[alamo5000]

Sometimes, I find them too tight-lipped.

Agreed.

They need to have some leaks. The white house 'leaks information' and they do it on purpose for good reason...of course it depends on what they leak...

[KungPOW]

The K-30 is a fantastic camera for the price bracket, and market segment it is being sold in.

It is 90% of a K-5, for almost 50% of the K-5's introductory price. It is as far from a joke as a camera could be.

No other camera maker offers a weather sealed, 100% pentaprism, twin e-dial, IBSR, AA battery using camera in that price bracket.

As for the K-5, Pentax will produce a replacement for it. Pentax's premium lenses are almost all APS-C. They would be fools to introduce a FF camera, and not have a top tier APS-C body as well.

If the K-3 was a 36 mp camera, with a crop mode that equalled an APS-C sensor, all for under $2,000, in a K-5 body.... Now that might just kill two birds with one stone. But I'm not holding my breath.

I'm expecting a 24 mp APS-C K-3, similar body style to the K-5 (conservative, pro-looking), with the only colour available on release... Black.

[jatrax]

Pentax is moving to a four camera line up in the dslr range.
k-300 entry level, with focus on price
k-30 mid level, more features than competitors similar models at a good price point
k-3 flagship aps-c 'pro-sumer' model with similar feature set to k-5 possibly with 24mp sensor
LXd full frame 'pro' model

They will also have the k-01 and any successors as mirror-less k-mount along with the Q and the 645dii. Despite having only a few actual camera models compared to the confusing plethora of models from the competition they will actually have the broadest range of interchangeable lens cameras of any camera company, from sub-aps-c 'Q' to medium format 645dii.

I have this on good authority, I read it on the internet.

[alamo5000]

Also the K5 and K30 are in each other water at the moment, it's in Pentax best interest to stop the K5 to get more K30 sold.

Besides more choices don't make you happier but more dissatisfied, you will start to question yourself if you the K30 would not have been better when you bought the K5 and vice versa.

I could not disagree with you more. If the K30 winds up being the best crop camera in Pentax's line up then they will be losing a customer. Period.

The K30 is not a replacement for the K-5.

Secondly choice is good. K30 isn't anything to be considered a professional level camera as far as I am concerned.

K30 could be targeted towards soccer moms who want to shoot kids birthdays...but to me its a directionless camera. Its waffling in the middle.

If they want to have the K30 and sell it to people who like it because it 'looks cute in blue' so be it...

But they also should target people who want to be more serious about their photography.

Really the smartest thing Pentax could do?

1. Have the cutesy comes in pink K-30 for all the soccer moms in Japan.

2. Have a successor to the K-5 in a crop sensor, but it should be geared towards professional or serious semi professional shooters.

3. Have a full frame camera geared towards professionals. This would however require adding quite a few more lenses to the line up (I think).

With those three right there...pentax could make serious inroads to the DSLR market (if they would actually market their products).

[alamo5000]

The K-30 is a fantastic camera for the price bracket, and market segment it is being sold in.

It is 90% of a K-5, for almost 50% of the K-5's introductory price. It is as far from a joke as a camera could be.

No other camera maker offers a weather sealed, 100% pentaprism, twin e-dial, IBSR, AA battery using camera in that price bracket.

Re: K30 ---key words being 'for the segment it is being sold in'... for that segment I would agree it would fit many people's bill...and would be a fantastic camera 'for that segment'...

I am not in that segment though so I am complaining!

As for the K-5, Pentax will produce a replacement for it. Pentax's premium lenses are almost all APS-C. They would be fools to introduce a FF camera, and not have a top tier APS-C body as well.

AMEN. End of story. Finito. That says it all.

To the point. Hit a homerun with that statement.

I'm expecting a 24 mp APS-C K-3, similar body style to the K-5 (conservative, pro-looking), with the only colour available on release... Black.

If they do this, I would considering going out and buying one as my second body as I already have a lens line up for my K-5.

I am not that price sensitive but I would object to buying an entire new line of lenses and starting over from scratch (if I can avoid it).

