For years, the name Pentax was synonymous with rugged, dependable camera technology. Their strong suits, like weather-sealed bodies and innovative in-body stabilization features, made them a favorite among photographers who sought both quality and a bit of an underdog edge. However, as digital photography and camera technology have advanced, Pentax seems to have been left behind.
Technological Stagnation
Lack of Mirrorless Options
It’s no secret that mirrorless technology has revolutionised photography. Offering lighter and more compact bodies, faster shutter speeds, and more robust video capabilities, mirrorless is the present and future of photography. Canon, Nikon, and Sony have all embraced this with open arms, offering a range of mirrorless options for both amateur and professional photographers. Pentax’s reluctance to step into the mirrorless market feels less like brand identity and more like a refusal to adapt.
Outdated Autofocus
Autofocus technology is a critical factor for modern photography and is where we’ve seen the most innovation within mirrorless camera technology. Whether capturing a split-second moment in sports or nailing focus on a subject’s eyes in portrait photography, autofocus can make or break a photo. Companies like Sony and Canon have significantly advanced in this area with eye-tracking and animal detection features. Pentax, however, has not kept pace. The result is an autofocus system that often struggles in conditions where competitors excel.
Sensor Technology
The advancements in sensor technology are among the most compelling improvements in modern cameras. From greater dynamic range to superior low-light performance, the sensor is the heart of any camera. Unfortunately, Pentax’s sensor offerings have not seen any groundbreaking developments in recent years. Brands like Sony are pushing the envelope with stacked sensor technologies, leaving Pentax trailing in the dust.
Video Capabilities
Today’s photographers often wear many hats, and videography is an increasingly important skill. Many wedding photographers, for instance, as asked for both video and stills. For the jobbing photographer, video is becoming an important deliverable. Pentax’s video capabilities, however, have not received the attention they deserve. Limited to basic frame rates and resolutions, and with questionable autofocus during video, Pentax is not suitable for serious video work. In contrast, even entry-level mirrorless cameras from other brands offer 4K video and advanced stabilisation.
Limited Lens and Accessory Options
First and Third-Party Lens Availability
As the adage goes, “You don’t just invest in a camera; you invest in a system.” The lens ecosystem for Pentax is far from thriving. Major third-party manufacturers are hesitant to release Pentax-compatible lenses, which restricts the creative potential for Pentax users. When your lens choices are limited, so are your photographic possibilities.
Accessory Ecosystem
Beyond lenses, the array of available accessories like battery grips, external flashes, and other add-ons is equally important. Here, too, Pentax falls short. The lack of diversity in accessories means you’re often limited to what the brand itself provides, which can’t compare to the plethora of options available for Canon, Nikon, or Sony cameras.
Software and Usability
Infrequent Updates
Firmware updates are an often overlooked, yet crucial aspect of modern photography. They can drastically improve a camera’s performance and extend its lifespan. Pentax’s infrequent firmware updates suggest a lack of commitment to enhancing user experience and keeping their products competitive.
User Experience
Modern cameras are essentially computers with lenses, and the user interface is the operating system. While brands like Fujifilm and Sony are consistently refining their menus and controls for better user experience, navigating a Pentax menu feels archaic, and the lack of touchscreen functionality in many models exacerbates this issue.
Market Presence and Customer Support
Community and Support
Having a community where photographers can share advice, offer troubleshooting tips, and provide feedback is invaluable. Brands like Canon and Sony have massive online communities, as well as regular educational events. Pentax’s community, on the other hand, is dwindling, and the company’s online resources and customer support lag far behind all of its competitors.
Trade-in and Upgrade Programs
Canon, Sony and even Nikon offer trade-in programs that make upgrading easier and less costly. Pentax lacks a similar program, which further discourages brand loyalty. An upgrade path is not just a sales strategy; it’s a sign of a company committed to its user base.
The Counterpoints
Of course, there are still reasons some might choose Pentax. The cameras are often more budget-friendly, and some features like weather sealing are genuinely top-notch. However, these pros are increasingly overshadowed by the long list of cons described above.
Nostalgia and brand loyalty are powerful factors but should not blind us to tangible shortcomings in a rapidly evolving industry.
Photography is more dynamic and competitive than ever. To stay relevant, brands must innovate and adapt to the needs and expectations of photographers. Regrettably, Pentax has failed to do so on multiple fronts, making it difficult for me to recommend the brand in good conscience.
