Why did you buy a Pentax?

AggieDad · Feb 19, 2015

Howdy,

I'm new to Pentax, new to DSLRs, new to the forum.

I moved up from a Canon SuperZoom. I read a lot of reviews and shopped a lot online. I decided on a K-50, but then BH had a deal on the K-5IIs for only $100 more (apparently it is being discontinued). There was no way to turn that down.

Now I have the K-5IIs with the 18-135mm & the 55-300mm lenses. Everything is sealed and everything works great - except the photographer who is definitely a work in early progress.

pez · Feb 19, 2015

Awesome- very good choice! The K-5IIs is a great camera. For Pentax info I'd recommend checking out the pentax forum, as it is full of Pentax enthusiasts, unlike this forum, where we are exceedingly rare.

tc95 · Feb 21, 2015

Well I picked-up my 645D in a Trade... (Traded an a7 system for it)... when I found out it had a Kodak sensor... I was sold... love my 645H Digital back... and been shooting with the 645D it's a little quirky at times... but all-in-all I love the color and depth the camera brings to my shots...

I think the 645D is definitely a keeper...!!!

pez · Feb 22, 2015

I can understand why you like it. Super nice work! :icon_cool:

Ray Hines · Feb 25, 2015

I bought mine because it was cheaper than the available Canon, I could pick up brilliant old lenses for as little as £25 ($20) and it had great write ups. Pentax is a very underrated brand and so many people miss out by only looking at Canikons.

pepperberry farm · Apr 10, 2015

when it was time to replace my last Fuji bridge camera, I read and researched and compared and generally drove myself nuts with all the different choices available in the DSLR market...
decided on the K-50 with a couple of kit lenses and have love it...

splitload1 · Aug 14, 2015

I have the k-50. the reason I bought Pentax is it fit in my hand perfectly.

dcbear78 · Aug 14, 2015

When I decided to take the first step into photography I came across a post in a forum I regulerly visited where someone else asked the same question I had with the same budget. A Pentax K-30 was suggested along with all the regular Canikons. When I compared features side by side I was blown away.

Bought one. quickly got infected with LBA and then further GAS set in and I needed to upgrade to the K-3 as soon as it was released.

I have since started a semi-professional business but moved on to a Nikon D810 for that. Still have my Pentax gear as my back up. And often think I should put the FA77mm Ltd on my K-3 and use it for some portraits.

charchri4 · Oct 30, 2015

This^ for sure. I shopped till I dropped and $ for $, feature for feature for what I was looking for in the body the K-3 killed it's big company rivals. But I don't care about gimmicky stuff like touch screens and you pay the price in +300mm lens selection.

Jeremy Z · Mar 6, 2016

Long time Pentax shooter here.

My first good camera was a K1000 SE 35mm SLR. It was inexpensive, but high quality, and the optics were great.

Later, when it was time to get a DSLR, I went with a Pentax over Canon, Nikon, and Minolta because a) their kit lenses were better (all glass elements, steel lens mounts) and b) the anti-shake is integral to the body, so I don't have to buy it over and over again with each lens. It also fit my hand better than any of the others; the others were trying to be too compact, marketing toward ladies, I think.

I like Olympus too, but my favorite compact camera so far is my Pentax MX-1, with the excellent (bought from Olympus?) 28-112, f/1.8-2.5 lens. Brass body caps and the vintage layout are attractive.

The Pentax menu system is best-in class, IMO.

Just the other day, I ordered up a Pentax Q7 kit with several lenses. Pentax seems to mostly avoid going head-to-head with The Big Three these days, and we're better off for it. The Q is a small mirrorless ILC, which should have equal image quality to my beloved MX-1, but with more flexibility.

Olympus also marches to the beat of a different drummer, but they're SO expensive. May as well get a Big 3 product or Panasonic if you're going to spend that kind of money.

xenskhe · Mar 6, 2016

They made some good 35mm cameras and lenses. One of their older zooms, the 35-105 SMC PKA has very good IQ. I like the 40mm pancake lens. Nice and compact on a SLR. The DSLR kit lens (18-55?) is also good for the price.

smoke665 · Mar 29, 2016

Back in the early 70's I owned three weekly newspapers. Cameras were tools to be used, they didn't get abused, but they didn't get treated special either. We tried Nikon and Canon but the Pentax held up the best over time. Being the lazy individual that I am, when the time came to replace cameras, I just stayed with Pentax so I didn't have to "relearn" anything.