Do I switch to another brand?
3,490 posts
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Posted 16/09/2019 - 18:15
1. Buy a K1
2. Use all your old lenses
3. Take advantage of the excellent modern Pentax zooms....15-30 24-70 70-200 150-450 28-105
4. sell your kidney and get the best 50mm lens on the market DFA 50mm 1.4
5. Remind me again why you were thinking of leaving ?
Peter
My Flickr page
Helpful
2. Use all your old lenses
3. Take advantage of the excellent modern Pentax zooms....15-30 24-70 70-200 150-450 28-105
4. sell your kidney and get the best 50mm lens on the market DFA 50mm 1.4
5. Remind me again why you were thinking of leaving ?
Peter
My Flickr page
Helpful 
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Posted 16/09/2019 - 18:25
DBlandford wrote:
There is no reason to switch apart from the lack of choice with regards to lenses especially for third party lenses. There seems to me to be no development or new products in the Pentax range and I am concerned what the future holds for Pentax users.
There is no reason to switch apart from the lack of choice with regards to lenses especially for third party lenses. There seems to me to be no development or new products in the Pentax range and I am concerned what the future holds for Pentax users.
What lenses are perceived to be unavailable?
That list of Pentax zooms for the FF K-1 Peter suggested have al been released in the last three years! No development, really? On top of that you've got the whole back catalogue available to track down if you wish.
John K
Last Edited by JAK on 16/09/2019 - 18:27
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Posted 16/09/2019 - 18:37
It is a dilemma, but if you already have FF compatible lenses then not quite so. If like me you had to consider buying new lenses to suit the K1 then it is sensible to investigate the field as effectively you are buying into a whole new system. It is difficult because after enthusiastic new launches the shortcomings start to emerge and punters start hoping these will be fixed in the next upgrade; Sony in particular seem to suffer from this as they rush out new models to stay ahead.
No-one can predict the future as no doubt many Canon and Nikon users feel who bought in before emergence of mirrorless with new mounts. Pentax Rumours has a recent article where someone asked Ricoh if there were any new cameras coming out in 2019 and the response was in the negative. But at least you know what to expect with the K1 II.
No-one can predict the future as no doubt many Canon and Nikon users feel who bought in before emergence of mirrorless with new mounts. Pentax Rumours has a recent article where someone asked Ricoh if there were any new cameras coming out in 2019 and the response was in the negative. But at least you know what to expect with the K1 II.
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 18:41
As you have probably realised by now a Pentax forum is probably not the best place to ask if you should dump Pentax 
To be honest if it were me it would all depend on the lenses you already have, if you only have mainly crop glass then personally I would be looking elsewhere but if you have some decent quality full frame lenses then the K-1 really is a fantastic camera. As for no development, to me that is a concern as although I have the K-1 and the lenses I want people need to see that the brand they have their money in is still alive and kicking otherwise they will start to think about going elsewhere (rather like yourself).
Edit: And while I was typing Rob posted much the same regarding the K-1
No equipment list here but thanks for taking an interest. My Flickr
To be honest if it were me it would all depend on the lenses you already have, if you only have mainly crop glass then personally I would be looking elsewhere but if you have some decent quality full frame lenses then the K-1 really is a fantastic camera. As for no development, to me that is a concern as although I have the K-1 and the lenses I want people need to see that the brand they have their money in is still alive and kicking otherwise they will start to think about going elsewhere (rather like yourself).
Edit: And while I was typing Rob posted much the same regarding the K-1
No equipment list here but thanks for taking an interest. My Flickr
Last Edited by Mike-P on 16/09/2019 - 18:43
20 posts
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 19:36
I bought into a new system today - just bought my first Flexaret.
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 20:03
lens alone would not be enough to convince me to switch from Pentax, ( I know because I already switched from Pentax to Sony) .
Simply put... Pentax lenses generally are superb and usually value priced in their respective classes.
for example...
My WR DA 100mm macro.... I have an adapter with aperture control to use this lens on my Sony A7III. Why?
Two reasons:
a) in different macro lens shootouts the Pentax bested the 90mm Tamron and the Sony 90mm may be the highest rated macro on any system.. BUT it's not a huge jump ahead of the Tamron, meaning it's not edging the Pentax out by much...
b) I can live with manual focus for portraits and macro shooting, so whatever.... SONY 90mmm macro $1400.00 CDN, Pentax 100mm macro $649.00 CDN, Tamron 90 mm macro $949.00 CDN as of this writing...
