DSLR – Pentax Body

Hi Pentaxian friends.

Let me start by talking about the word “fanboy” utilized on many forums on the internet but mainly on RiceHigh’s blog. Calling someone a fanboy of any brand is an insult because it implies that someone is so entranced into a particular brand that he or she cannot think clearly. It suggests that one would not even acknowledge that other brands do exist and that other DSLRs may have some more advanced features or image quality.

It is unfortunate that RiceHigh seems to attract his audience with negativism. We have enough bad news in the world we live in; there is no need to create more. All DSLRs manufactured today are marvels of engineering. They are all good although some are more apt to excel in a type of photography or style more than other DSLRs. As an example, it’s a known fact that a Nikon D3X is better than any of the Pentax line for Sport photography as the frame rate per second is very high and the AF system is several notch above the rest…but it cost in the neighborhood of $7,000.00 body only. Canons were the first, I believe, to fully utilize the attributes of the full frame CMOS technology. Olympus has a great rotating LCD monitor that makes me envious, but I personally don’t like the idea of the four third sensors. Sony has…I actually don’t know what they have except for the name and the money. But of course, all of the above statements are my opinion only. I repeat again…All DSLRs manufactured today are marvels of engineering.

So why did I chose Pentax over any of the other brands? After comparing all camera prices versus features, Pentax undeniably is at the top for the best value for the money.

Yes, you have the pixel peepers like RiceHigh that expect an image shot at 3200 ISO, and then cropped to 100%, to have excellent IQ with no noise. It is true that the $5,000.00 DSLRs have less noise at high ISO. Are those ISO 1600 or 3200 shots something that a photographer would use everyday or is it a feature used rarely? You know a tripod will do wonders for night photography and so will a good flash.

That brings me to the ten reasons you should own a Pentax DSLR:

1. Your friends have Pentax DSLRs and that gives you a chance to borrow their lenses.

2. The Pentax line has a shake reduction built-in the camera body; essentially making any lens mounted on a Pentax a “shake reduction” lens.

3. Your friends have Pentax DSLRs and that gives you a chance to borrow their lenses. You can also take picture of your friends and them of you.

4. You have noticed that for the money, Pentax has the best equipment around.

5. Your friends have Pentax DSLRs.

6. The Pentax management and employees, at least here in the USA, are the friendliest in the business. Their President and some of the employees have blogs or participate in the various forums. Do you even know who the other companies’ presidents are?

7. Your friends have Pentax DSLRs. The Pentax forums are full of friendly members.

8 Pentax have some of the best lenses, particularly the Limited Primes.

9. Your friends have Pentax DSLRs. Pentaxians are not pixel peepers, they shoot real pictures. The photographic world is still waiting for RiceHigh to post some real pictures instead of 100% crops of brick walls, taken in the dark at ISO 3200.

