I plan to upgrade from a Canon AE-1. The Pentax MZ-7 (ZX-7, I believe in the US) has had a good review in the British magazine "Buying Cameras" (Nov. 99). The EOS 300 (Rebel 2000, I think, in the US) came on top ("by a whisker") because of its additional features, and Pentax second. Nevertheless, the Pentax lens mount is made of METAL. By the way, the other cameras tested by the magazine were the Minolta Dynax 505si and the Nikon F60. I have handled the Pentax MZ-7, and it feels great, as it is not too bulky. I know though, one buys into a system. Does anybody know that camera?

-- Leon Theriault (therial@umoncton.ca), December 05, 1999

Answers

Pentax is a real underdog in the 35mm SLR world. They are in 4th place in the U.S. (and probably in Canada too) behind Canon, Nikon, and Minolta. I'm a Pentax user, and here are the advantages to going with Pentax:

Really good midrange lenses and bodies: If you are planning to stick with midrange cameras and lenses (as opposed to high-end pro bodies and lenses), then Pentax is a good choice. I shoot with a ZX-5 (MZ-5 in Canada) and really like its size, user interface, and quality. Midrange Pentax lenses are well-regarded also (e.g., the FA 28-70 f4.0 zoom tests out very well and is not expensive).

Full compatibility between current bodies and older lenses: you can purchase a 25 year old lens from someone on eBay and it will work perfectly on your MZ-7 (except for autofocus, of course). Nikon is the closest to Pentax in that regard.

Really nice user interface design in the ZX (MZ) series: PhilG spends a large chunk of an article complaining about the interface of the Canon Rebel G on the photo.net site. Nikon users complain about their lower-end bodies being hard to use. Pentax seems to have gotten that part right.

Now, for the downsides:

No true pro-level bodies: Canon, Nikon, and Minolta all sell very rugged professional system bodies (EOS 1n, F5, and Dynax 9) for between $1000 and $2500. Pentax doesn't, despite persistent rumors that they are about to come out with one.

Fairly small high-end lens selection: High-end Pentax glass is really, really good, but the variety is much smaller than that offered by Canon and Nikon (Minolta's variety is fairly small, also).

Smaller used equipment market: There are zillions of used Nikkor lenses and bodies out there. Pentax stuff seems to be much rarer (Pentax used to sell a lot of SLR gear, so maybe Pentax people hold on to their gear longer....).

Possibly dubious Pentax customer service (in the U.S.A.). Some people complain about poor service at the Pentax U.S.A. service center in Colorado. I sent a lens there (FA* 300mm F4.5) for warrantee service and it came back just find (although it took a month). I have no idea about the Pentax Canada folks.

I like my Pentax stuff a lot. It works for me. I also like being kind of a rebel in using something other than the most popular stuff out there. In the end, if you like the feel of the camera body and you can get the lenses you want for it, that is what counts.

-- Mark Erickson (maericks@netcom.com), December 05, 1999.

Thanks, Mark, for your comments. No, I don't intend to buy high-end lenses. A 28mm, 50mm and a 135 or 200mm will suit me just fine. How would you compare the metering systems on the Pentax, the Rebel 200 and the Elan II? The Pentax has a TTL phase-matching 3-point autofocus system (SAFOX IV), and TTL open-aperture 6-segment metering. Is that enough? The diopter adjustment seems ok on the Pentax (I wear glasses). It has no auto-bracketing facility. Would that be an important omission? Or could I achieve the same results by using exposure compensation? I am not sure if it has DOF, but the focus mode can be switched to manual. (I rarely used DOF on my AE-1.)

-- Leon Theriault (therial@umoncton.ca), December 05, 1999.

Most of my shooting is either wildlife or landscapes. Autobracketing isn't really practical with live animals, and I have plenty of time to use the exposure compensation dial to bracket shots manually. As a result, I don't really miss an autobracketing feature on either my ZX-5 or my LX.

