K-5 sales volume

Jeff Charles · 01-07-2011, 08:54 PM

I checked the sales rank (in electronics) of the K-5, the D7000, and the 7D on the US Amazon website. I had expected the ranks of the cameras to be close, but they are not.

K-5 body - #4,914
K-5 with 18-55 - #17,649

D7000 body - #696
D7000 with 18-105 - #303

Canon 7D body - #209

These figures tell me that the K-5 is not selling nearly as well as its competition in the US. Of course, K-5 sales outside the US may be better.

Inadequate sales could affect Hoya's willingness to keep funding Pentax DSLR development. This is just speculation, because I don't know the actual sales figures and whether they are meeting Pentax's targets.

I am selling stuff and putting money aside to buy a new DSLR in the spring, and the K-5 is at the top of my list. The apparent poor sales of the camera concern me. They certainly have nothing to do with the quality of the camera, but they may have other implications.

I'd appreciate comments and perspective.

Jeff

imtheguy · 01-07-2011, 09:20 PM - **1 Like**

Can you provide a link that explains the parameters around those stats? Without knowing more, the picture you are painting is meaningless. It is an interesting topic for those that need the reinforcement of mass sales to provide confidence in their decision.

SteveM · 01-07-2011, 09:27 PM

A little lower than what it should be, but it'll pick up. Pentax is not the household name it used to be so you won't see the same sales figures as Nikon and Canon (even though the K-5 is a better camera). Hoya knows this and I doubt they set sales targets to match the better known brands.

After all, Ferrari doesn't sell as many cars as Hyundai (joking)

Cannikin · 01-07-2011, 09:52 PM

I wouldn't read too deeply into the Amazon figures. They update them every single hour, so if it didn't sell a camera in the last hour, expect it to drop. Also, the body and body+lens kits have been alternating in and out of stock, an thus by default must drop. Pentax has limited production capacity, so even if they were flying off the shelves, they could not even come close to matching Canikon's production/sales volume (the stain replacement situation isn't helping either).

The K-5 has regularly been appearing in the top 50 for DSLRs (including EVILs), and the K-x in the top 20 (regularly running out of stock on all kits), which is very respectable, given how little exposure Pentax has in the US. On the other hand, the K-r has actually been doing a lot worse than I expected, regularly not appearing in the top 100 at all. I guess the K-x must be stealing potential customers.

That being said, Canikon selling an order of magnitude more cameras does not surprise me, especially in the high-end camera market in the US.

Last edited by Cannikin; 01-07-2011 at 10:00 PM.

Tommot1965 · 01-07-2011, 09:53 PM

in Australia...most retailers cant keep stock of the K5...as soon as its on the shelf..its off again...Ive spoke to the distributor in Australia..they don't even have a demo to test. as the stores want more stock.

I get what you mean though mate...if the K5 doesn't do well worldwide..your worried what will happen to your DSLR path....I quite understand that..we are all in the same boat with you

kmwsbabe · 01-07-2011, 10:29 PM

I'm with Lee. In order to be meaningful, we need more data. For all we know, the 17,000 difference between the kits is accounted for by batteries and xbox controllers.

pinholecam · 01-08-2011, 03:30 AM

I think the K5 has sold well enough as far as Pentax cameras go. But it will never compare well to the sheer market share and marketing of Canikon.
Ppl who know nothing about DSLRs but want one will simply walk into a shop, say they want a Canikon, pay and walk out with one. They have zero knowledge that other brands exists and can give a lot better deal for their money.

stanic · 01-08-2011, 03:38 AM

Originally posted by pinholecam

I think the K5 has sold well enough as far as Pentax cameras go. But it will never compare well to the sheer market share and marketing of Canikon.
Ppl who know nothing about DSLRs but want one will simply walk into a shop, say they want a Canikon, pay and walk out with one. They have zero knowledge that other brands exists and can give a lot better deal for their money.

absolutely!!!

Kunzite · 01-08-2011, 04:36 AM

Amazon.com "Bestsellers in Digital SLR Cameras":
- Canon EOS 7D, first appearance at #6
- Nikon D7000, first appearance at #9
- Pentax K-r, first appearance at #30
- Pentax K-5, first appearance at #32
Things are looking much better now

Let's not forget the stains issue; a lot of newly made K-5s are used to replace "stained" cameras - which means they have less to sell.

Jeff, it's well-known Pentax doesn't have as much market share as Canikon; and Hoya doesn't expect them to suddenly sell as many cameras. Well, they're making only about 18k units per month...
Even if Canikon are selling in higher numbers, the K-5 looks like a success story for Pentax/Hoya. Would Hoya close down the camera division now, that it's profitable and growing? What do you think?

