[adelante]

Took an X90 on holidays to Spain & Switzerland a few years ago, absolutely loved having the big zoom range and the lightness of the unit. Took my K3 and an DA 18-250mm to Turkey this year, I love that camera but have to say I was getting pretty sick of the weight around my neck. These super zoom cameras are fantastic travel buddies.

[Cynog Ap Brychan]

The Q is my travel buddy (well, actually, two of them). Pity it hasn't got an EVF, though. Might have a look at the XG-1 if it emerges.

[RonHendriks1966]

The Q is my travel buddy (well, actually, two of them). Pity it hasn't got an EVF, though. Might have a look at the XG-1 if it emerges.

Well then they should make a travelzoom for the Q I think. One with a real large reach. A 20x zoomlens or so.

[Cynog Ap Brychan]

Well then they should make a travelzoom for the Q I think. One with a real large reach. A 20x zoomlens or so.

What a good idea!

[RonHendriks1966]

Yeah, but there's certainly still interest in such cameras. I think the high-end market should focus on fixed lens cameras like the GR and fujis.

Yes there is a market for camera's like this large zooms. But on this one they focussed on being the long zoom..... Ending up with a cheap plastic in China manufactured camera. The camera has the same weight as the X-5 but twice as long zoomlens. That can't bring the same IQ.

I happened to be in a major tourist area recently. Among all the Canons and Nikons, and a few Sonys, I only spotted three Pentaxes, and they were all X5s!

Great.

FWIW, I see cameras like the X-5 being used by people more often than DSLRs. I think people like having DSLR-like use and IQ without having the temptation of multiple lenses. The Sony ones are particularly popular in my area with Canon's being a close second.

Yes but then you also have to bring some IQ.

Don't judge the camera by the likelihood of its appeal to you. This is a super cheap budget model to be sold by truckloads and is made to remind people of a brand name of Pentax next time they intend to buy something more serious. Pentax absolutely needs such toys. MX-1 was another one.

I know that there is a market for bridge camera's. That's also in my report of my meeting with two reps from Ricoh Imaging: ricoh-imaging-europe-s-s-report-meeting but then you also have to think about the product you bring to the market.


You also have to think about the way you want to put your brand in the market. The x-5 was as the x70 and x90 cheap bridge camera's. The x90 was in a group review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q110superzoomgroup/ and did not stand out in any category. It was middle off the road on daylight IQ, bottom off the class in low light (actually that thing was horrible) and middle off the road in flash. That is in no way advertising your brand.

I looked at things and the direction we probably all feel that Pentax/Ricoh Imaging should move. And gues what, there is not a lot of competition:
Thing the next bridge should be:

- AW designated, so wheater sealing.
- Hi Image Quality, so a larger sensor, lets put the sensor from MX-1/Q7 in it. That is way better then those small sensors. Offcouse with RAW.
- The triangle off trade offs: good zoomrange | fast lens | not to heavy.
- Bringing a zoomlens from 24-28mm up to 300-400mm with a fast aperture on the wide side off f2.0-f2.8 and on the teleside f4-f4.5. Anything slower then that brings you right into dffraction limits and won't deliver hi enough IQ.
- fast processing so these things are not slow as hell, so reuse the PRIME M, it is in the company.
- long battery live, so lets use the D-Li109, so people who buy the camera can upgrade to K-50 (or those who have the K-50 can easily go into the travelzoom).


Yes that camera is more expensive, but it doesn't need to be the cheapest in class either. A bridge with those specs and a 27-378mm f2.8-4.0 (14x zoom) would make a great holiday camera that actually will give you images to put in your holiday photobook.

[timcatn]

All Points are good for photonerds.


Most People who buy this kind of camere doesn't care about anything but fast Processing and long battery life. And of course what the neighbours think about it.


Most don't know what aperture means.


Most can't be bothered to process raw files


etc.etc.......

