If you're anything like me your photography has been surrounded by DSLRs for a very long time, and for good reason, they were solid, reliable cameras that just kept on going no matter what you threw at them.
I have often said here how I love my Nikon D800s or how switching to Black and White saved my Nikon D800. My trusty main Nikon DSLR is simply the best DSLR of its time - heck we all love the Nikon D850 on the DCW team and I think this it's the best camera ever made.
But hearing a recent rumor that Pentax is allegedly make a 61MP DSLR and bring it to market, in the shape of a K1-Mark III makes me think that would be an ingenious idea!
Rumors suggest a 61MP full-frame sensor can shoot 4K video, have a fast FPS burst mode, and other little extras that Pentax is known for, like an Astrotracker built into the camera. While we must be skeptical for the time being, it does make me think… would Pentax be on to something?
Of late Pentax has been somewhat "left-field" in its approach to cameras, the company is still producing a range of DSLRs, a range of compact cameras, and now it even has a new film cameras, in the shape of the Pentax 17. All three of these product lines were said to be dead, and most of its competitors abandoned them years ago in favor of producing the best mirrorless cameras they could make.
But were other manufacturers scoffed, Pentax stood up and rose to the challenge, and guess what? Its DSLRs, compact cameras, and new film camera keep on selling, and Pentax has once again become a solid option in the world of photography. Ingenuous!
I think a lot of this has to do with the history of the brand, the brand listening to its core customer base, and the fact that the general public's perception that a "good camera" is a DSLR.
Think about it, when most people think of a professional camera, I bet you think of something like the Nikon D6 or Canon EOS 1D X Mark III - not a mirrorless camera. Ask the question to your family, friends, or parents - I bet you will get the same answer.
Pentax has spotted that DSLRs are still here to stay and I think that's an amazing move by the company. Each left-field choice the company has taken has given Pentax a new lease of life, much like its announcement of the Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome - a dedicated DSLR camera that only shoots in black and white. It is another bold move – the only other company to make a B&W camera is Leica, and this will cost you three times as much money as the K-3 Mark III Monochrome.
I also can't say anything about Pentax without mentioning the Pentax KF - a brand new and affordable DSLR aimed at the beginner market - at a time when Canon and Nikon has been gradually discontinuing its digital reflex offerings.
Pentax just keeps hitting the nail on the head when it comes to the maverick ideas the company is making. Who would have thought that Pentax would start making a name for itself again as the "people's choice" camera decades on from when its professional SLRs rivaled those from Nikon?
