A Pro Pentax?

[silver163]

I have a Pentax K100D and I always got amazing photos, at times with a bit of tweaking. I even had a small unprofessional canon camera and got great photos. so its really the photographer not the camera that matters. they all work the same in a big sense, they just differ from each other but little options such as shake reduction or noise reduction

 

[usayit]

You need to remember any statement by Benjikan about Pentax is bought and paid for by Pentax. This is not meant as a slam to Pentax, Beji or anyone else but I think he should put a disclaimer in his sig when he puts up posts like this. I know alot of us on here know this fact but others don't.

Interesting... as i recall Ben saying that Pentax didn't pay for his posting on the internet's forums...

from "Let's get this Clear....Re: Pentax"

I felt it necessary to start a new thread regarding my use of Pentax and my affiliation with them. As some individuals have questioned my motivation in doing so.

I have been a Pro Photographer for over 25 years. I had used Canon for over eighteen years for my 35mm format and anything from Sinar to Horsemean to Fuji 680 to Bronica to Blad to Mamiya to Pentax to Yashica for my MF and larger support imagery. I was sponsored Officially by Canon up until recently when I switched to Pentax, which for me was a very serious move. I have used Pentax MF cameras for years, specifically the 67. Pentax have never asked me to post on forums. They have never provided any work for me, as my field of expertise is totally out of their domain. They are pleased however with my move to Pentax. Being that I garnered a considerable amount of press re: my Canon sponsorship, they were delighted with the fact that they could benefit by that exposure. Yes I do use Pentax now and they do provide material for me. But I never would have switched to Pentax if the product could not deliver the goods. That would be professional suicide. As to my posting on several forums. Absolutely. I wish to share my experiences with other photographers who may have been reluctant to use the K10D in professional applications. I see no reason that if one can use a Nikon D200 for a pro shoot, why not the K10D. Canon and Nikon have thousands of Pro users publicly acknowledging the use of specific models for specific applications. I don't see why there should be a double standard. If Pentax were to stop my partnership with me tomorrow, I would still continue to use the K10D and acquire their 645D when it comes out in the Fall of 2007.

So... I question....

So we have a dedicated thread defending his excitement with Pentax...
and now a dedicate thread defending the K10D's pro status.....

I am quite taken a back by many of the questions regarding the pro capacity of the K10D. ...

and most would have stated so IN threads that do question the "pro" capacity of the K10D...

Shall I start a a couple new threads?
"Re: Canon Rules...".. and "Re: I shoot Leica because I love it"

 

[fmw]

You need to remember any statement by Benjikan about Pentax is bought and paid for by Pentax. This is not meant as a slam to Pentax, Beji or anyone else but I think he should put a disclaimer in his sig when he puts up posts like this. I know alot of us on here know this fact but others don't.

No, he shouldn't post things like this at all, disclaimer or otherwise. In reality, it is spam.

 

[Don Simon]

It was originally posted on another forum in response to specific posts, where it made sense. Here, no-one has made any posts of the kind referred to, so I agree there wasn't really any need for it. No disrespect intended Benjamin, I'm interested by your posts whether on Pentax news or on more general photographic discussion - I just think this one maybe should have stayed on the Pentax forum

 

[Alpha]

Okay this is silly. You guys don't know what you're talking about. Stop hijacking this and turning into a discussion about Canon and Nikon. This thread is about Pentax, a company whose cameras most of you obviously don't know a lot about.

Pentax does not make any professional cameras anymore. They market the K10D to "advanced photo enthusiasts."

 

[darich]

I am quite taken a back by many of the questions regarding the pro capacity of the K10D. There have been the doubting Thomas's that ask.."Is there a Pro Pentax?" or why doesn't Pentax make a pro camera etc etc etc. The answer is this. The K10D is the Nikon D200 of Pentax. It compares favorably with all of the top end dslr's on the market. So why these insecurities? I think it has more to do with the perceived value of the camera. If it sold for 1500€, the public perception would be the contrary. Perhaps Pentax should re-consider their pricing just to satisfy those who perceive value solely by the price tag.

Having thought about this post more and read some other comments it strikes me that this post is even more meaningless than i first thought.

Benji asks himself is there a Pro Pentax - fmw quite correctly pointed out that cameras are not professional - it's the user. I said something similar in my first post - the photographer takes the picture not the camera.

In response to the above question, Benji doesn't answer it. I'm wondering why he would ask this question but not answer himself. I think he tries to persuade us that the camera is for the pro user but without actually saying yes to answer his question. I often think that as a professional, the best high quality gear is important because they are the tools of a photographer's trade - he depends on them for his salary.

The fact that i can buy a Pentax K10D for less than 2 days overtime in B&H strikes me that the K10D is similar to a Canon digital Rebel XTI - a camera aimed at advanced amatuers.
I often think that if i can afford it easily then it's not aimed at professionals

Benji suggests that if Pentax increased the price then people would think better of the camera and improve its perceived image. I believe though, that if it was much more expensive, then not only would it be sell less, i think people may perceive Pentax as ripping them off if you can buy a Rebel XTi for similar money.