30v iPentax · 01-08-2011, 05:40 AM

Olen tyytyväinen Pentax K-5 tämänhetkisestä tilasta. Kun vertaa kehitystä vaikka K10D, joka on kamera sekin. Sama aika ja kehitys eteenpäin, miten hieno ja hyvä on vastaava Pentax lippulaiva silloin. En vaihda Pentax toiseen merkkiin mainonnan tai muun markkina humun takia. Vaan aina uusi ja parenpi Pentax se olla pitää.

Urkeldaedalus · 01-08-2011, 08:22 AM

The K-5 is selling a little bit slower than the K-7 if I recall correctly, and that is pretty good considering some of the problems for the camera at launch and the fact that it still costs at least $200 more in the U.S. than the K-7 did at its release.

Like others said, it's tough to compare the K-5 to the Nikon D7000 sales amount. Not only does that camera have the Nikon brand advantage, but since Nikon can sell at a higher volume they can afford to sell the camera for a lower price.

Jeff Charles · 01-08-2011, 08:24 AM

Originally posted by imtheguy

Can you provide a link that explains the parameters around those stats? Without knowing more, the picture you are painting is meaningless.

Good point. The gist of my OP was "does this mean anything and is it something to be concerned about?" You are probably right that without knowing where the stats came from, it's hard to reach conclusions.

Originally posted by imtheguy

It is an interesting topic for those that need the reinforcement of mass sales to provide confidence in their decision.

If I needed the reinforcement of mass sales, I'd be looking at a Canon Rebel

Jeff

Jeff Charles · 01-08-2011, 08:26 AM

Thanks to all for your responses. In my OP, I asked for perspective, which your replies provided.

Jeff

Rupert · 01-08-2011, 10:49 AM - **2 Likes**

Guys, I admit to playing this head game myself off and on...and like Measurebating, it can drive you insane....some say it has already debilitated my mind, but it truth it was already kind of weak.

The facts are not really any different today than they were a few years ago......Pentax is not a Big Time Player like Nikon or Canon.....if that is important to you, then you might never be satisfied as a Pentax Shooter. On the other hand, if you like Pentax gear and features, the more personal relationships with other shooters from being in a sort of "Underdog" Group, and the results you get with your Pentax equipment pleases you, just relax and enjoy!

What is the worst thing you can imagine? That Pentax will go under? Like Minolta? So how did that work out? Sony is not giving up the ship by any means, and someone would be there to take up the many millions of K Mount opportunities across the globe. Hoya might sell out Pentax, I can't even see that as a bad thing, given their Marketplace incompetence, but to just walk away and leave it without making cash from a sale is insane thinking. So the worst is that we might end up with a True Giant....like Samsung, with deep pockets, owning Pentax and doing what Sony is doing from Minolta's ruins. That's the worst that can happen......doesn't seem all that scary, does it? Take a deep breath, go out and use your Pentax gear and relax.......Post some photos here, have some fun, life is good for Pentaxians if you just let it be. Dream of the K5...they will get it all straightened out soon, and then you will have an opportunity to own a World Class Camera, what's not to like about that?
Best Regards!

krebsy75 · 01-08-2011, 10:54 AM - **2 Likes**

Terrific post and dead on.

Originally posted by Rupert

Guys, I admit to playing this head game myself off and on...and like Measurebating, it can drive you insane....some say it has already debilitated my mind, but it truth it was already kind of weak.

The facts are not really any different today than they were a few years ago......Pentax is not a Big Time Player like Nikon or Canon.....if that is important to you, then you might never be satisfied as a Pentax Shooter. On the other hand, if you like Pentax gear and features, the more personal relationships with other shooters from being in a sort of "Underdog" Group, and the results you get with your Pentax equipment pleases you, just relax and enjoy!

What is the worst thing you can imagine? That Pentax will go under? Like Minolta? So how did that work out? Sony is not giving up the ship by any means, and someone would be there to take up the many millions of K Mount opportunities across the globe. Hoya might sell out Pentax, I can't even see that as a bad thing, given their Marketplace incompetence, but to just walk away and leave it without making cash from a sale is insane thinking. So the worst is that we might end up with a True Giant....like Samsung, with deep pockets, owning Pentax and doing what Sony is doing from Minolta's ruins. That's the worst that can happen......doesn't seem all that scary, does it? Take a deep breath, go out and use your Pentax gear and relax.......Post some photos here, have some fun, life is good for Pentaxians if you just let it be. Dream of the K5...they will get it all straightened out soon, and then you will have an opportunity to own a World Class Camera, what's not to like about that?
Best Regards!