As photographers, our gear is an extension of our creative vision. In a field that’s continuously evolving, we can’t afford to be held back by our tools.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/16-pentax-news-rumors/459202-your-thoughts-i-believe-they-didnt-put-forward-all-advantages-using-pentax.html
Your last sentence says it all. I got tired of Pentax focusing system and lack of alternative lenses. Video was almost non-existent too. As much as I love my K1, I had to go higher res and have lens options. Sony and Tamron answered the call. So my limitation is me not my tools anymore!
Oh, the same old, same old.
There is nothing in the article to tell me you have actually been shooting with a Pentax. “If it is not mirrorless, it os not good.” Really? There are differences (+ and -) between mirrored and mirrorless cameras. Pentax has chosen (note: chosen) to stay with a mirrored camera. That doesn’t make it worse, it simply makes it different.
Have you tried the autofocus on the Pentax K-3-III? If not, then don’t talk about autofocus. If so, then what is your complaint?
Touchscreen? Really? Oh look, another way to make sure my LCD is smeary. You may prefer it, but not everyone does. It is a choice.
Lack of accessories? Yeah, I really need to choose among 5 or 6 different battery grips. And what is wrong with Pentax’s hotshoe that it won’t work with the external flashes you mentioned? By the way, the last time I checked you can use any tripod or monopod with a Pentax.
You mention upgrade programs. What is the pathway for Canon or Nikon DSLR owners who wish to stay with a mirror system. Do they have upgrades coming?
All of these things you have mentioned are the same common tropes that can be read anywhere, when someone has to fill space without having to actually put their hands on the product.
Before you write anymore about Pentax, go pick one up and shoot some picture with it.
Just some thoughts. Tell me you would rather shoot mirrorless. Tell me that Pentax’s system is limited compared to the broad product lines of some others. But please, please tell me it is a choice — and a good one. And do not tell me that these fine cameras should be ignored and forgotten.
Thank you.
Accurate and well said.
His profile shows him as having shot with a Pentax. It’s just another “keep with the tech and innovation” rant, Sony at one time were dismissed by reviewers now all of a sudden they are the gold standard. He should just review on the capability of the equipment and if a manufacture keeps getting bad reviews they may improve from those reviews – don’t ban them. I am a Sony user but from the days of Minolta, I pretty much stopped at the a99 MkII and won’t touch anything after that – lets hope I don’t break it! I have used Pentax and they are excellent cameras, If you want to be really creative and understand and use your tools to the best affect, shoot film occasionally, all this technology is driving me bonkers. Give me a camera that won’t give me the perfect eye in focus shot, let me work at getting the eye in focus. Anyhow, that article has put me off this site for a while – way too biased
I’ve been using Pentax since about 1980. From the Pentax ME Super film camera, to a Pentax K-01, and now the K-30. All lower priced, lower end cameras for sure, but all – in my opinion – excellent. I still have several old, 1980s, manual focus lenses that I use from time to time. And I’ve never had a problem finding other accessories that I wanted. I agree that support from the Company is not there. That’s true. I have a K-01 that needs work, and it’s too expensive for me to fix on my own. But when I wore out that camera, and it “bit the dust”, it didn’t keep me from going out and buying another Pentax K-01. I’ve added a K-30 to my gear since then. Since 1980 I’ve been a News Photographer. I’ve worn, carried, and dragged my Pentaxs through rain, snow, ice, blistering hot sun,…up and down fire escapes, through underground tunnels, a few caves, and even a crash landing in a hot air balloon (don’t try THAT at home!). I’ve owned 7 cameras, only one has failed me, and as much as I use them, and abuse them, I think 1 out of 7 is a pretty good track record.
Well said, man.
What a thoroughly biased article.
No support? Pentax Forums is one of the most comprehensively useful forums I have ever had the pleasure of participating in
Video? a feature of little issue to most Stills photographers.
Infrequent updates – you have obviously made this comment without any research into the matter.
Pentax is dead, bla bla bla… Nonsense, long live Pentax!
Pentax is still making cameras for photographers. People who know how to focus a camera on what they want. The other manufacturers seem to be only interested in making cameras that don’t need a photographer except to carry it from one location to another.
It’s funny, I have shot Pentax, Sony A7 FF, Olympus m43rd flagships, Fuji xpro series. The one I regret selling is my Pentax. It was just a different experience all together.
No other brand is as enjoyable to shoot as Pentax. You’ve got to try one to realise this. I just wish more people would give them a try before passing judgement.
