in this small world, i met someone who has used the k10d replacement. over a coffee, 'some' stuff, off the record, was shared.
paraphrasing our 45 minute conversation (the bits about pentax anyway);
re the k10d replacement:
Liveview? - yep.
Viewfinder review? - no expression, no comment.
14bit colour? / 14mp sensor? - just a smile, no comment.
FPS? - big nod, pretty fast, but not as fast as d3.
Screen? - gorgeous, very high res 3"
TTL/PPTL? - PPTL only
Any 'secret weapon'? - this sent him off on an interesting tangent. His take was that pentax is on the verge of some kind of beginning - aka Steve Jobs return to Apple - that they're going to use a precision campaign over the next 12+ months that'll build momentum/sales, for far less marketing money than big $ ads in glossy mags ever yield. Including aggessive poaching/recruiting of well known photogs from the n/c duopoly. The exception being marketing $ for the 'glass' - that's going into the standard streams for the first time.
he said the 'pro/serious amateur' orientation of design - makes the d300 look like a 'for dummies' camera - they're not trying to be all things to all people - which they'll continue, building image as a serious photographic tool (no money in p/s market - margins are too low).
n*kon (didn't mention c*non?) are going to sh*t themselves, because if they drop their prices to compete - they'll drop the perceived value of their products - ie 'brand image'. Pentax designers/engineers aren't as likely to be poached by n/c - because they have a lot of freedom atm - + fresh hoya merger $.
new weatherproof flashes? - didn't know.
secret weapon (had to ask again)? - when you see them (that was 'them', so I'm assuming more than just 'one'), you'll think, "god, how obvious", like all great design, it seems simple when you see the finished product - and n/c could/will do it, but they'll have to do it the long/hard/expensive way because the patents protect/apply to the most cost effective methods/options.
why was he chosen to test the new cam? - no Pentax experience but, plenty with the opposition - and time on his hands (back injury).
will he shoot pentax when it's released? - not until they get the new glass out. then, definitely.
why'd he talk to me? chance meeting, and i think he was busting to tell someone. or he's a great liar who carries around a brilliant k20d mockup ;-)
regrets - wish i'd asked him more pentax questions, but i was too busy asking him about how he got his business going and building/maintaining his client base. i did ask if he'd heard of ben kanarek, he hadn't - fashion isn't his thing
