In my opinion

I am a proud Pentaxian. My 43 year affair with the Pentax brand

David Batzofin

April 20, 2017

3762

The year is 1972…

And this is the camera that I had been shooting with up until that point.

I still have it sitting on a shelf in my study,

It was literally a “point and squirt” camera,

with no functions other than the addition of a flash cube.

But it had served me well, and it was time to move in the “big leagues”

This was my first SLR camera.

I received it as a gift from my parents on my 21st birthday in 1974.

It was basically a Pentax in a different guise…and at a cheaper price.

In order to “force” my folks into buying this for me,

I had already bought a flash as well as a lens…

I had figured that if they did not buy it for me, I would buy it for myself

as I was working and earning the princely salary of R92.00 per month.

I went to the camera store to ask them if I could have it “on tick”

in order to photograph my own 21st,

saying that I would have money at the end of the month.

They gave it to me without any argument…

I was to find out later that my folks had already paid for it!

This too is on a shelf in my study.

The beginning of my “love affair” with the Pentax brand.

I bought this in 1974, with my own money!

I was working as an apprentice electrician and due to a LOT of overtime pay,

I was able to purchase this without affecting my salary.

I wish I can remember how much I paid, but I figure that it was less then R200.00.

Luckily both this and the Chinon had the same screw mount

that came before the current bayonet fitting.

During visit the Rand Easter Show in 1976,

I was approached by a salesman from Canon who said I should swap

to the brand that he was selling…

“What would be the benefit”? I asked him.

He could not answer me…which is why I still use this brand.

It sits proudly on a shelf as well…

There is some confusion about the etymology of the name. Most sources claim it was licensed from VEB Pentacon the East German successor to Zeiss Ikon, and is derived from the combination “PENTaprism” and “contAX“, in the same way that “Pentacon” was taken from “PENTAprism” and “CONtax”. It’s known that the “Pentax” name was originally registered as a trademark by VEB Pentacon, duly noting that both the M42 lens mount and the first recognizably modern 35mm SLR camera, the Contax D, were products of the East German branch of Zeiss Ikon, circa 1949.

Big time DSLR…

14 mega pixels

Once again, before buying my first Pentax DSLR,

I was shooting with both the Samsung GX 10 and GX20.

Like the Chinon, the Samsung was the identical camera to the Pentax,

and it had the new K-mount lens configuration.

I still had some of my old lenses and I was able to use them with this body

A step up…
18 mega pixels
Shooting at ISO 800 was about as good as this got
My first Pentax DSLR…
While shooting Impala during a game drive with a fellow wildlife photographer,
I noticed that he was able to capture the animal in mid leap,
while I was only getting either the front or the rear.
So an upgrade(with a faster frame per second rate) was called for…and this was it.
My wife did ask me the question:
“Why do you need another camera”?
My standard response has always been;
“How many handbags to you have”…she prefers bags to shoes.

24 mega pixels
With this camera, ISO 1600 is the new ISO 800!
An unfortunate issue with the sensor on the K5
led to this unexpected upgrade.
This time, with no questions being asked!

24 mega pixeles
As with the K3, the K3ii will give you great shots at ISO 1600
My current work horse..
.and the next in the K series that Pentax are currently producing.
Some upgrades from the K3, but basically the same camera, minus the on board flash

36 mega pixels
ISO 3200 will give you images that can be used,
not for exhibitions perhaps, but for Blog postings etc.
This is a joy to work with.
And Pentax’s first full frame camera.
Considering the competition at this level,
the K1 is well worth the money…
This is the type of camera that makes you WANT to take photographs.

24 mega pixels

This particular camera doubles the ISO rating of the K1!

The newest in the Pentax range…

It has a top ISO rating of more than 800000 that seems to defy the numbers,

but at that rating, currently, the KP does not produce usable images.

At a push, this will give passable images at ISO 3200.

I do believe that the future of camera technology lies in the ISO

rating and not necessarily the Mega pixel range

But I have been known to be wrong before!

Part of my current kit.
I usually travel with a K1 that has a 28-105mm lens
And a K3ii body that has a 50-500mm or 70-300mm lens attached.
I cannot wait to see what is next from a brand
that I have been loyal to for 43 years.
And it has been loyal to me…
If you are looking to “test drive” a Pentax,
visit anyone of these photographic stores: