4 comments about Pentax IQ Zoom 115V Date Camera.

1. This great camera may be small, but it's packed with great features!
   The zoom lens is terrific. While I was at my cousin's concert, I could see them up close without moving an inch! Believe me, going from 38mm to 115mm is a long way. I also love the all of the modes. The flash modes are: Auto flash, auto flash with red eye reduction, day-light sync (fill-in flash), slow shutter flash off mode (it uses natural light where flash is not advised), and slow shutter with flash and red eye reduction. The other modes are Infinity landscape mode and self timer (10 sec.) For the price, this is a great camera!



2. I purchased this camera to replace yet another camera my husband broke. I am sick of spending a lot on cameras and have seen this one for almost twice as much as I paid here at Amazon.com. So I bought it and love it. It is simple to use, has auto rewind, zoom lens and date, and is inexpensive. Not any problems and we take a lot of pictures.



3. This camera takes great photos but you can find it elsewhere for the same price and it will come with a case and battery. Shop elsewhere.



4. I received this camera from my husband as a gift right before our son was born. What a mistake this purchase was. It is large and bulky, but the worst thing is that the picture quality is very unpredictable. Some photos turn out ok, others are just awful. The zoom lens almost always takes fuzzy pictures. This is NOT operator error - I have had other cameras and never had problems like this. I also HATE that the camera pauses for a full second when you hit the shutter button before the photo actually takes. When you have small children, their smiles are unpredictable and I've missed too many great shots because this camera paused for too long. I'm going to get rid of this one and buy myself an Olympus Stylus. My advice is to stay away from this one.

No comments about Pentax SMCP-A Zoom 80-200mm f/4.7-5.6 Lens.

2 comments about Pentax SMCP-A Zoom 35-80mm f/4.0-5.6 Lens.

1. This lens is really well put together like all genuine brand name Pentax products. The zoom range from 35-80 mm offers great versatility, from wide angel shots to very nice crisp and clear close up shots. 35mm ideal for wide landscape shots and 80mm ideal for close-up portraits of people. This lens has given me lots of enjoyment. It operates exceptionally well, my pictures are crips and clear. It was a pleasure to operate this lens on my Pentax camera. A great deal for a lens of this high standard. Well done Pentax !



2. This lens came with my Pentax ZX-M camera and has served me well. I use it mostly to document paintings but have also taken some black and white portraits with it. It's reasonably sharp, has enough contrast, and gives good colors. Of course it's not as sharp as a prime lens but it's a good, economical, all around lens.

5 comments about Pentax ZX-5N 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only).

1. i first used a pentax in my yearbook class in high school. i soon became photography editor because of the great shots i captured ... thanks all to the camera! my friend has this camera and has let me borrow it. I love it!! it is easy to use and has the great features of past pentax slr's but it gives you more options as far as the lighting goes. ill admit if you dont know about lighting it might be confusing at first. however the manual explains it well and it is fun to learn how to manipulate the settings by just fooling around and having fun. this camera is definitely worth your investment in fact i am buying one for myself!



2. I've had this camera for over two years and I really like it. Very easy to use but with lots of advanced features. Also, it's fairly light-weight so it's easy to carry. My only complaint - and it's a big one - is that higher-end lenses (zooms with 2.8 aperature) for this camera are very expensive and not quite as good as a comparable Nikon.



3. I grew up in a photography family and my Dad gave me a Pentax MX when I was pretty young. It was great for high school yearbook photos and photography class, then later on in college for more photo classes. I ended up with a Minolta Maxxum for a little while (4si, I believe) and ended up finding every little limitation it had and being very annoyed with it in the long run. Then it occurred to me that that wonderful "brick" MX that I had had for so long was still great, so why not try a modern Pentax. After great debate as to which model to purchase, I settled on the ZX-5 (the predecessor to the ZX-5n...the same without one or two little options). The reason I chose it was because the layout of the controls was so intuitive, as the MX was...I could switch easily from one to the other with no difficulty whatsoever. I am a semi-professional photographer and have done everything from private model photo shoots to wedding photography and have loved every minute with my ZX-5 and have come out with some great results! I highly recommend this to any photographer who is in classes due to the fact that it has a full manual mode, to the amateur who just wants better quality photos than the little point and shoots produce, or even the professional due to the many settings on the camera and accessories that are readily available for this model. If you are looking for something similar in Nikon, Canon, or Minolta, then check this one out and I bet you 9 times out of 10 that the Pentax has a better price...same for the accessories!



