# Why did you buy a Pentax?



## EDL (Apr 28, 2012)

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


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## slackercruster (Apr 28, 2012)

AA batteries, running on 4 of them...at least in the older Pentax models. 

I used to use Nikon and Hassy in the 70's. Quit and sold out. 

In the 80's bought a couple of cheap Pentax K1000's bodies for $98 each new. Then quit film and got a cheap PS dig camera in the late 90's. 

In Jan '12 got back into photography and got outfitted with numerous Pentax dslr bodies ($140 - $285) and the finest Pentax and 3rd party glass. Very happy with them.

Just wish Pentax continued with the 4 AA battery power option. I never make prints and only view on the 'puter. So 6 -12 mp is OK for me. Really you can't tell the difference with mp very much on the 'puter unless you blowing up a cropped section. But would like a FF 24mp Pentax running on 4 AA's if they was such a beast. We all seem to go for the bigger and better ego booster.

I also considered going Nikon D800, buying 3  bodies and some lenses for $24,000. If the D800 ran on 4 AA's I would have dropped the $24K without a blink. But fudge all these greedy cam companies that screw the consumer with their proprietary packs. I wont buy them. Nikon lost $24 k in biz from me. Sure it is nothing to Nikon, but still lost biz all the same.

But...when all is said and done...Nikon is the best.


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## cgipson1 (Apr 29, 2012)

slackercruster said:


> AA batteries, running on 4 of them...at least in the older Pentax models.
> <SNIP>
> I also considered going Nikon D800, buying 3  bodies and some lenses for $24,000. If the D800 ran on 4 AA's I would have dropped the $24K without a blink. But fudge all these greedy cam companies that screw the consumer with their proprietary packs. I wont buy them. Nikon lost $24 k in biz from me. Sure it is nothing to Nikon, but still lost biz all the same.
> .



You do know that you can use AA's in Nikon's Battery grips, right?  Canon too!


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## GnipGnop (Apr 30, 2012)

Spent a couple months reading up on forum posts and reviews of the Canon 7d, Canon 60d and Canon 5dMKii. Borrowed a friend's 5d. Went into stores and played with a 7d and 60d. Really wanted to stick with Canon because they treat their customers very well (in my experiences). Really liked shooting on my Canon S90 (where I learned how to shoot manually). 

Happenstanced onto a review of the Pentax K5. Did more research, and literally could not find a bad review on it. Researched the glass and found it to be of excellent quality as well (and also being able to use ANY K mount lens without adapters). Went to a camera store and played with a K5 and 7d to refresh myself, and found the controls on the K5 to be exactly how I think the controls should be layed out (as little button pushing as possible). 

Liked it so much I bought one the very next day.

Oh, and you can use AA batteries in the K5 grip as well. I don't know why anyone would want to bother with bulky AA batteries either, but to each their own.


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## o hey tyler (Apr 30, 2012)

cgipson1 said:


> slackercruster said:
> 
> 
> > AA batteries, running on 4 of them...at least in the older Pentax models.
> ...



1600+ shots with OEM batteries in a grip in the 5D Mark II... I'm not sure AA's would perform as well, but I could be wrong.


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## Skidmark (Apr 30, 2012)

I bought a ME Super back in the eighties and some glass. Then in 2010 decided to get back into photography, so I bought a K7, since I allready had a bunch of glass that I could use. I really like the layout and navigation of the menus. My wife has a D5100 and my Pentax is much easier to set than the Nikon.


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## boborone (May 21, 2012)

I got the Q because I haven't used anything but a point n shoot for the last 10 years. Read up on small interchangeable lens bodies and liked this one. Good camera for me. I still have my Nikon SLR from high school. Not needing the full DSLR capabilities this thing is perfect to carry around and take great pics with. It's like a DSLR I can have fun with.


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## irfan.in.tx (May 21, 2012)

I got the K-x a couple of years ago for the following reasons:
-Kit lens rated better than other major kits.
-In-body stabilization.
-Compatibility with some excellent vintage lenses (both K and M42 mounts)
-Value for money.


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## mjhoward (May 21, 2012)

"Why did you buy a Pentax?"

Because they were all out of Playtex and Tampax.

Bazinga!