[D1N0]

50X zoom camera. It won't be 200 dollars, more like 349. Can be compared with the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX300 and Canon Powershot SX-50 HS.

[ogl]

It seems to me this niche of cameras is dying ....

[RonHendriks1966]

50X zoom camera. It won't be 200 dollars, more like 349. Can be compared with the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX300 and Canon Powershot SX-50 HS.

Well selecting at at least 30x zoom there are camera's for 159 euro and Sony's H400 only costing 279 euro. So this is the competition for offering the cheapest camera.

It seems to me this niche of cameras is dying ....

Wel Ogl, there is a market for those camera's since they can do something a smartphone can't, but that market isn't large. Currently available camera's with at least 30x zoom are 25 different camera's. That is a lot. The market for cheap is wel taken.


The Samsung WB2200F is the oddball in it. You have a large camera that delivers snapshot Image Quality.

[Uluru]

I wonder how they decide on code names for these cameras?
XG-1 — who is going to remember that in the sea of other cameras starting with an X and ending with a number?
The X-5 was still somewhat memorable name.
The MX-1 had it better too because it started with an M.
So GX-1? Perhaps conflicts with some Canon or something else ...

[mee]

I wonder how they decide on code names for these cameras?
XG-1 — who is going to remember that in the sea of other cameras starting with an X and ending with a number?
The X-5 was still somewhat memorable name.
The MX-1 had it better too because it started with an M.
So GX-1? Perhaps conflicts with some Canon or something else ...

Fuji has an XF-1, X-10, and X-100 ...while Canon has an XF-100 camcorder. hehe

I guess X is an eXciting letter.. which is eXcellent for selling eXtreme quantities of cameras.

---------- Post added 07-13-14 at 08:16 PM ----------

I want to see products named in this manner.... Company Name Year Product Tier

So Pentax has the Pentax 2014A 2014B and 2014C then if there are further tiers we can have 2014Aa 2014Ab 2014Ba 2014Bb 2014Bc on odd years they need to reverse the sublettering starting at G so the 2015Ag is the replacement for the 2014Aa which is higher in the product lineup than the 2014Ba but not the 2014Ab

That way the naming schemes for cameras would be more obvious and easy to understand.

[JPT]

Fuji has an XF-1, X-10, and X-100 ...while Canon has an XF-100 camcorder. hehe

I guess X is an eXciting letter.. which is eXcellent for selling eXtreme quantities of cameras.

---------- Post added 07-13-14 at 08:16 PM ----------

I want to see products named in this manner.... Company Name Year Product Tier

So Pentax has the Pentax 2014A 2014B and 2014C then if there are further tiers we can have 2014Aa 2014Ab 2014Ba 2014Bb 2014Bc on odd years they need to reverse the sublettering starting at G so the 2015Ag is the replacement for the 2014Aa which is higher in the product lineup than the 2014Ba but not the 2014Ab

That way the naming schemes for cameras would be more obvious and easy to understand.

But surely there is one camera that has raised the bar for branding cliches - the "X Pro 1"

[mee]

But surely there is one camera that has raised the bar for branding cliches - the "X Pro 1"

I suppose that has more of a ring to it than the "X Amateur but working the kinks out 1"

[jogiba]

Pentax should come out with a clone of the new Panasonic FZ1000.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/76-non-pentax-cameras-canon-nikon-etc/265...fast-lens.html

[GlassJunkie]

Recently several of our companies safety inspectors have needed new cameras.... The issue is they need large zoom lenses, need to be moderately costed, work in larger hands, and be 12+mp so there is enough res for detail zoom in for evidence (accidents) and defects (warranty claims)... We opted for Nikon Cool Pix at 12mp due to meeting the above criteria. I can tell you that short of a structural QC issue, we would have picked the XG1 spec above.

There are 25000 DOT Safety inspectors in the US in private companies and more in OSHA work. Pentax could clean up with this spec...