Originally posted by BobBlazevic /rant Many people actually shy away from Pentax because the lower price for features. They feel there must be a problem with Pentax cameras to be sold at the prices they are. Pentax's entry level dSLR (K-r), is more expensive than the entry level dSLRs from Canon (XS) and Nikon (D3000). But in features, the Pentax K-r compares closer to their mid-range models, Canon 550D/600D and Nikon D5100, and still costs much less.
I agree with you that the Pentax "Entry Level" K-r is, feature for feature, better than the entry level DSLRs from Canon or Nikon and represents excellent value. My argument is more along the lines that the K-r is not an "entry level" camera at its price point. Pentax doesn't have a DSLR to compete in the same price range as the cheapest Canon or Nikon DSLRs.
As eddie1960 so aptly said:
Quote: eddie1960: Nikon keeps old models around forever milking volume through low prices as a commodity, mostly byy the standards of the newer stuff these are pretty poor cameras but getting people to buy into the brand at that level get's them locked in in the long term as they move up the line - not all people will of course but it is a smart strategy. Same reason I always say the Kx should still be in production
I have many times come across people who have just upgraded from P&S and bought their first DSLR. In the vast majority of cases that first DSLR is either a Nikon D3100 (or a Canon 1100D) sold with usually two zoom kit lenses, 18-55VR plus 55-200VR, (or 18-55IS and 75-300IS for Canon 1100D) a pretty nice bag and a free SD Card and a free course of photography lessons for our local equivalent of under $1000. In South Africa you can't get a K-r with one lens for anything close to that. In fact you are looking close to $1600 for the K-r and one 18-55 kit lens. No bag, No SD Card, No photography course...
The images they get are much better than their old P&S and they are delighted with their purchase. If you ask why they chose Nikon (or Canon) they reply that they have seen pictures taken by experienced/professional photographers who used Nikon (or Canon), that the Nikon (or Canon) brand is synonymous with quality cameras, and that the guy in the store gave them a deal they couldn't refuse. They may even have looked at the Pentax K-r and even agree its a better camera "but it was just way too expensive for what we wanted..."
Over the next few years they maybe buy some more lenses and perhaps a flash and then decide they want to upgrade to a better camera. Usually by now they know pretty much what they want in terms of specifications or performance, but they are certainly not going to replace their lenses and other accessories. So it is then a no-brainer that they buy another Nikon (or Canon). And let's put our prejudice aside for a moment and admit that Nikon and Canon do make some pretty good cameras and have a huge range of lenses and accessories compared to Pentax.
Pentax just has to be able to offer something competitive at that entry level price point because if they lose the customer there, they have pretty much lost him/her forever. I truly believe that Ricoh fully understands this and will make it a priority to plug that gap in the Pentax price range.