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PENTAX FF - Spring 2016

tsjanik

Well-known member
I................ If I hadn't sold all of my Pentax manual focus M-series lenses 20+ years ago, I might have been tempted to buy a K-1 too.

....................................................
Gary
Gary:

I never sold mine (easy to buy, harder to sell). I'm anxious to see how one of my favorites, the 20mm M, and the older M42 8-element f/1.4 Super Takumar do with the K-1. I had some other favorites, but they were stolen. I was planning on buying a Sony for an easy-to-transport body, but I think I'll change my mind.

Tom
 

Malina DZ

Member
I'm happy for all pentaxians with this K-1 release, this is excellent news for them. Unfortunately, my hopes of the best to date OVF were crushed with its x0.70 magnification. That dome is just for show?
 

bensonga

Well-known member
I'm happy for all pentaxians with this K-1 release, this is excellent news for them. Unfortunately, my hopes of the best to date OVF were crushed with its x0.70 magnification. That dome is just for show?
Interesting point....I hadn't thought of that. I didn't know much about relative differences between viewfinder magnifications, so I just did a little reading about them. What viewfinder magnifications of film or digital SLRs would you think are "best in class"? About the highest I've seen for a full frame DSLR is ~0.76x. I guess viewfinder coverage also needs to be taken into account. It gets confusing.

Gary
 

bensonga

Well-known member
Gary:

I never sold mine (easy to buy, harder to sell). I'm anxious to see how one of my favorites, the 20mm M, and the older M42 8-element f/1.4 Super Takumar do with the K-1. I had some other favorites, but they were stolen. I was planning on buying a Sony for an easy-to-transport body, but I think I'll change my mind.
Tom
I hear you Tom, but....

As a long time Pentax owner, first with 35mm then medium format, both 6x7 and 645, it's tempting. However, I already have too many camera systems of all formats. If I still had some Pentax manual focus lenses, I would be tempted, just as I was re my Nikon MF lenses which ultimately led me to buy a used Nikon D2x. Despite the fact that I was already heavily invested in Canon DSLRs and lenses. Swore I would only use the D2x for my Nikon AIS lenses and not buy any other Nikon DSLRs or AF lenses for it. That didn't last long. One thing led to another...now I have more Nikon/Canon DSLRs and AF lenses for both systems than I can ever use. Nope, I MUST and WILL resist the Pentax. As good as it might be, it's not a MUST HAVE camera for me. My 645D will suffice.

Gary
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Honestly, this is one of the best spec'ed DSLR cameras I've read about yet.

$1,800 for a full frame 36 meg DSLR with all these included features and new innovations? Are you kidding me? Best deal ever! Makes Canon and Nikon look slow-witted and greedy:ROTFL: (just kidding).

I always liked Pentax ... now here is something to love about them.

- Marc
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
The K1 is really impressive, especially from the price point. If I would start from scratch into digital FF this would be the camera/system of my choice.

Also some of the new lens offerings look tempting, like the 2.8/15-30, which I already admire from Tamron ;)

Plus it shoots my favorite RAW - DNG format. Always loved the output of my K5II ....
 

raist3d

Well-known member
If I was into bigger cameras and DSLR's at this point in my life- this is the camera I would be getting. I bet the ergonomics and extremely well thought out interface of this camera will spank more than half the market of UI's around.

And dpreview nailed in their first impressions just what's wrong with Olympus current UI when talking about the K-1:

"This isn't a camera with duplicative or redundant controls, it isn't customizable to the extent that only the person configuring it knows how it works: it's a photographic tool that anyone who's ever loved a DSLR can pick up and start shooting with”"

Olympus should read that quote over and over again until they can make a UI that can do this.

- Ricardo
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
If I was into bigger cameras and DSLR's at this point in my life- this is the camera I would be getting. I bet the ergonomics and extremely well thought out interface of this camera will spank more than half the market of UI's around.

And dpreview nailed in their first impressions just what's wrong with Olympus current UI when talking about the K-1:

"This isn't a camera with duplicative or redundant controls, it isn't customizable to the extent that only the person configuring it knows how it works: it's a photographic tool that anyone who's ever loved a DSLR can pick up and start shooting with”"

Olympus should read that quote over and over again until they can make a UI that can do this.

- Ricardo
I have to agree 500%
 

Hulyss Bowman

Active member
I'm happy for all pentaxians with this K-1 release, this is excellent news for them. Unfortunately, my hopes of the best to date OVF were crushed with its x0.70 magnification. That dome is just for show?
That dome is not for show ... It is the housing of the prism + GPS antenna. The Pentax cameras astrotrack without additional gear and have very good GPS units.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Great camera specs, including IBIS. But very late to market!
Is there a single compelling lens justifying to buy this camera?
If yes, which lens is it? And for which purpose?

