Originally posted by mecrox nothing Pentax does is really noticed all that much by the broad mass of folks.
I think this is the key source of most all the angst amongst the I-wish-Pentax-would-do-well-but-they-can't-possibly-pull-it-off crowd. Why do some of us seem to insist on equating broad mass-market appeal with achievement of corporate goals? Ricoh Imaging has all but said they are not interested in the Camry / Big Mac sector of the market, and the products they release certainly validate that.
If R.I. was to compete there, they would 1) have to have 10 times the buying power and production capacity they have now, 2) need a corporate structure willing to invest tons into marketing and distribution for maybe a decade before they get returns, and 3) 90% of units sold would have to be like Canon Rebels. #1 is a non-starter, #2 just won't happen, based on how Ricoh has managed all it's business units and what has happened in R.I. so far. That leaves #3. I would have (and I dare say, many photography enthusiasts would have) zero interest in a Pentax Rebel.
This isn't about mirror / no mirror, either. If no mirrors, the "broad mass of folks" will still buy cameras that are Rebel-like in their marginal build quality, lack of innovation, and absence of features which enthusiasts love but the "broad mass" doesn't appreciate and wouldn't know what to do with even if they were there. In fact much of that feature set is an explicit turn-off to the "broad mass" crowd, because: I don't understand, I don't want to learn, it's too complicated, I don't need that - I just want the camera to take a picture I can upload to facegram.