10. Where else can you find a DSLR with the following capabilities for around $1,300.00?

Compact, magnesium alloy body One of the smallest DSLRs in its class, the K-7’s compact, magnesium alloy body lets you travel light while still maintaining durability and build quality.14.6 megapixels The redesigned 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor offers improved noise control, four channel output for faster image capture and movie capture capabilities. Plus the new sensor offers the ideal combination of resolution and file size, allowing for large (poster size and larger) prints and cropping flexibility. 3 inch LCD The 3 inch LCD with 921,000 dot resolution is perfect for detailed image or movie capture and review and is ideal for the Live View function. Weather, dust and cold resistant The K-7 is weather, dust and cold resistant (to 14° F or -10° C), making it ideal for use in any environment. New PRIME II Image processing engine Fast 5.2 frame-per-second shooting with the powerful new PRIME II Image processing engine, which features fast circuitry and low noise image processing. Ideal for sporting events or any fast-action situation. High top shutter speedA top shutter speed of 1/8000 sec freezes even the fastest action and gives creative control over apertures in well-lit settings. New 77-segment metering system A new 77-segment metering system quickly and accurately determines exposure, even in the most complex and dynamic lighting situations. Live View mode Live View mode, with contrast AF, Face Detection, and optional histogram, grid, and bright/dark area display, allows you to quickly compose your images without having to position your eye against the viewfinder. 100% field-of-view viewfinder A 100% field-of-view viewfinder (with 0.92X magnification) and bright focusing screens are ideal for accurate image composition and focus. HD Movie Capture Widescreen HD Movie Capture features adjustable quality settings and aperture control, as well as Shake Reduction, and an external microphone terminal for recording stereo sound. High resolution playbackHDMI port with selectable output resolution (1080i, 720p, 480p, and auto) offers high resolution playback of images and video on high definition TVs. Multiple exposure settings Multiple exposure settings, including Green, Program, Sv, Tv, Av, TAv, M, Bulb, X-sync, Movie and USER modes, provide extensive creative control over the exposure for photographers of all experience levels. Faster, more responsive AFThe PENTAX 11-point autofocus system features improved focus algorithms over previous-generation K-series DSLR cameras, providing faster, more responsive AF. A dedicated AF-assist lamp further improves autofocus response and accuracy in low light conditions. Shake Reduction system The PENTAX-original Shake Reduction system now compensates for rotational sensor movement, improving the sharpness of your images at the moment of capture. Dust-free image captureThe K-7’s Dust Reduction system, improved over previous K-series cameras, features a piezo-ceramic vibration action to the sensor’s low-pass filter for dust-free image capture. Advanced white balance settingsAdvanced white balance settings include highly customizable white balance fine tuning, color temperature adjustment, and post image capture manual white balance selection for perfect pictures, even in the most difficult lighting. Extended battery lifeNew high capacity battery offers considerably longer life. Ideal for travel photography or video work. Electronic level functionElectronic level function ensures your pictures have level horizons, minimizing post-capture editing. Advanced image capture settingsAdvanced image capture settings, digital filters, and aspect ratio provide outstanding flexibility and creativity while minimizing the need for computer image manipulation. Custom Image modesCustom Image modes with advanced parameter settings including new Key adjustment, allow you to customize your processing mode to your creative style. Dynamic Range settingA Dynamic Range function with highlight and adjustable shadow correction brings out hidden or lost details in both highlights and shadows, even in the most contrasted dynamic lighting. Lens Correction functionA Lens Correction function adjusts for Distortion and Lateral Chromatic Aberrations, allowing you to maximize your image quality for every digital lens.* * Compatible with D FA, DA, DA Limited and DA Star lenses. Distortion correction is not applied to the DA 10-17mm Fisheye lens. Dedicated PC socketDedicated PC socket for studio flash offers convenience for the studio photographer without adding hotshoe adapters. Mirror Lock-up functionA dedicated Mirror Lock-up function eliminates image blur due to mirror movement during long exposures. HDR image capture mode An HDR image capture mode blends three separate image exposures to widen the exposure gamut, bringing out detail in all exposure areas of your images. Creative special effectsAdvanced capture options include multi exposure and interval shooting for creative special effects and time-lapse photography. Composition adjustment featureA composition adjustment feature allows you to make minor adjustments to the composition of your image using the Shake Reduction mechanism, without having to physically move the camera. Ideal for tripod use or macro photography. Embedded copyright featureProgrammable embedded copyright information preserves artistic integrity and image ownership during image capture. Quick-glance overviewRear LCD Status Screen displays exposure and setting information for a quick-glance overview and modification of image parameters. RAW file compatibilityPENTAX RAW or Adobe DNG file selection offers RAW file compatibility with industry standard image editing software. Dedicated RAW buttonA dedicated RAW button allows easy situational switching between RAW and JPG file formats without having to access camera file format menu settings. Custom file name selectionCustom file name selection lets you tailor your image file names to your shooting needs. Unparalleled customizationAdvanced Custom Function settings offer unparalleled customizability, allowing you to adapt the camera to your shooting style, not vice-versa.

Thank you for reading and don’t take offense at my post, If I had the money, I would own one of each DSLR from every company and all of the lenses.

Yvon Bourque