Hmm, firmware, AF, sensor IQ, Dynamic Range and the menu have all seen significant improvements with and since the release of the K-3 Mark III. Granted, the older camera platforms from Pentax haven’t had the same firmware love (most likely due to the hardware). But the K-3 Mark III is a huge step forward and is the opposite of some things you mentioned in the article.
My first DSLR was a Pentax, and I upgraded from that to a Pentax k-70 in 2016. Since then Pentax has not released a new camera sensor or a new dslr since then. It’s a shame all the film lenses work fantastic on the digital bodies. But I can’t use outdated tech to do professional shoots. It’s a shame really.
You obviously haven’t tried the K3-III or the K3-III Monochrome yet. Both are vast improvements on previous models and the new Monochrome sensor is a Leica beater.
Seriously, not all photography needs split second AF. I really love the OVF, hate all EVFs I tried so Pentax will be in my bag as long as possible. The limited lenses and the K-1 lets me take beautiful images while I enjoy taking them. Tested a Sony with adapter and the FA77 limited. Not as fun as the K-1… Not to mention the LCD 8n the K-1, it is brilliant!
I am curious if you have reviewed the Pentax K3-iii, because I find firmware updates to be reasonably often. And focus is fast and accurate. And coupled with good lenses performance and handling are good.
Since the early 70’s I’ve been a Pentexian. From the K1000 to my last camera the K3ii. Yeah, Pentax cameras don’t compare well, in many aspects to the big three. But Pentax cameras can still produce many wonderful images. If that’s all your looking for.But in an ever evolving industry Sadly, Pentax has fallen too far behind. Which is why many Pentexians, like me have moved on to new tools. Nether the less, your article Jeff hits hard.
This article makes me sad. I’ve had Pentax cameras and lenses since the mid-1970’s. Everything written is probably true but my Pentax stuff is a constant thread in my photography life.
I agree and decided not to buy a new Pentax body only camera after failure of the Aperture Control block which seems to be common in cameras manufactured in years 2016 to 2018. Bye, bye Pentax
Until such a time that the visual dynamic range of a mirrorless video screen viewfinder is identical to an optical viewfinder, Pentax remains the only game in town.
An EVF can never come close to the clarity of a decent optical viewfinder no matter how high the resolution
While allot of that is true some parts actually point out the reason Pentax is still a good choice. They don’t offer a trade in program but they also don’t outdate all their lenses with every new techno fad that comes along. Only Sony has really done anything with sensor technology that is significant, ten years the sensors all got so good that only pixel peepers can tell the difference, I have made 48 inch prints from my canon 5d mk3 that are gallery quality. I found that the lenses usually weigh so much that the camera weight is moot, but mirrorless still has so many advantages.
Oh woe is me, I’m so upset that some overpaid nobody on the internet “can’t recommend” Pentax anymore!
Mirrorless is overrated. I prefer an slr. Pentax has done a great favor to brand loyalists by not changing the k mount, and their controls are laid out in a way that photographers like.
I have to agree. I started on Pentax, my father was a Pentax shooter in the 80’s and 90’s. Brand loyalty only takes you so far. My Canon R5 blows away anything I’ve ever had, even my Fuji medium, especially in the boudoir world.
It would be nice if Pentax upped their game and got on board with the newer technologies. Time will tell.
What was the point of this article? If Pentax isn’t doing anything new or modern that earns a recommendation for one of their new cameras, then simply don’t write up a recommendation for said cameras. Why, though, would you feel the need to go out of your way to write an entire article about why you are NOT going to recommend anything from Pentax? If they suddenly took a major step backwards and were no longer making rugged, well built, dependable cameras with great image quality and a great lens lineup, then okay. If all their new cameras were suddenly low quality, easily breakable boxes of crap and they were hoping to quickly sell as many as possible in order to cash out and run, then okay. Makes sense. Thanks for warning us. But, I’m this case, their cameras are just as good as they ever were. The people who like Pentax and are happy buying their cameras will not be disappointed. But, because they aren’t shifting over to mirrorless or getting involved with high end video, etc, you suddenly feel compelled to write an article to tell the world that you won’t recommend their products? You know, there’s a term for this…
I have a Pentax K3 Mk3 which has had regular firmware updates during the year to add extra features. One of these was the ability to take sharp images of the stars without the need for an additional star tracker or a GPS unit. The new auto focus system on my camera is very fast and accurate. Mirrorless cameras have their place but I personally don’t like to view what I am taking vìa a small electronic screen in place of an optic viewfinder.
