From: Bojidar Dimitrov Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 14:46:21 -0800
The only lens that I was able to afford was a second-hand 400/5.6, and it had to be AF. I have never seen a used FA* 400/5.6, so I look at eBay for a Canon.
Why does it have to be a Pentax FA*? Sigma has good AF 400 lenses, at good prices too. Compatible with Pentax mount.
So, the main factors are: - Canon has a more complete AF system
In terms of lenses yes, but who needs all of them?
- Canon delivers new products and technologies faster
Not in the entry level segment. And in the high-end segment, products lives twice as long. Not only Pentax products.
- counting from 1986 until now, Canon actually has better system compatibility than Pentax, and there is NO INDICATION that will have to change their mount any time soon (Pentax is moving towards a mount change [at least simplification]. The *ist does NOT work properly with K and M lenses, and it is NOT an entry-level camera --- it has the best AF system of ANY Pentax camera!)
To my knowledge, the EOS system was introduced in 1988 or 1989. So why 1986? Minolta and Pentax released the worlds first AF SLR systems in 1987. And Pentax *ist has full compatibility Pentax AF lenses since they came out in the market, it even supports lenses from 1982. That's better compatibility than Canon. Pentax may be dropping some compatibility with lenses from 1976, but Canon isn't even compatible with manual focus lenses at all - so why are you being so hard on Pentax? The AF lenses works great, and there's no sign that they are not going to work well in the future.
Saying that *ist is not an entry level because of it's features, is like saying that the MZ-60 is not an entry level camera because it has more features (like auto-bracketing) than Pentax previous entry-level cameras. Cameras are getting more and more features at lower prices, this is good. The *ist is still entry level. And we can blame Minolta for this. The Dynax 7 has semi-pro features (like 1/8000 shutter) at a mid-market price, Dynax 5 has mid-market features at an entry-market price. Now Pentax is doing this also, but at an even higher level. This is fantastic!
Now, where is Pentax? I feel that they have slowly but surely >abandoned the market segment in which I am -- serious amateur.
On the contrary I say!
Since the *ist is the first model in a new serie that will consist of three film based SLR's, and the two that's left to be released - will be more upmarket models. The *ist D is a preview on the MZ-5n/MZ-3 replacement. Why does it looks like a filmbased SLR? Why didn't Pentax make a new non-filmbased SLR design - like Olympus (so P�l could be happy and call it "sedy" :-) )? Because it was less expensive to take an existing design and modifie it for digital, than making a complete new digital design. It's just that this time, the digital version is showned before the filmbased. I'm sure that the *ist 'L' (or whatever it will be called) is going to be great. And then we have another one, we can call it *ist 'S'. One step above the *ist 'L'. One body for the entry-market (instead of three), one body for the mid-market (instead of two that's more entry than mid), and one body for the pro-market (instead of one that's between mid-market and pro). That's nice.
If we >ignore thebrilliant FA* 200-600/5.6, they don't have much for >sports or wild-life professionals either.
I would say that they have more for pro's than enthusiastic amateurs with little money. All the great FA* telephoto lenses are expensive (no wonder, they're well worth their price). Pentax lacks medium market zooms (we have the FA 24-90 f/3.5-4.5 and the FA 20-35 f/4, but that's all. It's a giant hole between the low end and the high-end zooms. However, I feel confident that this is going to change).
They seem to be concentrating in the segment of *ist and below.
No, they're concentrating in the segment of *ist and above.
The two new filmbased SLR's that's just around the corner, are above the *ist. Not below. Pentax will not release new models below the *ist.
This is great. They've said so. They've said that they will have three filmbased SLR's, and the *ist is entry level, beginner model, introduction model, first model in the new serie. The remaining two must be above, everything points to this.
Best wishes, Roland
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