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## Jaemie (May 21, 2012)

mjhoward said:


> "Why did you buy a Pentax?"
> 
> Because they were all out of Playtex and Tampax.
> 
> Bazinga!



*Le facepalm..*


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## skid2964 (May 22, 2012)

slackercruster said:


> AA batteries, running on 4 of them...at least in the older Pentax models.
> Just wish Pentax continued with the 4 AA battery power option.



They have ... all their entry and mid level camera use AA, the K-x, K-r and the new K30. The K-r and K30 can use both, proprietary Li or AA...


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## rmagers (May 28, 2012)

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/members/73122.htmlWhat irfan.in.x said nailed it for me as well. I had an old K1000 with several lenses. I liked  being able to start out using these and have to buy new right away. One of these is 70-300 Macro that love. Manual focus but it still works quite well.


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## Sagitta (May 31, 2012)

Getting stuff like this...



Waldo County Storms; Waldo County, Maine (Explored!) by Jody Roberts, on Flickr



Head of Falls; Waterville, Maine by Jody Roberts, on Flickr



Hilltop Aurora; August 5-6, 2011; Knox, Maine by Jody Roberts, on Flickr



Sunset on the Sebasticook; Benton, Maine by Jody Roberts, on Flickr



Nutcracker by Jody Roberts, on Flickr



Golden Hour Spike by Jody Roberts, on Flickr



Predawn; Winslow, Maine by Jody Roberts, on Flickr



Day 42 - Tau Tau by Jody Roberts, on Flickr



Moonrise; Unity, Maine by Jody Roberts, on Flickr

With this.  Average lens price is about $15.  The two most expensive were the Sigma 70-300 and FA 28-90.  My K-x has gone down for the count (my fault), but I plan to jump back in as soon as the rumored successor to the K-5 is announced.




Lenses by Jody Roberts, on Flickr


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## mjhoward (May 31, 2012)

Sagitta said:


> Getting stuff like this...



I think _maybe_, just _maaaybe_ this might have a bit more to do with your skill level than you choosing a Pentax 
That first shot is just awesome by the way.  Good work!


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## Sagitta (May 31, 2012)

mjhoward said:


> Sagitta said:
> 
> 
> > Getting stuff like this...
> ...



Oh, no, it was my inborn cheapness that was my primary reason.  I have an old K1000 kicking around somewhere with a couple lenses (where, I don't know... they're still hiding) so when I went to get an SLR I went for something compatible with my old lenses so I wouldn't have to buy anything out of the gate beyond the camera itself.  The fact that I can go into a thrift shop and grab a 30 year old lens and slap it on my camera without the need for an adapter is amazing.

My last purchase before the camera died were a pair of old Sears lenses from Goodwill.  One is an old 50mm f/1.7 that's sharp as a tack, the other is a 135mm macro with that funky soft focus effect.  I paid $25 for the two of them.  Old, cheap glass on a camera that gives excellent quality shots?  Yes please.


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## zamanakhan (Jun 4, 2012)

i didnt... i got a nice nikon


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## GnipGnop (Jun 6, 2012)

That's a shame. Nikon and Pentax share the same sensor in one of their cameras (K5 and the D7000), yet the Pentax manages to squeeze out more DR than the D7000. You can always return your Canikon if you wanted to.


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## zamanakhan (Jun 9, 2012)

GnipGnop said:


> That's a shame. Nikon and Pentax share the same sensor in one of their cameras (K5 and the D7000), yet the Pentax manages to squeeze out more DR than the D7000. You can always return your Canikon if you wanted to.


Just trolling guys, Pentax makes some nice bodies with good weather sealing. If anyone is interested, I started with Nikon because I got one as a present a few years back, invested in glass and never looked back. I had actually asked for one of the red pentaxes at the time. I could of just as easily started with Pentax.

Just more on that, I actually owned the d7000, and I loved it a whole lot more than just for the sensor. If it was just the sensor than we would all buy Sony dslrs, Sony has made quite a few of the sensors for Nikon. 

I recently purchased Nikon again, the d800, I actually looked at the Pentax medium format camera as well but again, I was invested in glass and starting on a new platform would be foolish for me.


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## Xanimal13 (Jun 13, 2012)

I'll be honest, after looking at your images and then in to pentax (canon user), you have me sold. I'm gonna pick up a K-R or K-7 next check and a ton of glass for it. Still cheaper than my original 7d plan.


