New low-end model Pentax K2000D will be close to Photokina

Originally Posted by Pål Jensen

In interviews Hoya have said that they will release two more DSLR's this year. Do you think they will introduce the baby Pentax twice?

Pål,

I give you a point: September, October, November, December

Radu

Originally Posted by Pål Jensen

I really don't care about part time nurse or Jane Bond. Nor do I mind the obtuse mumblings. Anyway, I haven't seen anyting from Wendy that discredit her credibility. People are credible in my book until proven otherwise. Nor do I see what reason Benjamin K have for deliberately leaking false information. I have dealt with the rumor mill for over a decade now and never have the rumors been more consistent than now from a variety of credible sources.
We will know soon enough. If the rumors are just mumbo jumbo then more than one person will loose they credibility for good. I suggest waiting with the judgement until we know the facts. And for the record, I don't know the facts.

The truth is this: Ben never pretended he saw this camera. Tu quote exctly he said:

"I am betting on a FF Pentax in September....Not a lot of money but I have this sixth sense about these sorts of things and my intuition says between 24-28 mega pixels. Under 3k € and 100 to 6400 iso. Three to Five FPS."

He is not "leaking" any information, he's making a "bet"!

Radu

[ogl]

Are there any rumors from Pentax side about Photokina?

[Richard Day]

Originally Posted by ogl

Are there any rumors from Pentax side about Photokina?

Pentax/Hoya have plugged most of the leaks in the rumour mill by ensuring that the company cat has signed an NDA. Even the rats who've left the ship have had to do the same!

Embargoes are due to end sometime in September, probably just before Photokina.

Personally, I'm betting that we shall get full details of the 60-250 plus an availability date, there may also be more details of other lenses on the existing roadmap. We may even get an updated roadmap, but no bets on this.

I also believe that we shall see the long rumoured entry DSLR. I believe that this will be the main focus for Pentax at the show.

As for anything else, I suspect it will be a surprise (or dissapointment) to us all.

[Seraf]

I could bet on that entry dslr.. wonder eventually what it'll be like..

[Asahiflex]

Originally Posted by Seraf

I could bet on that entry dslr.. wonder eventually what it'll be like..

So do I. I'm betting on a dSLR which will be a perfect companion to the Limited lenses: small and light.

[ogl]

As for cameras, I got the latest information - Pentax will show low-end model and future FF camera (not ready yet) at Photokina.
K2000D (?) will be in shops very soon after Photokina. FF is not.

[Seraf]

Originally Posted by Asahiflex

So do I. I'm betting on a dSLR which will be a perfect companion to the Limited lenses: small and light.

Hope it'll be so but if it will be small and light will have to say good bye to Shake reduction a steel chasis. Anyway hope it'll sell great so Pentax will ahve money for k1d

Originally Posted by Seraf

Hope it'll be so but if it will be small and light will have to say good bye to Shake reduction a steel chasis. Anyway hope it'll sell great so Pentax will ahve money for k1d

It will have the latest gen SR in body.

Best regerds,
Radu

[Pål Jensen]

Originally Posted by ogl

As for cameras, I got the latest information - Pentax will show low-end model and future FF camera (not ready yet) at Photokina.
K2000D (?) will be in shops very soon after Photokina. FF is not.

That seem to be the smartest thing to do at this point. The competition is selling well of entry level models; ie Sonys latest sales surge is due to their entry level effords. Also, the competition is going FF and Pentax need to signalize in what direction their high-end is going.....

[Richard Day]

Originally Posted by Pål Jensen

That seem to be the smartest thing to do at this point. The competition is selling well of entry level models; ie Sonys latest sales surge is due to their entry level effords. Also, the competition is going FF and Pentax need to signalize in what direction their high-end is going.....

If they do show a FF model, it will be more of a "smoke and mirrors" gesture than anything else. The market is not going FF in any major way, it's actually a very small percentage of sales, only the rhetoric is growing!

What is actually growing is the overall D-SLR market, mainly APS-C and even 4/3rds. The fact that Canon are due to announce the 15.1MP 50D very soon Canon 50D - Digital Camera Reviews, News and Resources | Photography Bay and also Nikon with their long awaited 12MP D90 Nikon D90 - Official Images Leaked - Digital Camera Reviews, News and Resources | Photography Bay, plus Sony's continued push at the bottom end of the APS-C market is clear evidence of this. There is no doubt that the Sony FF and also the 5D replacement will appear, but I doubt if either will be released at Photokina, I believe it will be PMA next year.

Pentax would actually do better to concentrate on their core base business with a higher end APS-C model (above D300 and E3 and also the basis for any FF model), plus upgrade the existing K20D to be at the D300 and E3 level or be nearer the 50D in terms of shutter speed/fps/flash sync etc., and the K200D with the 450D and the upcoming D90.

I have some apprehension that the upcoming KxxxxD may be too little and too late to compete at the entry point, even the cheapest models from C, N, Sony and Oly outspec the K200D in several areas. In fact the existing K200D is now behind the other entry point models in all but one or two areas, notably weather sealing.

Personally I hope that the new entry model has a CMOS sensor with LV, and that they also announce an upgrade for the K200D using the Samsung 14.6MP sensor and also upgrade the K20D to be in line with the (anticipated) 50D and D90 specs.

I believe it would be totally sensible for Pentax to use the 14.6MP sensor across the board and just vary the body designs and features for model differentiation. That would be in line with their reputed philosophy of IQ before gizmos.

However, in the true Pentax tradition of being late to the table, which is not neccessarily a wholly bad thing, I suspect that we will have to wait until the competition have been selling their new models for a few months before we see anything like this happen - C'est la Vie!

[ogl]

Nikon will show 24 MP D3X FF. Sony - A900.
http://nikonrumors.com/2008/08/17/fo...azin-scan.aspx

[JJJPhoto]

I know this thread is basically pointless conjecture and wishful thinking, but I think many Pentaxians will be disappointed if Pentax doesn't do two things at Photokina this year:

1) Release a compact "Limited" DSLR (the perfect compact companion with Limited primes) with a price point below the current K200D.

and

2) Announce (but not release) a FF DSLR coming in early 2009.

[Asahiflex]

Originally Posted by JJJPhoto

I know this thread is basically pointless conjecture and wishful thinking, but I think many Pentaxians will be disappointed if Pentax doesn't do two things at Photokina this year:

1) Release a compact "Limited" DSLR (the perfect compact companion with Limited primes) with a price point below the current K200D.

and

2) Announce (but not release) a FF DSLR coming in early 2009.

Somehow I have the strong feeling Pentax will also show an updated version of the K20D, a K20D Super maybe, with a new sensor with more MP's but the same or less amount of noise to stay ahead in the MP game (whether that's a wise move would be another matter).

Originally Posted by Asahiflex

Somehow I have the strong feeling Pentax will also show an updated version of the K20D, a K20D Super maybe, with a new sensor with more MP's but the same or less amount of noise to stay ahead in the MP game (whether that's a wise move would be another matter).

If I was in Pentax's shoes for a K20D Super I would keep exactly the sensor and the current body and replace at least some internal systems and the back LCD to a hires 3". The only problem is that is they aim for higher than 3 fps they'll need to change the mirror box/ shutter mechanism, the image pipeline so that it could cope with the new data flux and the AF system to keep up in a snapy manner at higher rate. So all that remains is the exposure system and this couldn't justify another KxD "semi-pro" ... So I guess we're stuck with the K20D until early next year (or maybe this time they'll catch the Xmas season)?

Radu