[Blue]

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Pentax Imaging has the body only listed at $1599.95 on there online store. That means it will likely be cheaper initially through BH and Adorama.

[jogiba]

Pentax K-5 Digital SLR Camera Body (Black) 14748 - B&H Photo

Pentax K5 16.3 Megapixel DSLR Camera Body

[deadwolfbones]

Yeah, but wait...

[Blue]

Pentax K-5 Digital SLR Camera Body (Black) 14748 - B&H Photo

Pentax K5 16.3 Megapixel DSLR Camera Body

That's the pre-order prices though.

[er1kksen]

Maybe they're trying to keep the pre-orders down so they don't go over their production capacity.

[PrimeObjectif]

Maybe they're trying to keep the pre-orders down so they don't go over their production capacity.

Hahahahah! Well, I guess that's what happened to the 645D in Japan. :P

[mattdm]

I'ts still too much compared to what the 7D gives you. I am finding the 7D as low as 1339.00 new.

I doubt you're finding it that low new from non-scam sites.

How low wll the K5 be in six months, a year? 999.00?

Probably not in six months, but maybe in a year.

[dnaseigel]

Hahahahah! Well, I guess that's what happened to the 645D in Japan. :P

I wouldn't be too quick to laugh at this observation. I am being told that deliveries of new cameras from Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Sony are going to be fairly small. The emphasis will be placed, respectively, on the following products: D5000 vs. D3100, T2i vs. 60D, A390 vs. A33. Based on what these companies are telling retailers, it may be safe to assume that quantities of K-5 and even K-r may not be huge specifically to keep from having to sell many cameras at too low of a price.

I happen to think it interesting that in many ways Canon's and Nikon's latest enthusiast offerings are more and more like the K-7 which is going to have the far greater value. Both the 60D and the D7000 fall closer to the lower cameras they have been sandwiched between, and aside from video features the new cameras are not radically better than the K-7.

My last point on companies not wanting to go completely overboard underpricing things is what Canon has NOT announced. Will there ever be a replacement for the flagship 1DS Mark III? The camera is more than a year overdue for a replacement based on the history of that line. Canon and Sony may have the deepest pockets in the industry, but I think it's telling how many products have been announced with vague 2011 deliveries. None of these guys want to sell very many of the new products at the prices they are suggesting because one of two things happen. They either lose buckets full of profit or the offend everyone by trying to make a profit.

[Freak]

I doubt you're finding it that low new from non-scam sites.

They are actually available for around the same price (or cheaper) here in Australia, so i think you could find them legit over there... (Body Only)

[silverknight]

Anyway, this time next year, the K5 should be selling for roughly 820 dollars, the D7000 will still be at 950. Not particularly good or bad, just true.

I would say its good if you buy nikon early as you hardly lose anything over time.
Good if you plan to buy pentax 1 year after release as the price has dropped so much giving it great value.
Bad if you're an early adopter of pentax because the price is too $$$

[TiminyCricket]

TiminyCricket - good luck on finding a new job soon. Being unemployed is really hard on people.

Back to cameras now, the K5 sounds really great and I want one - just that my wife is expecting our first baby so I really shouldn't... Just like I want that juicy new Fuji X100 - what a beauty. Back to Pentax for a moment - the K5 is a worthy upgrade from my K10D.

Thank you, Zarkon. I had to fight myself not to buy a K-7 due to the finances and will once again test my self-control by holding out on a K-5 purchase. LOL!

I completely agree that the K-5, when/if we both manage to get our hands on one, should be a quantum jump up from the K10D. The K10D is great, but it's certainly showing its age. Hopefully the 5 will have great AF and ISO capabilities, which are really my only two major complaints about my 10.

[TiminyCricket]

I'm in the same boat (unemployed). Although I have been selling things and have low expenses, so I could stand to "help the economy" a bit if Pentax releases some interesting stuff. Yeah, I agree in that lenses like the DA* are heavy. I much prefer primes myself (my last 3 or 4 were primes). D-FA WR primes would be quite manageable and pretty reasonable priced (the 100mm WR macro is 240g / 12oz, 2.6 x 3.2 inches for reference).

Sjwaldron, I'm really sorry to hear that you too have lost your job. It is very difficult, especially when we share such an expensive hobby!

My guess is that assuming I find employment by then I would probably jump on a K-5 body once it is $1,000, or less. I only paid about $500 for my K-10D, as I got it just as the K-20D was introduced. Even though the K-7 can be found rather cheaply right now I just don't think it's worth the investment at this point considering the problems it still has with AF and high-ISO, especially of the K-5 has major improvements in both these areas, as is being suggested.

[philbaum]

I happen to think it interesting that in many ways Canon's and Nikon's latest enthusiast offerings are more and more like the K-7 which is going to have the far greater value. Both the 60D and the D7000 fall closer to the lower cameras they have been sandwiched between, and aside from video features the new cameras are not radically better than the K-7.

My last point on companies not wanting to go completely overboard underpricing things is what Canon has NOT announced. Will there ever be a replacement for the flagship 1DS Mark III? The camera is more than a year overdue for a replacement based on the history of that line. Canon and Sony may have the deepest pockets in the industry, but I think it's telling how many products have been announced with vague 2011 deliveries. None of these guys want to sell very many of the new products at the prices they are suggesting because one of two things happen. They either lose buckets full of profit or the offend everyone by trying to make a profit.

a) This frustration i see expressed about Pentax because the D7000 showed up is puzzling to me. How was Pentax to know 12 to 18 months in advance what Nikon had up their sleeve as far as specs and pricing?

b) Some are saying that the D7000 and its pricing is a smart move, but it may also be one of desperation. I suspect that Nikon is seeing their D300 sales drying up as people either bought the D700 or went for the lower aps tier. I suspect that Nikon is seeing their top tier camera profits sinking and realized they had to fight it out with a lower cost fully spec'd camera like the d7000. Perhaps Nikon thought to get some early publicity by initial lower pricing for the d7000, while planning to raise it later on as the above writer sort of suggested. These are difficult times in the market place and we are seeing some strange things happen. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Nikon didn't have some plan for manipulating market pricing and products to force their competitors into mistakes.

Its like a chess game, its ok to sacrifice a pawn or two, if it leads to a strategic gain. D7000 being a small WR camera seems to me to be aimed directly at pentax's increasing popularity. The fact that its also compatible with some older glass seems uncanny. The fact that such a camera would also be effective against Canon lower tier is a bonus.

[RMabo]

In Europe the K-5 and D7000 prices matches so here they are the same, and if you want a weather sealed package then the K-5 wins hands down since Nikon does not offer low cost weather sealed lenses.

Nikon US seems to buying market with the D7000.

[tcdk]

There's now a body price on amazon.uk - 1,129£ Pentax K-5 Digital SLR Camera - Body Only: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics (1,321€ / 1,769us$)

(just for comparison the D7000 price is 1,099£ Nikon D7000 Body Only: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics)