I, for one, am mildly optimistic at the new offerings from Pentax. First, they are coming out with new, well featured, products. They are showing a commitment to SLR's, both 35mm and digital. Pricing appears to be competitive and they are compatible with older lenses. They are going after a couple of growing market segments. Entry level 35mm SLR's are increasing in sales as some p&s owners want something with better optics and more control. The digital SLR/ZLR segment is ripe. The first major player who gets a sub $1000 D-SLR, 6MP+, with decent features, good image quality, AND a well designed "idiot mode" will have a path beaten to his door.
Is the *ist-D that camera? I don't know. Feature wise, it holds up well to the Canon 10D, though there still are too many important items not specified yet to say that in all certainty. I'm of the opinion that if it isn't significantly less expensive then the 10D or blows the 10D out of the water performance wise (unlikely). Another thought is that perhaps, like the film *ist there is a possibility of a lower cost "entry level" D body in development for release soon. Where the 10 D is selling under $1500, and has Canon's reputation for digital SLR's going for it, I'm going out on a limb and guess that to be successful in volume the *ist-D will need to sell for $1250 or less and the closer it comes to the magic $1000 mark the more successful it will be. Whether Pentax can, or will, do that kind of pricing remains to be seen. And Pentax, If you are listening, 48 bit color and Adobe 1998 RGB color options would be great additions. BUTCH Each man had only one genuine vocation - to find the way to himself. Hermann Hess (Damien)
