K-x review blasts K-5 (!?)

As a computing enthusiast I've long been a subscriber to PC Pro magazine. Then I saw the following review (which I must have passed over in the actual issue where it was printed) and in all honesty it's got me thinking about cancelling my subscription:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/digital-cameras/362497/pentax-k-x

The comment which got my hackles up was, of course, this, in the last paragraph: "There’s also less scope for moving upwards in Pentax’s range – the K-5 simply isn’t as good as the Canon or Nikon equivalents."

What the ****? To make a comment like that with no attempt to explain what they mean by it or substantiate it whatsoever (they haven't even reviewed the k-5) is just rock bottom journalism. It surprises me coming from a publication which is generally reasonably even-handed and a reliable source of information in its editorial content (for a PC magazine, anyway).

My wife pointed out they might mean that it isn't as good as Canon or Nikons top of the range (i.e. full frame) DSLRs, but if so they need to point that out, and mention the fact that the cameras they're comparing it with are considerably more expensive, not to mention much larger and heavier. OTOH if they are comparing it to the Canons and Nikons in it's actual price range, their opinion flies in the face of what's been said in practically every photography site and magazine.

It also strikes me that this is a popular magazine, and such a comment could well influence readers, putting them off buying into the Pentax system for no good reason (or at least no good reason they bothered to actually tell us about).

It's only a very brief review and it strikes me that it's very much dismissive of any argument - PC Pro know the deal, and that's that.

Or do they? Perhaps we know better and they should pay a little more attention to detail....

I remember that they reviewed a back-up drive and gave it top marks (after they had presumably used it for a few days in the office) and numerous people commented that they had totally ignored the very poor reliability record of that particular brand - something of an omission as reliability is the main thing that most people are looking for in a back-up drive

"However, the more advanced you get, the more lenses you’ll want, and Nikon and Canon have Pentax trumped on this front."

"There’s also less scope for moving upwards in Pentax’s range – the K-5 simply isn’t as good as the Canon or Nikon equivalents. But for those who want a decent performer for the here and now, the K-x is a bargain."

Disgraceful comments (twice) about the lenses and the K-5 which they claim isn't as good as the Canon or Nikon equivalents. So they don't mean Full Frame

Well now that I have gotten over the initial sense of outrage (one tends to form an emotional attachment to a thing one spent six months worth of savings on), I'll dig out the actual magazine issue, as it's just occurred to me that the online reviews are often (sometimes drastically) shortened versions of the printed ones. Maybe they explain themselves better in print.

Not tonight, though. Have an early start tomorrow and it's bedtime for me fairly soon.

Yes I noticed the comments about the lenses too. There is a degree of truth in that insofar as it's somewhat harder to get hold of very long telephoto lenses for Pentax, and there is definitely less choice in this particular area. Again, though, a comment which should have been explained a bit further.

"The more advanced you get."

I probably wouldn't be reading PC Pro anymore if I did, as I'd be too busy collecting lenses and pixel peeping my way into photography.

What can we do, Pentax is the underdog and ignorant people will always have something like this to say, and usually get away with it.

But you know what, informed people like us here will usually know what the truth is, and would have had to go through some hard thinking to decide to go with Pentax.

I know I did.

But Pentax pretty much has the general range covered only the slightly more exotic lenses are missing but those are going to be expensive lenses so how many would buy those?
It's clear that Pentax is aiming for the consumer market with the APS-C camera's and not the professional market.

I've never hear someone complain that Volkswagen doesn't make exotic race cars like Austin Martin or Ferrari does so i never understand the complains about Pentax not making professional camera's...
Besides if you want to progress from Nikon/Canon APS-C to fullframe then you need to take care that you buy fullframe lenses but the view of your lens is different on both mediums, if you bought a 35mm for APS-C as standard lens than how much good is it on FF as it will be almost an wide angle on that, you need to buy the 50mm now to get the same view so no matter what you always end up buying lenses...

Well that was my rant...

Btw Pentax has a camera above the K5 so what are they complaining about?

ummmn... just a little v12, not your typical v-dub....

I've said this before and I'll say it again:

I have long held the view that the vast majority of journalists will sit in front of a keyboard and write reviews or articles with only the most rudimentary knowledge or information on the subject they're writing about, they simply make the rest up.
I cant remember the last time I actually bought a newspaper, my view of the old saying "dont believe everything you read" is "dont believe anything you read"

Sadly not within the K-mount system though.

It's an odd review. The K-x itself comes out very well, which is good news. But strange that they would review a product at the end of its life cycle when its replacement is already out (the K-r). The point about lens range is actually true but not that relevant for most users. The point about the K-5 is certainly not true, and again, odd, becuase the K-5 had only just been released when this was written and not extensively reviewed.

I dont really care what anyone says, i likes my pentax, i'm more than happy with it and thats all that matters to me.

Ignorance is bliss....forgive them for they know not what they are writing....regards, jeeess

Do they have a letters page? If so, then write/email them. I would email the editor anyway to point out that all the UK photo magazines disagree with them...

Just checked the issue. The review in print is identical to the online version in this case.