4. My first camera was a Pentax ME which I wore out. Because I had such good luck with the ME, I purchased this camera as a replacement. I found it very easy to use and the built in flash with the red-eye flash to be very helpful. My only complaint is that if you use the built in flash the batteries in the camera do not last as long. Also the built in flash does not light large areas very well. I like the fact that the camera will not take a picture if there is not enough light.



5. I really love this camera! Why do I then just rate it as a 4? Although I think this camera deserved to be SLR of the year when it came, it lacks some of the flexibility that would be nessessary for a 5 rating. The manual shutter speeds are to few and too far apart. The shortest shutter speed is 1/2000 and the longest 2 seconds, which somewhat limits your ability for different light situations. Otherwise, the handling of the camera makes it easy and logical to work with. No need to spend ours reading the manual to be able to take advantage of the different exposure modes.

3 comments about Pentax Espio 140V 35mm Date Camera.

1. I did a lot of research before purchasing this camera. I was told at a camera shop that Pentax and Minolta take the best pictures for a point and shoot camera. I was going to buy a Nikon, but was told that Nikon doesn't even make their own point and shoot cameras. Another company makes them and they put the Nikon name on their point and shoot camera. This Pentax camera has a neat feature. As the camera zooms in and out, the flash adjusts so that if you're shooting a close-up, the camera won't put too much light on the subject. I took the camera to a Nascar race and used 200 speed film. The pictures came out great. The only problem I had with my order is that the product description indicates that this camera comes with a case and a battery, however, this camera did not.



2. Why do they call this a ultra-compact camera? I was really disappointed when I open the box and found out how large the camera actually is! It's twice as big as my old one, which I'd wanted to replace, and while it's lightweight, it's awkward to hold, and the lens covar is difficult to slide. I don't know if it takes good pictures, but the size is terrible. These days people expect small. I'm returning it and buying one that I know is small, yet still has all the great features, the Fujifilm Zoomdate 1300.



3. I have used a Minolta 35mm camera for many years and have been very happy with it. Lately there has been "bleed-in" on the pictures so it was time for a change. I did a lot of internet research into cameras which would be simple to use and give good pictures. I decided on the Pentax Espio 140 after reading many reviews and descriptions. After experimenting with a couple rolls of film, I am very happy with the camera. This is my first zoom 35mm and I am still learning the methods of using it. I am especially pleased with the outdoor shots. I learned that the flash has its' limitations when using the zoom in darker situations. Getting the camera loaded and operating is simple. The instructions are easy to read and understand. The film indicator is large enough to read in low light situations. I like the lens cover/slide and do not find it hard to operate. The date feature was something which I definitely wanted and it shows up well. I am also pleased with the close-up pictures which I have taken, however, I am less than totally pleased with the red-eye reduction. I have red eye in some of my pictures and will be experimenting with camera positioning to see if there is something on the user end which can be done about it. I am pleased with the camera and would recommend it to someone looking for a good easy to use camera.

2 comments about Pentax ZX-30 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only).

1. I like it better than my pz-70 you can get to manuel fast



2. When I was 15 years old my dad bought me a Pentax K-1000 which I used until I purchased my ZX-30 about a year ago. The great thing about learning on the K-1000 was that it was 100% manual, so I was forced to learn all about f-stop and shutter speeds.
   
   Upgrading to the ZX-30 has been a treat. It's extremely easy to use in auto mode, and I will confess that I use it this way almost exclusively. But, if I want more control over light or speed, it's fast and simple to switch to manual. It did take some getting used to, as the control are now thumb-driven instead of on the lens where they were for the K-1000.
   
   I'm of course aware the film is fading fast and is being replaced by digital, but I'm not quit ready to take that jump (waiting for prices to decrease and options in digital SLR to increase.) If you're in the same boat, I can't say enough about how much you'll enjoy the ZX-30. It's light, it's fast, it's easy, and it's affordable.

3 comments about Pentax PZ-1P 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only).

