lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

There are some of us out there! :thumbup: ;-) :thumbup:

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I don't see the problem with having enough Pentax lenses. I have 19 to 21, depending on how I count them. All but two are Pentax brand. One Vivitar, and one Spiratone brand that came with other equipment. I intentionally bought the Vivitar KA 19mm f/3.8 lens.

Nikon and Canon have a lot of overlapping focal lengths for their lines of Zoom lenses, plus CF (DX) and FF (FX) lens series, as well as higher and lower quality lens series. Pentax only has a few overlaps or duplicate models. But if you figure in all the vintage Pentax lenses that can still be used, Pentax may actually have more lenses!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I use a REAL view camera for tilt-shift, what a pricy laugh, though they are a cool expensive toy.

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

All I'm saying is.....That Pentax "MEASURES-UP" for me. I don't get where that should BOTHER YOU. Get a grip, literally. RJM

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

I would have guessed that YOU "watch a lot of T.V." It shows!! RJM

Atary

As I stated before with a dependability like I had for 50+ years it would be hard not to endorse the brand. I have also used Nikons, Speed Graphic 4x5s, etc. and they are all good but when it comes to adding to your own it makes sense to be able to use all that you have. All of the optics that I have are excellent, so my system keeps getting more and more versatile. If it isn't broke, why fix it?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

First line is the why, the rest is the result and re-inforcement for the why.

Canon and Nikon continue to lead because they have the widest selection, the most support and are available in the most places world wide.

Yes, it is largely inerta on the part of the buying public, but inerta counts, big time.

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

First of all it's the Coke & Pepsi thing. From its inception Coke was determined to grow and to do that by making sure its name is everywhere. Pepsi didn't have as much marketing money or clout so it's in second place. But ... when you're thirsty, do you think Dr Pepper or Sprite or any of the other hundreds of drinks or do you think Coke and/or Pepsi first? Canon is the Coke, and Nikon with a lower marketing budget is the Pepsi.

Secondly, there's confidence. As individual consumers perhaps we shouldn't care. But as professionals we very much need to buy into a technology we can grow with. Canon and Nikon have always catered to the professionals and they have always come out with ever more sophisticated toys to meet professional demands and needs. All the other makers can't really say that. Each has had different problems.

So if you intend to grow your passion what would you choose? Will you go for some cameras that might grow eventually or are you going for something that is proven? There are many times when a camera maker failed to deliver an upgrade until long after its customers were begging for it. Consumer memory lasts a long time, those who were slow to meet the later needs of their customers doomed themselves. Nikon and Canon have a stellar track record of providing their customers with whatever new advances they need to further grow their passion. What other makers have that kind of track record?

Then there's corporate attitude. Pentax was actually part of the professional ranks in the seventies and it competed well with Nikon and Canon. It even had an extensive system. But one problem was the screw mount. As everyone went to bayonets, Pentax kept its screw mount even after the consumer market started to feel it's time to change. That didn't help them.

Olympus appeared in the seventies and I was astonished at the incredible system they were offering the market place. But the system didn't grow and innovate like Nikon and Canon and so they too weren't perceived as professional cameras.

Today Pentax is a good choice but it's reputation has been damaged. Olympus also makes really good stuff but it, like Sony too, believed in proprietary technologies. So for a long time you had to use their own cards and accessories, nothing else would fit or work. Those kinds of attitudes also worked against many really good camera makers.

Nikon and Canon have many other manufacturers designing accessories for them because they adhere to some of the standards. So if there's a specialized gadget you absolutely have to have, odds are that if Nikon or Canon don't have it, someone else is making it for a Canon and/or a Nikon but not likely for any other brand.

I shot Canon in the seventies, and since then I shot Nikon. I could always count of both of them to deliver whatever I needed. I grant you sometimes I had to wait because my maker of choice wasn't ready to release a technology and sometimes I ended way ahead because the other maker was slow to deliver a new design. In the end though both of them always deliver eventually and you can count on it.

So that's why those two brands are preferred. It's got little to do with quality, they make excellent stuff but it's also expensive. It's got everything to do with confidence in the maker to grow with you when you need to grow and it's got everything to do with the perceptions in the market place.

Generally only Nikon and Canon have the track record and the public perception that they are the best and that their high end products are what professionals demand.

But that said, there is nothing wrong with makers like Sony, Pentax, Olympus, Fuji and many more. They do make really outstanding cameras and lenses and if all you want to do is make snapshots when you travel or attend a party, they've all excellent.

However, if you have sophisticated needs for highly specialized photography you're back to Nikon and Canon which is why I use Nikon and many others use Canon.

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

Thanks for that excellant & perceptive take on the whole "issue" ...We couldn't get a better explanation. I really do believe that you put it succinctly, directly, clearly, to the point, and right on. I couldn'thave said it better, myself, obviously, and I won't try.... thanks for your effort to clarify, you did it well.. RJM..without stepping on toes...

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

News chan is on all day long . The tv has been on from the time I get up 6 am
Until I hit the sack 11pm or 2 am. . Watched the white house concert last night two back to back ,don't watch anything with adds . If there is some thing I tape it and skip through adds . The boss has to update never mind 50
Channels and nothing on try 300 chan and nothing on .the only reality show I watch is the crab boats manly because I been there done that . and I know
A lot of fisherman . My whole family for one .

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

if you visit the United Kingdom, you will find a whole batch of pros using pentax digital and pentax film!
great cameras. kit lenses built better than any other manufacturer. and tough and dust resistant. can't go wrong!