I recently participated in a Flickr discussion in the “Film
Photography Podcast” group entitled “Why I’m absolutely sold on my Olympus
cameras.” Here’s the link if you’re
interested…
I was for many years a dedicated Olympian and my Olympus
OM-1N was my constant and only camera for 30+ years until the great flood of
2005 washed it away so I enthusiastically agree with the premise of the
discussion. It started me thinking about the whole transition thing where I
switched from Olympus to Pentax and I thought it appropriate to comment further
on it.
In my August 7, 2011 post, “Why Shoot Film” I tell the story
of my first camera, my early experiences with photography and how I ended up
with Pentax after so many years with Olympus but I did not really explain why.
The short answer is that I am pretty frugal about most things and my wife had a
Pentax already so by getting into Pentax too we could share equipment.
The back story and longer answer is that by the time I had
become disillusioned with digital photography and went looking for another 35mm
camera we (the family) had bought two Pentax digital bodies, three lenses and a
dedicated flash to replace the cameras and equipment we lost in 2005.
My wife had been a life-long Pentax user having shot a
K-1000 with a 35-105mm zoom for about as long as I had shot my Olympus OM-1N
with the three prime lenses. So when it came time to replace lost cameras in
2006, Olympus looked to me like they had gone a little nuts with their digital
line and didn’t have anything that appealed to me. This was before the now
popular OM-D was introduced or I might have bought it instead. This little
jewel became an instant classic and cult camera in spite of its diminutive
four-thirds format.
In any case there I was looking for a 35mm film camera. I
had a bag full of Pentax gear at home and two of my three only choices had a
Pentax K-mount – seemed like a “no-brainer” to me. I bought the Promaster with the Pentax mount
and a lovely 50mm f1.7 lens and lived happily ever after – well not quite, but that’s another story that is told in my
August 7, 2011 post.
Fast forward a few years to the present where I now have six
35mm K-mount bodies, three prime lenses and three zooms. I also have four
Pentax K-mount digital bodies, one prime and three zooms and the glass for any
and all of these is fully interchangeable. The only exception is the otherwise
wonderful Pentax ZX-30 which can mount any K-mount lens but cannot shoot with a
fully manual lens (it must have an “A” setting on the aperture ring) for some
reason.
As much as I loved my old Olympus OM-1N, sadly Olympus
succumbed to the dark forces of the universe and changed their lens mount
sometime after the OM-4 was released. Pentax on the other hand can now boast
that with just a couple exceptions all their cameras can mount and shoot with
any of the K-mount lenses manufactured over the past 40 years – without the
need for adapters. With adapters they can mount and shoot almost anything. In
this day of planned obsolescence this is nothing short of amazing!
On the practical side, it means that all my old glass can be
used on the new cameras, even digital. The glass bought specifically for the
digital cameras can also be used on the old film cameras but some vignetting
may occur due to the smaller format.
And as if that weren’t enough incentive, when using the old
manual lenses on the newer auto-focus capable bodies (film or digital), there
is a built in feature that will tell you when the lens if in focus. The camera
can’t focus a manual lens for you of course, but it can tell you when you have
it in focus. How great is that? This is especially reassuring for us older
folks who are starting to have a little trouble focusing, particularly in low light
situations.
As for the Pentax cameras themselves – they are every bit as
good as anything out there. Pentax has always enjoyed a reputation for being a
little different (I happen to like different) and for building innovative and
well-made equipment that leads the industry in features and technology. Most of
their top level cameras have targeted the advanced amateur market but they
frequently challenge the pro versions of other manufacturers in both quality
and capability.
Many of the Pentax lenses over the years have been “farmed
out” to mass producers and are of average quality but the glass actually made
by Pentax easily compares favorably to the best around and most third party
lenses that are available in a K-mount configuration.
Finally, one of the intangible but none-the-less important
things for camera aficionados is the fact that Pentax pretty much spans the
gamut of popular photographic formats. I of course have the 35mm format covered
adequately. I also have a Pentax Auto 110, one of the finest 110 format film
cameras ever made. Then there are the wonderful Pentax 645 medium format
cameras in all their various versions and models and the massive Pentax 6x7 and
67 SLR’s which look like a 35mm SLR on steroids.
On the digital side of things there have been and continue
to be a host leading edge DSLR’s in the APS-C format and one of the few medium
format digital cameras, the pro level 645D.
I would like to think that in time I will have a Pentax in
each of the available formats but available funds and simple practicality may
prevent that, especially in the digital versions. I would however, like to at
least acquire a Pentax 67. These massive cameras have always intrigued me and
the combination of superior optics and a 6x7 negative has to produce amazing
enlargements.
Yes, I know many think Canon and Nikon represent the epitome
of photographic equipment technology but for the non-Kool-Aid drinkers there
are a few other options available. Pentax is one of them.
The photo of the Pentax 67 shown above was borrowed from the
Wikipedia page on that subject. Please see the link below for additional
information on the subject.
…and if you happen to have a Pentax 67 laying around you don’t
want please let me know!
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