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## slackercruster (Jun 13, 2012)

Nice  photos!! Thanks for posting.

Pentax is also great starter dslr for the newbie. You can pick up a 6 mp body for $120 - $140. Add a kit lens for $40 and your off. If you want a few more mp just add another $80 to the mix.


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## Paul Ron (Jun 14, 2012)

I only had $100 to spend on a new camera to get me started in photography back in 1968. Black Spotmatic, still have it n it still works as good as new. I did have a Leica, Nikons n Olympus OM1 but 35mm was too small for studio work. Also still have several K1000s which my kids used in college, all still working. Once I made enough money by 1970, I moved up to an RB67 n never looked at another 35mm camera since. 

Those old mechanical Pentax cameras were built to last, n all the lenses are beauties even the radio active yellow ones. But Mamiyas are built like Russian Tanks, designed to last forever!

.


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## miss.dotty.daffy (Jun 22, 2012)

Paul Ron said:
			
		

> I only had $100 to spend on a new camera to get me started in photography back in 1968. Black Spotmatic, still have it n it still works as good as new. I did have a Leica, Nikons n Olympus OM1 but 35mm was too small for studio work. Also still have several K1000s which my kids used in college, all still working. Once I made enough money by 1970, I moved up to an RB67 n never looked at another 35mm camera since.
> 
> Those old mechanical Pentax cameras were built to last, n all the lenses are beauties even the radio active yellow ones. But Mamiyas are built like Russian Tanks, designed to last forever!
> 
> .



Hi, Paul! 
I m very interested in ur comment. What kind of Pentax camera r u using ?


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## tsamu (Jun 29, 2012)

I switched from Canon because I compared the K5 to the 7D and for pretty much the same specs the K5 was hundreds cheaper. Plus I have always liked to be bit different .

 I am very happy with my decision.


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## The Barbarian (Jul 16, 2012)

I have a 1.8 85mm Super Takumar, that gives me a nice, fast short tele for indoor sports.   And of course, image stabilization works fine with it.   And I fixed the adapter to just stay on the lens, so there's no issues with that.   A great lens.


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## Danielj009 (Jul 17, 2012)

I bought Pentax because after extensive research I discovered that they provided equally high image quality at a reasonably cheaper price.  I work in marketing and hate knowingly making donations to marketing departments which is what I feel I am doing if I buy a Canikon.  I also loved the following features.
-Full history of lenses available.  1 of my favorite lenses is older than I am!
-Weather seals are top notch
-Price is perfect
-Sensor technology is top notch
-I can dream about owning the 645D!

Cheers
Dan


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## o hey tyler (Jul 17, 2012)

Danielj009 said:
			
		

> I bought Pentax because after extensive research I discovered that they provided equally high image quality at a reasonably cheaper price.  I work in marketing and hate knowingly making donations to marketing departments which is what I feel I am doing if I buy a Canikon.  I also loved the following features.
> -Full history of lenses available.  1 of my favorite lenses is older than I am!
> -Weather seals are top notch
> -Price is perfect
> ...



Owning a Pentax DSLR doesn't really make it easier to upgrade to medium format. As far as I know, the 645D takes different lenses that produce a larger image area to be used with the larger sensor size. I believe they are actually designated with a 645 in the lens nomenclature.


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## Danielj009 (Jul 17, 2012)

Yea I know, but at least it gives me something to dream about :mrgreen:


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## marcoborghesi (Jul 25, 2012)

Pentax because:
Great value
amazing quality
sealed
wonderful Da*
Perfectky suited on my hand

Who said you can be Pro just with Nikon or canon? Hi hi

Marco


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## o hey tyler (Jul 25, 2012)

marcoborghesi said:
			
		

> Who said you can be Pro just with Nikon or canon? Hi hi
> 
> Marco



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.


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## roentarre (Jul 25, 2012)

I like pentax for the colour rendering and contrasty images it is capable of producing.


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## marcoborghesi (Jul 25, 2012)

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


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## Jaemie (Jul 25, 2012)

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


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## o hey tyler (Jul 25, 2012)

Jaemie said:
			
		

> 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
> ...



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


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## marcoborghesi (Jul 25, 2012)

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


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## Jaemie (Jul 25, 2012)

o hey tyler said:


> 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..


