[mecrox]

It has no basis in reality; just some people who think their personal preferences must reflect on the whole industry.
Canon massive success of the 7D and the entry level DSLR's (also suggested years ago as canditates for imminent demise; equally nonsensical) proves otherwise...

Lol, having no basis in reality is the least of the issues

[Jean Poitiers]

Just a note from someone who is primarily a Nikon user...

Before jumping the fence because the grass is greener on the other side, you might want to remember that all manufacturers have issues with line-up and quality.

The top-of-the-heap APS-C for Nikon is still the D300/ D300s - with nothing other than rumors that they will see an upgrade. Some who shoot wildlife and such have been clamoring for an upgrade for a while and it doesn't seem to materialize. Some are not happy with the size or performance of the D7000. Some of them are thinking of jumping the fence.

Nikon still has minimal APS-C prime glass, and none at the wide end (have to use zooms or 3rd party). Pentax has the DA Limiteds if you want decent small and light primes.

D800/ D800E bodies are experiencing focus issues. Not all, but enough that it is a problem for Nikon.

D4 bodies aren't exempt either - there are people getting replacement bodies because their new D4 is not working properly out-of-the-box.

There are Nikon users threatening a jump to Canon.

There are Canon users threatening a jump to Nikon.

There are etc...

Every manufacturer has quality issues.

Every manufacturer has gaps in their line-up that their customer base may not be happy with.

Pros need to do what they need to do for their business.

Amatuers and hobbyists - we need to ask ourselves if the gear is the important thing? Or is it the joy of photography?

For me, it's the enjoyment of getting out and taking photos. I'm not that great at it (and am trying to improve), but it is an enjoyable activity for me. I'm not a fanboy, so I tend to use what I like and not be tied to any one brand. I currently have Canon for 135, Pentax for 645, and Nikon and Olympus for digital.

I had a K-5 and DA Limiteds, and got rid of them in a moment of pure fiscal thinking (not wanting to support two digital camera systems). The right choice from a money stand-point, but at the cost of some of my enjoyment of photography. I have yet to find a digital solution in a crop format that fits my hand and has the quality of the K-5 and DA Limiteds. Now with Pentax's roller-coaster of pricing on it's lenses, it will cost me more that I may be willing to pay to get back to what made me happy.

So please, do a little evaluation of what makes you happy/ what you actually need before switching systems. It can be costly, and even more so if you decide to come back.

Just the opinion of a hobbyist who jumped ship and wished he hadn't. YMMV.

As said previously, "wise words" ... and thanks for your post, fellow hobbyist.

[Pål Jensen]

This is one of the sensible posts in this thread. For those of you running around in your Chicken Little outfits crying the sky is falling, I suggest you re-read this post (or better yet, have someone read it to you) before you go out a slit your wrists because you think Pentax has failed you.

The sky is falling posts comes out everytime Pentax is releasing new proiducts regardless what they are...

[Docrwm]

Given that they've re-badged the lens, could they not have re-badged Tamron's motor?

Certainly, that could be the case. If so, why call it SDM? Pentax has two flavors of silent focusing motor - SDM & DC. They make a distinction with the 18-135 that its DC and now they also call the DA560 a DC and not SDM. So, why use that label if its not actually the fault prone SDM in fact but is PZD?

[Giklab]

Cause it's the same technology (SDM~PZD). DC is just that-a DC micromotor.

[glanglois]

Cause it's the same technology (SDM~PZD). DC is just that-a DC micromotor.

Can you please provide a source (or multiple sources, if needed) for SDM~PZD?

[glanglois]

Certainly, that could be the case. If so, why call it SDM? Pentax has two flavors of silent focusing motor - SDM & DC. They make a distinction with the 18-135 that its DC and now they also call the DA560 a DC and not SDM. So, why use that label if its not actually the fault prone SDM in fact but is PZD?

I don 't know. Perhaps Tamron will not permit use of the PZD description on a lens that doesn't carry its nameplate? (my vote)

Perhaps Pentax product namers, not always a clever bunch, are out of touch with the SDM rep?

Perhaps they're in touch but think that the cognescenti (all PF members) will not pay much attention to the much-maligned super-zoom category?

<lecture> The target market is probably someone buying a first lens instead of the 18-55 70-300 kit combo or buying a replacement for the 18-55 kit. (Uh, that was I, by the way.) As much as the super-zoom concept is belittled here, it can be a fine way to introduce people to taking pictures with a DSLR. I've known too many people who got a two-lens kit and then realized that they don't like to change lenses, particularly outdoors, and that a super-zoom on a single body is easier to schlep about and therefore simply gets used more. More use may lead to a greater interest in photography. They can figure out later which apertures and focal lengths work for them. </lecture>

Oh, I see it's time for a pint. Hobgoblin today. Please excuse ....

[nosnoop]

Before jumping the fence because the grass is greener on the other side, you might want to remember that all manufacturers have issues with line-up and quality.
There are Nikon users threatening a jump to Canon.
There are Canon users threatening a jump to Nikon.

You cannot compare Canon/Nikon with Pentax; the situation is totally different.
Canon/Nikon have the lion share of the DSLR market, they can have the occasional hiccups, and nobody would remember.
They can sell anything just by slapping their logo on top.