[alamo5000]

Pentax is moving to a four camera line up in the dslr range.
k-300 entry level, with focus on price
k-30 mid level, more features than competitors similar models at a good price point
k-3 flagship aps-c 'pro-sumer' model with similar feature set to k-5 possibly with 24mp sensor
LXd full frame 'pro' model

They will also have the k-01 and any successors as mirror-less k-mount along with the Q and the 645dii. Despite having only a few actual camera models compared to the confusing plethora of models from the competition they will actually have the broadest range of interchangeable lens cameras of any camera company, from sub-aps-c 'Q' to medium format 645dii.

I have this on good authority, I read it on the internet.

Out of those you listed the ones I would be interesed in would be a new an improved K-5 first and foremost.

Once they have a lens line up for a FF camera once I make that leap then IF the camera has all the right features it would be in a strong contention.

Pentax (Ricoh) needs to use its brains. They have the formula for an excellent camera with the K-5. Go with it. Build off that. If they made a FF version of the K-5 I could see myself buying one of those as well.

I have the funds to buy all of the above, but I want to buy what I want with the features that I want. To me if they think is flat out 'techology' then they are wrong... if they think its just looks...they are wrong...

Yes you want good technology but I believe they can make an excellent camera with existing technology. They don't absolutely need grand break throughs in this regard. They just have to have a good combination of features and a good layout of how its put together IE functionality/ergonomics.

After that then go to cosmetics... in black of course.

I see so many people and hear of so many things online where people are always harping on 'new technology'... yes to a degree this is true, but its like baking a cake... you don't need 'new and improved eggs' to make a wonderful cake. You have to work with what you got to blend everything together to make an overall product that is acceptable.

If you have 3 or 4 year old proven technology but its all put together in a good combination--- you end up with a great rock solid camera.

[yusuf]

I am liking this news, hope the replacement brings respectable AF.

[alamo5000]

I am liking this news, hope the replacement brings respectable AF.

We could all be happy as heck or pissed off forever. It just depends.

All I know is my K-5 hopefully has a long life ahead of it... I hear the shutter will last to about 250,000 snaps....about 247,000 to go...

[Kunzite]

The K-30 is a fantastic camera for the price bracket, and market segment it is being sold in.

It is 90% of a K-5, for almost 50% of the K-5's introductory price. It is as far from a joke as a camera could be.

100% agree.

By the way, if I wanted to I could go and buy today the following Pentax ILCs:
- Q
- K-01, black or yellow
- the long discontinued K-r
- K-30, though I believe they only have the black one for now
- K-5, which didn't disappeared from stores because it's no longer being made.
I would have to order the 645D, though, but that's understandable.

Contrary to popular beliefs, Pentax discontinuing the K-5 is not the end of the world but a sign that its replacement is near.

[Alizarine]

Contrary to popular beliefs, Pentax discontinuing the K-5 is not the end of the world but a sign that its replacement is near.

yup, and they better give a glimpse before the last week of August. With the K-30 though, the "leak" photo came almost the same week as the announcement date, lol

[Clavius]

If they have such a tiny amount of production lines that they first have to discontinue their flagship body, before even starting the production of a (possible) new one, then they just don't have enough production lines for everything they're doing. We already knew that off course.

Since they started playing around with the Q and K-01 I've been saying that they should stick to just one thing and do that one thing really very excellent. Instead of spreading their chips and doing lots of things so-so.

They used to be good at doing just that. Around the time when the K20D was introduced they stuck to DSLRS and point and shoots. All R&D, QC and production lines were focussed on DSLRs. Result was competing technology, super-reliable quality and good affordabillity too. All of those have been slipping since they started taking resources away from their core business.

[gazonk]

It's a bit sad that they discontinue it before the new model is announced, but of course it's still easy to buy a K-5. Hah, I know at least one web shop that still sells the K-7 kit - they will even charge 10% more than for a K-5 kit

[Alizarine]

Hah, I know at least one web shop that still sells the K-7 kit - they will even charge 10% more than for a K-5 kit

What for? It's not like the K-7 is some collectible Leica... or perhaps, they view it as such?

