Whether to go ahead

A bit of a general wondering out there, but think the question is well worth asking for someone like me who has little pro experience and would love to one day make it somewhere. I have been using Pentax now for 7 years, from my first MZ to my current K10 with a good combination of lenses. I have done a bit of work out there and even sold a few prints. If that one day that I may make it somewhere (wishful thinking), is it worth sticking with pentax or moving elsewhere. I hard q i know. If i were to decide, i'd stay, but when you want real pro results does pentax come out in flying colours?

Where would you go? The biggest problem is that there is no perfect solution. Canon has done a wonderful job of marketing and not much more. Nikon does have a truly wonderful lens system which Pentax would be well worth emulating but oh the cost. Minolta, well we know what has happened there. If you do discover Utopia please let us all know. Just remember the devil you know etc etc
Meanwhile all the best
Ian

It may seem that the grass is greener, but moving will not make you a better photographer.

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Best regards, John

Think there needs to be a good reason to change as you loose the skills you have learned on the equipment you are used to and then you change to something you know nothing about and have to start learning again. Every new lens or flash requires a learning period for you to get the best you can from it, so what about changing everything at once.

Have a friend who had an Oly and took interesting shots with a different angle time after time you would know her work in a large group of shots and she had my admiration. She decided that she needed to change or rather add a Nikon 300 to her bag and spent months taking over sharpened landscapes – just like everyone else, she has had it a good few months now but still her really good stuff is taken with her faithful old Olympus.

So, unless you can convince yourself there is a really good reason, there probably isn’t.

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Jackie H
K7, K20D, istDS, Optio SV, ME
Most used glass
50mm f1.4, 60-250mm, 28-80mm,
Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro & Bertha 50-500

Pentax bodies are ergonomically superb, Pentax sensors provide image quality as good as any, and Pentax lenses are second to none.

What's the problem?

G

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Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.

In terms of image quality I doubt there's much, if anything, to be gained by switching brands. If you were doing sports or wildlife photography and really needed the extra reach and / or speed then there are systems out there that would probably be a better bet but, as others have pointed out, getting the best out of any camera is a long learning process so expect the quality of your results to go the "wrong" way at first.

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Joining the Q

John is correct.
I have for a long time now, accepted that moving from one system to another is not the way to do it.

For me, I just bought other systems to work along side my Pentax kit.

Regards

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When something goes wrong in the circus, they send clowns into the arena to distract the audience.

I've been taking pictures professionally since 1976 with Pentax cameras. However there have been jobs which required different things; weddings for example being shot on medium format not just for quality but for ease of use and not having to re-orientate the camera for landscape or portrait. Large format for studio work occasionally.

No one opening a book or magazine or looking at a web page can posssibly say 'Ah that was shot with a Nikon/Canon/Pentax'. So image quality cant be the problem.

The ergonomics are much of a muchness across the brands.

So please explain why Pentax doesn't 'come out with flying colours'

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

My best photos were taken with an ME Super and a 50mm F2 lens when that was all I had. Nothing beats an 'eye' for a good photo. Look at paulyrichard's shots. Many of them are places I have walked past a 1000 times and not given a second look at. He turns them into stunning BW architectural abstracts. Unless there is something specific you need, changing systems won't help.

K.

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Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.
My website

It all depends on the type of photography that you are taking IMO. If you are finding that the Pentax system is not doing the job for you then go out and do some research about the other systems. Changing can be expensive unless you are going to get your money back, not just being paid for images but satisfaction in your efforts as well.

I agree with K10D in that if you are considering a change then try and run alongside with your current gear in case you ever want to go back or use Pentax as your back-up kit.

If you are disappointed with your images, there could be a problem with your technique, the camera setup, lens choice.

The Pentax system is capable of producing top rate images, in the right hands.

It would be interesting for you to share with us what lenses you use. Consumer zooms, primes, DA* lenses, which?

Switching brands should be the very last resort after ensuring you are consistently getting the very best that your equipment and technique is capable of. Even then, a substantial amount of research will be needed, not to mention an unending supply of cash, to make sure that your next system is right for you. It's not something you do on a whim, unless you have more money than sense that is.

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Peter E Smith

My flickr Photostream

Good points all round. Not that I am deciding to change. I am extremely happy with my results and consider myself quite a good hobby photographer with a decent eye for something different. I agree with you all out there. Why change? I just get frustrated when your mates and others look at your storted, like you are dimented or something when they find out you shoot with a pentax. It makes you think why???? I have to be honest, my photo's are just as good as there's, if even better. I just wanted to here it from the pentax family.

To answer that question, what lenses i use: 35mm FA prime F2.0 (my fav by far for my style of photography), 16-50mm DA SDM (new to my collection but quickly finding its path for landscape and general use), 18-55mm SMC kit and a 18-200mm Sigma. I am happy with these lenses, but know that i need to ditch the sigma and go for a 50-200 WR pentax da for my zooms.

Glad to hear it's helped to focus your thoughts!

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Best regards, John

I honestly think that peer pressure is the reason 85% of all Pentax users change to a more mainstream brand. I must admit to being very intrigued by the upcoming Canon 7D though, it will be interesting to see how they have got round the noise problem using a 18MP crop sensor.

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. My Flickr

Find it difficult to understand badge snobs, pride in your equipment OK but what others choose to use is their business.

Remember doing a days shoot alongside a pro photographer who started the day making less than flattering remarks about my Pentax and almost patting me on my head in sympathy, however later in the day as he fitted his 3rd set of batteries he came over to me and said how many shots have you taken, I looked, about 800 I replied, and how many new batteries have you fitter, none I said they are the same battery I have had for the last 2 months. He took a look at some of my shots and retreated mumbling.

My camera was the *istD fitted with a couple of VR-C3 his was the in Nikon of the day.

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Jackie H
K7, K20D, istDS, Optio SV, ME
Most used glass
50mm f1.4, 60-250mm, 28-80mm,
Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro & Bertha 50-500