OTOH, Pentax has been squeezed out of the top five, leapfrogged by Sony, Olympus & Panasonic.
They really need to rejuvenate their line up. I can't remember anytime before that not a single Pentax model made it into the top 50 BCNRanking monthly sales chart (August 2012)!
Even the newly released K-30 only ranks 73th, on the second month of its release, traditionally still within the honeymoon period.
K-5 only ranks 133th despite its deep discount. The top selling Pentax was the Q at #62.
Just a few years ago, Pentax was #3 with at least one model in the top 10 most of the time.

I believe that at least in Japan, Pentax is paying the price for not entering the large sensor mirrorless market, which now accounts for over 50% of DSLR market share in Japan.
And no, the K-01 does not count.
If there are no new cameras other than K-5 II, 2013 is going to be a very difficult year for Pentax.

[Pål Jensen]

I believe that at least in Japan, Pentax is paying the price for not entering the large sensor mirrorless market, which now accounts for over 50% of DSLR market share in Japan.
x.

This is an impossibility as mirrorless are not DSLR's. In any case it is just a misunderstanding of statistics (I wonder what marketshare cell phones have of the DSLR market? ); DSLR sales have increased significantly and still do. Canon can hardly make the DSLR's as fast as they sell them (7 million a year!) in spite of mirrorless.
The statistics you refer to are sbapshots that might just as well reflect delivery and distribution delays as sales. Also, as many Pentax cameras are delivered in countless colours, and every colour and kit options are treated as separate models, Pentax will score low on these sales charts (and FF cameras will score higher as they are usually sold body alone in one colour!)

[Docrwm]

I don 't know. Perhaps Tamron will not permit use of the PZD description on a lens that doesn't carry its nameplate? (my vote)

Perhaps Pentax product namers, not always a clever bunch, are out of touch with the SDM rep?

Perhaps they're in touch but think that the cognescenti (all PF members) will not pay much attention to the much-maligned super-zoom category?

<lecture> The target market is probably someone buying a first lens instead of the 18-55 70-300 kit combo or buying a replacement for the 18-55 kit. (Uh, that was I, by the way.) As much as the super-zoom concept is belittled here, it can be a fine way to introduce people to taking pictures with a DSLR. I've known too many people who got a two-lens kit and then realized that they don't like to change lenses, particularly outdoors, and that a super-zoom on a single body is easier to schlep about and therefore simply gets used more. More use may lead to a greater interest in photography. They can figure out later which apertures and focal lengths work for them. </lecture>

Oh, I see it's time for a pint. Hobgoblin today. Please excuse ....

Cogent. Still overpriced for what it is.

[Vylen]

Just had a gander at Amazon Japan's rankings for DSLR's and mirrorless cameras... The Q is ranked up pretty high, in both categories (eh?) at 11th and 3rd respectively. And the K-01 is in the top 20...

K-5 Silver limited edition is #43... Burgandy (browny-red) K-30 is #52...

Don't know why the K-01 wouldn't count... why disregard it? It is a Pentax product after all.

Admittedly, the trouble with these Amazon rankings are individual products where colour differentiates them. I said the Q is 11th and 3rd - that's the cream/white one. The black one isn't quite as liked....

Oh well..

[Docrwm]

Cause it's the same technology (SDM~PZD). DC is just that-a DC micromotor.

Pentax has made a distinction between SDM and DC. That distinction seems to hold up in that the SDM lenses require a good bit of maintenance (see the SDM Survey here on this forum) but the DC lenses have 0 failures. Sorry, you can use the same technology and have different implementation of it from a design and engineering perspective and one application can be flawless and the other a mess. That appears to be the case here.

[ElJamoquio]

Also, as many Pentax cameras are delivered in countless colours, and every colour and kit options are treated as separate models, Pentax will score low on these sales charts (and FF cameras will score higher as they are usually sold body alone in one colour!)

Which Pentax DSLR currently made is sold in more than one color?

FYI the high-selling FF's are sold in kits, too. At one point on Amazon's sales charts, 7 flavors of FF's (some kits, some not) were higher than the highest selling Pentax.

[Docrwm]

Which Pentax DSLR currently made is sold in more than one color?

FYI the high-selling FF's are sold in kits, too. At one point on Amazon's sales charts, 7 flavors of FF's (some kits, some not) were higher than the highest selling Pentax.

K-30 comes in 3. Before that it was the K-r, which sold in a dozen or so colors here and is still available in that range at WalMart. The K-01, which is just weird but is a K-mount camera, also comes in more than one color. And that's just in the US. In Japan the range of color options for Pentax cameras other than the K-5 is much more extensive.

[7samurai]

Keeping in mind that Pentax is doing a wonderful job at filling-in the mid-range market gap, I'd say there's no harm in recognizing the need for bigger and better either. Which also serves as sign that you are growing as a photographer(see).

That being said, what do you think of the A99?

Truthfully, I've not paid any attention to the A99. the only thing I know is that it's suppose to have a 101/102 focus points. That's alot of focus points.
As far as jumping to a Sony, my preference would be to stay with Pentax. Of all the manufacturers, Sony seems to be most simular to Pentax in features, however, Pentax better enables my style of photography with all the different built-in
features.

Regarding Pentax filling in the mid-range, I believe the K-30 is wonderful, but with some very interesting design decisions. For example, the K-01 has a mic input, why not the K-30?