny 16 and all that. On the other hand I do wear bifocals and sometimes autofocus is pretty handy. I confess I'm not one for program modes and prefer M but that reflects some technical orientation probably. On the other hand I have seen some pretty good Phone photography for instance. There you start getting into other questions probably. I'm a bit of a contrarian too. I think there's a good chance DSLRs survive long term once a balance is reached. Phones will have their place but for the foreseeable future enthusiasts and pros will continue to use the systems we use. Retro is chic.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
08-20-2020, 08:09 PM
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Just thought I'd say hi.
I just ordered a KP but it's not here just yet. I decided to start out with it in sort of a minimalist way using one lens: the 16-85mm.
I'm a long time photographer. Mostly interested in fine art black and white sorts of things. I actually own a lot of Nikon equipment with the main camera being a D850. I have probably 100 cameras or so including medium and large format as well.
I've been reading a lot about Pentax DSLRs though. The thing about the KP I like is it reminds a me a lot of a film camera. I like the knobs and the wide range of customization features. I honestly think this KP may turn out to be the camera I use the most. Nikon has some decent APS-C cameras and stuff but I guess there's just something about the Pentax KP that i wanted to own one. Part of that is I respect the decision to buck the trend and develop the DSLR model and further refine it. I've tried mirrorless but opted to stick with DSLRs for the time being.
I also picked up some Pentax 35mm cameras too though. I work part time for Goodwill and I picked up a K1000 and a Spotmatic F. I haven't gotten to shoot too much with them yet either but I will be. I bought 50 rolls of 35mm film not that long ago.
I have a hunch I'll be shooting Pentax a fair amount so I figured I'd join the forum.
I was going to share an image I shot with a Nikon but I think I'll wait and share some I make with the KP. :)
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