As I imagine a large amount of Pentax stories start my first was a second hand K1000, which my father bought me and I used in my last year in high school, before purchasing my own Super A. Which I took with me everywhere, parties, raves, weddings. But my favorite camera was my MZ-5n (my first new camera). I dragged it around the world and to 3 Glastonbury Festivals and would probably still have it today if it hadn't have been stolen. I upgraded to an MZ-S which is great but just doesn't have the memories.
I've been the proud owner of a Pentax MZ-5N camera for many years now. I've really enjoyed it's user-friendly handling, versatile features and super-fast auto focus. I'm particularly impressed with how the auto focus copes in low light conditions - it's always right on the money. I enjoy photographing a while variety of subjects, but tend to bias towards architecture and landscapes mainly. It's fun to change lenses for some specialised shots :) I'm also delighted with the accompanying AF220T flashgun; it produces excellent skin tones. I enjoy the adventure involved in capturing a great shot - it's very fulfilling.
A Pentax user from the age of 10, first a hand-me-down MX, then a traded-in MZ-7, I finally had to go digital. I coerced friends and family who would give me presents to combine all my Christmas and birthday gifts to add to my savings and bought a stunning K200D. The results were astounding and I started once again to delve into all options and play with images once again. However, 4 months later, and 3 days before a US tour, my beloved K200D was stolen leaving me now with nothing but an average quality (at best) compact and memories!
As a 7 year old child I always thought my Instamatic box camera was better than my father's ME Super. But Dad, I would say, "mine is instant and you don't have the turn the lens to make it focus". 25 years later and the Pentax ME Super still takes excellent shots that compete, and often beat, my digital point and shoot. The camera was good then, and it still takes an awful lot to take a better shot.
I bought my Pentax MX when I was a university student. I loved the ease of use, the range of lenses that I could afford and the quality of photos. With my 28mm, 50mm and 80-200mm lenses and extension tubes, I took many photos I am proud of (mostly slides). Sadly, I stopped using the MX when we had kids. My daughter is now doing Photography A-level and finds the MX easier to use, and gives better pictures, than the cameras supplied by the college and used by other students. Another generation of my family loves the Pentax MX!
I have loved cameras since my Dad got interested in photography when I was about 6. While I was growing up he was a member of a camera club and the aspiration was to own a Pentax although beyond his means. I used my Dad's Practika while I was an architectural student but spent my first month's salary on graduating on a Pentax MX. That was thirty years ago and I still use it [and love it] although now supplemented by an LX, a MZ-S and an istDL. Oh yes, and I designed Pentax's UK headquarters building.
I was at a music festival in the summer when a guy comes up to me and asks me if I wouldn't mind taking a picture of him and his girlfriend. Of course, I say no problem. Then he says, "Well you best get your camera out then", Random!
Since being very young I have always been fascinated by light and as result photography. When in my teens I was continually experimenting with photography - freezing drops etc with sound triggered flash, and self developing black and white images with cheap kit (including a red builders hard hat for a safety lamp!). However my first Pentax didnt arrive till much later after my first child - a P50 SLR. However I was always frustrated by films long capture/develop/dissapointment cycle. However now with my new digital Pentax K-m I feel liberated to experiment and explore photography all over again.....
My son is currently in Kazakhstan on his way to Mongolia. He has with him my two faithful MESupers. Why has he turned down other offers? For many years I traveled with these reliable friends, backpacking in little known corners of Asia. Our house is festooned with the prints.... Tibetan monasteries, hill tribesman from south China, Kashgar markets, volcanic peaks of Sumatra .... Those cameras never let me down despite pretty rough treatment. A few dents in the bodywork and a little green corrosion from the sulphur fumes still doesn't seem to have affected the superb quality of the output.
When I booked a trip to the Arctic it deserved a better camera than my compact, so I invested in a K10D. The shake reduction was invaluable when bombing around on zodiacs and the weatherproofed body withstood drenchings with ice cold Arctic sea water. It also led to another dimension to my life, as this year I entered two images from the trip into the Southampton International Exhibition - both were accepted and one won an FIAP ribbon. I am now gradually adding images to my collection at Alamy; my sales rate is above average, thanks to Pentax quality.
It was a well-known online review site that converted me to Pentax. When the K10d came out, features and price made it very attractive, but it was the enthusiasm of its users on the discussion board that really convinced me - so much that I pre-ordered and picked up one of the first K10s in the country. Since then, I have really grown as a photographer, from documenting my family to winning competitions. I love the primes, and I love being able to use my father's German M42 glass on my camera.
Returning to photography after a fifteen year break I joined my local photo club which starred some of the best natural history photographers in the country- FRPS etc. To my complete surprise I won the natural history section of the annual exhibition judged by one of the countries most respected judges. Not with a picture of a rare bird or animal but of a common garden snail. Why was my picture chosen- because of the overall quality of detail and sharpness. The experience gleaned from my K1000, MX and LX of yesteryear helped prove that my Pentax K10 is up there with the best.