A BIT OF A SURPRISE

Being interested in photography I tend to loiter around on two Photographic Forums [Amateur Photography and The Pentax Forum] to see what's going on and also learn from other peoples greater skills and experience. I have also subscribed to the Amateur Photograph Magazine for quite a while as it also keeps me in touch.
Just recently Pentax has just announced the introduction of their new Flagship DSLR K3 and, to me, it's a great step forward for many reasons. However, I was a bit bemused when several Pentax users on the Pentax Forum decided that because Ricoh, who now owns Pentax, had decided to place their name discretely on the back of the camera went off ranting that although they thought the K3 to be a brilliant advancement and would rock the competition that they would erase the Ricoh name off the camera and spray black paint over it because they thought only the Pentax name should be there. Since the camera [body only] will cost £1100 who in their right mind would deface a top of the line camera no matter what the Brand name???
Pentax has taken a back seat for a while the likes of Canon and Nikon [great cameras] have surged ahead bringing out new or updated models seemingly every month. But since Ricoh bought the whole business Pentax has taken on a new life while keeping the essence, quality, ruggedness and tradition Pentax is/was known for. Yet a lot of narrow minded, pedantic, statement loving, Pentax users were stamping their feet and literally foaming at the mouth that Ricoh had dared to buy Pentax and reinvigorate the Brand with forward thinking and great thought and would rather have the Pentax brand disappear or "gather dust".
Also on the Pentax Forum were moaners that now that Pentax have brought out a competition beating DSLR the chances of them bringing out a Full Format DSLR was now further away. They didn't seem to realise that if Ricoh hadn't bought Pentax and breathed new life into it then, under the old management, a Full Format camera would never have appeared. I presume that if Canon or Nikon had been bought out and the new company had placed their name discretely on the back the same idiotic reaction would have risen it's head. But, for me, all this fashion, statement loving, "look at me I've a great camera" [gasp, awe, worship] school of thought places it out of the area of photography.
Anyway, I was somewhat irritated by the comments about the arrival of the K3 that I committed "pen to paper" to air my feelings about the moaners and complainers who were commenting on the Ricoh name and the take over and posted on both Forums. My post on the AP Forum was less critical as the comments on there were not too bad but anyway on reading through the Amateur Photography Magazine this week, when it finally arrived, I was a little surprised. Going through the Magazine and reading through the Letter Section I started reading a letter and was nodding in agreement and then suddenly realised that it was my post filched from the Amateur Photography Forum

This is what I posted and what appeared in the AP Magazine:
Re: Pentax launches K-3 to challenge Canon and Nikon
I've owned various Pentax's over the years and bought the K5 last year. The fact that within months they brought out the K5II and then the K5IIs hasn't diminished my joy in using the K5 since basically there's very little difference in the IQ.
The K3 is, in my opinion, a major upgrade that won't just challenge it's competitors but will outclass them and force them to respond. Some people who follow Pentax are disappointed as the K3 seems to signal that a full format Pentax will not appear for a good while. but for me an APC-S sensor works just fine. However, I will wait a year to see if Pentax upgrades the K3 with some minor modifications as they did with the K5. Pentax seems to work quietly taking time and note of what the market and the photography demands and trends are before introducing major upgrades that stand the test of time without a churning out of numerous models year after year that in effect differ little...........and I guess that works for me.
Reply With Quote

So it was a bit of a surprise to say the least!

 

I guess what's irritating me, mowgley, is that these guys call themselves Photographers but only appear to be interested in "fashion accessories" or in keeping a Brand name away from advancement just so that they can keep the Pentax name sacred. A camera, no matter what the price, is just that.....a camera, a tool. I give my camera the respect and care it deserves so that I can keep using it whilst in the hunt for that "perfect" shot.!!, and I take "my hat off" to Ricoh for bringing Pentax back into life while keeping the Pentax spirit and essence.

As a Manager I used to carry around 3 phones [one personal] of which two used to ring at any hour of the day seven days a week and the relief of being free from them on retirement is a joy! I agree with you about the capabilities of the iPhone 5 but I tend, from bitter experience, to use tools that are specifically designed for one purpose. So I use a high end Desk Top for computer work, a ordinary phone for receiving and sending texts and talking to people, a camera for taking photo's etc. That line of thought doesn't come from old Luddite thinking but from the fact that when "all in one" gadgets go wrong in one function I've had to send it away for repair whilst also losing all the other functions it had.

 

A well worded letter.

Even if I'm a founding member of the LWU (Luddites of the World Unite).

 

Well, it was polite at least, Shiney My other post on the Pentax Forum was a bit more scathing and questioning of the mental abilities and other things of those who were considering erasing a name they don't like and spraying black paint over it on a brand new top of the line DSLR camera body that costs £1100......so I'm glad that didn't appear in the Magazine

 

It just shows that lot of "intelligent" people let their needs to have "statement" items reduce and limit their reasoning to those of extremists.........which they profess not to be. You'd think they'd realise how childish, narrow minded, and petulant their words are.
I use a Pentax camera because I think it's the best around but there are plenty of photographers who disagree with me!! But using a Pentax camera doesn't mean I just use Pentax lenses and Accessories. I have at least 7 lenses that are third party lenses and I bought them because they are better for the specific use they were designed for than Pentax lenses. Some people will only use the same brand lenses and accessories as their camera in the blind belief that they are better because they bear the sacred brand name..........which makes me wonder how they approach taking a photograph if they have such constricted thinking! There's nothing as strange as Folk!!