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01-07-2011, 08:54 PM	#1
Jeff Charles Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico; Shohola PA, USA Posts: 219	K-5 sales volume I checked the sales rank (in electronics) of the K-5, the D7000, and the 7D on the US Amazon website. I had expected the ranks of the cameras to be close, but they are not. K-5 body - #4,914 K-5 with 18-55 - #17,649 D7000 body - #696 D7000 with 18-105 - #303 Canon 7D body - #209 These figures tell me that the K-5 is not selling nearly as well as its competition in the US. Of course, K-5 sales outside the US may be better. Inadequate sales could affect Hoya's willingness to keep funding Pentax DSLR development. This is just speculation, because I don't know the actual sales figures and whether they are meeting Pentax's targets. I am selling stuff and putting money aside to buy a new DSLR in the spring, and the K-5 is at the top of my list. The apparent poor sales of the camera concern me. They certainly have nothing to do with the quality of the camera, but they may have other implications. I'd appreciate comments and perspective. Jeff

01-07-2011, 09:20 PM - 1 Like	#2
imtheguy Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,950	Can you provide a link that explains the parameters around those stats? Without knowing more, the picture you are painting is meaningless. It is an interesting topic for those that need the reinforcement of mass sales to provide confidence in their decision.

01-07-2011, 09:27 PM	#3
SteveM Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,294	A little lower than what it should be, but it'll pick up. Pentax is not the household name it used to be so you won't see the same sales figures as Nikon and Canon (even though the K-5 is a better camera). Hoya knows this and I doubt they set sales targets to match the better known brands. After all, Ferrari doesn't sell as many cars as Hyundai (joking)

01-07-2011, 09:52 PM	#4
Cannikin Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: SW Washington Posts: 833	I wouldn't read too deeply into the Amazon figures. They update them every single hour, so if it didn't sell a camera in the last hour, expect it to drop. Also, the body and body+lens kits have been alternating in and out of stock, an thus by default must drop. Pentax has limited production capacity, so even if they were flying off the shelves, they could not even come close to matching Canikon's production/sales volume (the stain replacement situation isn't helping either). The K-5 has regularly been appearing in the top 50 for DSLRs (including EVILs), and the K-x in the top 20 (regularly running out of stock on all kits), which is very respectable, given how little exposure Pentax has in the US. On the other hand, the K-r has actually been doing a lot worse than I expected, regularly not appearing in the top 100 at all. I guess the K-x must be stealing potential customers. That being said, Canikon selling an order of magnitude more cameras does not surprise me, especially in the high-end camera market in the US. Last edited by Cannikin; 01-07-2011 at 10:00 PM.

01-07-2011, 09:53 PM	#5
Tommot1965 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,026	in Australia...most retailers cant keep stock of the K5...as soon as its on the shelf..its off again...Ive spoke to the distributor in Australia..they don't even have a demo to test. as the stores want more stock. I get what you mean though mate...if the K5 doesn't do well worldwide..your worried what will happen to your DSLR path....I quite understand that..we are all in the same boat with you

01-07-2011, 10:29 PM	#6
kmwsbabe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: TX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 100	I'm with Lee. In order to be meaningful, we need more data. For all we know, the 17,000 difference between the kits is accounted for by batteries and xbox controllers.

01-08-2011, 03:30 AM	#7
pinholecam Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: North Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,706	I think the K5 has sold well enough as far as Pentax cameras go. But it will never compare well to the sheer market share and marketing of Canikon. Ppl who know nothing about DSLRs but want one will simply walk into a shop, say they want a Canikon, pay and walk out with one. They have zero knowledge that other brands exists and can give a lot better deal for their money.

01-08-2011, 03:38 AM	#8
stanic Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Zakopane Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 389	Originally posted by pinholecam I think the K5 has sold well enough as far as Pentax cameras go. But it will never compare well to the sheer market share and marketing of Canikon. Ppl who know nothing about DSLRs but want one will simply walk into a shop, say they want a Canikon, pay and walk out with one. They have zero knowledge that other brands exists and can give a lot better deal for their money. absolutely!!!

01-08-2011, 04:36 AM	#9
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	Amazon.com "Bestsellers in Digital SLR Cameras": - Canon EOS 7D, first appearance at #6 - Nikon D7000, first appearance at #9 - Pentax K-r, first appearance at #30 - Pentax K-5, first appearance at #32 Things are looking much better now Let's not forget the stains issue; a lot of newly made K-5s are used to replace "stained" cameras - which means they have less to sell. Jeff, it's well-known Pentax doesn't have as much market share as Canikon; and Hoya doesn't expect them to suddenly sell as many cameras. Well, they're making only about 18k units per month... Even if Canikon are selling in higher numbers, the K-5 looks like a success story for Pentax/Hoya. Would Hoya close down the camera division now, that it's profitable and growing? What do you think?

