K-x, SMART IDEA!!!!

[CaymanImaging]

Here's my 2 cents....just looking VERY briefly over the new specs and knowing very little about the K-m/K-2000, I think this is a wonderful idea!! If the K-x gets up and coming people that aren't committed to a system yet into Pentax, wondeful!!! Young people will be taken by the color choices, smart! They 12MP and HD. That's the hot stuff now. As their skills grow, hopefully they will stay with Pentax and buy the next higher level camera.

Great marketing idea, but they also need to start filling the top tier of cameras and lenes for that growing segment and MORE importantly, keep us advanced people and pros happy.

I have my fingers crossed that this will be the case.

[ecoronin]

Only if it had enviromental seals I would be so sold.

[arpaagent]

They'll still need to get it on the shelves and into to people hands, or else it will not take anything away from Canon/Nikon. Even if it is a better camera for the money.

[Eruditass]

I hope they put it in the stores, the colors will attract tons of people no doubt.

[smc]

Originally Posted by ecoronin

Only if it had enviromental seals I would be so sold.

That would bump the price up....and they need to target the entry level consumer. This crowd wants it cheap, feature rich....and for a few, colorful. Once they outgrown this camera they can move up to a higher Pentax line.

Great marketing....and a great way of getting Pentax cameras to advertise themselves.

[Kunzite]

Yep, they had to keep a low price, that means no weather sealing... and it looks very good, apart (how typical of Pentax!) from the lack of superimposed AF points in the viewfinder.
Even so, I agree that's a very smart idea, and I bet it would be a commercially successful camera (for a Pentax ), even more so than the K-m.

[equinox]

I sure as hell hope Pentax Canada does not add $200 to each kit compared to USA pricing. I am so sick of this when Pentax brings out a winner like the K7 and Kx. There is no Value Add charging so much more here except to keep an inept Canada sales office open.

If they are going to survive they have to stop p*&^%$ing off old Pentax customers with their pricing. Entry level Canon,Nikon and Olymus cameras are all $100 plus cheaper here compared to the crippled Km. Only Blacks photography blew them out at Nikon D40 prices.

Great move Pentax on the new cameras now please just get your marketing act together as it is just pathetic!

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by equinox

I sure as hell hope Pentax Canada does not add $200 to each kit compared to USA pricing.

K-x is already listed at Henry's - C$699 with kit lens.

[andi]

Originally Posted by ecoronin

Only if it had enviromental seals I would be so sold.

Are you serious? This is a $600 camera, Leica M9 doesn't have any
and it's a $7000 camera. People should really stop complaining without taking
a moment and checking the competition.
This is an amazing offer for the entry level.

[Eruditass]

Originally Posted by andi

Are you serious? This is a $600 camera, Leica M9 doesn't have any
and it's a $7000 camera. People should really stop complaining without taking
a moment and checking the competition.
This is an amazing offer for the entry level.

He's waiting for the K200d replacement, which is rumored to come this year. A lot of people have mistook this for the K200d replacement and thus are going crazy comparing it to the K200d. I believe dpr had a part in this.

[pxpaulx]

I am absolutely loving this offering. I enjoy my k20d immensely, it is the perfect size for me. After getting to handle the k7 at the road tour here in Minneapolis, I was surprised I didn't get an urge to upgrade. Having a camera with grip, the prospect of spending over $1500 (when, I think after some cashback and other discounts I paid under $900 for K20 a few months after release) just doesn't sit with my budget.

Along comes the Kx, with video, the one thing I did have an itching for! I know it is kind of silly, but shooting video with my fisheye, or 50mm A lens is, at the very least a fascinating prospect. Now I can finally ditch my wife's point and shoot and get this for her (and me!). I had also recently sold my 55-300 to help fund the 50-135 purchase - having the opportunity to re-purchase that lens in a kit is just icing on the cake. If I need the quality I now have the 50-135, and can use the 55-300L for walkaround (which I found was a great range to begin with). slapping my 40mm pancake on there will be a nice compact option as well. Sweet!

I Am legitimately EXCITED for this camera!

P.X. - white as an official release option, I can't resist (yeah its the same thing inside, but white is Bad A$$).

[johnmflores]

A great featureset for the price! And the colors are creating a marketing buzz. Well done, Pentax!

It certainly will make the used market very colorful in a couple of years - I can't wait! It it had external mic support I'd consider one instead of the K-7. Alas, they probably excluded it for that very reason..

[lithos]

Really, I'm surprised no one thought, hey, you know that plastic we make the camera bodies outta? Yeah, it comes in other colours.

One of Pentax's famous simple miracles, like Sensitivity Priority and using those SR electromagnetics for something other than SR.

It'll sell a lot to people who just want an SLR, but who also want something different. I can well imagine a situation where someone's deciding between the K-x and a your bog-standard black Nikon D5000, and thinking, it's a toss-up, but I like the colour of this one...

[opiedog]

already available for pre-order at amazon!

[cyg]

Originally Posted by nosnoop

K-x is already listed at Henry's - C$699 with kit lens.

... and 999 C$ for the 55-300 double kit. Ouch! This is $850 in the US!

If this price is confirmed (also for the other colours), this is pretty good for the single kit though.