Thanks for your thoughts. My main reason for staying with Pentax so far, rather than moving to a mirrorless system, is the optical viewfinder. I greatly dislike the experience of shooting with EVFs and screens….EVFs actually make me Dizzy on top of frustrated with the feeling of looking at a computer image instead of reality. I realize this cuts me off from better focus systems and features like focus stacking which I would love to access, and other features/ points you made. Any suggestions?
I traded my K-5 for a new K3-III and got great value.
Considering the depreciation on mirrorless camera’s like the Canon R5 ia much greater than on Pentax models , I’ll stick with Pentax. I’ll only lose a few hundred pounds compared to well over £1000 on an R5
Nothing has ever felt as comfortable as a Pentax, my A7IV feels plastic and tiny and my Canon 6DII only feels good with the grip for the extra dimension. First time I held a Pentax I felt so very seen.
Pentax is particular type of camera for particular type of photographers.
Anyway, such pointless bashing article that atleast should put some thought into it instead of just reflecting some personal issues and bias for sake clickbaiting.
Happy shooting.
I don’t own a Pentax, strictly Sony for me. That being said, this was the dumbest article I’ve ever seen.
Got to agree with you. All camera brands are struggling to survive due to the popularity of smartphones, so why bash a brand who are catering for a niche market and starting to gain popularity especially with Monochrome shooters.
I think you don’t know what is a PENTAX.
Pentax is a camera for real Photographer s.
You have to have one, to understand .
João Alves
Poor management and planning. Their boat has sunk already. Always follow the trend, otherwise you will be left behind. I was a Minolta 35mm camera user. That brand got swallowed by Sony, that embraces technology like a sponge. Whatever happened to Minox?
This is a bit much, the newer Pentax DSLR bodies are powerful, incredibly well made cameras. I have a K3iii and a Nikon Z5. Both excellent cameras, the Pentax wipes the floor with the Z5 as a well rounded, versatile camera.
Yes, Correct decision. Pentax has been on the outs for a long time. And it is no longer a budget brand. Old tech.
Their Monochrome sensor is vastly superior to anything currently available in the mirrorless sector with amazing light gathering abilities allowing you to shoot at ISO’s which were unimaginable in the past and still retain loads of detail. The latest K3-III and K3-III Monochrome easily beat most full frame mirrorless systems in terms of low light performance. Please check out the comparison test on Petapixel as it shows the current Pentax APSC sensor can match a Sony Full frame.
I don’t remember you giving Nikon or Canon a don’t buy recommendations when they were dragging their feet on mirrorless tech.
Pentax is Pentax. It’s not a heavy professional camera. I’ll assume those of us have a number of pentax lenses. We don’t buy a new body to get 40mp to post the photos on social. Updates of firmware, only is something is wrong. If it works, it’s fine. Mirrorless, unless it’s outside. I can peek into the viewfinder day or night. We’re an old bunch. We don’t buy the latest and greatest just to show off.
When I began photography, my fast film was Kodachrome 64 with a Pentax SLR. Since then I’ve purchased many lenses, manual & automatic, as well as many cameras for nonpro use. I’ve always come back to Pentax. All the Pentax lenses I’ve acquired over the years are still usable on my Pentax K3, try that with other major brands. I find my K3 water resistant, trouble free, heavy & ergonomic. The user friendly, customizable menu & dials allow me to easily choose f-stop, shutter & iso or none or all. When an image goes south badly I’m responsible, not the camera. Is it worth the money to invest thousands in a new, highly touted, camera system when the one I own suits my uses (and those I haven’t even thought of) so comfortably. BTW, one of my favorite lenses is still an 80s Pentax 100mm macro.
Absolute rubbish. I have never read such a poorly constructed and ill-judged piece. “Cameras are essentially computers…” maybe, but one should not need a degree in computer sciences to take a picture. Has anyone tried navigating a Sony or Olympus menu system lately? Good luck! I have both Olympus and Pentax systems, and the Pentax is so easy to navigate in comparison.
Lenses? Not many other systems van boast being able to use legacy lenses from the 1970s without an adapter.
Yes, mirrorless are dominating the market now, but thelat does not make it all-conquering. The latest monochrome version of the K-3iii has sold out everywhere, and Ricoh cannot make them fast enough. And the focus system in the K-3iii is right up there with the rest.
3/10 for effort.