1. Sadly Pentax discontinued this model in favour of their new flagship MZ-S. Let me tell you they're different cameras. While the MZ-S is a fully pro- oriented body, PZ-1p is an outstanding all-around gear. It has many features only found in great great Canon or Nikon models, obviously much higher priced. Examples of this is its 4 fps drive motor, 1/8000 top shutter speed, or 1/250 flash sync, and interchangeable focusing screens.
   Another great feature is the so-called Hyper Program mode, that allows the user to switch from a full programmed mode to an aperture-priority (or shutter-priority) just by moving the aperture (or shutter-speed) knob. Or the Hyper Manual mode, when you have total exposure control, but can ask the camera to aid you setting the proper exposure with a touch of a button.
   LCD display is large enough to be clearly seen from a meter away, and shows any information you need. It can be backlit at the touch of two simultaneous buttons. Almost every info in this display is available at the viewfinder right side also.
   Build is good enough for an all-around body. It is not air tight and it has not 72 molybdene silicon-rubbered-thermo gaskets just because it is not intended for carrying it during an Everest climb. But any photographer can safely rely on it for almost every kind of work. Body is metal-carbonate compound, and unlike some mass-market models from a very renowned brand, it has a metal (not hard plastic) lens mount.
   Add to this the fact that remarkably puts Pentax above any SLR manufacturer: lens compatibility. You can use PZ-1p -along as ANY modern Pentax body- with ANY K-mount lens you can get. Of course you'll not enjoy the autofocus feature with old lenses, but you can set the PZ-1p to aid your manual focus with a mark on the viewfinder and/or a beep sound. Try to find that feature in any other of the great SLR brands. Just forget about...
   So, if you own an old faithful K-1000 with a couple of reliable and solid SMC lenses and want to enter a new photographic era, stop thinking about: this is the camera for you.
   ...



2. I have several cameras by several manufacturers and I can honestly say that my Pentax cameras are the best performers.

   Not only is the PZ-1p almost error-proof, but it is easy to handle and uses all the K-mount Pentax lenses AF and Manual!!! (Try getting that kind of lens mount flexibility from another brand like Nikon or Minolta ... forget it.)

   The only way the PZ-1p could be made better is if it came with the gripstrap FDP accessory standard. The camera by itself is a little small in the hands for a professional SLR (a tribute to Pentax technology, but bad for photographers who like cameras to fill their hands). The gripstrap FDP accessory makes the PZ-1p feel like it was made for your hand ... it's a definate must if you use this camera professionally or if you are going to lug it around all day.




3. I own this model as well as the ZX-m. I concur with the other reviewers this camera is excellent. Much better than the MZ-S and other brands dollar for dollar. It's a shame it has been discontinued

No comments about Pentax IQ Zoom 80S Date 35mm Camera.

2 comments about Pentax SMCP-D FA 50mm f/2.8 Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras.

1. Using this lens with the K10D Pentax digital camera is a true pleasure. The sharpness of the images is outstanding!



2. This is a great lens if you need a macro. On the Pentax *1st DS it gives images that are 1.5 times the actual size of the object. The first lens arrived damaged, but it was replaced by the vendor without any hassle.

2 comments about Pentax SMCP-A 50mm f/2.0 Lens.

1. Brand new for $49 shipped, it is impossible to fault this lens for the absolute best bargain KA-mount MF lens. I bought it to use as a short telephoto with my Pentax *ist DS. At 80mm equivalent focal length, it is ideal for portraiture. I already have an SMCP-M 50mm f/1.4, which does work on the DS, albeit only in Manual mode and requires pushing the AE-L to take a exposure meter reading. I wanted an SMCP-A version for outdoor full-length portraits, where auto-exposure would be very helpful. I went with MF because I prefer the metal construction to the all-plastic AF versions. Besides, I like the ability to focus precisely on the model's eyes/nose that MF allows me.
   
   In many ways, this lens is also a good alternative to buying the Pentax 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens. It isn't much longer dimensionally and is a full stop faster. When mounted on a DSLR, the 40mm pancake lens becomes an odd 64mm equivalent - too short for portraiture and too long to be considered "normal" lens.
   
   Kudos to Pentax for still producing the SMCP-A 50mm f/2.



2. I expected and got what I wanted. I am pleased with the lens for sure. an excellant purchase