[clawhammer]

Too thin to breath

You would be surprised how much bigger the margin at the highest than the lowest end really is. It is about a 100 times larger (5x in % by 20x in price). For the manufacturer, not the dealer.

Then I stand corrected, and bow to your knowledge

[welshwizard645]

and Subaru does not want to - Subaru now assembles Camry in Indiana...

Subaru is also part-owned by Toyota too, Toyota bought GM's share in Fuji Heavy Industries that comprises Subaru and Suzuki...shame really as I liked the look of the Saabaru, the Saab 9-2x

[welshwizard645]

I think the designs of K10D and K20D are great...

pentax need to keep doing what they do well... keep the top plate LCD etc etc.....

I think it's not necessary to completely redesign the camera, because the fundamentals are right.... To make a camera that is more robust and can stand up to some abuse on a daily basis while possessing more features that will attract more professional photographers at an attractive price point, such as faster AF, dual card slots and faster FPS...

There is this perception within the british photogaphic magazine circles that the K10D is not as professional as the D80, A700 or EOS 40D; it's about the same price or less, but is considered to be poorer value for money. Yet I look in the cabinets of photo shops and with the exception of the FF EOS, D2/D3 and D200/D300, the K20/GX-20 do not have scene modes. Now, correct me if I am wrong, if you want someone to 'grow' as they use the camera you'd try to dissuade them from using the fully automatic modes...

Perception is the key (it now helps that the Samsung is not so cheap...), get more accessories and lenses on the shelves of shops, and think future Pentax cameras will sell...

[xenonsky]

And, considering the amount of meetings attended by, and 100's of thousands of dollars per year paid to each marketing exec, if they are reading this forum, and your post - you can be absolutely guaranteed that they are chuckling and considering your ideas "cute". Possibly even deserving a pat on the head.

They fervently know that an upgrade path is not that important to keep customers - or that keeping customers is also not that big of a deal if they can keep getting P&S people to buy at least one camera.

They know unwaveringly that providing firmware updates to the DL & DS, etc. models when new features were introduced into their successors was not appreciated by Pentax customers, and hurt the next model's sales horribly.

Therefore, now that there are features and improvements that can be available by firmware for the K10D from the K20D - they will not be offered, and there will never be another firmware update for the K10D. Period. They know losing good will and customer loyalty because of this, is no big deal.

Any suggestions otherwise will be humorously tolerated due to "understandable ignorance" of how hard, wrong, and less "profitable" it would be for Pentax to do it any differently.

So you're excused.

I dont know what point you are trying to make with your speach, but I am sure that whatever it was was totally missed. As far as saying that firmware updates were not appreciated by us Pentax users, you are completely incorrect, and the implication that it hurt sales of the successors, that may be, but it was not because the update was available, it is because the successors offered no reason to be purchased.
Saying that the marketing people, because they are paid well and waste time having meetings with each other, know what is important to end users is one of the most ignorant comments I have ever heard. These are exactly the types of marketing people that have lost touch with the end user.
Everyone knows a professional does not become a professional overnight. They start as an amateur and over time become good enough to be paid to do their work. Starting as an amateur you start with amateur consumer equipment and eventually move up to professional equipment. So over time you replace your equipment one piece at a time until you have all professional equipment. So if you want professionals using Pentax equipment then it is a MUST to have Pentax professional equipment available that can use the consumer lenses. Overall Nikon and Canon, realize this and have a full line of bodies and lenses to allow for this progression. Even Fuji realized this by deciding to use Nikon lenses.
Any marketing person who is not aware of this is a useless individual and if they are going to call me cute and pat me on the head, I will move to a Fuji body and Nikon lenses.
As has been mentioned, it is difficult to find Pentax lenses, therefore if I decided to move to a different brand I will be able to easily sell my equipment.

[mutley]

As far as saying that firmware updates were not appreciated by us Pentax users, you are completely incorrect,
Any marketing person who is not aware of this is a useless individual and if they are going to call me cute and pat me on the head, I will move to a Fuji body and Nikon lenses.
As has been mentioned, it is difficult to find Pentax lenses, therefore if I decided to move to a different brand I will be able to easily sell my equipment.

