What happens to your gear when your gone?
Apparently the average Pentaxian owns eleventy bazillion cameras and 17.5 times that many lenses; at least that’s how things shook out in our How Many Cameras Do You Own and Just How Many Lenses Do You Own polls. The Lens poll led Loyal Site Supporter ABphotographer to ask What will happen to these lenses when you are no longer able to use them [e.g. result of accident, some other calamity, death?]
Well that’s a cheerful thought.
It’s a fair question, though. What happens to all your cherished Pentax gear when you’re gone? Do you have a detailed plan? Buyers lined up? Are you planning to be buried with all your worldly treasures like some Pentaxian King Tut? Vote in this week’s poll, and let us know why you do that voodoo you do so well in the comments!
Elsewhere in this week’s newsletter, Site Supporter Seventh Monkey takes a look at the SMC Pentax 28mm F3.5 Shift lens; Forum Member Angus_M89 takes a look at the Pentax Winder ME II and the Pentax Winder LX; and Weekly Challenge #714 is set at The Wrong Angle.
If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter, please take a moment to join the more than 1,500 Pentaxians who have subscribed to our free curated compendium of the hundreds of great images and post shared each week in our Pentax community. Please let us know your thoughts here in the comments and on our Pentax Forums, and have a perfect Pentaxian week!
Threads of the Week:
Pentax K Mount 28mm f/3.5 Shift Lens
September 21, 2025 • Pentax SLR Lens Discussion • 9 replies • 274 views
Seventh Monkey said — I wanted to bring some attention to this lesser known but incredibly useful lens. Shift lenses allow perspective control that is typically used to "straighten out" buildings and trees look more like how our brains perceive them than how they photograph with a standard lens. They are incredibly useful in landscape and architectural photography. Read more »
Ricoh Imaging to open a GR Space in Brisbane
September 17, 2025 • Pentax News and Rumors • 12 replies • 726 views
Mistral75 said — Ricoh Imaging is set to open a Ricoh GR Space in Brisbane, Australia. GR SPACE BRISBANE - Wharf 203 Spring Hill. This will be the first GR Space outside Asia. Ricoh Imaging already operates three GR Spaces in Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing, which serve as community hubs for photographers. Each GR Space offers exhibitions, workshops and events that showcase local and global GR artistry, and acts as a cultural platform for exploring the snapshot art philosophy embodied by the GR series. Read more »
New Pentax eBook Pentax: From Asahiflex to the Digital Age
September 16, 2025 • Pentax eBooks • 0 replies • 349 views
yuenslhk said — Pentax: From Asahiflex to the Digital Age By Siu Lun Yuen. For more than a century, Pentax has stood as a name synonymous with photography passion, resilience, and innovation. From its origins as Asahi Optical in early 20th-century Japan, through the launch of the Asahiflex—the first Japanese-made SLR camera—to today’s digital powerhouse, Pentax has carved out a unique path in photographic history. This book celebrates that remarkable journey. Read more »
Pentaxian User Reviews
Pentax Accessories
Pentax Winder ME II
Reviewed by Forum Member Angus_M89
Review Date: September 19, 2025Recommended | Price: $10.00 | Rating: 10
Pros: Ergonomics, easy to use. Cons:
I have used mine on the ME Super and P50. This really changes the game when it comes to ergonomics on these cameras. It is very simple to use, improves handling and allows for continuous shooting. What's not to like? I also have the ME Winder and the ME II Winder is better, a bit more elegant.
Pentax Winder LX
Reviewed by Forum Member Angus_89
Review Date: September 19, 2025 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 10
Pros: Auto film winding, design, simplicity Cons:
I got mine in a bundle so can’t give an accurate price. I really like the aesthetic this adds to my LX’s. I enjoy the added grip size. Winding is fast enough for me and shooting film. I’d recommend using only small primes if needing to balance / store it anywhere as it will definitely tip over on a heavy manual zoom lens.
It does exactly what it should in the way it should. Not much wrong with that.
Pentax Battery Grip D-BG2 for K10D and K20D
Reviewed by New Member shure58
Review Date: September 9, 2025 Recommended | Price: $70.00 | Rating: 10
Pros: Everything about it is VERY GOOD!!! Cons:
I bought a K10d camera for my daughter for the New Year in 2024. Then I bought a battery grip. My daughter tried to shoot with and without the grip... Then I noticed that the camera was only used with the grip. It was more convenient for the child.
