Pentax Popularity

Me too, which is why I have a Windows phone .

On my two Hurtigruten trips there was at least one other Pentax user onboard. OK second trip it was His Nibs, but on the first trip there was an American and a Norwegian each with a K-5 too.

But those were the exceptions. I don't recall seeing another Pentax on my travels. Apart from in Glasgow of course.

That has been my experience too, but mostly Canon. None of the non-Pentax DSLR's that I've seen the average tourist use appears to be a top end Canon 5D/1DS or Nikon D3/D4, more usually entry level stuff. I think they buy the neck strap with the name on it and probably don't care much about what hangs from it.

At least we Pentax users have high end equipment within easy reach, price wise.

Where Pentax falls down, and has in all the time its produced DSLR's (since 2003), is their lens range.

The Pentax lenses available are excellent quality, but lacking in length (560mm only recently appeared, and how many of us can afford one) and speed. Why, oh why were the DA* 300mm and the DA* 60-250mm limited to f4 when they should have been f2.8?

I wrote "should have been f2.8" because in my experience both the above two lenses are a nightmare to use in low light on bodies prior to the K-5 II & K-5 IIs, being almost impossible to auto focus.

Last October at Spa, these two guys (who didn't know each other either) were sitting one row behind me. It was quite funny as a whole group of us jostled for position at the back of the stand for the best vantage point, then the French chap in the pink shirt noticed my K20D and gave the knowing nod of approval, before rolling his eyes at the surrounding Canikon 'machine gunners' rattling away It was like being in an exclusive little club.

Even though I'm engrossed in shooting while I'm out, I od take notice of other caemras that are out and about with their owners. It only takes a millisecond to clock a camera and it's brand.

By far the majority brand is Canon, then Nikon, various bridge cameras, etc --- Extremely rare to see another Pentax Camera. I think I've one or maybe two in the last 3 years.

Does it bother me? No really, but it should bother Pentax. Pentax PR in the UK is non-existent to all intents and purposes so I'm not suprised.

Has been, but that's changing for sure. I'm sure there's a lot going on that will eventually pay dividends.

Is it? I've seen no evidence of it? Unless I've missed something?

In the wider world, via other sites such as Facebook, Pentax are very active promoting. They are also improving their market penetration into dealers and raising their profile in various other areas as well.

Just taking web presence as an example, Pentax are all over Facebook and Twitter and like it or not this is where the younger target audience is.

They are also all over the outdoor adventure style magazines. Products are being previewed and tested in the photographic press.

What you see of course depends on where you are as well.

I'm on Twitter and Facebook all day every day. Can't see anything Pentax unless you actively search and 'subscribe' or 'follow' them.

"outdoor adventure style magazines" - I'm afraid I don't read "Dogging Monthly" or "Amateur Dogging"

It makes you feel rather special, doesn't it . . . . . .

(BTW, I used to be a SAAB owner too - 4 of them in fact. I agree they used to be a great car until Chrysler got involved. I also use a Mac computer. It's good not to follow the crowd like a load of sheep!)

When I was recently in New York for a week I saw five Pentaxians. Three I saw with DSLRs, another I saw with a film camera and the last was a young guy I asked to take a picture of my wife and I in the Metripolitan museum, afterwards he told me he had a K-x.

I saw a few other Pentaxes a few years ago in Belgium, but I don't think I saw any in Paris.

I prefer being in the minority. It's reassuring to see that most people are sheep who will buy whatever they hear is better without trying, researching or assessing it themselves.

If anyone doesn't see anything Pentax on the web, perhaps it's because they use Adblocker or similar.

My computer is always full of Pentax ads and suggestions. Google Ads do actually target the things we are interested in much of the time.

The purpose of an ad is to bring things to our attention that we might find useful. Seems fair enough to me.

When I participate in Photocharters on various heritage railways I often see a couple of other Pentaxes amongst the Canons and (vast majority) Nikons - not to mention the odd Leica! Earlier this year we had two K5's and a K100D and a 6x7 film shooter. I also bumped into a chap with an ME a few years back when I still had my K20D, and we swapped lenses much to the amazement of the other togs there!
I've never seen a Q or K-01 in the flesh....I got my original K100D in a Jessops store locally, alas now gone. The LCC nearby doesn't carry Pentax, the other local camera shop used to (I got my DA55-300 there 4 years back)but now doesn't. I have been to Park Cameras and Clifton Cameras to handle/buy Pentax stuff and did play with a 645D there.

It was probably me at all 3 stuey...I rarely see anyone with a Pentax

Had a good chat with an American owner of a Pentax while in Mesa Verde National Park last September. He was the only one I saw.

I enjoyed brief and friendly conversations with the only two Pentaxians I have encountered. (I did tell them about this forum).

Family outings are a different affair; most recently; daughter with her *ist D, son 2 with his K-r, son 1 with my K-5, partner with her white K-x, and this old man working his 645N, and all of them very happy to raid my burgeoning supply of lenses.

How Pentax survive with (family apart) such a microscopic market share continues to amaze and baffle me. Although always happy to be in a minority, I wonder if Pentax/Ricoh need to up the marketing ante if they are to maintain a competitive edge and continue to develop. I personally would be very happy to see many more Pentaxes if it enabled them to lower the cost of their lenses.