I think Pentax's strategy regarding a KxxxxD is brilliant.
I think there is a VAST untapped market for DSLRs.
That market is where the Nikon FM10 and Canon EOS Rebel K2 are.
There is nothing digital that is worth shooting in the $200 to $300 market. ONLY point and shoot junk.
Surely APS-C 6mp sensors are now a commodity item. If Sony wants to keep selling them (in large quantities) they need to go into a NEW commodity level of DSLR. The enthusiast/advanced-amateur market has moved to 10mp. The demand for that 6mp sensor is going to evaporate quickly -- unless someone has the nerve to introduce:
The K1000D.
Build quality at the level of a Pentax MZ-M, or EOS Rebel, or FM-10. In other words, plastic cameras with plastic lens mounts that accept current lenses.
Features: who cares about FPS? Who cares about auto-liveview-coffee brewing? You sell an entry-level DSLR on the following features:
- you can change the lens
- you look like a "pro"
- NO shutter lag
Everything else DOESN"T MATTER to 95% of the market. How else could the EOS Rebel and K1000 sell
so well for
so long?
A cheap DSLR will sell to the enormous market who want a camera that takes better pictures than their cellphone or Canon Powershot or Fuji A-series. Most folks spend no more than $150 on a camera (35mm point and shoot or now digital point and shoot). If pressured by a photography class, or a desire to plunge into photography as a hobby, they would spend $200 to $300 on a DSLR. But most are unlikely to ever jump in at $800, $1000 or $3000.
Most DSLRs today are "enthusiast" cameras. It is like the Nikon F80 -- almost enough camera for a pro, in an attractively small package, for a sub-$1000 pricetag. That's a rareified market.
Ten years ago, I didn't know ANYONE with a real Nikon. But every dabbler / hobbyist / schoolgirl / aspiring artist I knew could afford a Canon EOS Rebel, or a Pentax K1000. So they owned one. Those same people today are NOT buying a Nikon D40. They buy a Canon Powershot A560 for $150.
I say, go for it Pentax. I'll even buy one!