Originally posted by Mapleleaf-Mick Is there a Pentax model that has as good specs as the K5 without video capabilities. I already have a great camcorder and do not require video out of a digital camera. I love the specs of the K5 just don't want to have or pay for video capabilities that I don't need and will never use. Thanks for reading my post.
P.S. I know about the K7 but I understand it has video capabilities as well and does not have as good specs as the K5.
Pentax uses MJPEG for video - video support with MJPEG is basically free. A tiny bit of firmware development effort and that's it.
As others have said, economies of scale would mean that it would be impossible to have a K-5 without video at a cost savings - it would actually cost MORE since they'd have to remove a feature from the firmware and regression test it.
The only hardware they added for video was the mic jack and an internal mic - these are so cheap that you'd save $10 at most on the camera, without taking economies of scale into account. Take them into account and you'll probably spend $100-200 extra to remove video.
(Just like sometimes cell phones without cameras cost MORE than their camera-equipped counterpart - "no camera" is a niche feature for those entering areas where cameras are forbidden, and as a result, the phone that has a part removed actually costs the user *more* because it's such a niche product.)