Official thread for Pentax contest entries...

<p>For contest rules go to:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/pentax-camera-forum/00Uusb</p>

<p>This thread is ONLY for contest entries. All questions, harassment, or other non-contest entry posts will be deleted.</p>

<p>My relationship with Pentax started over a dozen years ago, when I bought a <em>very</em> used but well cared for K1000 kit for my wife for our wedding anniversary. She used this camera when she was in a high school photography class. At the time, she really enjoyed urban and architectural photography, so I thought I'd help re-spark her interest.</p>

<p>Try as she might, the spark never returned. But a small fire was started under me. I was fascinated by the machine that was a humble 35mm, manually operated camera. "Honey, may I use your camera since you aren't doing anything with it?" This camera led me to a few compact digitals, which led to a Pentax K100D Super, which 18 months later turned into a K20D and a half dozen lenses. (The K100DS is now re-igniting the photography fire for a friend of mine who used to shoot a Pentax film camera.) Now I'm shooting crazy and having a lot of fun in the process, sharing what I capture with family and friends on a photography blog. I know I'm doing something right when I get messages telling me they've "stolen" another photo I've made to use as their computer background image! That's good enough for me. I'm no Ansel Adams, but I'm making progress.</p>

<p>Why have I stuck with Pentax? I trusted the K1000, therefore I automatically trusted the K100DS, and it never failed me. The transition to the K20D was natural and I've thought nothing of staying with Pentax, I never even researched the other brands. Spending the time here at Photo.net has demonstrated to me that Pentax is an underdog in the camera world, but that they can still go toe-to-toe with the big guys, and this appeals to me. Just because a manufacturer has a large advertising budget (Canon, Nikon) doesn't make their product superior. And to quote Mark Twain, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." This would certainly apply to Pentax.</p>

<p>" . . . All you have to do is write a post talking about why you love Pentax, or why you chose Pentax instead of CaNikon, or even just what being a Pentax photographer means to you. That's it, just write about the camera system you use and tell us why you use it."</p>

<p>35/50/135.</p>

<p>The master has learned to love the sturdy basics. No frills, brotha'. Darlin', just type your own phone number in my cell phone. You can leave something by the bed tomorrow morning. But, don't touch my Pentax.</p>

<p>Pentax 35mm, 645 and DSLR jumble around in my bag nowadays. I started out with an ME Super, years ago, and hung on to it. So far, it's been around the world and back; with me when I jumped out of a plane, nearby on one of the worst, and over my head in my hand on one of the better days of my life.</p>

<p>The system is durable. Let's just say my "manufacturer's recommended practices" stop somewhere after morning coffee and don't resume until after "tabbed out" on a long, hard day.</p>

<p>The equipment does exactly what everyone says it should do. It doesn't fuss, demand more money, complain, or in any way whine like a neglected girlfriend who is anxious about the progress I'm supposed to make in the future. It shows up, does the job, and kicks it to standard every time.</p>

<p>I tried one of the other brands. I dropped one of those once. The film door popped open. I'm sure the resale guy got his hundred bucks back.</p>

<p>I could absolutely care less what any Cadillac-driving, yuppie, frat-boy wannabe expects from his pushbutton wuss of a system. I do not care how much money the other guy spent, or, if some employer or purchaser thinks that I should have spent more. I pack the camera when I want to make pictures.</p>

<p>I had to learn the math; I had to learn the system; I had to learn to rock. Pentax equipment holds up. It's me and my leather jacket that has to pick up the chicks and the bar tab. The camera's there to help me catch the shot.</p>

<p>I choose Pentax because I actually use my cameras. K1000, 645, K200D, and yes, still, that old ME Super on the shelf. From parachute drop to underwater bag, the Pentax cameras have held up.</p>

<p>If you see me whip out my Pentax, try to keep up.</p>

<p>I live in a small town in West Virginia that is pretty isolated. The nearest real camera store is about 200 miles away, and the nearest Best Buy is even further. So when it came time to decide which brand to buy, my only realistic option was to read stuff in magazines and on the web. I read reviews on PNet and other places about Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony. Since I was new to digital photography, it was pretty confusing. No, make that VERY confusing. I'd had some experience with film, but this was adding several layers of complexity. I was sure that any of those brands could produce good pictures; I chose Pentax mainly because the descriptions that I read of how the camera's controls worked just made more sense to me than the others.</p>

