Honest Jealousy

There are many reasons for using Pentax, but I don't rate nostalgia very highly amongst them. What I do rate highly is quality, elegance of design, good ergonomics and good compatibility. Pentax has these qualities.

The Pentax era that I didn't subscribe to was that between the end of the Super A series and the beginning of the MZ series. Between those excellent models there was a time when I found the products over-large and clunky.

Now the range has developed in a direction I like very much and it is catching on. However, I can also tell you that I have used the alternatives as well. The Nikons would be my second choice but the design details on the lenses and some of the functions I find a bit iffy. The Canons I never have liked. The Fuji DSLRs are not bad, count them as Nikons. The Olympus and other 4/3 system cameras have too small a sensor and I have little confidence that in the long term they will stick with it (where are the OM series now?)

So you might think the Pentax choice is nostalgic, but it is possible that it is a sound, logical decision.

I pretty much agree with this. I did upgrade from a K100D to a K10D because at the SRS price it was too tempting and did deliver extra facilities that made life better.

But I know it's my technique that's the weak link in the chain and that I have sufficient pixels etc. to deliver very high quality images if only I were good enough. I remember when I had an old Leica IIIA with a 50mm lens and a light meter I barely used as I learned how to guess the exposure. I still have a few of those images about the place while the camera is long gone.

Then again I enjoy a good session of technicalities and LBA!

Mike

Just thought I would add a comment to all those that say how poor the Pentax autofocus is.

Had my cousin in the shop yesterday to fix his phone, so whilst he was waiting I gave him my K20 with the newly acquired Sigma 100-300 F4 on it to have a play with. The very first words out of his mouth were '***k me, that locked on fast!'

To most people that won't mean much, I know, but when you realise that he's a photo journalist that shoots with a C**** 1d Mk2 & MK3 both with F2.8 'L' zoom lenses on them, it makes for an interesting statement!

Same type of thing happened to me at the photography group I'm part of. When having a look at my K10D with 50mm 1.4 on it one of the guys commented on the fast auto focus lock.

Do we actually know if Pentax are trying to tempt profesional users at this moment in time? the sponsorship of Benjikan would suggest yes, yet their recent "seperation" leads us to believe this was only a temporary measure, a testing of the waters so to speak.

Surely Pentax (at present) are happy enough to be serious contenders in the amatuer market again, the release of so many entry level models over the last few years would suggest so.

I suppose the K20D's successor will answer the question.