Robert wrote: > If the Photosharp report is accurate and the new Pentax digital SLR is based > upon the MZ-S chassis (in contrast to the Pentax UK press release's claim of > a new chassis), I wonder what that means for a new film flagship. > > A new film flagship based on the fairly small MZ-S chassis probably couldn't > be that much more well specified than the MZ-S, could it? And would they > make a new chassis just for the flagship but not for the DSLR? > > I was hopeful about a true, honest-to-goodness flagship when I heard the > talk of a new chassis, but I am not so hopeful now.
I don't think the chassis issue is to be taken litterally. What it means is probably a common, flexible production line and parts bin: a modular approach to the manufacturing process. The cameras probably won't have a chassis in the strict sense. A flagship still makes sense though because Pentax will still need a body as a vehicle for introducing new features (like AF issues) as digital cameras will still be very price sensitive in the sense that the manufacturers will want to keep the prices as low as possible. Digital slr buyers are probably going to judge Mpix vs dollar for a long time to come. Hence the manufacturers may want to save on the non-digital part of a digital slr. Of course this could change pretty soon but film slr will still be a connoisseur choice for years to come. > Also, none of the more recent speculations, reports, etc. are even talking > about the film camera anymore. Is this a bad sign? Was it an erroneous > original report? Is the fact that almost no one on this list even cares any > more an indication of how useless it would be to come out with such an > animal at this point, or just an indication that if one is in development, > no one is bothering to ask about it or leak info about it? I don't follow you here. What was being said (and confirmed to me by inside sources) is that Pentax will make four slr's, one of them digital. Pentax UK says all are built around the same "chassis, something that makes sense. We do not know what time perspective is involved or if any of the current slr's are involved in this three model film slr line up. > Maybe I will wait until tomorrow - we may hear entirely new and > contradicting information by then! Perhaps there will be an obscure and > mysterious leak from Pentax Zimbabwe (translated roughly from Sindabele or > Shona) mentioning that all the digital developments are in fact nothing to > do with a forthcoming DSLR but are actually aimed at the growing prosumer > proctoscope market. What we do know is that Pentax will make a digital k-mount slr and have three film slr's in the line-up. This is probably in the near future perspective. The rest is speculation. Now its an individual decision whether to put faith in Pentax UK or other sources. P�l
