On Mon, 24 Mar 2003, Roland Mabo wrote: > The ZX-7 is not mid level. It's entry level. Mid level is EOS 30/33 (Elan > 7), F/N 80 and MZ-3. Entry level are MZ/ZX-5n, MZ-6/ZX-L and MZ/ZX-7, Dynax > 5 and 4, F75 and F65, EOS 300. EOS 3000, F55 and MZ/ZX-60 are low end > models. P&S SLR's.
Agreed. I'm not saying that the *ist is mid-level, just that I can't see it being the least-expensive 35mm AF SLR in Pentax's lineup. > >There will be one above it and (at least) one below it. The lower end >one > >probably won't appear until the ZX-60 and ZX-L go away in about 2 >years. > > "at least one below it". Pentax has said 3 filmbased SLR's, not 4. Where did they say this, and who from Pentax said it? I would take this comment with a grain of salt. Even if it reflects Pentax's intentions now, that doesn't mean it won't change. > Anyway, I don't believe in an *ist below the *ist. It's no room in the > market for it. The *ist is going to go on sale in between the > MZ-6/ZX-L and MZ/ZX-5n (quite similar to the F/N 75, slightly more > than for the EOS 300V/Rebel Ti) - pricewise. After a while, the prices > will go down to the level of the MZ/ZX-7. I don't believe that there's > room in the market below. How on earth do you figure? We sell the MZ-6, F65 and Rebel Ti for about $500 CAN. We sell the MZ-60, F55 and Rebel 2000 for $380-$400 CAN. The MZ-60 with the new FA-J lens will sell for about $350 CAN. There is no way that the *ist will sell for $350 CAN with a lens in the forseeable future, and there is no way that Pentax will abandon that market segment. <insert Bruce-style comment here>. If the *ist does eventually sell for $350-$400 CAN with a lens, I'll gladly admit I was wrong, but I can't see that happening any time soon. chris
