[bigdog104]

Hope this is in the right section of the forums.

What Camera Manufacturers are Most Popular?

This was of interest from the Digital Photography School website. They asked their readers about the kinds of cameras they use. DSLRs was the format of camera used most, 94% versus P&S and Micro Four Thirds.

When asked what brand of DSLRs were used, Pentax came in 3rd behind Canon and Nikon. I don't think that anyone expected Pentax to finish ahead of the "big two" but I was surprised (pleasantly so) to see that they were the third most popular.

Pentax was not even mentioned as a brand of P&S camera used by people that responded to the survey.

Everyone will draw their own conclusion from this survey but I thought it was worth sharing.

[Adam]

Would be great if Pentax could get closer to the top two, but this isn't bad news?

[NaClH2O]

Would be great if Pentax could get closer to the top two, but this isn't bad news?

Don't think it's bad at all. I'll be interested to see what comes up next as they dig deeper into most popular models etc.

NaCl(but I'm sure the numbers are somewhat skewed from a "general populace" sample)H2O

[philbaum]

Right after buying my first Pentax dslr, a K10, i joined what is now a 70 member camera club. About 30-40 members show up to our monthly meetings.

Of the members i talk to every month, it would be like this in quantity of SLRs:
Nikon
Canon
Pentax (6 slrs min.)
Olympus 4/3 (2 - inactive at the moment)
Sony (1 850ff)
a few film

[bigdog104]

I guess the results surprised me because if you look at lens rental sites and after market accessories it would appear that that Pentax is behind Olympus and Sony/Minolta.

[FullertonImages]

I would expect that to keep changing in Pentax's favor. Pentax is no doubt growing, ans well as Nikon, while Canon seems to be stagnating and Sony seems to be losing ground.

[mattdm]

Even leaving aside that it's a self-selected poll, the sample size is small enough that there's a margin of error of several percentage points. Oylympus, Pentax, and Sony are close enough within this margin that they are effectively tied.

[mickey]

My ongoing observation in Tokyo would be that Pentax has the #3 spot.
Certainly in terms of the cameras that I see around peoples necks.
One camera store(Yodobashi Camera) in Tokyo currently has the K-x as it's #3 top seller.

Still, the majority are Nikon and Canon, but I still see more Pentax than Olympus and Sony on the streets and in the parks, for what it's worth.

Just my 2 yen.

[Aristophanes]

I guess the results surprised me because if you look at lens rental sites and after market accessories it would appear that that Pentax is behind Olympus and Sony/Minolta.

That may not be user preference, but a sales agreement between Sony and Oly and the rental companies, where none exists with Pentax. High likelihood of skewed data.

[FullertonImages]

That may not be user preference, but a sales agreement between Sony and Oly and the rental companies, where none exists with Pentax. High likelihood of skewed data.

Agreed. My guess would be that Sony and Oly have the money to just throw lenses at rental shop, in the hopes the rental availability will attract more semi-pro and pro users. I would say that Pentax not doing so is somewhat due to not having the money, but mostly due to not grasping the importance of a) having a professional user base, and b) how much rental availability means to pros.

[nosnoop]

The #3 spot has been like musical chair in the last few years.
In the K10D/K100D days, Pentax was a solid #3.
In 2008, it was Sony by a mile.
Last year it was Olympus.
The first part of this year, K-x may have allowed Pentax to back in #3 (just guessing only, have not seen any sales figure). But the momentum seems to be lagging now.

Just last week in Japan, Sony's NEX-5 alone has put Sony in #3 spot (occupying #5 and #7 in the sales chart in Japan). We'll see how well NEX will sell in the coming weeks; especially with the on-sale soon NEX-3, and the rumored top end NEX-7. I personally think Sony has to count on NEX this year, as their A290/390 looks like sales bust and probably won't figure much in the sales chart.

Pentax would need something up its sleeve in the second half of this year if it wants to achieve/keep its #3 spot.

My ongoing observation in Tokyo would be that Pentax has the #3 spot.
Certainly in terms of the cameras that I see around peoples necks.
One camera store(Yodobashi Camera) in Tokyo currently has the K-x as it's #3 top seller.
Still, the majority are Nikon and Canon, but I still see more Pentax than Olympus and Sony on the streets and in the parks, for what it's worth.

[Aristophanes]

I personally think Sony has to count on NEX this year, as their A290/390 looks like sales bust and probably won't figure much in the sales chart.

Pentax would need something up its sleeve in the second half of this year if it wants to achieve/keep its #3 spot.

I found it interesting that Sony released the NEX then right after 2 entry-level DSLR's.

In the same week that the NEX got a relatively poor review from DPReview.

I am not sure the NEX will be seen as a "real" camera by a large number of the buying public. It may, in part, come across as a big lens on a P&S body. Personally, I have always thought a great innovation in the DSLR was the ergonomics of the grip and its use as a battery chamber. This has not gone unnoticed in the market, though its effect is subliminal and tactile. People may trade off a bit of weight for something that feels solid and comfortable, especially in the +$500 price point.

If Pentax could get a 20% reduction in the K-x, it would be close enough for a very large # of buyers. It is also telling that there's been nary a whisper from Canikon about an EVIL camera system, which says their market data may not exactly point to a slam dunk for this category by any means.

A non-hasty Pentax could thrive in less than the #3 spot.

[bigdog104]

After reading the reviews of the Sony NEX, I doubt it will make much of an impact.

I don't see how serious you can be about taking pictures without a viewfinder. It doesn't have an internal flash, instead it comes with an external one that fits into an accessory slot (proprietary to Sony of course). Plus it is a new line of lenses and while you can use previous lenses with an adapter, it won't support AF.

I will stick with my K-X, thanks.

[frank]

Right after buying my first Pentax dslr, a K10, i joined what is now a 70 member camera club. About 30-40 members show up to our monthly meetings.

Of the members i talk to every month, it would be like this in quantity of SLRs:
Nikon
Canon
Pentax (6 slrs min.)
Olympus 4/3 (2 - inactive at the moment)
Sony (1 850ff)
a few film

Here in Singapore our club has monthly outing too. Usually over 20 to 40 guys would show up, the quantity of SRLs is like this:
Canon (1 or 2)
Nikon (1)
Pentax (all the rest)



It's a Pentax club btw

My ongoing observation in Tokyo would be that Pentax has the #3 spot.
Certainly in terms of the cameras that I see around peoples necks.
One camera store(Yodobashi Camera) in Tokyo currently has the K-x as it's #3 top seller.

Still, the majority are Nikon and Canon, but I still see more Pentax than Olympus and Sony on the streets and in the parks, for what it's worth.

Just my 2 yen.

I agree with you there. I think that Pentax means somewhat differently to people in Japan. Not that Pentax is a thing of the past, but there is a bit of nostalgia to go with it too. But I think Olympus has that too. I see much less Pentax in U.S and in continental Europe.

But, I also agree that stats are stats. But like Adam says, not a bad news at all!