I've already said i don't doubt the quality of Benji's work but posts like this are pointless and, as has already been pointed out, spam.

This post is for a start probably in the wrong place - it should be in equipment & service sub forum. But also given the number of "pro (meaning "for" rather than "professional") Pentax" posts/comments, perhaps it would be worth reminding Benji that this is a photo forum, not a camera forum

 

[Hertz van Rental]

cameras are not professional - it's the user.

There used to be two types of film camera - professional and normal. As there were two kinds of film.
'Normal' cameras were reasonably basic and of average build. Used by holiday makers and amateurs there were designed for 'ocassional' picture taking.
Professional cameras were built like brick outhouses and had lots of extra features (interchangeable focussing screens, lock up mirrors, motor drives...).
The 'professional' tag was also an excuse to whack the price up astronomically. And it looks like it still is

 

[jstuedle]

What makes a camera a pro camera really? Is the mere existence of the D2X enough to push the D200 down to the prosumer range? Same goes for Canon, some will sware green and blue that the 5D isn't a Pro camera, yet I have seen wedding photographers and the like use lesser cameras like the 30D professionally. So what has the D2X and the 1D got that the D200, 30D 5D, or K10D doesn't? Image quality is reasonably the same unless you go nitpicking, they are all roughly 10mpx, Oh it must the ability to do voice recording, that's gotta be it .

The D2Xs is a more rugged camera, better build quality and a few more features. The D200, although a large step up from the D100 in build quality, is still not up to the level of the D2 series. One major difference to my mind is the shutter life. The D220 rated at 100,000 frames. That might be a little optimistic as I have heard them go at 80-90,000 frames. A lot of shooting to be sure. The D2 series I believe is rated the same as the D1 series at 130,000 frames. That seems conservative. I have a D1 that let loose at 840,000 frames and a D1 that got real close to a million before needing a shutter. I think the service out of a manufacture might be at a couple of levels also. It seems Nikon is more apt to rush a pro body and go the extra mile for a D2 than a consumer or pro-sumer body than the D200. I agree for the price deferential the 200 looks like a better value. But if shooting for money, the D2 series will serve you better with more confidence than a lesser camera.
Having said all that, the Pentax when compared to the build and ruggedness of a Nikon or Canon pro body looks and feels like a lightweight. That is not to say it is not capable of good to great image files, it just does not look like it could stand up to the ravages a pro puts on a camera. For instance, will the Pentax survive the heat, sand, cold, desert, tropics, and knocks and drops a N or C body would in Iraq or one of the other sand boxes a war shooter would subject it to? Or the number of frames a LA star chaser would shoot? Or be as dependable in a stressful studio environment? Most likely not. This is what pro cameras are designed for. So what do we do? Either get a pro body or two for your profession, or a couple pro-sumer or three bodies? Basically it's a question of "If you can't take the heat, why are you in the kitchen?"

 

[Don Simon]

Having said all that, the Pentax when compared to the build and ruggedness of a Nikon or Canon pro body looks and feels like a lightweight.

True. And when compared to the Pentax, the Canon Rebel feels like a lightweight toy... as you said yourself, those 'pro' Nikon or Canon bodies are on a different level and not the same as simply any N or C body.

Meanwhile the D200 isn't pushed down to the "prosumer" range by the existence of the D2X... it just happens to be in that range based on its own specs (or at least it is in that range if you accept Nikon's own descriptions of it).

None of which really means anything. Last time I checked, professional photographers weren't a single homogenous entity all doing exactly the same kind of work. Use what suits your purposes and priorities best... if that means only a D2Xs or 1DS then fine. If it means a D200, fine. If it means a K10D, fine. Whether your gear is good enough for you is up to you... unless of course your clients get worried because it's not the same camera they've seen on TV... :roll:

 

[JIP]

Interesting... as i recall Ben saying that Pentax didn't pay for his posting on the internet's forums..."

To me it does not matter if a specific post is paid for. Honestly any time he speaks about Pentax it is an advertisement.

 

[Alpha]

Will you shut up already about Canon and Nikon? Stop acting like they're the only pro cameras on the planet. Sheesh!

 

[silver163]

whoa there maxbloom

 

[usayit]

hehee lol.. take a look at his past posts and you'll find out that it is his "style".... brings a bit of character to this place.

 

[Don Simon]

To me it does not matter if a specific post is paid for. Honestly any time he speaks about Pentax it is an advertisement.

And any time someone says "Looking for your first camera? Buy a Canon or Nikon" it is an advertisement, albeit a free one. Benjamin never specifically says "Buy Pentax", he doesn't try to convince anyone that Pentax is inherently better and he doesn't act like if you will be making a huge mistake if you don't follow his advice. That IMO puts him above a lot of people posting in photo forums, paid or not.

 

[The_Traveler]

I would guess that Benji makes the identical post on several web forums. He has done this before; I assume it is paid advertising.