[gazonk]

What for? It's not like the K-7 is some collectible Leica... or perhaps, they view it as such?

I think they simply have a few left in stock and never bothered to adjust the price. What's disturbing, though, is that if you search for DSLR and then Pentax, K-7 is the first hit, and the description begins with "K-7 is the new top model from Pentax". (Use this URL and check the Pentax checkbox: Speilreflekskamera fra Japan Photo)

(They also still carry the K-r, but at a decent price)

[tclausen]

Pentax is moving to a four camera line up in the dslr range.
k-300 entry level, with focus on price
k-30 mid level, more features than competitors similar models at a good price point
k-3 flagship aps-c 'pro-sumer' model with similar feature set to k-5 possibly with 24mp sensor
LXd full frame 'pro' model

They will also have the k-01 and any successors as mirror-less k-mount along with the Q and the 645dii. Despite having only a few actual camera models compared to the confusing plethora of models from the competition they will actually have the broadest range of interchangeable lens cameras of any camera company, from sub-aps-c 'Q' to medium format 645dii.

I have this on good authority, I read it on the internet.

I think that you make some good sense - but, it probably won't happen: an, essentially, 7-camera lineup is ambitious for any manufacturer, and Pentax is fairly niche compared to the big'uns.

I think that Pentax royally screwed up their naming with the K-01, set themselves up for limited growth: they can't "count down" for a future version, and if they "count up" then they may hit confusion come their 3rd mirrorless (what, a K-03 is not the same as a K-3?).

I'd suggest that the K-300 you list above already exists in the K-01: entry-level, single-thumbwheel, compact, fancy colors for soccer-mums (as somebody).

The K-30 seems an amazing camera, actually over-shooting for its market segment: the advanced consumer can easily grow, and will be in want of little that the K5 (or successor) will have. This may turn out to be a bad thing for Pentax, encouraging this segment to not eventually need to "buy up" -- yeah, planned obsolescence of sorts. It seems that Pentax is good at being "good for consumers, bad for business" (for example, I still grog a K10D with no real need/plans to upgrade as the limiting factor still is the photographer, not the camera).

I think that the Q is more of a success than one may be lead to believe, actually. While it's true that one see few with the camera in the streets, till, those that have it seem to love it, and it's actually marketed and selling like hot cakes in Japan (at least, so a friend working at Yodobashi camera told me when I was there recently). I think it has immense potential for Pentax to grab a currently unserved segment of the market, if sold correctly in the west also. I honestly think that it's got the zing-factor that would make it an ideal product to market & sell to (among other things) the same crowd buying iPad's: get it into the Apple store, make an iPad app doing something neat and which works with the Q only, for example.

I'm, personally, rarely going anywhere without my iPad, the Q and the iPad SD card adaptor. If I'm with friends, I can snap (much more than phone-grade) photos, get them on a bigger screen, trim and edit and email them right off the bat, to their amusement "wow, a real camera, and you can do that?". When I'm working, I can snap photos, get them onto the bigger screen, into my annotation software and write comments/diagrams/... and send back to the mother ship for whatever reason.

Stick Bluetooth in the Q, and make an iPad/Android app doing the transfer & rudimentary editing, and with the Q, Pentax has something that nobody else is offering [that would make for something useful, would be yuppie-cool, plus could be riding the coattails of what, admittedly, is one of the best marketed products/companies today - get the Q in the Apple stores!].

I'd therefore predict that the line-up would be a more manageable:

K-01 - entry level
K-30 - mid-level, strong sales-argument (if Pentax marketing wakes up)
K-03 - prosumer
Q - for the iPad-lugging folks
645D

Yes, the naming is highly confusing - then again, that is a Pentax tradition

I do not believe that a FF will come along. There's too little current glass in the Pentax line-up that would make that a worthwhile thing to introduce: the body would be too expensive to be realistic for consumers/prosumers and there would not be enough "pro-grade glass" around to compete with the big'uns for the pro-market.

Although it'd make a handful of folks on this forum very very happy, unless said folks are majority shareholders, the happiness of a handful of people is not really the job of Pentax management