While the conclusion is ultimately still true, the latest K-3 III model has many of the features suggested to be non existent from Pentax. Eye tracking autofocus, 4K video, and the same BSI sensor as the Fujifilm XT-4. Ricoh did offer a trade in when I bought this model and included a flash accessory. As far as lenses they are still one of the only brands to offer the holy trinity in APSC equivalents rather than just full frame. I have received more firmware updates on this model than any other camera I’ve used or owned. Pentax may be lagging behind the competition but let’s be accurate here. They can exist as a boutique brand just like Leica if that’s what they’d prefer. Why discourage competition and limit choices?
I completely agree with the author, but for the time being I am sticking to my Pentax K1. I mainly shoot headshots, portraits and work with dancers. The advantages of the new mirrorless cameras are minimal. Maybe a little more flexibilty with dancers with regards tomovement, but at the end of the day I do not see a major difference in image quality. I will see what Pentax eventually comes up with to replace the K1 and then decide if the time is right to move to another system. Although the lens choices are limited, it really meets my needs. As far as the Pentax community, I feel they are small, but very strong. The community is always there to help and it is an amazing resource to any Pentax user regardless of their level.
This is completely laughable. What about Leica M digital bodies with ZERO electronic coupling and fully manual focus and aperture – and even worse the dreaded zero lens data in each image. But that never stopped Leica making them and their thousands of dollars worth prime lenses. Leica is not a popular camera maker and their prices are ludicrous, but the output is excellent.
I’ve shot mirrorless and Pentax. There’s nothing wrong with Pentax at all and they’ve got plenty of lenses and the output is excellent too.
Sony led the way with mirrorless, and Canon and Nikon sponsored photographers where deriding mirrorless for about a decade. Now all of a sudden mirrorless is now apparently the future. Yeah sure I followed this, and when using all of 3 mirrorless cameras at night, the EVF was unusable noisy mush.
Optical Viewfinders are definitely superior to electronic viewfinders, especially at night.
People shot DSLR’s professionally for decades, and now this blog is saying they’re no good anymore for nothing and they wouldn’t recommend it at all. In fact mirrorless is unusable in many instances at night photography as you can barely compose an image. Then added to that nearly all mirrorless lenses no longer have distance scales, and you need to set and lock off your lens to infinity if you shoot stars. With a DSLR like Pentax most of their lenses have distance scales and you plop it into infinity and your stars will be in focus.
While Canon and Nikon both still make PLENTY of DSLRs is hypocritical to label one brand unworthy of being purchased. I original bought my first DSLR in Nikon and followed the Nikon-Canon trend, until I tried Canon, Sony and Pentax and I ultimately found that Sony and Pentax made a better DSLR than Canon and Nikon. At the time professionals were saying Sony and Pentax were no good, and poor quality camera brands, and that Canon and Nikon are the true photographic brand. But the truth is that Sony and Pentax are the true photographic brands, while Canon and Nikon bribe the pro photographers with free cameras and lenses in exchange for positive comments on their own websites or YouTube videos. The photographic industry including working professionals, schools and universities have been receiving kickbacks in the form of free camera and lenses in exchange for favours – all of which is a high crime criminal offence, anti-competitive corporate behaviour.
This actual arrival is under the law a criminal offence because this blog is in a commercial arrangement with Canon and Canon is instructing the author to write-off Pentax. This is an imprisonable offence under the law. People should report this author to the police force where it is published.
I shoot night sky with my Pentax and can confirm that it is still necessary to manually focus at infinity with their manual lenses. It’s not different than what mirrorless shooters do. The Pentax K3iii a delight for shooting nightscape though.
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Filmmaking and mirrorless cameras, by Andrew Reid
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A look at the Pentax K-1: Why I’m not over DSLRs for photography
March 12, 2023 by Andrew Reid (EOSHD)
The true test of how much you love something is to spend endless days away from it.
Only after doing that can you really feel your appreciation of it. It can easily be measured by how much you miss it.
So it seems, I really miss the humble DSLR.
From the Canon 1D C to the Nikon D850, and in hindsight the Sony A900 and Pentax-K1, all these cameras feel nicer in my hands than a mirrorless camera. Less cheap feeling, more substantial, better grip, better viewfinder and a much more satisfying and crunchy shutter mechanism. Long live the DSLR.
