Jens wrote:
So, my point is: Don't expect line up of 3-5 digital SLR's from Pentax. The never claimed they would try to compete with N and C in the pro market. If they really wanted to, they would have produced the digital full frame MZ-D, which was announced at the same cost as the current 11MP Canon - 10.000-15.000 USD. Pentax do not dare to make investments of that kind, trying to "beat the competitors or die". Pentax *ist D and it's line up of glass and accessories is the enthusiasts camera. It will be top of the line for some years - then there will be another one. Pentax will make models that can cash in further on the developments/research cost spent for the *ist D by making 1-2 Baby D variations. In a couple of years, they will make a new top enthusiast camera. ETC. Pentax may have to consider how to replace the income from the lost MF market. Perhaps by making some kind of special camera for a niche of the pro market - perhaps a digital back 645 or 67. Bottom line: Pentax will not make a pro digtal SLR above the *ist D. Weather they will enter into the IS market is a big question. Minolta did....? REPLY: Pro or not pro. The fact is that the market has totally changed from the good old film days and the realities of those days are long gone. Pentax is in a particular tight spot and in a particularly good position as well. The problem is that the volume marked for Pentax, the market invented and dominated by them; the zoom P&S, has totally collapsed and replaced by digital. Pentax was for years the market leader in this segment. Its growth coincided with the demise of Pentax SLR (35mm) involvement. Not a coincidence. The problem for Pentax is that this profitable sector, the expensive P&S, is facing much stiffer competition from far more players; some of them electronic giants, than ever was the case for film P&S and Pentax can never even dream about conquering similar market shares in this segment for digital. Now the good news is that DSLR sales now are so high that some models sells in larger numbers than any film slr before! Hence, theres a huge market potential for Pentax (and Minolta for that matter). Very few companies can and will make full blown slr systems for digital. There are really only five: Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Minolta and Olympus. There is in fact room for all of them. The slr field is a natural way for Pentax to aquire market share. In order to do so they need a three model line-up at the least. Without a model above the *ist D they simply have no chance. Its no accident that the first Olympus DSLR (with interchangeable lenses) is a pro model (according to Olympus that is, but I'm sure someone with a Canon will claim that Olympus has never catered for the pro market anyway so no model of theirs can be pro) Also, as DSLR are fully electronic, making cameras at various price point with various sensor size and built quality is simpler than ever as lot of the enginering and production could be shared for all models. Another area particularly open for Pentax is DSLR's that take the medium format system lenses. Pentax can make a high-end DSLR with K-mount, increase mount/sensor distance with 1,2 cm - inflate prism/mirrorbox etc as necessary and put in a larger sensor and they have high-res DSLR. The cost saving must be significant compared to the other MF manufacturers who are strictly niche and have no volume products to share developing cost with. P�l