As far as autofocusing is concerned, Canon lenses with USM ring motors are quieter and faster than the Pentax system. The SAFOX IV system in my ZX-5 works pretty well. I'd recommend that you play with a camera in the store and see how whether the autofocus works for you. Don't get caught up in acronyms like USM, SAFOX, etc. Do try a Canon with a USM ring motor and compare it to the Pentax.

I do miss DOF preview in my ZX-5. That and the lack of mirror lockup are why I spent too much $$$ recently on a used LX.

-- Mark Erickson (maericks@netcom.com), December 06, 1999.

I believe DOF preview can be had on any K mount camera. You just set the aperture and *half* demount the lens. Yeah, just turn the whole thing a little to the left. Presto! The lens stops down to taking aperture. Just be careful to not turn it so far it drops on the ground when you're looking through it. And your metering may be all screwed up, so turn it back before taking the picture.

One problem with the AF Pentax bodies is the lack of a cross type AF sensor, so they are only sensitive to contrast lines running in a somewhat vertical direction. Or has Pentax changed this on the newest cameras?

I changed from Pentax to Canon because I like all the features of the Elan II. It seemed to provide the biggest bang for the buck. I think the Canon has a little better flash metering system (E-TTL), and has a greater selection of mid priced lenses. But old MF lenses for the Pentax can be purchased quite cheaply.

-- Jim Strutz (jimstrutz@juno.com), December 08, 1999.

My wife uses a Pentax auto everything, and its a very capable camera. Pentax does make very nice lenses. TTL flash works very well also. Since the birth of my son, I have taken to using her Pentax for most of my baby pics, because the TTL flash works so well (my 35mm gear is older MF Nikon, and my aging eyes need the autofocus for the fleeting baby pics). I personaly hate plastic lens mounts, and would not consider a body that uses one.

-- Ron Shaw (shaw9@llnl.gov), December 08, 1999.

Hello Leon In reference to Mark's and Jim's problems: first, the Pentax ZX-5n has both autobracketing and depth-of-focus controls. Second, it has three sensors, not one, the two outer sensors more sensitive to horizontal features, such as fences, window sills, eyebrows, horizons, etc, and a central sensor more sensitive to vertical features. Between the three, they do an excellent job; in fact the only complaint I've heard is about the lack of an AF light for focussing in dimness. But it's been my experience that if there's enough light for you to see what you are photographing, there's enough light for the autofocus to work. Incidentally, it also has a glass prism, not plastic or mirrors and, believe me, this makes a very noticeable difference. Anyway, good luck.

-- ed nicholson (thenicks@prodigy.net), December 08, 1999.

Last year I faced a similar decision. I was looking at the Rebel G and the Pentax ZX-10. I loved the way the ZX-10 felt in my hand. I liked having a real on/off switch. I just liked the camera. Except for the autofocus. The Pentax has a wide AF area with 3 sensors. The two on the ends are for horizontal lines, the center one is for vertical lines. The Canon has 3 sensors, too, but they are user selectable. I found that the Pentax would often focus on something that wasn't what I wanted to focus on. The Canon allowed me to choose which focusing point I wanted to use. In the end I chose the Canon because I felt that the focusing point selection was an important feature for me.

As for the metal vs. plastic lens mount- I'm not sure how big a deal that is. I've seen lots of people complaining about never choosing a camera with a plastic mount, but I've never seen anyone with a horror story related to the plastic mount. Maybe they are sturdier than people believe? Anyway, I don't think I'd choose (or not choose) a camera body on the basis of lens mount alone.

You are a photographer. You probably know what sort of lenses you want. You can do a little research on Photo.net and the Pentax mailing list to see if the lenses you want are available and any good for both systems. You can go to B&H or CameraWorld and see how much the lenses cost. You know which features you'd use in a camera - DOF preview for instance. You'll have to weigh all the factors that are important to you to make your decision.

Good luck!

-- Tamara Snyder (tsnyder@comp.uark.edu), December 08, 1999.

In response to Ed Nicholson above: The Popular Photography review of the ZX-7 says that it has a penta-mirror not an all-glass prism. The ZX-5n has a pentaprism.

-- Tamara Snyder (tsnyder@comp.uark.edu), December 08, 1999.