In fact I’ve got a Nikon Z9 and Sony a1, and it might be that I haven’t spent enough time away from these to miss them yet but there is still something “toy-like” about even the top of the range £5k mirrorless stuff. The mechanical side is virtually non-existent, the Z9 doesn’t even have a mechanical shutter. It just isn’t very satisfying having a green dot coming up instead when you take a shot. The top Nikon DSLR such as the D850, D6 or if we’re to go back a bit – the D700 and D3X all feel like proper cameras whereas the Z9 feels a bit like a “digital knock off” of one. That’s not to say it’s not an incredibly powerful camera with the ultimate specs, but there’s more to shooting still than megapixels isn’t there?
There’s been some absolutely stunning full frame DSLRs released in the past 15 years. For me, those four I’ve mentioned above – 1D C, D850, A900 and K-1 were the absolute pinnacle. The Sony A900 was the last proper Sony camera before they junked Minolta’s heritage and went all NEX on us. The Pentax K-1 feels at the moment like it could be Pentax’s swan song before they jack it in altogether, Olympus style. I hope I’m wrong, because there’s something different about Pentax.
None of the mirrorless cameras come close to the in-hand feel of the Pentax K-1 or the feel of quality.
Obviously as a camera that doesn’t even shoot 4K video, the Pentax K-1 won’t be a filmmaker’s choice any time soon. But as I do more and more photography, it’s becoming more important to me to settle with the most enjoyable and pure photography experience I can find. The kind that a Leica M camera will give you, or a film SLR.
So I wrote a checklist of things that were important to my stills work, ignoring video completely:
Colour science – I don’t want to mess with every single shot in post so it has to be singing straight off the bat in the RAW file. Great JPEGs also help as it’s nice to show a stylish film style to your subject when shooting and it gives you an appealing preset look to aim for with the RAW file as well.
Huge viewfinder – Optical viewfinders are still clearly more fun to use than an EVF especially in bright light. As with the best EVFs you can still be accurate and fast with an optical viewfinder, know exactly what’s in focus, but it also lends more of an element of surprise and excitement to the act of seeing the resulting digital image. You’re seeing it for the first time only after it’s shot. It stops me from trying to perfect the composition too much and gives it an element of imperfect spontaneity.
Nice tactile controls – Got to feel great in the hand over long periods of time and be fun to use
Image quality – Should have a look that appeals to me in terms of texture, grain, colour and the dynamic range of the RAW files. Sometimes modern cameras are just too clean and perfect. At the low ISOs where older sensors perform their best for example they maintain a subtle film-like grain to texture. The Leica M9’s CCD does this perfectly. To mimic this with a modern sensor you’d need to raise the ISO so much you wouldn’t be able to expose in bright light properly without massively stopping down the lens or dicking about with ND filters.
Build quality – Should take a lot to upset it, including very bad weather!
What I found surprised me. The Sony A900’s colour science for instance runs circles around my Sony a1. It nails white balance every time and the Minolta film-era influence is clearly there in the RAW files. It has bags of resolution given it came out in 2008 and the 6K “digital negatives” really sing.
The Pentax K-1 is a much more modern camera than the A900 but it still came out 7 years ago now. Hard to believe isn’t it?
It is just such a nice camera to shoot with. It is clearly the better built camera when compared directly to my Nikon Z9. The K-1 cost me just £750. The enormous, crisp, clear LCD is one of the best I’ve ever used. It has in-body stabilisation like the Sony A900, which is rare to find in DSLRs. It has the cleverest, smoothest and absolute best articulated screen mechanism I’ve ever used. The K-1 is just packed with interesting and quirky features that nobody else has ever bothered to implement. The 36 megapixel results are extraordinarily good.
You may wonder why as a Nikon D850 owner, I’d bother to use the Pentax K-1. I don’t even have very many Pentax lenses.
Well the D850 is indeed probably the best all-round and most capable DSLR ever made, along with the Canon 1D X Mark III. It came out before all the mirrorless stuff was commonplace like IBIS, phase-detect AF in live view, 10bit codecs, LOG. I don’t miss any of these except for IBIS for stills via an optical viewfinder. Step forward the Pentax K-1 which has IBIS to the tune of 5.5 stops in-body. It also allows me to adapt M42 lenses, of which I have an extensive collection of. This isn’t something you can do on the Nikon D850 (no infinity focus). On my Canon 1D C my favourite vintage lenses clash with the mirror. Not so on the Pentax whose mirror is specifically designed to get out of the way of the back of the lens! Manual focus is easy in live-view, but the optical viewfinder helps out too with an AF confirm beep for manual focus lenses.