<p>I use a Pentax DSLR because the very name Pentax takes me way back to my younger years. I used a Pentax spotmatic for about twenty years shooting mainly slides of my kids, my husband, all our pets and all of our friends and their kids. After not doing any photography for about 10 years I started at the bottom of the digital ladder with a small point and shoot up to a not bad Kodak. Then I got the itch for a DSLR. What to do? I read and read and then saw you could buy a Pentax DSLR and even (with a adapter) use old Pentax lens. Since I had 3 lens and my old spotmatic it was just the best idea. I have a Pentax K200D and could not be happier. I am as fond of my new camera as I was my old one even if the new one stumps me once in a while with all its buttons and whistles.</p>

<p>Why Pentax? Because at the time I was looking for an SLR, they were providing the best feature set for the money. Why stick with Pentax? Because of their in-body image stabilization, because of their full backward compatibility with all K-mount lenses ever produced, and because of their beautifully crafted and stylish Limited series of lenses.</p>

<p>I am just going to keep it simple, Pentax is the only camera manufacture to cater to my specific needs and not castigate me for keeping a selection of older but valuable set of lenses.</p>

<p>Why Pentax? You might as well ask why Santa Claus? Because all the innocent children of the world believing in him, and in their innocence reminding us of the joys of being young and open and uncorrupted by greed, lies and hamburgers that don’t taste as good as they look in the picture, and because the Easter Bunny undoubtedly would use a Pentax if he/she were not so busy with delivering candy eggs, and because Tinkerbelle is so small and so quick that only a Pentax could capture the moment of her appearance, the moment that is when and if she leaves Neverland, where Peter is right at this moment taking a picture of Captain Hook with his Pentax, holding his Pentax up to his eye, fondly grasping the contoured hand grip which so perfectly fits his slender hands as he laughs at Hook, who glares briefly at Pan who in turn captures the moment with a quick touch of his right index finger on the ever ready Pentax shutter button, a button that Hook can never press because he has no index finger, and of course then there is Ringo, and who can forget that scene by the Thames? That is why I use a Pentax.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I first started using Pentax equipment in the early 70's when I got a new K2, 35mm SLR. It was the first of a long line of K-mount bodies. I gradually amassed a small collection of lenses which I continue to use today, thanks to the Pentax tradition of making their new equipment backward-compatible.<br>

<br /> When Pentax entered the DSLR market, I was the first one on my block to get an *ist DS -- silly name, but a great camera. Having recently graduated to a new K7, I enjoy it, and all my old and new lenses every day. So far, I have the 21mm, and the 40mm primes -- two of the three lenses that Ned designed the new case for. The K7 is a real jewel of a camera, and I am constantly amazed every time I 'discover' a new feature.</p>

It's the lenses, really. I had my first DSLR from another manufacturer and was reasonably happy with that. Gradually I noticed that just about every lens I really wanted was for Pentax, not for the camera I owned. A small pancake lenses, high-quality primes, whole generations of great used manual lenses still perfectly fine on a digital body. The breaking point was the announcement of the 10-17 Fish-eye zoom. Quirky, offbeat - and a wonderful idea. I sold my then DSLR and got a K10D instead.

 

I still use that K10, with a whole set of compact lenses (including the fish-eye, of course). I also use a Pentax 67 - the medium format lenses are as good and as compact (relatively speaking, of course) as the 35mm ones. I'll get a new body once my K10 gives up, but there's no hurry; it's a good camera and gives me excellent results with those wonderful Pentax lenses of mine.

I chose Pentax exacly because they make nifty stuff like that.

<p>For me it comes down to bang for the buck. For the same dollars nothing else even comes close in performance and features. Why anyone would want to pay for the same Shake Reduction feature over and over again is beyond me. Pentax put it in the body where it belongs... Thats innovation that saves me money on every lens (and lots of it). Pentax optics are not second class either (well, exclude the kit lenses) and are every bit as good the those from Canon and Nikon. Lastly, I proudly proclaim that I shoot Pentax and there is a part of me that enjoys saying so just out of spite. The camera I use is really immaterial. It is a tool - nothing more. Given a quality optic, I will produce a similar quality product no matter what I use. Ultimately, this is because I am the camera --it does what I tell it and not the other way around. Although I could use a Canon or Nikon, I prefer my Pentax. Pentax is always dependable and I love the fact that the same lenses that I use(d) on my KX, P30t, *ist, will also work on my K20D (as will even the older screw mounts) with only a few restrictions (but they work). Those who use the lesser camera bodies such as Canon or Nikon have to maintain a fleet of lenses for each of their systems. I would rather spend my money more wisely than this. So, it comes down to this. I could spend thousands of dollars more for a Canon or Nikon system and have less money in my pocket and a lesser camera in my hands. I chose to save the money and have a better system for my use (portraiture). I chose Pentax and I believe I chose well.<br>

