Originally posted by reh321 That has been a possibility for some time now. Canon has produced very good and successful products using plastics and in-lens motors, but "Pentax faithful" rebel any time someone suggests that Pentax do likewise. Contrary to the opinion of some, Pentax is not surrendering when they use methods which have lifted Canon in the DSLR wars. Sometimes going a different direction is a good strategy, but other times following a successful example works better.
From what I've gleaned while perusing the forum, most users who have expressed an opinion on the subject
want in-lens motors, as long as they are reliable. My concern is that when Pentax does something offbeat - fun, even - the Pentax Peanut Gallery grouses. Brightly colored cameras (you can still buy black), the brick K-01 (more retro than given credit for), LEDs on the K-S1 (turn 'em off)... this leads to seemingly endless harping by Defenders of the Photographic Faith. One doesn't have to
embrace quirkiness, but it can at least be
tolerated. And a little experimenting is surely better than sitting on one's hands -
right, Nikon? Quote: added: I'm not saying that either of the two comments above is what Pentax will do or should do; I'm saying that we should assume Pentax engineering {and perhaps even management} knows more than we do. Yelling "deal breaker" every time Pentax does something different is not a way to encourage Pentax to become the kind of brand it was nearly forty years ago when I purchased my first Pentax camera because of their well-earned reputation.
I have no doubt that engineering and management know more than we do, but that doesn't necessarily translate to forward thinking . And I completely agree with you that we need to be more constructive and encouraging. Given how small the Pentax user base is, there is an opportunity, perhaps, to have a more personal bond with the marque than with some other camera brands.