The camera industry is in a new era. Things have slowed down and gone back to the pre-digital days. Consumers are no longer the main target. It’s photography and video enthusiasts. It’s professionals and people who really care about spending thousands on gear.
For most people of course a top of the range mirrorless camera will get the job done. It will do everything you need.
But for me whereas my brain says mirrorless, my soul sometimes pines for a good DSLR.
Now that we have pretty much all we need in terms of video, I plan to start a new blog soon which is purely about my photography adventures in Berlin.
I will cover cameras mainly from a stills perspective, as well as old lenses and my treasure hunt in the fantastic camera stores in Berlin. I’ll be shooting with the Leica M rangefinders, DSLRs, and classic digital cameras which have a reversal film look or even a Kodak CCD thrown in the mix. As film gets more expensive, classic digital cameras are becoming a viable alternative.
I’m sorry to say it but there is just something a bit naff about the way a mirrorless camera feels to shoot with. They have not yet managed to replicate the feel or heft, quality and larger fit in the hand that the best DSLRs like the Pentax K-1 and Nikon D850.
You can’t spend your way out of this. The Nikon Z9 feels cheaper and more like an electronic gadget than a camera, especially with the lack of mechanical shutter. Even the Canon EOS R3 feels smaller, less substantial, with poorer and cheaper materials and finish than their previous professional DSLR, the 1D X Mark III.
Part of this is down to the reduction in weight and of course the much smaller size of some of the mirrorless cameras.
But the reduction in size doesn’t seem to apply to many of the best lenses, which are still enormous and in some cases even heavier and larger than the DSLR lenses of the same focal length and aperture they replace.
My message to the camera industry is don’t junk your optical viewfinders and mechanical shutters just yet.
Also as modern cameras get cleaner and cleaner, more pristine and clinically perfect from a technical point of view, the more work I am having to do to take the sharp edges off. There’s endless scope for control in post now, but all this does is create endless hours for me grading, whereas I just want to pick up a camera and shoot with a set look.
From now on, you can call me a Pentaxian!
CategoriesNews
Tagsdslr, K-1, nikon d850, pentax
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Still using everyday.
One of most reliable cameras of all time.
If you think that that your “creative vision” is held back by your gear, you are simply a bad photographer. Go ahead, invest in your gear and take the same boring pictures and videos as you did before. I worked in the camera retail industry for years and as people upgraded their cameras (much to our $$ pleasure) many of their photos and content got worse. They took photos and videos of crap, but that in high definition, slow motion and outmost clarity edge to edge. When they realized the crap they produced, they bought even better gear (much to our $$ pleasure). Today we look in awe to the photographers of old who produced great, timeless images with true creative vision. They did all that with gear that had two wheels and focus lever.
But of course this new, amazing stuff is keeping websites like these in business 😉
As a proud owner of several Pentax cameras, this article is very misguided on several levels. First and foremost, if someone is serious about taking videos, get a real video camera designed to take videos instead of having that capability slapped on. Just because I can use a screwdriver as a pry bar doesn’t make ake it the best tool for the job. I’ve never taken a movie with my Pentax even though it can. Except when I first got it to try it out and decided my video camera is much easier to use. But then again, I haven’t used my video camera in a long time because I rarely have a need to make videos that can’t be made using my phone. Mentioning it’s not a great video camera and suggesting people don’t buy it if that’s what they want is different from condemning it for a feature many may not need.
The second is lens selection. How many lenses do you need? My wife and I get along just fine with a handful, and have never had issues getting them in the sizes we want for general photography. My favorite activity is macro and find two prime lenses are all I need. I may never be a professional, but people still oh and ah at my pictures.
Not everyone needs mirrorless cameras or the downsides of them. I can do live view when I need to, but rarely use it. There are enough indicators inside the viewfinder (and have been for decades) that I know if a picture is properly exposed and can easily check depth of field. Without draining my battery.
Instead of condemning a perfectly acceptable camera, maybe the author should instead explore what audience would end joy this excellent camera that produces wonderful images when used properly.
I love my Pentax cameras and what they produce. It sounds like you want everyone to conform to the same formula and jump into the mirrorless market. Pentax has created a monochrome DSLR and is in process Of making several new analog cameras. I called all that pushing the envelope and not just falling in line and being a robot.
I’ll be the first to acknowledge what this article says, but is it entirely right or is it a mixed story where subjective incentives play a strong part?
