-----Original Message----- From: Mark Roberts [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: August 24, 2003 3:59 PM
I don't think Pentax ever aimed (and *certainly* never claimed) to be going for the lead in consumer DSLRs with the *ist-D. It's simply too expensive. So is a $900 DSLR, in fact. When prices get to around $500 we'll see. Despite it being cheap in comparison to other DSLRs, the 300D is still plenty expensive from the point of view of the vast majority of photo hobbyists, much less casual consumers. The D100, S2, 10D and *ist-D will still sell pretty much up to the respective manufacturer's capacity to build them. The 300D doesn't take a slice of their pie, it takes from a different pie altogether. I agree. Pentax is not aiming at the "casual consumer" with the *ist-D. That camera is aimed at the serious armature that is looking for a digital SLR. I think that the 300D is a bit too cheap (plastic mount etc) to appeal to someone putting down close to $2K Canadian for a camera. I think most folks looking for a camera in this class will still go for fixed lens rangefinder with a wide range zoom lens and a lower cost. Cannon is suggesting that the 300D will do for digital what the AE1 did to 35 mm SLR's, but the AE1 never had the kind of very competent rangefinder camera's that the 300D must compete with. For instance Nikon's Coolpix 5000 series cameras, or Minolta Dimage A1 that is a fixed lens SLR, or even Cannons own PowerShot G5. Also, have you seen how most people use a digital, they use the LCD screen to compose their picture, not the viewfinder ...I think SLR's will be for those quite serious about their photography. Personally, I will wait for Pentax to come out with a full frame 35mm digital and I am able to afford that ...until then my MZS will be my main camera and my Optio 430RS will do the digital thing. ...Mike.