Mel Unruh</p>

 

<p>1980.... my Practica Nova of 1965 had died about 3 years previously. An uncle died, leaving me enough money for a good camera and a couple of lenses. My wife at the time wanted a new fridge.... but she was so fed up with me doing the "<em>picture framing with two hands gesture</em> " that she let me buy a camera.<br>

My main interest is wildlife photography and Pentax at the time were the only cameras offering Aperture priority.... CanNikon both offered only shutter priority. I needed depth of field first, not the ability to freeze sports events, so I bought an <strong>ME Super</strong> ... which I still have [dead exposure meter but still takes pix] and a Tamron Adaptall 2 75 - 250 lens.... which was followed by a second-hand <strong>MX</strong> with a 40mm lens on it.<br>

This did me for a few years until I had trouble holding the long lens steady as the point of balance was too far foward.... so a second-hand <strong>K2</strong> was bought to solve this problem.... varicose other lenses and accessories added to the weight on my shoulders until I bought an <strong>istD</strong> . The joy of being able to run through the equivalent of six rolls of film without the expense [or damage to the environment] of chemical intervention.<br>

I've now just bought a <strong>K7</strong> [following the death of another relative.... well, for most people <em><strong>it is</strong> </em> the rare time a lump sum comes their way!]<br>

All the way through I've been able to use all my old equipment and since "going digital" I've become more experimental in the pix I take.... photography the Pentax way is still <em><strong>FUN!!</strong> </em></p>

<p>I just jumped on the Pentax bandwagon recently and couldn't be happier! Last year, I sold all of my Canon gear (2 20Ds, flashes and a lot of lenses) on Ebay. I got perfectly fine results with Canon, but I felt like I was missing something. I wanted to upgrade and made a point of not choosing one particular brand. I wondered if I could get a camera for a decent price that would hold up while shooting weddings outside in rainy Ireland. I posted on a forum on photo.net asking this particular question. People only suggested one brand and that was Pentax. As I researched it further, I was convinced Pentax had all the features I needed. I also liked that Pentax is kinda indie, not one of the crowd. The older retro-looking Asahi Pentax like the one I got on Ebay (50mm 1.4 Takumar) appeal to my fashion sense as well!<br>

Now that I have my new K20D, the new awesome kit lens 18-55mm WR (weather-resistant, yeah!), my Ebay Takumar 50mm 1.4 and a 50-135mm 2.8 lens... I feel hooked. I've made the right decision. Now... if only Pentax would release a full-frame camera then I'd be beyond happy!</p>

 

<p>A little over 20 years ago, I graduated from college in South Africa. A classmate from England that graduated at the same time had chronic muscular dystrophy, and did not have long to live. I decided that before he went back to England (and before the end), he had to see Africa. We borrowed a tent, a gas cooker, an old car, a Pentax MX SLR with 50mm lens, a pair of binoculars, and set off. I bought 3 rolls of film, and that emptied my pocket of all cash that wasn't for gasoline or food.</p>

<p>My classmate, Neil, couldn't walk or stand up unassisted. The disease was taking a severe toll on him. But we drifted from water hole to river bank, along dirt roads, taking in the beauty of the wildest places South Africa had to offer.</p>

<p>We were chased (in the old Ford Escort) by a bull elephant in musth. I had to pick Neil up and rescue him from a huge hyena that came investigating the smells emanating from our gas cooker one evening. On foot, we got to within 3 foot of a white rhino bull. We saw a huge bird of prey catch a small antelope 30 meters away from us. We sat quietly without talking for hours at a time.</p>

<p>And I took photos. Sparingly. Agonizing over each exposure, milking each roll of film to try and get 39 shots out of each 36 roll. Not one shot was of Neil or me. I don't know why.</p>

<p>Late one afternoon, we were at the side of a large water hole when a herd of elephants came down on the opposite side to drink and cavort. A bull in musth (the same one that chased us the day before?) came down and mated with a cow. In desperation to capture this on film, I put one side of the binoculars to the lens of the camera, and wasted one precious exposure.</p>