Other than that I have moved on to mirrorless, Leica, Sony and Olympus.
Still using D800E occasionally with primarily the AF-S 80-400/4.5-5.6 lens.
Manual focus only Nikkor lenses I prefer using on my A7r2. :grin:
 

Hulyss Bowman

Active member
Great camera specs, including IBIS. But very late to market!
Is there a single compelling lens justifying to buy this camera?
If yes, which lens is it? And for which purpose?
A single compelling lens ? Not a single but few. I invite you to google those references to see how darn good and unique are those lenses :

Zeiss distagon 21mm in K mount...
FA 31mm f1.8 Limited
FA 43mm f1.9 Limited (was also in leica mount because leicaists love it).
FA 77mm f1.8 Limited
DA* 300mm f4

+

HD Pentax-D FA 15-30mm F2.8 ED SDM WR
HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR
HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm F2.8 ED DC AW

+

80 years of legacy glass.

I think it is pretty much covered without speaking of the ongoing development. For sure Pentax is working on a DFA f1.4 line of prime or new limited.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
A single compelling lens ? Not a single but few. I invite you to google those references to see how darn good and unique are those lenses :

Zeiss distagon 21mm in K mount...
FA 31mm f1.8 Limited
FA 43mm f1.9 Limited (was also in leica mount because leicaists love it).
FA 77mm f1.8 Limited
DA* 300mm f4

+

HD Pentax-D FA 15-30mm F2.8 ED SDM WR
HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR
HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm F2.8 ED DC AW

+

80 years of legacy glass.

I think it is pretty much covered without speaking of the ongoing development. For sure Pentax is working on a DFA f1.4 line of prime or new limited.
It will be very interesting to see how the 31 and 77mm lenses handle 36mpx.
 

Hulyss Bowman

Active member
It will be very interesting to see how the 31 and 77mm lenses handle 36mpx.
:grin: I see from here a horde of Pentaxians who already pulled the trigger on pre-order. We just have to wait and see but Pentaxians aren't that much into MTF charts, more into the rendering.

Pentax gear ignite love while other brands only ignite attention.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
It's important also to remember that Pentax used to make some pretty decent high-end glass back in the day. How about a 600mm f/4?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pentax-SMCP...439722?hash=item33b1ce9c2a:g:Dm4AAOSwrklU~TkH

Or an 85mm f/1.4?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/smc-PENTAX-...970318?hash=item25b6c2330e:g:jhkAAOSwpzdWtTmE

It remains to be seen how well those lenses will perform on the K-1, but if the tooling and in-house expertise still exist, I wouldn't be surprised if upgraded versions of some of the old lenses may re-appear.
 

Hulyss Bowman

Active member
It's important also to remember that Pentax used to make some pretty decent high-end glass back in the day. How about a 600mm f/4?

Pentax SMCP FA 600mm F 4 If Ed Lens PE5030004 | eBay

Or an 85mm f/1.4?

SMC Pentax FA 85mm F 1 4 If Excellent | eBay

It remains to be seen how well those lenses will perform on the K-1, but if the tooling and in-house expertise still exist, I wouldn't be surprised if upgraded versions of some of the old lenses may re-appear.
Yea, without speaking about the other forgotten lenses around there. What wow me is the respect of the brand toward the user base. We do not see that with Nikon, or Canon. Ricoh is such a big group that they would have simply priced this tool at 2,5K but they didn't. Their is a family spirit in the Pentax world. One can feel this climate and I personally like it, very. This is a very good thing for photography and also forums will revive a bit.

It is just less cold or about money. It is also younger and this is very welcome.
 

kit laughlin

Subscriber Member
k-hawinkler wrote:

Is there a single compelling lens justifying to buy this camera?
Yes: FA 43/1.9

Damn; I have just reconfirmed my significant investment in µ4/3rds, with the E-M5 Mk II.

But this FF body, by Pentax, no less (my first money-earning camera was a Spotmatic) is very tempting. Let's see what the price in Australia is.
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Nostalgia. ?
Thanks Vivek. No, not really. I have never owned any Pentax gear.

I already have 4 systems with lots of lenses for each, 3 FF and 1 MFT.
Typically I have several cameras per system, except for Leica I have one, an M9.

So I am not really interested in building a full complement Pentax FF system.
But I would not be absolutely dead set against investing in my further education with the K1 and one new exceptional lens. I am curious about the K1's user interface and IBIS. A really outstanding FF Pentax prime lens would be essential for me as in the end the image quality is the final arbiter. I already have many legacy lenses of Leica M and R and Nikon F type, so don't feel the desire to add yet another type of legacy lenses.

Maybe it's best to rent a K1 with a lens for a week when available. But which lens? Some sort of tele for birding might fit the bill.
 
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