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Build quality as a thing unto itself
What other non-cycling items have such outstanding build quality and design for the money, that you just appreciate their "thingness". Things that you just want to hold or caress?
I've seen several posts that get to this same point, but I thought I'd bring it up again. I've always loved products where the build quality / industrial design, and ergonomics, stand out every bit as much as how well it works. Like the Kitchenaid stand-alone mixer my parents have had since I was a kid. It is 35 years old and still works perfectly. Mine is only 10 years old and I think it's just now getting broken in. This is where Apple excels. Their industrial design is so far ahead of the other major players, it's sad. My iPhone, makes my work issued Blackberry bold feel like a cheap piece of plastic. My wifes 2G is still going strong 4 years later.
The most recent example for me is a new DSLR I purchased to replace my Canon - It's a Pentax K-5. The build quality is heads above what you get in the same price range from Canon, Nikon, or Sony. It's compact, light, yet very, very solid. Not only that but Pentax just builds 'em right. They are truly a pleasure to shoot with. All the buttons are where they should be, and it doesn't feel like the camera is overly packed with techno-wizardry like competing DSLRs in the same price range. For mortals like me, I just keep picking it up just to hold it, which then makes me want to go out and shoot.
One or two other things about this camera and I'll stop gushing: the Pentax series of limited prime lenses are built like lenses were 20 years ago. None of the plasticky crap you see today. And the colors, oh the colors you get from these lenses. These are incredibly compact lenses. Throw a limited 40mm f/1.7 on a k-5 and it is compact enough to throw in a camelback for short rides, hikes, etc. Don't let the weather stop you - the K-5 is fully weather sealed from dust and water. Shooting in the rain or snow is a new experience!
Anyway, I hate to sound like a shill for this camera, but it's great to see a smaller company building a DSLR that is every bit as good as the top APSC offerings from Canon and Nikon (in my opinion, better)
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Originally Posted by Jacques
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