<p>We reluctantly made our way back to civilization. We returned all the borrowed kit, Neil went back to England, and I developed the photos. Every single shot was a keeper, including the heavily vignetted, crisply clear shot through the binoculars, of a bull elephant mounting a cow. Within a few months of landing my first job, I spent my salary on my own Pentax SLR and 3 lenses. Over the last 2 decades, the only thing in life that has brought me close to believing in fate was the fact that Pentax was my first step into photography. Over the last 2 decades, one of my biggest regrets is losing the negatives from that deeply emotional trip.</p>

<p>(Love your story Garry!)<br /> I ended up with Pentax purely by mistake. I went looking to move into the DSLR's from film and thought I had found a camera that would take one of my old lenses. It didn't, but that's more than okay. I wouldn't trade the Pentax DSLR for anything - except an upgrade. I did manage to sell the k10d to my brother-in-law by sweet talking just how good the camera is. Well it does me just fine.<br /> I had a go at another variety - and it was so hard to navigate, to change settings that are just so easy and seemingly logical on the Pentax. I can still change all that with the camera to my eye, nice one. Plus it's got a lot of little things in its features that make the hugest difference - like the shake reduction - for example. Plus it's got great digital filters that I love to play with after.<br /> It's taken a little fall and survived well - even if the filter on the lens didn't. And if I forget to take it - or chose to take the point and shoot camera we have, I nearly always regret having done so.</p>

<p> I switched to Pentax K20D from Canon P rangefinders.</p>

<p>I needed more shadow detail than my advanced processing of 1600ISO B&W film could find, I demanded the best possible prime optics, I demanded in-body stabalization, and a camera that was overall nearly as rugged as my vintage rangefinders...not plastic-feeling! Pentax K20D rocks.<br>

<br />My Pentax primes: 21/3.2, 35/2.8, 70/2.4, and 85/2/M. They currently live in Zing neoprene bags... :-)</p>

<p>I did not choose Pentax, Pentax chose me. I used to work at a camera store in Toronto and got to handle a lot of gear from different manufacturers over the years. The different offerings from Pentax always felt right in my hands, up to my eye - more so than the others. I have owned equipment from most of the major 35mm manufacturers and some of the medium format manufacturers - I am a bit of an equipment junkie and this junkie likes his Pentax gear. I am a Pentaxian and this is my story.</p>

<p>I was taught in my younger days by my Sensei that it doesn't matter how long, thick or sharp a weapon is, finally it comes down to how you wield it and it yields. The weapon needs to be extension of your body and thus your mind. It should simple and effective.<br /> <br /> My photography mentor-friend said the same thing. He owned a Nikon. After a few years of using Nikon myself which I bought second-hand from him, I grew on my own and developed my own style and hence, needs. Needs were nothing special, just a mirror lock up, DOF preview, bright view finder and quality lenses. There were two options, go for the flagship Nikon or a second hand 645NII is superb condition. Both had features that I needed (the Nikon had plenty more features that I did not care for) but finally zen ruled. Simplicity, ergonomics, superb line of high quality lens, larger film area, for the same price, won me over. <br /> <br /> This result of this "Zen" process repeating every time I bought a camera/lens for a purpose, was invariably a Pentax. Be it a simple fail-safe twilight friendly camera for extended trekking in the Himalayas (LX), Stroll in the misty rainy villages (K20D) or just for my regular (landscape) photography (645NII). Its an added bonus that all my 645 lens fit on LX and K20D and deliver superb quality even with a 2X converter !. I know of no other camera brand that can claim to do that.<br /> <br /> My Katana is simple, sharp, balanced and effective, cuts where I want it to; its an extension of my hand. My Pentax is simple, sharp, balanced and takes the picture I want it to; its an extension of my mind.</p>

<p>My life with a Pentax DSLR, my first digital camera, began 3 years ago with the release of the K10D. I had been shopping and kicking tires on DSLRs for months and I had narrowed by choices down to a dealer that carried Nikon, Canon, and Pentax, and was particularly free with his positive and negative assessments of each brand and their various models.<br />I was starting a business photographing boats underway on Barnegat Bay and I knew from years of fishing there that only the best equipment would survive more than a season or two. His advice was to buy a sacrificial Rebel XT and just replace it every year. While that advice may have made a certain kind of sense, it really just reflected my frustration in finding a cost effective solution that met my criteria. Seriously, the least expensive weather resistant Canon was $3850! The affordable Canon Rebel XT felt tiny and awkward in my hands. I also tried the too expensive D40 and found its menus and controls frustrating.<br />On the day I went to buy the Canon Rebel the store owner yelled out that he had the right camera for me. The Pentax K10D had just arrived. For under $1000 it was weather resistant. It felt "built like a tank". It fit my hands like a glove. After 10 minutes with the user manual and I knew that I had a great ergonomic design in my hands.<br />After 3 years my Pentax gear has averaged 2 or 3 days a week on the ocean and frequently getting sprayed by saltwater. My K10D and K20D and all of my DA* lenses practically look new and have never been repaired. Now, all the Prosumer-and-up Canons and Nikons are weather proof. Thanks Pentax! I still look at other brands, but Pentax holds a big edge in the outdoors.</p>

