Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
03-01-2022, 10:52 AM   #1
Closed Account
Michael Piziak's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 2,815
Could Canon's discontinuation of DSLR help the "Pentax niche?"

The discontinuation of Canon EF and EF-S lenses has been the news in the Canon world in the past few weeks.
And it's been no secret that Pentax has created a niche as of being the camera company to publicly put forth a policy to be steadfast in its support of the DSLR.

Although we all agree that the discontinuation of anything in the camera world is not a good thing, could it be a good thing for the Pentax niche - financially *or* on some other level(s) ?


Source: Canon confirms discontinuation of EF and EF-S lenses | Canon Rumors - Your best source for Canon rumors, leaks and gossip

03-01-2022, 01:07 PM - 1 Like   #2
Senior Member




Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Ferrara Italia
Posts: 138
Surely it will not hurt them. If someone is still looking for a real SLR I can find it in pentax. Certainly it will have to update its FF to be able to compete with the Canon SLRs that will still be sold in stores for a very long time.
03-01-2022, 04:11 PM - 4 Likes   #3
Otis Memorial Pentaxian
Otis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis Fan
Loyal Site Supporter
clackers's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Melbourne
Photos: Albums
Posts: 16,394
Yes, IMHO it's an opportunity to slightly add to the niche of hardcore Pentaxians with some niche Canon (and Nikon) hardcore DSLR fans.

I don't think the number will be significant, but that's nicheness for ya!

We do encounter stories of members on this forum who've made their way back to Pentax DSLRs after satisfying their mirrorless curiosity. It's a very individual hobby, photography, that's why it's so rich and diverse.
03-01-2022, 05:16 PM - 1 Like   #4
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: NE Ohio
Photos: Albums
Posts: 897
I also see the exit of the other guys from DSLRs as making the K-70 look like an even better value.

Under $600 ($700 w/ lens), and it comes with IBIS and weather sealing, which was already a pretty strong sales pitch. Now it can brag that it has all that, AND a viewfinder, too!

03-01-2022, 06:57 PM - 1 Like   #5
Otis Memorial Pentaxian
Otis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis FanOtis Fan
Loyal Site Supporter
clackers's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Melbourne
Photos: Albums
Posts: 16,394
QuoteOriginally posted by wadge22 Quote
I also see the exit of the other guys from DSLRs as making the K-70 look like an even better value.

Under $600 ($700 w/ lens), and it comes with IBIS and weather sealing, which was already a pretty strong sales pitch. Now it can brag that it has all that, AND a viewfinder, too!
Buy it while you can, it's good, Wadge! I don't think camera companies can survive from this point on with products under $1000.
03-01-2022, 09:58 PM - 1 Like   #6
Pentaxian




Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: North
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 4,704
Strangely, this has never happened in the history of kameradom.

Minolta > Sony Alpha > SLT > MILC (rewarded as the winner )
Canon FD > Canon EOS > MILC (jumped back up as a viable competitor leaving Nikon in the dust )
Olympus > 4/3 > u4/3 (fans galore, though not enough to make enough, but that is a format war issue and not a dissing user base issue )

Beyond a few "I won't go back to XXX because they changed mount " rants, I see the changers actually getting rewarded.

Perhaps, in the end all sum of things,
Loss of existing user base < Customers who move on to new system + New customers
03-02-2022, 02:14 AM - 2 Likes   #7
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Lancaster
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 3,821
I am quite sceptical about the future for Pentax. At best we will be a very small niche product and hopefully that will be enough to keep the brand going. Milc announcements always include a range of technological advancements and OVFs are only going to get better. The practicalities of mirrorless the better af and the fact that Pentax advantages (ibis, wr) are making their way into cheaper milc bodies makes mirrorless far easier to promote. Pentax ergonomics and build quality are superb but introducing this relies on the camera world in which Pentax is largely overlooked. I do think the "niche" is big enough, exclusive enough (apsc) and important enough to warrant putting all our eggs in one basket. I also feel the milc market is so saturated with excellent, technologically advanced cameras that Pentax would damage its reputation further by the perception they are constantly lagging behind the companies with massive R&D budgets. I just wish Pentax would cascade improvements down from the K3 iii to the earlier models in the way that Fuji did with the XT4/XT3 by way of a firmware upgrade. I genuinely believe Pentax will live on, I just don't think there are any metioric rises on the horizon

03-02-2022, 02:25 AM - 1 Like   #8
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Utrecht
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 250
I am not sure how this will work out...