Who cares if there's more options, with other brands when there's really only a few sensible choices?
having fewer choices isn't reason enough to switch, if the choices you have are generally excellent...
Pentax not offering pro video specs in ANY camera body..... THAT WAS REASON TO SWITCH!
Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.
Simply put... Pentax lenses generally are superb and usually value priced in their respective classes.
for example...
My WR DA 100mm macro.... I have an adapter with aperture control to use this lens on my Sony A7III. Why?
Two reasons:
a) in different macro lens shootouts the Pentax bested the 90mm Tamron and the Sony 90mm may be the highest rated macro on any system.. BUT it's not a huge jump ahead of the Tamron, meaning it's not edging the Pentax out by much...
b) I can live with manual focus for portraits and macro shooting, so whatever.... SONY 90mmm macro $1400.00 CDN, Pentax 100mm macro $649.00 CDN, Tamron 90 mm macro $949.00 CDN as of this writing...
Who cares if there's more options, with other brands when there's really only a few sensible choices?
having fewer choices isn't reason enough to switch, if the choices you have are generally excellent...
Pentax not offering pro video specs in ANY camera body..... THAT WAS REASON TO SWITCH!
Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 20:10
Don wrote:
lens alone would not be enough to convince me to switch from Pentax, ( I know because I already switched from Pentax to Sony) .
lens alone would not be enough to convince me to switch from Pentax, ( I know because I already switched from Pentax to Sony) .
Wasn't that just for your video production work? Understandable given Pentax video is limited.
Didn't you also say you preferred the Pentax for stills?
John K
Last Edited by JAK on 16/09/2019 - 20:13
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Posted 16/09/2019 - 20:39
JAK wrote:
Wasn't that just for your video production work? Understandable given Pentax video is limited.
Wasn't that just for your video production work? Understandable given Pentax video is limited.
For video production I shoot Multicam and use mostly Sony pro camcorders and now a Sony A7III
JAK wrote:
Didn't you also say you preferred the Pentax for stills?
Didn't you also say you preferred the Pentax for stills?
Well the other option is to toss the pentax out or give it away since no one in my area wants to buy Pentax, new or used...
the Pentax didn't stop taking pro quality images just becuase newer and better came along..it's just as good as it ever was... the problem is...
I was forced to buy the Sony, and some Sony lenses, and new lighting... as much as I hated the idea of buying replacements for lenses I already own...
I can't always lug two systems around....
I can still use the Pentax and prefer it for some jobs, like adventure and some studio stuff, it's about making excuses to keep using it more so than having to keep using it... anything the pentax can do, the sony can do too, not vice versa... having said all that... the k3 is a tank of a camera and I expect it would survive things that might damage or kill the sony... but in the event that my pentax does get destroyed while on an adventure shoot, or gets stolen... I assure you..the insurance money is going to sony not pentax when the k3 is eventually going to be retired or replaced...
knowing that decision is made, I do not buy ANYTHING pentax anymore... if my macro dies, gets broken or stolen... it'll be replaced with the native Sony, same with EVERYTHING else Pentax.
After k3, I waited and waited, then the K1 came out with crap for video specs, the decision to stop buying Pentax and start saving for Sony was made...
Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.
Last Edited by Don on 16/09/2019 - 20:51
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Posted 16/09/2019 - 20:44
I am still hopeful Don gets a postal service in Canada one day. You never know.
Peter
My Flickr page
Peter
My Flickr page
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 20:53
pschlute wrote:
I am still hopeful Don gets a postal service in Canada one day. You never know.
I am still hopeful Don gets a postal service in Canada one day. You never know.
yeah about Canada Post... apparently delivery by sled dog is costly... it would cost me more to ship a pentax than I could sell it for used... hahaha!
Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 21:25
I reached to another brand about 9-10 years ago, thinking Pentax were never going to bring out a FF camera...
Dismayed by the lack of any activity on the APS-C front apart from the 11-18 and updates to older lenses I wondered if Pentax were ever going to properly replace the K-3...As I have 2 parallel Pentax systems I decided to stick with the K-1 and sell the K-3 and DA*/SA stuff - there seems to be no market for Pentax gear at the moment.
Yes, I have the K-1 (and when funds permit - see above) stick with just D-FA glass rather than a mish mash of FA* and DA*... I love the camera, joy to use. Different to the D810....