<p>I shoot Pentax because I know I've made the wise decision.<br>

What I mean with wise in my case is because I balance between my skill, need and cost.</p>

<p><strong>Skill: </strong><br>

I'm not a pro but I want to be a pro one day. Pentax has enough body, lens and flash for me to practice and improve my skill every day. There is nothing that Pentax camera can't do to improve my skill. In fact it even pushes me to improve my skill than relying on the tool itself. I think basic skills are more important than an advance gear in the hand of an amateur like me.<br>

<strong>Need:</strong><br>

I don't shoot sport or racing so I don't need a blazing fast auto focus. A faster auto focus improvement in the future won't hurt though. What I need more is image quality and precision for what I shoot which are mostly landscape and portrait. So far, I have not yet been disappointed with the result I got from my Pentax gears. And for this need, prime lenses are the best. Pentax has some of the best prime lens at an affordable price which gives me the next balance:<br>

<strong>Cost:</strong><br>

Everybody knows that owning DSLR with a complete set is not a cheap hobby for most of the people in this world. I'm lucky enough to be able to afford it since my income is in US dollar which gives me more advantage than some other regular workers in the other side of the world. Like I said, I'm an amateur that earns no income from my photography hobby but I still want to be able to shoot like a pro shoots. Which one is wiser? Get a Canon/Nikon with one mediocre lens only or Pentax with a SET of great lenses? I know enough to realize that it's a no brainer to go with Pentax.</p>

<p>In the end, this is my own personal wise decision that applies to me and my circumstances. I'm sure others have different circumstances than me and that's why they shoot with other brands. I am not a blind follower but for now I know what to have...<strong><em>PENTAX</em> </strong> ! ;)</p>

 

While serving in the USCG I purchased a Pentax while on leave in Japan in the early 1970s. I have over the years upgraded to their newer models as they came out and finally made the switch to digital 5 years ago. I recently upgraded to the K20d from a K10d. My primary reason for sticking with Pentax all these years is the incredible quality of their lenses. Also the fact that many of my older lenses are still compatible with my newest model, a feature not readily available with other brands.While I take most of my photos outside the waterproof qualities of the K10d and K20d is also a very important consideration. I'll continue to be a loyal Pentax user as long as they are available. I have purchased other brands off and on over the years but always kept my Pentax at the same time. I finally got rid of all the other brands with the conversion to digital and have never looked back. They're Great!!!!!!!!!

<p>The weather sealed bodies are perfect for SW Florida and the DA Limiteds are gems. No nonsense tools for making photographs. I like the KISS factor of it and I will use them as long as I can.</p>

<p>I love the way that Pentax posters come out in groves to win something free. Half the names here I do not recognize...LOL.. ;-)</p>

<p>A confession.<br>

In my youth I lusted after genuine Pentax gear, which I could never afford. I had to settle on an M42 mount Practica and later a K-mount Ricoh, with an assortment of nasty Sigma, Hanimex and Vivitar lenses. I envied the pretty girls in my class that had K-1000s and ME-Supers with their 50 mm primes.</p>

<p>When I moved into the autofocus age, and here is my confession, I traded it all for a plastic Canon rebel twin lens kit, that included two of the cheapest, most horrible zooms Canon ever made. I new nothing then, and expensive, slow, heavy, optically poor zooms seemed to be the way to go. I have a few years of wasted film and softly focussed memories to show for my ignorance.</p>

<p>I'll be honest, over the years I have upgraded my Canon gear and still shoot Canon digitally.</p>

<p>However, as my income increased I wanted to and could afford to rediscover the joys of my youth. Call it a mid life crisis, call it LBA, call it a lust for the feel of genuine metal and SMC glass, but a K-1000 and Mx later, along with an M 28, K 35, M 50, M 135, M 150 and M 200 and I have a Pentax film rig that I could only dream about in my youth. </p>

<p>In a digital and plastic age, there is nothing quite like the feel of leatherette on metal, cranking velvia by hand, focussing a silky damped SMC lens and going click.</p>