Originally Posted by TDN 
Bringing out a camera to compete with the D3 or MarkIII would be a very dumb move from Pentax right now.
They need to make profit, quick. And you don't do that with a 5000$ product that only a very small portion of the market needs. You do it with a competitive product that appeals to the large public of consumers, and is affordable enough for the average Joe to buy.
So coming out with a model that competes with the D300/40D and one that takes on the D40x/400D is definitely the best move.
But it's all rumors anyway...
Tom
While Pentax probably has the same chance as the proverbial snowball in h*** of seriously competing in the market with the D3, it may not be a stupid move. There is the image factor.
I think that one of the marketing tools that both N & C use, at least implicitly, is "many, many pro photographers use our cameras, so you should buy our low-end models". Pentax can't counter that, because, as we all know, very few pros (with the exception of Ben and a few others) use Pentax cameras. The K10D, as good as it is, isn't really in the same class as N & C's top models.
A Chevy dealer once told me that, while only something like one percent of all Chevies sold were Corvette's, the 'Vette was responsible for around 10 percent of sales. Guys would come in to dream about a Corvette and end up driving out in a Malibu or Impala station wagon.
So, a line of pro-oriented cameras that is well supported by Pentax might create an image that would help Pentax in the pro-sumer market segment, even if the pro series cameras aren't really profitable.
Back in the days when film was king, many pros used the Pentax 6 x 7 or 645 cameras. Hoya may want to regain that place in the market. Isn't that what the 645D would have done? Hoya may wish to use their money to revive that plan, even if they don't revive that particular product.
But then, what do I know?
Paul Noble