No love for Pentax?!

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I just had to notice that Pentax is not getting nearly any attentions at this forum, its almost all Oly and Nikon.

And Pentax produced such great machines as the MX, the LX or the K1000!


IMHO, these cameras are just as beutyfull, relieable and solid, as any Oly, and almost as any Nikon out there...

I own 2 MX and have used Spotmatics and LX before, and was always amazed by the quality of these cameras.


So, why no love?
 
I don't know but in the past there has been a lot written about the Pentax. I have six SLR Pentax bodies and a number of lenses. Except for the 6x7 all the screw mount lenses fit on the K mount bodies including the DSLRs. I even can put all my screw mount lenses with adapter on my LeicaIIIf and BessaR. I even have an adapter to use my LTM lenses on all of my 35mm Pentax bodies (macro). They are compact great cameras, maybe just out of fashion at this time.
 
Ya got deep love here. I've been using Pentax Spotmatics since 1968. Pentax lenses are as good as the rest, the bodies are tough indeed, and the cameras are simple and easy to use. I've lugged them through miserable weather in Northern Ireland and Scotland and rain forests in Central America. Not one has ever quit working, including the one a cop hit with his billy club during the San Francisco State College troubles.

The current line of Pentax DSLR cameras are also sturdy and easy to use. I have the Pentax K20D, but I prefer to use film cameras.
 
I'm sure you'll have a bunch of Pentax devotees coming out of the woodwork posting to this topic. The best Pentax lenses equal the best in the world. The modern limited lenses are jewels unmatched by the major SLR makers. My daily kid-shooter is a K10D with a sack full of limited lenses.
 
The first camera I took a picture with in the early 80's was the ME Super from my dad. The first camera I owned was an A3. Then when I switched to AF I thought I needed something "better" or more "pro" so I bought a Nikon F801... It is hard to blame this on a camera, but for a while I lost all interest in photography and sold everything. Then a few years back it started itching again and I was able to strike a good deal on a mint Pentax LX. What a fine camera!!! Picked up some accessories and lenses over time and love it. I know I'm not a pro photographer and just do it for my own fun, but just holding that LX already gives me a good feeling... the small size, the build quality, the excellent finder... I hope it will last me a long time!
 
I started photography with a K1000 and my first "pro" level camera was an LX. Great machine. The film rewind knob fell off, though, when I was working for a newspaper in part of the world where Pentax had no distributor. Plenty of Nikon gear around though. So I switched to an F4 and never looked back. I actually like the Nikon glass better than Pentax, even though I know that sort of preference is heresy these days and Pentax folks will be up in arms. It's a personal choice, though and my Nikons were generally faster and seemed the sharper lenses, which is what I cared most about at the time. Gradually, I gravitated to Nikon and Leica in 35mm lenses and Hassie/Pentax 67 in MF. I know that there will be posts following this one that say, "my Pentax lenses are as good or better than your fill-in-the-blank brand." Hey, it's all fine with me. Shoot with whatever you like.

I still have a Pentax screw-mount body and a host of lenses, but don't use them much. I think that in terms of quality for the dollar, Pentax screw-mount lenses are such a flaming great deal and SOOOOO rock solid in terms of build quality.

Ben Marks
 
Great cameras, but I never fully bought into the system because the lenses were too expensive!
Now I'm trying to limit my purchases of film gear, but I still wouldn't mind trying out some of those old screwmount Taks.
 
Recently Ive been using a fine little MX purchased from the renowned Mr.Hendrickson over in the US.Need I say more.:)

In days gone by I used to use Screw mount Takumars on my Practica and Chinon SLR's with lovely results.I have a non- Pentax Manufactured Screw Mount to K Mount Adaptor,and should really try it out on the MX sometime.

Brian.
 
bought a pentax body because i got a cheap voigtlander SL 75/F2.5. The camera works well enough and my favourite photos were taken with the voigtlander.

I'm also very much in love with the concept of the Limited lenses but cannot afford them.

The Pentax DSLRs are the best value on the market in my opinion, so for the above reasons i will not switch to another brand as far as my choice in SLR goes.

PK mount lenses are also relatively cheap and common. Voigtlander is also continuing it;s support of the mount in there SL line up but lately im seeing the nikon versions more on the sites.
 
Well, I've passed on my SL and SV to friends, since I shoot mainly medium format now and am trimming the 35mm fat. Couldn't bring myself to give up the MX - an OM-2N is all very well, but sometimes one needs the small size that the MX and 40mm f/2.8 SMC-M gives - and nobody is taking away my 645N without a fight. The controls are as close to perfect as I've ever found on an SLR, and it also makes a brilliant point'n'shoot.

I'm not so convinced by their digital offerings, though. The K100D was a great little camera, but the K20D wasn't entirely a successful upgrade. I appreciate the better finder and the improved ergonomics that extra dedicated controls and the larger size bring, but I've lost about two 'stops' of image stabilisation, the autofocus is still rubbish, and the focus indicator is so sluggish and inaccurate as to be utterly useless for manual focus. Ah well, it'll still serve me well for another few years - but what wouldn't I give for a digital insert for the 645N instead. :D
 
My first slr was a Pentax ME, then a year later I added an MX. Several years later I switched to Nikon: FE2 and FM2. Now I have some F3's. Lately I'm into Olympus OM1, 2, and 4. I do have a nice black Pentax MX with 40mm pancake lens. I like variety.
 
motosacto said:
I'm sure you'll have a bunch of Pentax devotees coming out of the woodwork posting to this topic. The best Pentax lenses equal the best in the world. The modern limited lenses are jewels unmatched by the major SLR makers. My daily kid-shooter is a K10D with a sack full of limited lenses.
Click to expand...
Aw, did a Spotmatic kick your dog? ;)
 
I like Pentax!

I also have a K-mount kit with 2 MX bodies and a bunch of lenses but I prefer the older Spotmatic and Tak lenses.
 
Let's see...I have 2 MX bodies, 1 ME SE and a P3 (bought my daughter a chrome MX with the 50mm 1.7 lens)
I have 3 maybe 4 Pentax 50mm lenses...I bought the Vivitar Series 1 35-85mm and 70-210mm lenses for the first two MX bodies.
I was also able to use some M42 lenses with the use of an adapter...
I love the Pentax brand but have been using the Nikons more lately mainly for the Auto-Focus and Metering...
 
I primarily use Pentax kit for my digital SLR photography - with older manual focus lenses, both screw-mount and K or KA mount. For film SLRs, I still prefer the system I grew up on, Canon FL and FD mount.
 
When I started Pentax bodies while solid were much slower in handling (e.g. changing lenses) than Nikons. While I think they were if not the first, one of the fist with AE, which lenses could be used to meter wide open and which ones couldn't was a pain. Great flashes and their best lenses are wonderful. When they came out with the K mount it was too late for me, already too deep into Nikon glass.

B2 (;->
 
I love Takumar lenses, the 200/4 beats the Oly 200/4 IMO.

2007715010_e6b8b825ea.jpg


The 35/2 is equally sharp and good. I'd love to have an LX, but they are disgustingly expensive and I missed the black MX that I sold long time ago.
 
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