Die hearts wanting to stay with an OVF already are in DSLR's, if I was in Canon with a lot of Canon lenses I should invest in some last generation bodies so I could go on for at least ten more years. I should not jump to a Pentax DSLR, what to do with all my Canon glass?

Those who enter new to a more professional camera line will avoid DSLR's. Who is putting his money in a legacy system, that is the general opinion DSLR's are becoming to be.

Me myself am connected to all my K-mount glass over 50 years. I hope native Pentax K-mount bodies will be produced for many years, bodies that support the old lenses besides the modern ones, without adapters. If such a K-mount body is a MILC, I would be very interested. OVF/DSLR is fine to me, but MILC also has advantages, foremost using old manual lenses (pin point manual focus options).

So for me DSLR's are not religion, I stay with Pentax for the K-mount and all the K-mount glass. BTW, I really like the modern DSLR-lines of Pentax, sturdy well performing cameras. But for sure I would buy a FF K-mount MILC named K2 and APS-C K4...
03-02-2022, 04:54 AM - 2 Likes   #9
Pentaxian
Jonathan Mac's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Madrid, Spain
Posts: 10,846
Canon DSLR users who really want to stick with an optical viewfinder can stay with Canon for some time yet as the EF mount won't disappear overnight. Many lenses may be discontinued but I understand that there is still a good selection of camera bodies still being produced, though they may have much longer as current models than previous iterations. I think the number of EOS users that switch to Pentax to keep their optical viewfinders will be vanishingly small. Most people don't care about the type of technology involved, as long as it works, and they may find their success rates increase with mirrorless.
03-02-2022, 05:12 AM - 2 Likes   #10
Pentaxian




Join Date: Feb 2015
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 12,173
Canon rebel is only the name of a camera, aimed at conformist people who like to follow the group, unlikely to rebel against mirrorless propaganda. No Canon exodus observed so far.
03-02-2022, 05:46 AM - 1 Like   #11
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Pål Jensen's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Norway
Photos: Albums
Posts: 4,371
QuoteOriginally posted by pinholecam Quote
Strangely, this has never happened in the history of kameradom.

Minolta > Sony Alpha > SLT > MILC (rewarded as the winner )
Canon FD > Canon EOS > MILC (jumped back up as a viable competitor leaving Nikon in the dust )
Olympus > 4/3 > u4/3 (fans galore, though not enough to make enough, but that is a format war issue and not a dissing user base issue )

Beyond a few "I won't go back to XXX because they changed mount " rants, I see the changers actually getting rewarded.

Perhaps, in the end all sum of things,
Loss of existing user base < Customers who move on to new system + New customers

I don't think this necessarily has only to do with what cameras they are selling but also who is selling them and where. Photo stores are mainly gone. Digital cameras are sold in electronic consumer good store along with microwave ovens and TV's, and on-line. Sony and Canon (via their printers) are already present in all those stores. Furthermore, I think the idea of what "pros are using" has lost most of its importance as digital camera are more seen as electronic gadgets.....
03-02-2022, 07:18 AM - 2 Likes   #12
Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Wheatfield's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: The wheatfields of Canada
Posts: 15,902
QuoteOriginally posted by Cerebum Quote
I am quite sceptical about the future for Pentax. At best we will be a very small niche product and hopefully that will be enough to keep the brand going. Milc announcements always include a range of technological advancements and OVFs are only going to get better. The practicalities of mirrorless the better af and the fact that Pentax advantages (ibis, wr) are making their way into cheaper milc bodies makes mirrorless far easier to promote. Pentax ergonomics and build quality are superb but introducing this relies on the camera world in which Pentax is largely overlooked. I do think the "niche" is big enough, exclusive enough (apsc) and important enough to warrant putting all our eggs in one basket. I also feel the milc market is so saturated with excellent, technologically advanced cameras that Pentax would damage its reputation further by the perception they are constantly lagging behind the companies with massive R&D budgets. I just wish Pentax would cascade improvements down from the K3 iii to the earlier models in the way that Fuji did with the XT4/XT3 by way of a firmware upgrade. I genuinely believe Pentax will live on, I just don't think there are any metioric rises on the horizon
So on the one hand, you are sceptical about the future of Pentax, but on the other hand you genuinely think Pentax will live on.
Which is it?