I have been a photographer since way back in 1969. I have lived with and photographed both professionally and as an avid retired photographer now and have experienced SLR and DSLR as well as Mirrorless. What is demanded of a camera and what kind of photography does one do?
Back in the seventies and onwards, beautiful, fantastic as well as artistic images by the thousands or rather millions were published. The quality even compared to today’s, on paper mind you, was explicit. Even though the cameras then, did not consist of all the so-called improvements of today. Yes, there are improvements but are they vital to better photography?
Mirrorless started out as small and light equipment. The professional cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, you name it, are now getting larger, heavier and at a point more cumbersome. There is more to concentrate on what gadgets are concerned. Are they simple to work with and are there moments lost in adjustments to all these improvements?
There has more or less been said through the years, make it simple. And that is what Pentax has always done, the way I see it. They have concentrated on simplicity, ruggedness, environmentally secure cameras and a focus good enough for most photographers throughout this world in all genres, compared to manual focusing. There are trends actually, whereas photographers go back to film SLR and DSLR these days. The latter has what I subjectively prefer, a pentaprism mirror, and the display of the Pentax cameras is not inferior to other brands.
I salute Pentax for their stamina, for their efforts to deliver cameras as I have said previously, fairly light, small, rugged, and environmentally safe from weather and not to forget, stabilisation in all their cameras. Few other brands have that and if they do, they are very costly. They also feel very good in one’s hand and I honestly think that you can do just as good photography with a Pentax as you can with any other brand. Photography is about emotions and Pentax has understood that. The other brands, well heck I do not know their policy. I myself enjoy my old Pentax K3 and K5 and occasionally I use a Fuji for snaps. With a DSLR you have to know what you are doing. With a mirrorless, you see what you are doing.
Most of the points you make can be applied to all the camera manufacturers. They’re all starting to close off their cameras to third party mounts because they want you to pay exorbitant prices for their lenses and only their lenses.
The Pentax K3-III Monochrome easily beats any mirrorless camera in low light and Pentax are struggling to keep up with the high demand with a waiting time of over three months on all preorders. This camera is a much cheaper alternative to Leica’s offering, but it can easily match it in terms of image quality. The K3-III is also a great DSLR following the latest firmware updates which have vastly improved its autofocus capabilities. Pentax will never be able to match other brands in terms of video and subject tracking, but they excel in user friendliness and ergonomics with the controls all easily accessible for quick adjustments unlike most mirrorless camera’s where you have to search through countless menus. Pentax are the only brand which still makes photography fun and enjoyable
You tout the Trade-in and Upgrade Programs like it’s a positive. It really isn’t. What it does is reduce the amount of used equipment on the market with the objective of forcing many to either buy new or do without. Maybe that’s a good move for the manufacturer, but sure isn’t for photography enthusiasts without unlimited resources.
Well, that’s just, like your opinion man.
Just an observation. i was curious how many times you recommended Pentax. After a cursory search of this site it looks a bit like you haven’t written an article on the brand for about two years and before that it was mostly product announcements. It doesn’t really look like you have ever recommended the brand.
Obviously poor and mendacious content paid by Canon.
There may be serious concerns about Pentax in the big corpos, which is why Pentax is being maligned…
Thank you for your comment – good to open a discussion on the topic
Yeah, this article is totally unfounded, Come on now Jeff!
In particular when this article is up https://camerajabber.com/buyersguides/best-cameras-for-astrophotography/ and there is absolutely no mention of the Pentax K1/K1mk2 who has specific features for astrophotography. Heck, I could buy a K1 with the incredible 15-30 F2.8 and it would still be far cheaper than then suggested ones in the article.’
A reminder that just because there are amazing cameras out on the market, does not make older cameras bad. I have been a Nikon guy forever but tried and bought a K1 mk2 and its an amazing camera. For its specific purposes, it is top! Yes, the autofocus is not the best but if you are dependant on auto focus, then there are cameras for this.
And you´d the be surprised how much can be worked around with.
For landscapes, Pentax (the K1 at least) is amazing, for astro as well. I am quite impressed by it when using it for street photography..
but just the notion that because other cameras have XY and other companies does XY, that it means that pentax cameras cannot be recommended is silly.
The bang for buck you get with a pentax is great, truly amazing value. If you are doing sports and crazy low light, Nikon got you covered (for example).
I still take wonderful shots with my D700 despite all the fancy pancy tech outside..
Anyways, this article shouldnt have been written, it makes no sense and it is not anchored in any reality whatsoever.