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## AroundTokyo (Jul 26, 2012)

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.


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## Jaemie (Jul 26, 2012)

AroundTokyo said:


> 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?


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## marcoborghesi (Jul 27, 2012)

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.


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## AroundTokyo (Jul 27, 2012)

Jaemie said:


> AroundTokyo said:
> 
> 
> > 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.
> ...



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.


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## Igrecman (Sep 30, 2012)

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.


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## pixmedic (Sep 30, 2012)

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.


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## 21limited (Oct 4, 2012)

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


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## GnipGnop (Oct 18, 2012)

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.


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## panblue (Oct 18, 2012)

EDL said:


> 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.


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## timor (Oct 19, 2012)

Jaemie said:


> o hey tyler said:
> 
> 
> > That would be interesting to see a FF camera more compact than a leica M9.
> ...


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


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## Josh11 (Sep 10, 2013)

I replaced a Pentax SLR with a Pentax DSLR. I did this for two main reasons, firstly I already had 2 lenses for the SLR which could be used on the DSLR.  Also because of the sealing that Pentax provides with the camera's. The casing if that is the right word are metal and fit together tightly which greatly reduces dust etc getting in. I just also like the how for me my camera feels good in my hands - ease of use.


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## sashbar (Sep 11, 2013)

The very fact that this question was asked tells me more than all the answers


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## peter27 (Sep 11, 2013)

If it was good enough for John Hedgecoe, it's good enough for me.


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## timor (Sep 11, 2013)

sashbar said:


> The very fact that this question was asked tells me more than all the answers


 Same questions are asked on Nikon forums, and Canon and (!) Leica. People are everywhere divided in to general groups: gear owners first and then photographers or photographers first and then gear owners (if they care that much to talk about).


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## The Barbarian (Sep 29, 2013)

Why did I buy a Pentax?   Best quality and features for the price.   And then I had a small number of lenses, which means I'll keep buying Pentax.

When I was doing film, I used Nikons.   My favorite was a Nikon EL2, a very adaptable tank.


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## dubiousone (Oct 19, 2013)

Film or DSLR? LOL.
 I have several film SLR's, Pentax among them. My first DSLR was (is) a Nikon D50. I wanted an older camera with less features as a first camera to learn on. I like the way the D50 (Like the D7100/7000 are set up with a top LCD, etc) which is why I decided on Nikon in the first place. Then I stumbled on a super deal on a Pentax K100DS. Wow. It is every bit the camera my D50 is and does some things better. The main reason I got it was two fold; it was priced REALLY right and it really felt good! (And it takes super photographs, too!)

In my neck of the woods retailers that carry Pentax are very few. I plan on keeping both because I like both!


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## ZenMonkey (Mar 30, 2014)

Although I haven't bought a Pentax system yet, I'm going to. There's a few reasons, actually. Build quality, size, ergonomics, weather sealing, fantastic IQ, great color saturation, snappy contrast, and they just feel like a camera should feel in the hand ... they are a pleasure to shoot with. Then there's value and of course the pixie dust infused ltd's, which certainly helps. Besides, not everyone and their uncle shoots Pentax, which will  satisfy my more rebellious nature. I considered both Canon and Nikon, and was leaning heavily towards Canon at one point, but Pentax is the clear winner when it comes to my needs. I'm more interested in nature, landscapes, portraiture, and concert events than anything else. Pentax delivers in these areas. The newer K-5 II and the K-3 will also be suitable for the minimal sports shooting I'll be doing. Their lens selection is lacking, but there's plenty of third party options out there to compensate for that. When you buy Canon or Nikon, you're buying into a name (imo). The have great systems, but you're paying more for the name. Pentax is different. When you buy Pentax, you're buying high quality photography tools made for those who love photography, but without an increase in price from intense marketing strategies. They make some of the best camera systems on the market and they cost much less than the big two. It's a matter of practicality, value, handling, and overall quality. That's why I chose Pentax.


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## Mtothepoweroftwo (Apr 4, 2014)

i bought a pentax because it was the best bang for the buck for me. i could buy older lenses (which you can really get quite cheap) and still use them on the dslr body.

so i had the k-x, then the k-7 and now the k-3 and i still love it.


