Why Pentax ?

[ulrich_brandl]

When I look at postings of Pentax DSLR users most seem to have

decided to buy a Pentax because they have lots of Pentax lenses.

 

I am interested in your opinion if you would recommend Pentax for

someone who does not own any compatible lens.

 

I ask this question as a friend wants to buy a complete new DSLR

system. He has expierience with the discontinued Olympus OM System

that has no meaningful upgrade path to digital. I am using Canon,

but he was not that impressed from my relatively heavy and bulky

camera body and lenses - and the small viewfinder compared to his

old SLR (the viewfinder of the Rebel/XT is even smaller).

 

As I know that Pentax ist smaller, lighter and has a better

viewfinder I would recommend to look for Pentax - but it's difficult

to find. There is no local store that has Pentax (except P&S) on

stock.

 

Therefore my two questions before the efforts of getting hands on a

Pentax:

 

Would you buy a Pentax DSLR again if you would start from zero ?

 

What do you think about the overall (lens options...) system ?

 

Thanks,

 

Ulrich

[jeffpolaski]

I have always considered a camera body to simply be a device to hold film behind the lens. Even if I did not have a range of older Pentax lenses, I'd continue to plan to buy a Pentax *ist DS because of the incredible range of lenses it can use. That said, I don't use a lot of automation -- I like to set my own focus.

 

In short, I started using Pentax in 1970 and have never been disappointed in their equipment. The compatibility, over the years, has been so much better than the other brands that let their equipment become obsolete after only a few years of service.

 

As for availability at your location, Ulrich, I live in Philadelphia (USA) and have bought Pentax equipment from the UK, Australia, and Argentina. It's a global marketplace.<div></div>

[Jochen_S]

Maybe not. - At the moment I'm deeply impressed by the options offered by a Konica-Minolta in body IS for available light photography. (I'd love to have one with 50mm f1.4 and Sigma 24mm) Or the upgrade and fast AF options of Canon. - I want 24MP before some time in my life.

 

If I look at Pentax German homepage it seems like they're closing down. - Where are all the primes gone? There seems to be no reliable (e)TTLflash too.

And well, do I love SLRs in general? - Epson? Digital Leica M?

 

On the other hand: Pentax are building working small DSLRs with nice finders. Used k-mount lenses are cheaper than the same for Nikon or any more popular mount. If your friend needs only something like his OM gear digital; why not if 6MP are enough?

 

I'm a poor gearhead with ambitions; I purchased LF & MF too and am licking AF & DSLR-blood with my Pentax. So that's a reason to be not completely satisfied when other brands offer greater stuff. But well, there are lots of doable things within the limits of a Pentax and it's fun.

 

Ulrich; your name suggests you are coming from small & beautiful Germany too. Take a backpack full of beer, your friend, some cheap weekend-train ticket and go to some other town to touch the Pentax (after a few calls or a short web research you should find some shop to go to), do some sightseeing afterwards and decide then.

[mark_lindamood]

Pentax, challenged as it is, does some interesting things in their camera designs, and their lensmaking takes a back seat to no one. All of that backwards compatibility with lenses is great, and many Pentax digital users are finding great results with old lenses. The new digital lenses promise to be just as good as many of their predecessors. It's actually a little fun to carry on with Pentax.

[chris_chow]

Making recommendations to friends are always difficult because your preferences may not be the same as your friend's. So recommendations have to be on the safe side. Here it goes.

 

Pentax is not the most convenient option to start a new system. I would recommend the usual Canon or Nikon. Besides, despite all the enthusiasm, the *ist DS definitely is not the best DSLR around. The title should go to either Canon or Nikon.

 

Having said that, must add that Pentax is an interesting company that makes interesting products. With experience, patience and enthusiasm, good results will follow that compare favourably with D70 or 20D.

[jimdesu]

You're right about the lenses, but here's the dirty little secret: Pentax (prime) lenses are very, very good. I'll put a 50mm f/1.4 Pentax lens (any version) up against a Leica Summilux without blinking. Pentax doesn't market to high-end 35mm users because it doesn't consider 35mm to be a professional format, so you'd never know from the (consumer oriented) marketing literature how good their lenses really are.