01-08-2011, 05:40 AM	#10
30v iPentax Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Suomi , Finland Posts: 368	Olen tyytyväinen Pentax K-5 tämänhetkisestä tilasta. Kun vertaa kehitystä vaikka K10D, joka on kamera sekin. Sama aika ja kehitys eteenpäin, miten hieno ja hyvä on vastaava Pentax lippulaiva silloin. En vaihda Pentax toiseen merkkiin mainonnan tai muun markkina humun takia. Vaan aina uusi ja parenpi Pentax se olla pitää.

01-08-2011, 08:22 AM	#11
Urkeldaedalus Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,369	The K-5 is selling a little bit slower than the K-7 if I recall correctly, and that is pretty good considering some of the problems for the camera at launch and the fact that it still costs at least $200 more in the U.S. than the K-7 did at its release. Like others said, it's tough to compare the K-5 to the Nikon D7000 sales amount. Not only does that camera have the Nikon brand advantage, but since Nikon can sell at a higher volume they can afford to sell the camera for a lower price.

01-08-2011, 08:24 AM	#12
Jeff Charles Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico; Shohola PA, USA Posts: 219 Original Poster	Originally posted by imtheguy Can you provide a link that explains the parameters around those stats? Without knowing more, the picture you are painting is meaningless. Good point. The gist of my OP was "does this mean anything and is it something to be concerned about?" You are probably right that without knowing where the stats came from, it's hard to reach conclusions. Originally posted by imtheguy It is an interesting topic for those that need the reinforcement of mass sales to provide confidence in their decision. If I needed the reinforcement of mass sales, I'd be looking at a Canon Rebel Jeff

01-08-2011, 08:26 AM	#13
Jeff Charles Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico; Shohola PA, USA Posts: 219 Original Poster	Thanks to all for your responses. In my OP, I asked for perspective, which your replies provided. Jeff

01-08-2011, 10:49 AM - 2 Likes	#14
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Guys, I admit to playing this head game myself off and on...and like Measurebating, it can drive you insane....some say it has already debilitated my mind, but it truth it was already kind of weak. The facts are not really any different today than they were a few years ago......Pentax is not a Big Time Player like Nikon or Canon.....if that is important to you, then you might never be satisfied as a Pentax Shooter. On the other hand, if you like Pentax gear and features, the more personal relationships with other shooters from being in a sort of "Underdog" Group, and the results you get with your Pentax equipment pleases you, just relax and enjoy! What is the worst thing you can imagine? That Pentax will go under? Like Minolta? So how did that work out? Sony is not giving up the ship by any means, and someone would be there to take up the many millions of K Mount opportunities across the globe. Hoya might sell out Pentax, I can't even see that as a bad thing, given their Marketplace incompetence, but to just walk away and leave it without making cash from a sale is insane thinking. So the worst is that we might end up with a True Giant....like Samsung, with deep pockets, owning Pentax and doing what Sony is doing from Minolta's ruins. That's the worst that can happen......doesn't seem all that scary, does it? Take a deep breath, go out and use your Pentax gear and relax.......Post some photos here, have some fun, life is good for Pentaxians if you just let it be. Dream of the K5...they will get it all straightened out soon, and then you will have an opportunity to own a World Class Camera, what's not to like about that? Best Regards!

01-08-2011, 10:54 AM - 2 Likes	#15
krebsy75 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Chester County, Pa. Posts: 804	Terrific post and dead on. Originally posted by Rupert Guys, I admit to playing this head game myself off and on...and like Measurebating, it can drive you insane....some say it has already debilitated my mind, but it truth it was already kind of weak. The facts are not really any different today than they were a few years ago......Pentax is not a Big Time Player like Nikon or Canon.....if that is important to you, then you might never be satisfied as a Pentax Shooter. On the other hand, if you like Pentax gear and features, the more personal relationships with other shooters from being in a sort of "Underdog" Group, and the results you get with your Pentax equipment pleases you, just relax and enjoy! What is the worst thing you can imagine? That Pentax will go under? Like Minolta? So how did that work out? Sony is not giving up the ship by any means, and someone would be there to take up the many millions of K Mount opportunities across the globe. Hoya might sell out Pentax, I can't even see that as a bad thing, given their Marketplace incompetence, but to just walk away and leave it without making cash from a sale is insane thinking. So the worst is that we might end up with a True Giant....like Samsung, with deep pockets, owning Pentax and doing what Sony is doing from Minolta's ruins. That's the worst that can happen......doesn't seem all that scary, does it? Take a deep breath, go out and use your Pentax gear and relax.......Post some photos here, have some fun, life is good for Pentaxians if you just let it be. Dream of the K5...they will get it all straightened out soon, and then you will have an opportunity to own a World Class Camera, what's not to like about that? Best Regards!