Dear Pentax, this is good bye.

It was a great run.
From the first camera I used a k1000 in high school as a yearbook photographer.
A survivor of Canada's abhorrent 60's scoop I found myself on the streets and bought a second hand k1000 and got myself off the streets and in business with sales form that second hand $20.00 Pentax.
Always struggling and and working hard...
I struggled against racism, poverty and issues relating to Autism.
Years of abuses and being exploited and abused in domestic violence situations meant I was never far from the plight of homelessness despite many remarkable achievements in pro photography with very modest prosumer level equipment.
I was always loyal to one brand.

Then digital came along and I was always fast to adopt new ideas and technology and often found myself waiting and wanting Pentax to catch up.
Despite often being a remarkably good deal in the industry Pentax failed to really lead more oft than not, but what they did do was pack a lot of features into tough cameras for very decent prices and great lenses too. Best value in the business for stills.

but I also shoot video....
and this is where the underdog success story love affair falls apart...
D-slrs that shoot video are vital to film makers alongside action cameras, video cameras and cinema cameras.

In all those categories Pentax has a system that could have been contenders.. if only.. an action camera, a mirrorless camera and a d-slr that all shoot decent 4k video could have made a one brand shop for most needs. and if only.. 4, 6 or 8 k video out of a pentax 645? and awesome cinema camera that could have been.

but was never meant to be.

It was a good marriage, but people change, I need different things from a life partner than what you have to offer.

So this week I'm ordering a Sony A7III and three Gmaster lenses.
I can't afford two systems so I'll be leaving you.
Still love you, but I'm going places you can't keep up.
I'm no longer a photographer that shoots video.
I'm a film maker that loves photography.
You're not the right partner for me. for want of ONE feature....
Thanks for the great memories though.

As video recording has become the major feature for you it sounds like a wise, perhaps overdue move. Enjoy your Sony, I hope it proves to be a better fit to your requirements.

Best of luck with the move Don. Video is becoming very specialized and expensive so I'm not surprised that Pentax are honest and not trying to pretend to be supporting it. It would have been the very basic end of video no matter what they did. Even Panasonic realize that they need to move on to FF to keep up.

Even Youtubers are doing a lot of sophisticated stuff with video now using expensive gear.




--

Well that is an awful shame, for what seems to have been not far off a lifetimes connection, and shared experiences.
But what can you do, you have to be able to adapt and change and move forward, if the gear you need is not available, then change is inevitable.
I wish you all the best in this new leg of your journey, and hope your new gear is all you hope it is, and more.
😔😔😔

You have to make the decisions that suit your circumstances. Nothing wrong with that.

Pop back and see us from time to time.

Sorry to hear this Don, but not at all surprised. Good luck with your new kit, I hope it is the start of a new and exciting love affair.
I hope you'll still pop in here occasionally though.

If what you require isnt available. It leaves you little choice !! As has been mentioned dont leave us altogether and nip back in from time to time..

Sounds like a long hard road, I sympathise. Anyhow, it is never about the kit it is how you earn your living, and you just need the best tools to let that happen. Also you need good support from the manufacturer when it matters.

Elements of this story read the same for me, and realistically it's the ease of staying put and lack of money that's keeping me with Pentax now. I haven't gone as far as working out what selling all my gear could bring in, but I'll probably consider it at some stage. It's no secret I'm into video, and frankly I really like the look the APS-C sensor and my DSLR lenses give to video. Early on video and stills required different devices, but we're now well past that and you can now achieve quality results in both aspects from the same device. Pentax is the only company not to have improved their video offering at all in the last 5 years.

I've slowly seen Pentax's point of difference eroded away, or thrown away. SR is the prime example, with now many manufacturers offering this, and they all make it work in video too. With the advent of mirrorless, the same quality sensors are available in both styles, and now only differ by an optical viewfinder and the focussing method. Mirrorless offers phase detect AF sensors to provide tracking AF right across the whole frame. They likes of eye tracking AF really appeal to me and I'm not seeing this functionality being offered from Pentax.

It's a changing market place for sure and sadly I don't feel Pentax are keeping up. Not saying they're doomed, but stories like the above are becoming more common as alternative products and pricing are making the change to a different brand more attractive than ever before. It's not that people want to leave, but Pentax aren't doing enough to convince them not to, as evident by the conflicting emotions in these types of stories. People are genuinely emotionally linked to Pentax.

I wish this was a more positive post

Good luck Don.

Unfortunately your story seems to be getting more and more common on the various Pentax forums and like you and Richard I'm looking at alternatives (though unlike you and Richard no one's going to miss me! ) - at the moment it's money and uncertainty in which way to jump.

Don, all the best with your move of systems.

It is sad to see lifetime users change, but that is life.

If you are not happy where you are, try something new. For the time being, I am keeping one foot in the Pentax camp, and one in another camp. It works for me, for now I am happy. There is not an over lap in systems.

Gary

Thank you all, that's so nice of you to say.

I'm taking all the "click" mechanisms out of all my old Pentax MF glass and adding focus puller rings and a pk to sony adapter to the kit....

the remaining aps-c gear, I plan to use till it dies.

as for new lenses... a mid their kit lens, and a couple gmasters to start.. eventually a bunch of cinema lenses when I get me a lease on a sony Venice or buy the fs7 or fs5...

but damn.. it would have been nice if Pentax had just re-badged the Samsung nx1 with a fully compatible Kmount lens mount or adapter...

Apparently Samsung have dropped sales and marketing of digital cameras and camcorders in the UK due to a fall in demand
https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/samsung-to-axe-digital-c...
So presumably not even Samsung sell the NX series now, and if Pentax had badged them, they wouldn't be now.
According to Ama zon, a not even in stock NX1 retails for £2400, much dearer than a K-1. I know which I prefer and SRS still sell them! And surely a FF sensor is better for normal digital photography?