Why did you buy a Pentax?

[marcoborghesi]

A client that requires a full frame imaging sensor to achieve the proper "look" in a shot. Which Pentax does not have in their lineup.[/QUOTE]

Booooooooooo

[Ads]

[Jaemie]

It's strongly rumoured that the new K-3 will be FF and debut in Spring 2013. Some of the details being widely circulated include:

• Sony 24MP FF sensor
  
• ~USD$2,800
• World's most compact FF body
• To be announced in September

[o hey tyler]

It's strongly rumoured that the new K-3 will be FF and debut in Spring 2013. Some of the details being widely circulated include:


[*=left]Sony 24MP FF sensor
[*]~USD$2,800[*]World's most compact FF body[*]To be announced in September

That would be interesting to see a FF camera more compact than a leica M9.

[marcoborghesi]

We will see if Pentax can give us something nice and stunning like the k-7 and k-5

[Jaemie]

That would be interesting to see a FF camera more compact than a leica M9.

I guess they weren't including mirrorless in that statement. Hehe..

[AroundTokyo]

I have a travel blog that I started last year as a kind of hobby. In the beginning I used a FujiFilm Finepix EXR 600 compact, which actually did a good job considering my level of photography. So I was turning up at museums, parks, markets, all kinds of tours and events such as motor shows. I had two problems, one kind of major and one small but extremely annoying. The major was I thought I needed a better camera for better pictures, not necessarily true but it led me to look for a new camera.

The minor problem which is funny looking back was ... I was starting to get invited to motor shows, trade events etc etc and of course there are all the models helping to display the products. So I ask them if I could take a pic of them with their products and pull out my little FujiFilm EXR 600. Some of the looks I got ... if looks could have killed, I wouldn't be typing this story out now.

So I started looking for a new camera. I live in Japan, and Pentax recently released the K-30, so their ads have been everywhere, you can't escape them. Go to some of the bigger train stations and they have Pentax posters everywhere. I did a bit of research and liked what I saw, so I got a K-30. Plus mine is silky (matte) orange which looks pretty cool too.

[Jaemie]

I did a bit of research and liked what I saw, so I got a K-30. Plus mine is silky (matte) orange which looks pretty cool too.

What do you especially like, and maybe dislike, about it?

[marcoborghesi]

Pentax it's amazing for deliver saled camera at relatively affordable price.
as I said before, great lenses ...and lenses's history. Real amazing Da* ... Probably not the same like the Canon's L series but not really far.
Anyway as you could imagine I really like Pentax.

[AroundTokyo]

I did a bit of research and liked what I saw, so I got a K-30. Plus mine is silky (matte) orange which looks pretty cool too.

What do you especially like, and maybe dislike, about it?

Basically I like everything about it. It feels good in the hand, and it looks great. As I said in my previous post, I'm no photographer so I'm no expert on the technical side of things but it appears this thing can do a lot for its price range. It can take shots fairly fast at sports events which I occasionally go to. When I was at the store, even though I'd never handled a DSLR before the sales guy ran me through it, and the buttons all seemed in the right place. And it has some preset programs in it, so no matter where I am I can just touch a button and the camera settings should be fairly okay, that is a major plus for me as I don't know much about how to manually set up a camera for a shot yet.

Pentax also seems in the highly reliable range of cameras which of course would be very appealing for most people. But the last thing is the ability to take AA batteries. Last year I was at a big motor show and my batteries died after a few hours and I had no way to recharge them. I can buy AAs anywhere. And the last thing, not important really but a fun thing, is that even in really low light this camera has the ability to take pretty good pics. All in all, it is a fun camera to use that takes excellent pics.

[Igrecman]

I bought a Pentax K30 with a 18-135 lense a few days ago. I'm very impressed with the picture quality. I previously had a Nikkon D80 witch left a lot to be desired with low light pictures, the visible grain was aweful in dark areas. The K30 is very efficient with image sharpness with no visible grain at all even at 1600 iso unless zooming a lot on screen. I also bought it because it is weather proof, all boutons and traps are sealed and also because it has an image stabilizer.

[pixmedic]

I purchased my Pentax auto 110 super because i can fit the entire system, camera, autowinder, flash, and 3+ lenses in a leather case smaller than my wife's purse.

[21limited]

IN 1967 I was in Ryerson Polytechnical School taking photography. We used Pentax Spotmatics when we did SLR work although most of our work was with large format cameras. Fast forward 15 years and I had an old S1, which was eventually replaced with a Program Plus. IN the meantime I became a photography teacher (HS) and taught photogrpahy for 15 years, at a very basic level. We used only K1000s and film initially. So when the *ist came out I decided to go with that. I figured "I can still use my old Pentax glass. Funny thing about that is, at this point, I have no idea where all that old Pentax glass got to. A couple of divorces will do that to you. ANyway, when I retired (woooo hoooo) I became more involved in photography as a business. I realized back in 67 that you need to have a steady income to survive in photography. Like a pension or something. Pay checks are adequate but they can be few and far between. My original *ist was lost in a divorce. My K100D was traded in on the K-x. I recently purchased a K-5 and am hoping to get a K-5 IIs soon.

Lenses include, the legendary but unsharp 21 ltd, 35 mm2.4 , Tamron 90 macro, DA 18-135, FA 50 1.7, DA 10-17 (this lens is worth buying a Pentax for just on it's own). Sigma 70-300 (until I can find some newbee to buy it) and last but far from least the DA* 60-250 f4, one of the most dynamite lenses on the planet. I also own 3 kit lenses one white to go with the white K-x, also soon to be looking for a new home. Incidently, you won't find the quality of the 18-55 kit, in other cameras or in the Pentax lin-up without spending at least $600 for an 18-135 or a pro grade lens. And the 35 mm and 50 1.4 plastic fantastics will get you a couple of highly rated but cheap primes to start your photo life with.

As for the reasons to buy Pentax.. they don't have an FF, so their top of the line always goes into their APS-c, currently the K-5 II and K-5 IIs. Already the top ranked APS-c system, the K-5II adds superior low light performance, an improved auto-focus system and the K-5 IIs will come without a de-aliasing filter, for improved sharpness. It will be the only APS-c DSLR to do have this, although the Nikon D800e has it as well. The K-5 is already ranked well above many full frame sensors and with the new models coming out before Christmas that lead will increase. Short of a D800 or D600 and about $10,000 dollars in lenses, or a Pentax 645D, with about $15,000 in lenses, I can't think of a system I'd rather have. If you're thinking APS-c you should be thinking Pentax.

Oh and I don't work for Pentax, and neither does anyone in my family. I'm 21limited and I approve this message.

Cheers

[GnipGnop]

Not sure if I read you correctly or not, but I can vouch for the quality of Pentax's kit lens. It's a great performer, and would be at even double the price. Many people doubt the quality of Canikon's kits, but the Pentax kit is a keeper.

[panblue]

So what swayed you to Pentax over a Nikon, or a Canon, or Sony, or...?

Fancied a change. I don't have firm allegiance to any brand (other than Carl Zeiss!)
Edit: ..and good experiences with ME Super, Takumars.

[timor]

That would be interesting to see a FF camera more compact than a leica M9.

I guess they weren't including mirrorless in that statement. Hehe..

M9 is not in that category to, it has two mirrors.