The increased weight didn’t bother her. For me, a DSLR without a grip is some kind of atavism...
Comment of the Week:
Loyal Site Supporter ABphotographer on Just How Many Lenses do you own? The Best of Pentax Forums September 17 Poll
So what happens to these lenses......I have read the responses to how many lenses photographers have. Interesting... My question is what will happen to these lenses when you are no longer able to use them [e.g. result of accident, some other calamity, death?]
Who gets your gear when you’re gone?
The Best of Pentax Forums September 24 Poll
According to our last two polls — How Many Cameras Do You Own, Anyway? and Just How Many Lenses Do You Own? — it’s apparent the average Pentaxian owns eleventy bazillion cameras and 17.5 times that many lenses. The Lens poll led Loyal Site Supporter ABphotographer to ask What will happen to these lenses when you are no longer able to use them [e.g. result of accident, some other calamity, death?]
Well that’s a cheerful thought.
It’s a fair question, though. What happens to all your cherished Pentax gear when you’re gone? Do you have a detailed plan? Buyers lined up? Are you planning to be buried with all your worldly treasures like some Pentaxian King Tut? Vote in this week’s poll, and let us know why you do that voodoo you do so well in the comments!
And here are the results of last week’s poll:
Weekly Photo Challenges
Weekly Challenge #714 - The Wrong Angle
Posted By: Hattifnatt: Welcome to Weekly Challenge #714 - THE WRONG ANGLE
Thanks Frank for an interesting challenge last week and to all who participated. This week's theme is about the wrong angle - pictures from unusual perspectives, like looking up from the floor, shooting through objects, upside-down and so on. I would like to get people out of the usual "eye-level" shots. Extreme low angle, extreme high angle, tilted horizons, peekaboo angles, upside-down, forced perspectives, everything goes. Even awkward cropping, if you don't have anything else. The Challenge will run until midnight next Friday, September 26, whichever time zone you are in.
And here’s the entry submitted by Loyal Site Supporter Andy58: Uphill panorama
Priest's Cove, Cornwall UK: Two images stitched in ICE, then rotate in IrfanView to make the (rather curved) horizon horizontal. K30 + Tamron XR DiII 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 at 18mm
And here’s the submission by Pentaxian Nij: Beneath Healey Viaduct, looking directly upwards. Built in the 19th century, Healey Viaduct used to carry the Rochdale to Bacup railway line over the deep chasm through which runs the river Spodden. Standing underneath one of the huge arches looking directly upwards.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
Pentax K-3 Mark III Review
Introduction Oct 16, 2021
Pentax announced the original K-3 in 2013. It was the first DSLR fully developed under Ricoh ownership. The camera reaped rewards and was regarded as one of the best APS-C DSLRs at the time.
2015 saw the release of the K-3 Mark 2 (also written K-3 II), a moderate upgrade whose main difference with the original was the replacement of the built-in flash with a GPS unit.
We are now in 2021, and Pentax released the third generation of the K-3 line. This time, however, the K-3 Mark 3 (or K-3 III) is a huge upgrade. This new camera keeps the K-3 DNA, but features a new body and overhauled hardware. The list of new and enhanced features is seemingly never-ending. Today we are happy to present this in-depth review of the K-3 III. This review will present what’s new, how the camera operates, and how it performs in various conditions.
Who is it for?
In many ways, the K-3 III is a love letter to Pentax fans. It shows the best of what the company can do and illustrates, in a world rapidly moving towards mirrorless, that Pentax still cares about DSLR users, be they diehard Pentax fans or newcomers. This is also the camera for anyone who wants an optical viewfinder in 2021.
Pentax Forums Front page stories Sept 17-23:
Pentax K-3 III eBook Version 1.13 Released
Making it a breeze to master your camera!
By PF Staff in Site News on Sep 21, 2025
Did you know that the K-3 III’s new Astrophoto Assist features can be used for more than just star photography? We are happy to announce our 13th free update to the Pentax K-3 Mark III: The Ultimate Guide eBook. As the name implies, this eBook is a comprehensive guide to help you get the most out of your K-3 III or K-3 III Monochrome camera. It focuses on practical use cases and real-world tips and is thus the perfect supplement to the verbose owner’s manual.
Purchase the PDF eBook or get the Amazon Kindle version here.
Use the coupon code K3III at the bottom of the page above to save $5 on the PDF version! (exp 9/30/25)