 

I, personally, might hesitate to start all over w/ a Pentax DSLR, but that would only be if somehow a 2nd version of the Contax ND came about (bloody unlikely, it seems).

[s_gazzetti]

Short answer: yes.

 

After an exhaustive amount of research, I bought an ist DS a few weeks ago. I would definitely do the same again and can recommend this camera most highly. As I did the research I narrowed my choices down to the ist and the D70. I am very happy with my decision. It was influenced only slightly by the backward-compatibility of lenses issue. More important to me were the small but solid build-quality, which makes this camera a joy to carry and use hour after hour. My 35mm is a K-1000, and I love it and esteem Pentax for the solidity of their products. Also important to me were the very favorable reviews I read of the ergonomics and intuitive menu layouts of the ist cameras, which I can wholeheartedly confirm. Another consideration was the power flexibility--rechargeable AA NiMH batteries are the way to go. The only thing I might do differently would be to consider going with the ist D instead of DS--more expensive, only very slightly larger/heavier but uses CF cards and can be fitted with a battery grip. That said, I am VERY happy with the battery life of this camera, and virtually everything else about it. The ist DS is a WONDERFUL camera. By the way, I also had difficulty finding it in Europe and had to mail-order it. Your friend should be able to find it on-line for under 800 euros, with (very nice 18-55mm) kit lens.

[bill sullivan]

I agree with the words written above in favor of Pentax cameras and lenses. Regarding your friend's bad luck with Olympus, I think you have to look at the fact that Pentax is a diverse company, enjoying a good reputation in medium format in addition to P&S and 35mm. They may seem stupid when them come up with a name is "*ist," but they somehow seem stable and solid to me. I don't see them falling out of the race like Olymnpus. This is just a gut feeling. I am not one of the shareholders nor am I privvy to any financial analyses of their company.

 

What I think about the overall Pentax system is this. I bought my first Pentax 35mm camera 25 years ago. A photographer friend advised me to go to the camera store, pick up and handle all the cameras I could, and select the one that felt best. I came home with a Pentax. I still like the way my Pentax feels.

 

I like the value for money, too. Sure, there are a lot more lens options for Nikon and Canon, but how many lenses does a person need to buy?

 

I can't answer your question about buying a Pentax DSLR again because I have never bought one. With limited funds for photography, I have felt that better lenses were a better investment than replacing my film body with a digital. But that's another story.

[nee_sung]

>>Would you buy a Pentax DSLR again if you would start from zero ?<<

 

Yes.

 

>>What do you think about the overall (lens options...) system ?<<

 

It is great. Great lenses; great backwards-compatability.

 

If your friend likes small and light, Pentax is the way to go.

 

I would even recommend Pentax for professionals, unless you need fast frame-per-second ability.

 

I started experimenting with Pentax 2 years ago with an *ist (the film camera) at the time when the *istD came out. I liked it so much I bought the MZ-S and all 3 "Limited" lenses. When the *istDs came out I bought it, and I absolutely love it.

 

Many people may not know it, but Pentax does not regard Nikon or Canon as their lens-competitor. They only regard Zeiss as their lens-competitor. That just about says it all for Pentax lens quality. And I can vouch for it from personal experience. (I also have the Contax G2 with 3 lenses 28/45/90, and I have used Hasselblads+Zeiss lenses).

[40mm]

Until a few weeks ago, I was a Nikon user with a collection of about a dozen lenses. I'd been saving for a while for a D70. When I finally got to a shop to look at some DSLRs, the *ist DS quickly became the obvious choice. In terms of handling, build and design, it seems much better than the similarly priced alternatives. Far more importantly, the viewfinder is ok. Just ok. Every other DSLR (that I could afford) was hideous to look through in comparison. Even the *ist DS is pretty poor in comparison to my 20+ years old Nikon SLRs, but at least it's usable.

 

As for lenses, does your friend have some specialist requirement? All the brands offer pretty much the same selection of over-engineered, over-complex, over-sold, frustratingly slow zooms. None of them offer much of a selection of primes. People who like to make pictures of walls and test charts will debate the differences between brands. People who like to make interesting photographs will continue to, regardless of the particular name on their lens.

