My main interest in the Pentax K-1 would be how the camera performs in northern lights photography and also landscape, thus the wide angle lens choices are important. Besides the very expensive D-FA 15-30/2.8, what wide angle options are there for Pentax fullframe? Well, there is the Samyang 14/2.8, the A20/2.8, the FA20/2.8 and FA*24/2.0 and also the FA20-35/2.8 zoom. Maybe the K18/3.5 could also be a viable candidate? I owned the K15/3.5 some years ago, and was not impressed with this lens' performance on aps-c, so I cannot imagine the K or A15/3.5 will be especially good performers on the K-1. Based on user experience with the Samyang 14/2.8 on Nikon and Canon fullframe, this is a brilliant lens for astro and northern lights, although I am uncertain how suitable it is as a dedicated landscape lens? This boils down to that there are not all that many viable wide angle options for the K-1, the most obvious candidate the D-FA 15-30/2.8. I am very interested in seeing a comparison between the K-1 + D-FA 15-30/2.8 and K-5iis (or K-3) + DA12-24/4. The fullframe combo needs to be much better in all respects to justify the high costs involved in upgrading.

Unfortunately I went over to photographyblog to check this article once more, and yes: The Pentax bashing is still going strong.

Insted of wasting my time trying to reason with these spammers, I wrote an email to Mark Goldstein, the editor of photographyblog.

************************************************************************

Dear Sir

I thank you for the interesting Pentax K3ii review. It is also great that you have awarded this camera the DSLR of the year award. However, prominent anongst the comments there are some extreme anti-Pentax sentiments without roots in any facts or empirical data. These sentiments destroy the whole article for me, and probably for other potential readers as well.

I have mentioned these comments on a thread on the British Pentax forum "www.pentaxuser.com", and some people from that forum have posted intelligent comments as an answer to the Pentax-hate promoted by at least two commentators on your blog. But possibly all in vain, the Pentax-haters are still posting extremely negative things (non-documented) about my favourite brand.

Is there anything you can do about this?

http://www.photographyblog.com/news/dslr_camera_of_the_year_2015/


Best regards
Bjørn XXXXXXX

Thanks for the link!

BTW: Have you read the malicious comments on Pentax below the article? One could almost suspect that someone is being paid by competitors to bring Pentax down ( although such a notion would probably be classified as a bit paranoid:shock.

My favourite lens is probably the SMC K30mm f2.8. This lens has very good sharpness, superb colour, wonderful all metal/glass build quality and is a perfect "normal lens" on APS-C. When I want to travel light, I usually pack the SMC K30mm f2.8 together with the HD DA15mm f4, this is a perfect two-lens kit for landcapes and general photography.

When in need of a zoom, I quite like the DA18-55 WR, at f8 it is a very capable lens.

Great shots both of them!

Earlier this week I stumbled upon what might very well be the last new K-5iis to be found in shops here in Norway. I decided that a new camera would be much more useful, than a zoom I have used maybe twice a year since I purchased it in 2012. The 28-70 zoom range is not very suitable as a "normal zoom" on APS-C, not for me at least. But if I one day in future end up with the Pentax FF, you might be correct that I will have regrets about having sold the FA* 28-70...

SOLD

New price: GBP 450,- pluss postage from Norway

I am contemplating selling my Pentax FA* 28-70mm f2.8. I can supply more information and photos for anyone interested.

Looking at GBP 500,- + postage from Norway. Payment via PayPal.