[jake14mw]

There is nothing special to me about using a niche brand. If Pentax was more mainstream it would be great in my eyes so that there would be more third party supported products.

[Stone G.]

But hey, we're the downtrodden underdog, often maligned and almost viewed sympathetically by owners of the Big Two (maybe 2½, I still cannot figure out Minolta er Sony ). If we became Big too, would you feel a bit strange? A bit less uniquely interesting?

Well, as long as I can still read this, as I can in the year of 2013 on a well-known, respectable community page:

The market leader in the professional/advanced amateur photography world is Canon. If you don't have a major investment in lenses you will probably want to buy a Canon digital SLR. The number two spot is occupied by Nikon, which is also a reasonable choice. Fuji and Kodak have made digital SLRs that accept Canon- and Nikon-mount lenses. Once you get beyond Nikon and Canon it becomes very difficult to rent lenses and the companies that make the more obscure systems don't have a large enough market share to invest enough money to build competitive bodies. Leica, Minolta, Olympus, Pentax, and Sigma are the small vendors in the digital SLR market. Unless you have an enormous investment in lenses for one of these brands the only one of these worth considering for purchase is Olympus, due to its innovative Four-Thirds system, discussed below.

for so long I still have that warm, nice feeling of being a lost, stray, black sheep amongst a drove of white sheep.

(Time for a bit of an update, photo.net?).

[Joel B]

Lets face it, we will never be HOT until we get some celebrity endorsements!!!

[Nesster]

Pentax was hot hot hot with the Spotmatic. Pros were using them. The Beatles were using them. The Spottie was the OM of the age.
The announcement of the K mount was big news. All the way through the manual focus era, well into the Program era, Pentax would own the inside front cover spread in the two big photo magazines in the USA.

I would like it very much indeed if Pentax were to capture some of that pixie dust now. Under the Ricoh brand, not as much.

[Pontax]

Bought my first iMac in 1999. Back then it was hip and the conscious few that had it in a Microsoft infested world. Look at Apple now.

[lesmore49]

I'm happy with Pentax....even though it is not a hot brand. I chose Pentax....back in '68 because of the lens quality and the reliable, durable camera SLR bodies.

In 2007 when I went digital seriously and big time I chose Pentax once again.

However this time a lot of soul searching went into the decision.

I looked at the K10D, Nikon D200 and Canon 30D. I selected Pentax because of the fact that it fit me...ergonomically the best. Nikon was a close second.

I also went with the big P, due to the quality of the lenses and my previous experience with film Pentax equipment. Reliability, durability, photo quality influenced my decision.

[jva59]

Lets face it, we will never be HOT until we get some celebrity endorsements!!!

Miley Cyrus, Pentax shooter, perhaps!!? (I'd never heard of her until v. recently, but apparently everyone else in the universe had.

[monochrome]

Miley Cyrus, Pentax shooter, perhaps!!? (I'd never heard of her until v. recently, but apparently everyone else in the universe had.

Meh. Angie Dickinson 35 years ago

[jva59]

Meh. Angie Dickinson 35 years ago

Me too! But Pentax has to sell cameras to people other than us

[pinholecam]

I'll give up and move over to the least know brand 'Nikon'


Like what monochrome said, "Well, I knew it was good since 1998"

[rbefly]

I see it as a 'be careful what you wish for' situation.
Sure, there would be more new Sigmas and Tamrons in K-mount, but that would be offset by the many more buyers of legacy lenses. Face it, IF Pentax makes it the Big 3' instead of two, would an M50mm f/1.7 still cost less than $100? No chance. What will you recommend to newbies for a first prime?
Also, what I call the 'Diletante Factor' would make a quantum leap. You know the type, the jump-on-the-bandwagon wannabe's who now sport $$$$ Canons, Nikons and Sonys because it's 'cool' 'hip' or trendy. There's already been a couple here lately, you know who you are. Do we really want more?
Finally, the opposite group, the 'Maverick' factor. Some folks won't buy the biggest brand, just...because. They bought Canon in the 60's and 70's, because it WASN'T a Nikon.
Name a 'cult' or maverick brand, that's the consumer base. Gotta be different, ...because...I gotta be different. Say what you will, they're dedicated, active and passionate about 'their' brand. Also say goodbye to them. Probably switch to Sigma.
So, it's good, bad and maybe some of each. Definitely NOT all good or all bad.
JMO
Ron

[scratchpaddy]

Probably switch to Sigma.

I see you've got my number.

Seriously, though, I bought Pentax first because they offered the features I wanted at the best price. Now that money is less of an issue, I'm being tempted away by Sigma's sensor, but I'm not entirely convinced yet. I'm not ready to ditch Pentax yet, anyway. None of it has anything to do with popularity, though, I admit, popularity would bring in a lot of annoying people.

[monochrome]

I see it as a 'be careful what you wish for' situation.
Sure, there would be more new Sigmas and Tamrons in K-mount, but that would be offset by the many more buyers of legacy lenses. Face it, IF Pentax makes it the Big 3' instead of two, would an M50mm f/1.7 still cost less than $100? No chance. What will you recommend to newbies for a first prime?
Also, what I call the 'Diletante Factor' would make a quantum leap. You know the type, the jump-on-the-bandwagon wannabe's who now sport $$$$ Canons, Nikons and Sonys because it's 'cool' 'hip' or trendy. There's already been a couple here lately, you know who you are. Do we really want more?
Finally, the opposite group, the 'Maverick' factor. Some folks won't buy the biggest brand, just...because. They bought Canon in the 60's and 70's, because it WASN'T a Nikon.
Name a 'cult' or maverick brand, that's the consumer base. Gotta be different, ...because...I gotta be different. Say what you will, they're dedicated, active and passionate about 'their' brand. Also say goodbye to them. Probably switch to Sigma.
So, it's good, bad and maybe some of each. Definitely NOT all good or all bad.
JMO
Ron

1. I think all the good legacy lenses are already out away (prices haven risen dramatically over the last six months.
2. The good news about hipsters is they always move on to the next new thing.
3. The good news about rebels is Pentax is different and likely to stay that way.

Which doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that I know.

[6BQ5]

I see it as a 'be careful what you wish for' situation.
Sure, there would be more new Sigmas and Tamrons in K-mount, but that would be offset by the many more buyers of legacy lenses. Face it, IF Pentax makes it the Big 3' instead of two, would an M50mm f/1.7 still cost less than $100? No chance. What will you recommend to newbies for a first prime?
Also, what I call the 'Diletante Factor' would make a quantum leap. You know the type, the jump-on-the-bandwagon wannabe's who now sport $$$$ Canons, Nikons and Sonys because it's 'cool' 'hip' or trendy. There's already been a couple here lately, you know who you are. Do we really want more?
Finally, the opposite group, the 'Maverick' factor. Some folks won't buy the biggest brand, just...because. They bought Canon in the 60's and 70's, because it WASN'T a Nikon.
Name a 'cult' or maverick brand, that's the consumer base. Gotta be different, ...because...I gotta be different. Say what you will, they're dedicated, active and passionate about 'their' brand. Also say goodbye to them. Probably switch to Sigma.
So, it's good, bad and maybe some of each. Definitely NOT all good or all bad.
JMO
Ron

I agree. Pentax will have even more leverage to rises prices on everything just because they feel like they can. Demand would go but supply may not.

[Digitalis]

I'd switch to Olympus*.


*In all seriousness I wouldn't be caught dead doing this - focus by wire? when anyone mentions that characteristic of Olympus (and Fuji) cameras I start making "get it away from me" gestures.