 

I bought a manual Pentax A 50mm f/2 ($60, brand new) as my first lens for the *ist DS. I've been very impressed by not only the undeniable image quality it delivers, but how easily the whole package handles. Must be one of the greatest bargains in photography right now. But it's not autofocus, so no-one but old-before-their-time curmudgeons like me are interested in it.

[johns1]

Maybe not.

 

Sometime this year I'll be purchasing my first DSLR but I'm not really excited about it despite all the logic. The only thing that might push me over the edge into the arms of the Pentax *istDS is the four great Pentax lenses I've used for years with my faithful and uncomplaining Super ME. (SLR's solely used for macro or long tele work in this house.)

 

Absent my existing brace of Pentax lenses, I might be tempted by the Canon 20D ONLY because of all the fabulous photos I have seen on the web taken with this new camera.

 

I'm in no hurry though. My main love affair remains the Leica M despite all the inconveniences of film. STILL too many tiny, arcane buttons and menus on all the DSLRs I've seen when compared to the zen-like simplicity of the Leica.

[r_bryant]

I was in this very situation up until 3 days ago. In my former life, I shot photos professionally (as a very young man). I started out with a Miranda 35 mm, then moved to Canon and went through several of them. I did all my own darkroom processing, also rented Nikons and special lenses. I specialized in sports and event photography and enjoyed other aspects of photography. I gave it up for college degree(s) and a great salary as a research engineer. Now I am returning. For me, money is not an object and I studied the digital world (as only an engineer can) for about a year.

 

I picked the *ist Ds over the Canons, Nikons, Lumix, (panasonic) Olympus, Minolta and the point and shoot cameras - I never used a Pentax, ever! Although I was VERY tempted with these others, there was always something I did not like in the layout and design. I did not even see the *ist Ds except for pictures or reviews. I wanted a DSLR for the interchangeable lenses (the Epson RD-1) and Leica were out, Lumix does not export RAW (except new digicam/Leica twin) the Canons. Minoltas and Nikons felt cheap and did not feel right in my hand. I wanted a light "street camera" not a big fat monster with fifty menu choices behind ninety five buttons. I also wanted a camera that I could put in a backpack or big pocket, take on a trip, maybe let my kids experiment with it (as a treat only).

 

So, starting from zero, I picked the *ist Ds for its 6+ Mp (which is all most of us really need), Pentax has been around for a long time and has a good rep, the camera is small and has a steel frame with a rubber grip (so I am told) - sounds solid. I have heard it has an excellent viewfinder and a larger LCD (aging eyes need all the perks), and uses standard size batteries, very convienent. If it fits well in my hand (it appears ergonomic), than it was a excellent choice. If not, I'll just buy my second choice, the Olympus E-300, or was it the Minolta A-something or other?

 

Regards

 

Rob

[james_oneill]

I wanted a *ist-D from the moment it was announced because I had existing Pentax kit, but when I held one in my hand for the first time I knew I would be taking it home.

 

Unlike a film camera a digital camera is NOT use a box to hold the film, and lens ... it IS the film and I like the Pentax image rendering, but this is a matter of taste.

 

But the way a camera handles is crucial to getting you to go out and shoot with it, and having the controls in well located is crucial to not missing shots and so on. Personally I think Pentax wins by a big margin in this area, but different people find diffrent things work for them, so I would say you should try the camera - or at least be able to return it at low cost.

[r_bryant]

It has been only 3 weeks with my *ist Ds, and it was the right choice. I have no regrets but would like to add several things. This camera can be fully operated with only one hand once the program mode is selected, the extra ergonomics for your thumb (on the back side) allow for truly steady grip - this feature is absent on the other cameras I looked at. Like the Contax Digital N, there is a program feature that allows the taking three photos over-normal-underexposed for some tricky lighting situations. The removal of the F-Stop ring on the some of the new lenses to the body-rear was an excellent engineering and cost design feature! Easy on the batteries and has a well "build" feel to it. I really enjoy using this camera, I have other lenses on order and have shot many photos so far. I plan to take the camera with me on several overseas trips this summer.

 

Rob