Ricoh rep assures me there should be something later this year,,,,
AKA Welshwizard/PWynneJ
Assorted Pentax/Nikon/Mamiya stuff
Dismayed by the lack of any activity on the APS-C front apart from the 11-18 and updates to older lenses I wondered if Pentax were ever going to properly replace the K-3...As I have 2 parallel Pentax systems I decided to stick with the K-1 and sell the K-3 and DA*/SA stuff - there seems to be no market for Pentax gear at the moment.
Yes, I have the K-1 (and when funds permit - see above) stick with just D-FA glass rather than a mish mash of FA* and DA*... I love the camera, joy to use. Different to the D810....
Ricoh rep assures me there should be something later this year,,,,
AKA Welshwizard/PWynneJ
Assorted Pentax/Nikon/Mamiya stuff
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 22:11
My 2 cents is it really depends on what you shoot.
Pentax has genuine strengths in stills images, especially static still life studio product work, and outdoor landscapes (where it's real weather sealing does shine). It's not so good when it comes to tracking objects (specifically keeping objects in focus that are coming towards or moving away from the camera) and is easily in last place for video performance. Traditionally Pentax have been able to eek more image quality out of a sensor than other companies.
The issue facing Pentax today (IMHO) is that others have improved their game a lot, and cameras today are multi function devices that can shoot stills and video quite well. From a financial perspective, if you shoot a bit of video, it's not realistic or necessary to have two separate systems (body plus lenses) for each task anymore.
If Video isn't your thing, and especially if you're a methodical landscape type shooter, who enjoys being more involved in each step of the photography process, then Pentax suits your needs perfectly. There's actually a lot of discussion at the moment around the loss of involvement and love of photography, when you're using devices that do more and more. There's a whole piece on the mechanical interaction and love of the process that's seeing a revival, with the retro styled camera with knobs and dials for shutter speeds etc.
The K-1 will take the same photos whether Pentax as a company/brand is still trading. The piece that would go is resale value, due to perception that there's no upgrade path and parts aren't available etc (which is really weird as you don't normally upgrade an existing camera, you replace it). Stills Image Quality wise, the K-1 still punches right up there with the best DSLR.
If you are replacing all your existing lens, then moving from APS-C to FF is quite a jump, so quite right to ask the question.
The K-1 was released back in 2016, and the mkii (very similar capabilities really) was released in 2018, so tech wise this is getting on a bit. Given the almost non existent camera release in the last year/s, there's no indication that anything is coming to replace it any time soon either though.
Pentax has genuine strengths in stills images, especially static still life studio product work, and outdoor landscapes (where it's real weather sealing does shine). It's not so good when it comes to tracking objects (specifically keeping objects in focus that are coming towards or moving away from the camera) and is easily in last place for video performance. Traditionally Pentax have been able to eek more image quality out of a sensor than other companies.
The issue facing Pentax today (IMHO) is that others have improved their game a lot, and cameras today are multi function devices that can shoot stills and video quite well. From a financial perspective, if you shoot a bit of video, it's not realistic or necessary to have two separate systems (body plus lenses) for each task anymore.
If Video isn't your thing, and especially if you're a methodical landscape type shooter, who enjoys being more involved in each step of the photography process, then Pentax suits your needs perfectly. There's actually a lot of discussion at the moment around the loss of involvement and love of photography, when you're using devices that do more and more. There's a whole piece on the mechanical interaction and love of the process that's seeing a revival, with the retro styled camera with knobs and dials for shutter speeds etc.
The K-1 will take the same photos whether Pentax as a company/brand is still trading. The piece that would go is resale value, due to perception that there's no upgrade path and parts aren't available etc (which is really weird as you don't normally upgrade an existing camera, you replace it). Stills Image Quality wise, the K-1 still punches right up there with the best DSLR.
If you are replacing all your existing lens, then moving from APS-C to FF is quite a jump, so quite right to ask the question.
The K-1 was released back in 2016, and the mkii (very similar capabilities really) was released in 2018, so tech wise this is getting on a bit. Given the almost non existent camera release in the last year/s, there's no indication that anything is coming to replace it any time soon either though.
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 22:21
ilovesaabs wrote:
Ricoh rep assures me there should be something later this year,,,,
Ricoh rep assures me there should be something later this year,,,,
I wonder if this announcement last week from SRS is relevant to that?
John K
Last Edited by JAK on 16/09/2019 - 22:22
Link
Posted 16/09/2019 - 22:21
Even Pentax didnt stick with D-FA glasss. With their last lens release not even WR...
K-1Gripped K-1 ungripped K-5ii K7 Various lenses
Stuart..
K-1Gripped K-1 ungripped K-5ii K7 Various lenses
Stuart..
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DBlandford
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