There will likely never be any meteoric rises for anyone in the camera industry going forwards. It's now a very mature industry with products made for the last 5 years (likely more) able to satisfy the needs of the vast majority of users.

The camera market bubble has been propped up by companies dribbling out technology improvements since the dawn of the SLR, if not longer. The problem now is that they are running out of useful technology improvements to dribble out, and they have competition from other image making devices (hello cell phones).
The market is contracting, and the large players in it have much to lose, much more than a small player like Pentax.
03-02-2022, 01:18 PM - 1 Like   #13
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
kiwi_jono's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,437
An optical viewfinder still offers some advantages but this advantage reduces over time as technology develops and mirrorless offers other advantages.

While I'm happy in Pentax land for the time being, I do wonder what the future will bring (possibly Pentax just carries on as a niche like Leica etc).

I think changing mounts is Ok as long at the benefits are there BUT its important to provide a migration path (like an adapter say) to support existing glass. That was my big rant with Canon dropping FD mount where there was no such thing (except years later by 3rd parties).
03-02-2022, 01:29 PM - 2 Likes   #14
Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Wheatfield's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: The wheatfields of Canada
Posts: 15,902
QuoteOriginally posted by kiwi_jono Quote
An optical viewfinder still offers some advantages but this advantage reduces over time as technology develops and mirrorless offers other advantages.
The mirrorless fanbois always fail to mention the major disadvantage of EVFs, which is the eyestrain that they cause a significant percentage of users. For some it's a minor discomfort, but for a lot of people, its severe enough to render EVF cameras unusable. This is something that is very unlikely to diminish over time.

There will always be viewfinder lag with mirrorless compared with optical viewfinders, some will find this an acceptable necessity of using the technology, some won't, but it is also something that will not go away.

What won't go away, apparently, is mirrorless fanbois and trolls beating what has become a dead horse.
03-02-2022, 01:31 PM - 1 Like   #15
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Lancaster
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 3,821
QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
So on the one hand, you are sceptical about the future of Pentax, but on the other hand you genuinely think Pentax will live on.
Which is it?

.
sceptical
/ˈskɛptɪk(ə)l/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
1.
not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations.

Note the lack of any mention of demise

I can be sceptical, I.e. have reservations about Pentax having a glorious resurrection based on other companies ending production of DSLRs whilst still believing Pentax will survive. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

---------- Post added 02-03-22 at 01:39 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
The mirrorless fanbois always fail to mention the major disadvantage of EVFs, which is the eyestrain that they cause a significant percentage of users. For some it's a minor discomfort, but for a lot of people, its severe enough to render EVF cameras unusable. This is something that is very unlikely to diminish over time.

There will always be viewfinder lag with mirrorless compared with optical viewfinders, some will find this an acceptable necessity of using the technology, some won't, but it is also something that will not go away.

What won't go away, apparently, is mirrorless fanbois and trolls beating what has become a dead horse.
You see, this I agree with! The Sony's of this world have the financial clout to seed reviews which play to their strengths. And the DP reviews of this world are so enamoured by FPS and being able to lock focus on the eye of a wevil, they all overlook the fact that when using an evf you are getting up close to a TV screen. For some people that is fine but I wouldn't like to do it for prolonged periods. The problem is because the market and all its outlets are totally committed to mirrorless, many people end up completely oblivious to Pentax and to alternatives to mirrorless that are still being produced by Canon
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
brand, camera, canon, discontinuation, discontinuation of dslr, dslr, ef, evf, hand, internet, issue, lenses, mention, mirrorless, niche, nikon, olympus, pentax, people, photo industry, photography, reservations, reviews, rumors, source, world
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
FF DSLR niche and cheaper mFT niche collapsing beholder3 Photographic Industry and Professionals 36 05-16-2016 09:30 AM
Pentax SL discontinuation date year? 6BQ5 Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 2 08-06-2014 06:26 AM
Q Discontinuation in wake of the Q10? emergo Pentax Q 15 10-08-2012 11:27 AM
K-5 discontinuation? Peter Byrne Visitors' Center 8 01-20-2012 09:17 PM
Things that could help Pentax in their Niche Market Das Boot Pentax News and Rumors 51 07-08-2008 11:09 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:43 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top