Originally posted by reh321 I certainly cannot explain why the "K-3" spot on store shelves has been bare for so long - clearly something is happening that they are not talking about.
reh: The thing to me is that the KP should be on that shelf. The KP has never quite been recognized as a true prosumer piece, but I think by leaving out the 2nd SD slot, using a smaller battery, adding a small flash, removing the GPS, and an adjustable grip, Ricoh/Pentax was seeking a wider audience to expand the APS-c market for themselves. Obviously, camera sales will now be a permanent niche purchase as phones are the new "brownie" or budget point and shoot successor.
I think RICOH has come to grips with an ever shrinking market and one can only hope that Pentax continues to exist as a separate brand. RICOH is already using a lot of Pentax tech in their GR series. We'll have to wait and see, but I remember last November you and I having several discussions about the KP and when it went on a Black Friday $700 kit deal, we both jumped in--the KP is mighty fine and in many respects is an improvement over the K-3 series--I love the size and compensate for zoom lens bulk by always keeping the largest grip on the camera.
If RICOH does finally give the masses a new APS-c, I hope it is of the prosumer variety and not merely a KP successor (as technically the K-3ii is 2 models removed). The speculation is fun, the reality will unfold soon enough.