Doom and Gloom

I don't want to start a slanging match here. I just wanted to let off a little steam at some of the more "generalised" forums out there with the doom and gloom merchants that cannot help but continue to kick Pentax at every opportunity, yet they continue to use their kit.

I'm trying to ignore them, but they always seem to worm that small feeling of doubt about my decision to go with Pentax kit and wonder if I've made a mistake. It annoys me that I allow them to, as they such in a tiny minority and I bought into Pentax for good technical reasons.

What I don't perhaps understand is this: if such people are so disappointed with Pentax, why don't they sell their kit and move on instead of trying to rubbish the brand and pontificate about its imminent demise?

Note to mods: If this is too incendiary, feel free to lock/remove the thread

It is only incendary if people make it so. I do think that perhaps history has something to do with it, as does advertising budgets and trolls.

I think the K10 has surprised a number of people. Prior to this year and it's release, many were saying that Pentax were dying and it would only appeal to Pentaphiles who wished to continue to use their existing equipment. Certainly few camera shops had any Pentax in stock. Now has now changed and almost all now have at least some Pentax in.

The press also seemed to have a down on Pentax but much of their revenue comes from advertising. Generally, their revues tended to favout Canikon. Pentax perhaps had something to do with it. They cut down on their quality lenses and their prices were not as competitive as the others.

There will always be some who try to inflame internet forums and delight in promoting strife. However, it is interesting to note the view Pentax gets from many of the non digital forums or non SLR forums. I moderate on the RFF. True there are some comparisons there between the high end Canikon and the Leica M8 but by far and above, the most talk about non RF cmeras is praise for Pentax, it's glass and in particular the K10.

Pentax will never become dominant in the Pro world but it is making a strong comeback in the advanced amatuer world. The tie up with Hoys and Samsung has not been the death the doom merchants promised. I just wish they would improve their P&S range somewhat. They still need to attract new customers and the best way is for those who upgrade from that route.

Kim

Which forums are they?

I read PentaxForums.com a bit, and it's always entertaining to see the fuss kicked up whenever RiceHigh posts anything. Some of them are currently moaning about the inevitable (:roll imminent demise of Pentax due to the absence of a new high-end body and long focal length lenses in the lineup.

But as here, mostly they're big fans of Pentax gear. (They're also considerably less critical of bad photos, so I no longer feel particularly inclined to seek critique there - I'd rather get slagged off here than praised there, if you know what I mean.)

As for Pentax-bashing, it does seem a bit bizarre. As you say, if you don't like it, don't use it. There are some that slag off the gear when actually they don't know how to use it, and others that simply expect miracles.

But the K10D isn't perfect, and if there was no criticism from the user community, Pentax would lack a very important source of feedback for upgrades and new products.

Some of the criticism I've seen seems to stem from liking it so much already, that the imperfections that are there, paradoxically seem disproportionately large. I know that's so in my case, since I like the camera very much, and it still niggles that stop down metering doesn't work right, and that there's no proper mirror up facility, given that they've built the facility into both the hardware and the firmware for sensor cleaning. And of course, I'd prefer a quieter mirror, although it's not often an issue. But these are relatively minor points, and I'm nowhere near exhausting its capabilities.

Some people just like being destructive. I suspect they know what buttons to press, post something outrageous and just sit back and watch the fireworks.

The best defence is probably just not to take them on and don't reply to obviously inflammatory posts.

I have always put it another way:
"Don't feed the Trolls!"

Kim

Chirpy, I know what you mean. I have given up on a couple of forums because of that attitude, and also the Canon is best attitude you find on many.
I can quite understand the frustration of those waiting for the new lenses, and why some give up and move to another system - simply because lenses and accessories are readily available.
I get frustrated owning Pentax, because of the problems in getting accessories for them here. I don't regret choosing the Pentax route, I like being a bit indivualistic in my choice, rather than following the herd, but the frustration gets to me at times.
All the promises of exciting news from Pentax that we keep hearing, especially from Benjikan, which never actually turns into genuine exciting news, just add to my frustration!

Still could be worse - I could have gone for Konica Minolta

I do have to say the new Sony Alpha looks pretty impressive though

Is that not what the 2sec timer is for ?

Well sure. But there is no facility to lock the mirror up, and take a picture 'now'.

The 2s timer, and indeed the 3s timer with the remote, are fine for taking shots of static subjects having let any mirror-induced shake dissipate.

But it would be nice to be able to fire remotely, quietly, and with guaranteed no shake from the mirror. So I'd like to be able to have the mirror-up separate from the shutter release.

As an additional option, of course - I do like the timer-related facilities.

Chirpy,

One of the great attractions of this forum, to me, is the lack of CWWs. I get quite suicidal when reading DePressingReview because of the negative attitude of so many contributors there.

What depresses me is not their ludicrous over-emphasis of usually irrelevant issues, but the fact that they are, I understand, members of the same species as you and me.

Did you ever read "The Time Machine" by HG Wells? The human race had divided into two, the nice ones who lived on the surface, and some cannibalistic troglodytes who inhabited the sewers and came out at night to prey on the nice ones. Wells got the idea reading DPR, I believe.

Just hope I never meet one of them in the flesh. Makes my skin crawl just to think about it.

G

If you DePressingReview is bad George, don't go near Pnet!! They have it down to a fine art.

Kim

You just have to ignore a lot of what is posted at dpreview's forums. If you just stick to the Pentax section it is much friendlier than the general sections where people only complain. Just look at the 40D and D300 threads!!!

That was the one - within the Pentax DSLR section.

I do like it here. I like the helpful and positive attitude people have here. I don't think anyone believes that Pentax can do know wrong, but people love the brand for their own reasons and are willing to defend it from the nay-sayers.

I guess, for me, it's the hypocrisy of using the equipment but being so negative about it when there are clear alternatives - and seeming hell-bent on lecturing others.

I think that sums up my positive and negative views of the Pentax DSLR state at the moment. But I'm perfectly willing to accept the negative, knowing all the positive aspects of the route I've chosen.

Maybe that's it - those trolls are unhappy with themselves for the choices they have made and feel they have to lash out at the nearest target. Something about craftsmen and their tools

It's a bit ironical really, two years ago Pentax decided to open a new lens factory in order to clear the backlog of lens orders.

They then brought out the K10D, and now they can't cope even with the new lens factory, and need another one.

I suspect the new zoom lens will in fact be built by Tokina at their factory as Pentax certainly don't appear to have the capacity at present. That's why it has jumped the queue.

G

It makes a good deal of sense. Contract out the kit/wide range zooms and concentrate on the high quality lenses in house. Helps developement costs as well

Kim

Makes good sense and and it may not stop with the kit /wide range zooms.
I would expect to see much closer ties with the Hoya group and also Samsung.
It makes sense to concentrate on what you do best, glass, coatings and design, it does not really matter who assembles the lenses as long as they are built to Pentax standards.


As for a new DSLR I am still hopeful of an announcement in time for the holiday season, though I believe that this maybe less likely now due to the continuing strong sales of the K10D.
Even so I expect some good deals are likely to be had as Pentax try to attract P&S upgraders