I was being facetious.

I actually agree with you, and just based on common sense, so do many others. This doesn't matter. Pentax has declared that there will be no more firmware updates for the K10D, even after asking one NDA holder to conduct a poll on what is desired in a K10D firmware update. This wasted enough time to create an over 150 post thread continued to another thread.

Possible improvements including for same systems like Safox VIII in the K20D would be beneficial to the K10D, but they proclaimed they will make a point to offer no more updates. Buy the K20D. This is a ridiculous decision that just had me picturing that they don't really feel its that big a deal, hence my sarcasm in the previous post. Sorry for upsetting you. Its usually the googly-eyed owners that are flabbergasted that I'd say such things.

As far as full-frame goes, it seems that Mr. Torigoe wants to take on the challenge of creating a 645D for widespread use possibly around the $3000 mark, 35mm size to possibly follow afterwards. But, who knows.

[Canada_Rockies]

I agree about the MZ-S. I actually have this and an LX, and prefer the handling of the MZ-S, although the LX is a classic.

I'd like to see an MZ-S style limited body to match the limited lenses, i.e. something smaller than the K10D but with K20D features such as the sensor, dual control wheels and large viewfinder. I don't care about high FPS, in fact I'd be happy with a manual wind-on lever to cock the shutter. High FPS and the limited don't go together anyway. High quality possibly metal build to match the lenses and I'd be happy. Remove some of the automation to get back to the MX/LX style of operation would also suit my style of photography. Could even remove the flash to get a bigger viewfinder in a smaller package.

Got a Pentax Day at my local camera store on Saturday so I'll see if I can glean any info from the rep then.

Nick

I really like my MZ-S as well. It is a great little camera, and works marvellously. I do wish that the AF500FTZ I have for it would work on the K10D, but that ain't going to happen.

[thibs]

I think they should put back the hotshoe to the top right as in SF/Z serie

[Anastigmat]

Samsung mentions GX-20 dSLR successor - Digital Cameras - Crave - CNET Asia

Does this mean the new K1d (K2d?) will be coming also? And so soon?

Most likely it will be a K30D, basically a K20D with faster frame rate. A full frame K1D may be a couple of years away, depending on how quickly Samsung can develop a full frame CMOS sensor. Sony has been making APS-C sensors for years, and yet it will take another few months to perfect the mass manufacture of its first full frame sensor, so I reckon it will take Samsung about a year or two to develop a full frame sensor.

[eurostar]

Actually many are expecting a K1D with professional specs and APS-C sensor.

[Matjazz]

Actually many are expecting a K1D with professional specs and APS-C sensor.

True. Judging from interview of Pentax executives they don't plan 35, but if once it will happen it will be after 645.

* full-frame 35mm: The concept is clearly doable, and a development plan would be possible "I think~I guess" (as in, "we haven't done such a plan"). I can't say it would be impossible. But the priority is the 645, not 35mm. Pentax don't have the resources to do both at the same time, so any 35mm camera would be developed after the 645 is released.

When asked if there is any planning or awareness of a possible 35mm camera in the future regarding lens development, the answer is that lenses are focused on APS cameras (as that is the volume segment they're developing). As for old FA lenses, there are issues with using such lenses with a 35mm digital sensor. Implies a 35mm camera would entail a whole new setup of lenses and other accessories as well, effectively making it a separate system.

[ricardobeat]

Most likely it will be a K30D, basically a K20D with faster frame rate. A full frame K1D may be a couple of years away, depending on how quickly Samsung can develop a full frame CMOS sensor. Sony has been making APS-C sensors for years, and yet it will take another few months to perfect the mass manufacture of its first full frame sensor, so I reckon it will take Samsung about a year or two to develop a full frame sensor.

annoying annoying annoying. "how long Samsung will take to develop a full frame sensor".. I've read this HUNDREDS of times in the last few weeks.

how long ago do you think Samsung started development of the APS-C CMOS sensor featured in the K20D? Do you think they have a single monkey doing research on new sensors and he was busy with this one all the time until now? Besides, they already have the technology, it's just a question of going for it - it's not space technology anymore.