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## wtlwdwgn (Apr 4, 2014)

I've been shooting Pentax since 1965 and have always thought that they were made by folks who know photography.


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## mcgregni (Jun 12, 2014)

I was a Canon film slr user from 2000 for 10 years and all that time my dream camera was the eos 3, which I would have loved but couldn't justify financially. As digital marched onwards through the decade I held off, eventually getting a digital bridge camera when my curiosity got too srong to resist any more. From then  on the eos3 was a non-starter, and by 2012 I knew I just had to get a DSLR system ....

On a shop, I already knew a lot about the Canon range so tried a few out. Then spotted something else, well-known name and a very good looking camera. A few minutes trying it out and the credit card was out. What did I get? ... Magnesium alloy body with vertical grip, 100% viewfinder, pentaprism, dedicated switches for metering mode, autofocus mode, af point select, dual e-dials, weather sealed body and quality kit lens, 5fps bursts, video mic socket, hdmi out, hdr, shadow / highlight / NR / lens corrections for in-camera jpegs, af assist lamp, remote control from front & rear of camera, front & rear curtain flash sync, mirror up operation, .... Shall I go on ? &#128513; And the cost of all this NEW in 2012? 499 British pounds, that's about  850 us dollars!!! That was the closest kind of camera to my long wished fir eos3 that I was getting fir that money ... A happy bunny &#128522; 

The in-camera image stabilisation system sold it as well, and with that I've got stabilization with my 40 year old Tamron lens as well as my manual Pentax optics from the 80's.


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## keythsea (Sep 3, 2014)

I'll admit it: a Pentax Q10 with a 32 Gb card for $201?  Sold.  I also read that Pentax camera tend to be better with colors than Canon.  Yes -- I am cheap, but I want to get as much as I can.


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## Tinderbox (UK) (Sep 4, 2014)

Just bought a K50 for these features that Nikon/Canon dont have a that low price, weather resistant, built in image stabilisation, dng raw for great software compatibility, aa battery option, built in raw converter, lens focus calibration, cheap lenses.

John


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## TheStunch (Oct 23, 2014)

I chose pentax because the way the make photos is just different, and in my opinion better than the other guys for the money, the colors, the tones, i'm just a fan, and i know that on the digital bodies, this is mostly just good programming and a cool sensor, but whatever, the end result is great, and the prices are fantastic, the interface is super easy, and the weather proof bodies are off the charts for the $.  I have a Nikon, a Canon, and a Pentax, and for everything in general, the Canon is my go to, because I don't yet have my k50 and it can shoot video like a monster, but my Pentax is my daily carry around camera, and when I want to get artsy I tend to pull out the trusty little Q10 or my wife's Kx.  Foot note on the AA battery thing, I think the advantage is that anywhere in the world, i think you can get AA batteries, so if you kill your rechargeables, it's not a deal breaker the night before a shoot if there's not a camera shop around to replace your dead proprietary Li battery pack/charger.


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## petrochemist (Oct 24, 2014)

For me when I got the K100d it was a mixture of value for money, ergonomics, and compatability with my old film kit. Upgrading to mf K7, all the original reasons still applied but I got other advantages too.

Now I do most of my shooting with micro four thirds, as it's easier to bring with me routinely. The ergonomics (& my collection of lenses) for this aren't quite as good IMHO' so the Pentax still comes out for photo intensive occations.


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## theraven871 (Nov 3, 2014)

Everyone should own at least one Pentax camera.  They are so light weight and rugged for outdoors.
I enjoy taking mine on hiking trips.   The ability to use any old K-Mount lens is amazing.   
There have been some legendary K mount lenses over the years.
Also, the fact that it has built in Anti-Shake reduction on the camera is a game changer.  I hate having to pay extra to have it on every lens.
Also, Pentax has more APS-C lenses available than any manufacturer.  

Its just a fun system to use.  Durable and fun.
But unfortunately Pentax doesn't have a pro level solution available.  
If they made a full frame DSLR, I would probably buy it.

Back in the film day, you were practically issued a Pentax camera at photography schools.
They lasted forever and had the widest selection of lenses available.


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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...!!!


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## pez (Feb 22, 2015)

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


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## 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.


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## 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...


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## splitload1 (Aug 14, 2015)

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


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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.


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