This is interesting, thanks superpowerpinger for posing this. I'm a Japanese but it's a long time since I left, and I had no idea about the popularity of any brand over there these days. K-3 II is at the top with a large margin, K-S2 ranks at 5th following Nikon D7200, indeed RICOH/Pentax is doing well at least as far as enthusiasts are concerned.
Following
the link in the article, it's also worth noting that RICOH's Theta S was the runner-up in the readers pick awards for fixed-lens cameras.
Anyway, here's my quick translation of the DSLR awards article in
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/special/dcaward/20151230_737435.html. My comments are marked by italic in double parentheses ((
like this)).
Results are in! Readers pick "Digicame Watch Award 2015", DSLR class. Certain manufacturer's done darn well!
Also certain ultra-high megapixel camera ranked high.
(2015/12/30 14:00)
Following yesterday's article ((
about the awards for fixed-lens cameras)), we're opening the results for the readers pick "Digicame Watch Award 2015", this time for DSLRs. This award is based on readers' votes. Each reader was asked to select up to 5 cameras announced this year.
DSLR class:
Voting was open from Dec 18 to 26, 2015
Total votes: 2987
Method: Readers go to the special web page and select up to 5 cameras.
In this 2015 Award, 10 new DSLR cameras were nominated. These days the product cycle is getting longer, and manufacturers wouldn't push out cameras after cameras like they used to. Nevertheless, we got a large number of votes and this class of cameras still seems to be very popular.
DSLR class nominees and their points:
EOS 5Ds, 718 points, 24.0%
EOS 5Ds R, 899 points, 30.1%
EOS 8000D, 296 points, 9.9%
EOS Kiss X8i, 102 points, 3.4%
D5500, 429 points, 14.4%
D810A, 463 points, 15.5%
D7200, 578 points, 19.4%
Leica S (Typ007), 244 points, 8.2%
PENTAX K-S2, 545 points, 18.2%
PENTAX K-3 II, 1397 points, 46.8%
Read
this article for fixed lens camera awards.
Results for mirrorless awards will be opened later. ((
Later they did so in this article.))
Winner: PENTAX K-3 II (RICOH Imaging), 1397 points.
The distinct winner, beating the Big Two Canon and Nikon, was RICOH Imaging's PENTAX K-3 II.
This camera inherited the basics of its predecessor K-3, which was already a mature product, and they added new features unavailable from other brands, e.g. Pixel Shift Resolution System exploiting the SR mechanism, and Astro-tracer using built-in GPS.
Even then ((
i.e. even though they've implemented these rather new features)), the developers aren't astray and are still paying attention to the camera's core strength, e.g. performance outdoors for landscape and nature ((
the original Japanese sentence is not exactly clear to me, and I had to guess what the author wanted to imply)). This tells us that one can still do new things to improve already well-matured products like APSC cameras.
PENTAX is known for its enthusiast user base. They'll have even more fun next year given that a new full-frame is coming.
((
A list of 7 articles for K-3 II follows.))
2nd place: EOS 5Ds R (Canon), 899 pts.
3rd place: EOS 5Ds (Canon), 718 pts.
The second and the third place winners were Canon EOS 5Ds R and 5Ds, respectively.
The impact left by 50.6 megapixel sensor hasn't faded from your memory yet, has it?
I think it's fair to say that Canon made revenge against D800/D800A (36.3 Mp) from 3 years ago.
EOS 5Ds R and EOS 5Ds are brothers, the only difference is one is without low pass filter. It's regrettable that points were split to these two cameras due to the rule of this award, but respectably the combined points of these two was larger than the winner K-3 II.
((
A list of 6 articles for 5Ds and 5Ds R follows.))
4th place: D7200 (Nikon), 578 pts.
D7200 increased the buffer size that was the weakness of its predecessor D7100, improving the continuous shooting performance.
A body that feels as compact as it looks, 1.0X viewfinder, strong AF, updated EXPEED 4 image processing engine, usable ISO of 25600 that has 2-stops advantage over the predecessor. Sounds like the highest level of maturity in Nikon DX format.
On a casual look this may seem like a minor change. However, they’re steadily improving the basic performance for day-to-day use, honing things toward perfection. Isn’t this one of the directions conscientious manufactures should take for the development of new DSLRs?
((
A list of 4 articles for D7200.))
5th place: PENTAX K-S2 (RICOH Imaging), 545 pts.
Just like K-3 II, I've heard many around me commenting that this camera "pokes the right point" ((
indicating that it gets something right, just like a good therapist somehow presses the right trigger points in massaging or puts needles in the right acupuncture points)) and should be well received by those with some taste.
If you ask me I'd say this is more of an entry class camera, but it has the right basic feature set as a DSLR, e.g. 1.0X viewfinder, water- and dust-resistant body, 20.12 Mp CMOS sensor, SR, and double control wheels. Black and orange color scheme is fresh as if to show their willingness to try something new.
The readers liked these, and the camera ended up beating the entry class Canon and Nikon. I have to say that the readers totally impressed me.
((
A list of 4 articles for K-S2.))