[luftfluss]

It's an indication.

Not much. It's like - and I apologize for the America-specific bias here - counting sales at Walmart, but not B&H and Adorama.

[Chris Mak]

Are you saying Ricoh Imaging lied in an official press release?

Far from it, I don't expect Ricoh staff or Ricoh employees to lie at all, not in videos, not in press releases.

Still, the "news" opening this thread may reveal some of the cause behind the ongoing delay with regards to the K3III release. Until recently, and even now, I am still planning on a K3III purchase, with a re-purchase of the DA560, so I am not just reading these formus with the intention of butting in with negative readings of unfounded rumors.

I see what is happening at Nikon, and I don't doubt that Ricoh management sees the progressing and accelerating state of phasing out dslr cameras at other companies. I can imagine this has effects on where they feel Pentax can go from here. It is enough for me that they use the phrase "cannot go on forever" when speaking about the Pentax patronage.
I hope Pentax has other possibilities, but come on, Pentax users, including me should I choose to become one again, should prepare for the possibility that new product development and releases might end because of the increasing thrust behind the switch to mirrorless. Existing equipment will go on working for a long time, and the K3III at least will hit the market sooner or later, I think that is a given.

[repaap]

If almost all of them are K1 and p645 users, and currently don't own a KP, K3II, K3 or earlier versions of Pentax APSC. They are probably not target customers for the new K3III.

I'd not say that too soon. this new K-3 will offer something that K-1 or p645 cant offer. Best part is that you can use lenses from your K-1 and some old DA lenses one has in their collection(Yes, I have them still) to work perfectly with this camera. Sure, many has gone for FF to get what aps-c could not offer, but many would still use aps-c for many things you don't need bigger format for.

[lemono]

If almost all of them are K1 and p645 users, and currently don't own a KP, K3II, K3 or earlier versions of Pentax APSC. They are probably not target customers for the new K3III.

That's what I said earlier.
Can the existing APSC users keep Pentax's product line and make profits?
Four experience activities, more than 50 users, APSC users accounted for less than 20%.

[repaap]

Pentax users should prepare for the possibility that new product development and releases might end. Existing equipment will go on working for a long time, and the K3III at least will hit the market sooner or later, I think that is a given.

I think Tony Whoturp has prepaired us for that for a long time now. I'm still not in panic. Thinking of that sometimes, yes.


Now we have had some sort of confirm on thoughts that there has been a serious talk about DSLR and MILC. I think this will be good for now and MILC will follow when it is even more matured system. and numeric war has setteled. all of that 8 K this, and 30 FPS that...to more practical things. Smart move was to wait. And who knows as it already seems to be, they might come up with something completelly unique. That would be a great selling point, like for example GR.

[BarneyL]

Maybe the Ricoh's strategy so far has been to offer APS-C as an action oriented camera, and FF as a type of a studio/field camera? This however may not be future proof, looking at the emerging trend of high res FF with tons of action features like Sony A1.

[ffking]

I hope you are correct, however to suspend the release at the last minute I think is a significant indicator that something is undecided about K3ii's future (or Pentax's future with Ricoh). I do not believe it is solely a parts issue.

As I've frequently demonstrated, I don't have any special knowledge - but I'd have thought that the lateness of the last delay, so close to the camera announcement, might suggest that they had quite a bit of inventory already, just not enough to launch (and @OoKU suggests that the announcement will be soon) - they could have just done a Nikon and made the announcement then claimed unexpectedly high demand for the shortage as a way of selling what stock they had and then made their excuses if they wanted to pull out...?

[c.a.m]

Still, the "news" opening this thread may reveal some of the cause behind the ongoing delay with regards to the K3III release.

Apart from the stated parts-supply issue, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts of the business reasons why Ricoh would deliberately delay the camera's release (if it was ready to go). Would you think that it's a cost issue or some sort of higher-level management decision?

- Craig

[MMVIII]

Far from it, I don't expect Ricoh staff or Ricoh employees to lie at all, not in videos, not in press releases.

Still, the "news" opening this thread may reveal some of the cause behind the ongoing delay with regards to the K3III release. Until recently, I was still planning on a K3III purchase, with a re-purchase of the DA560, so I am not just reading these formus with the intention of butting in with negative readings of unfounded rumors.

I see what is happening at Nikon, and I don't doubt that Ricoh management sees the progressing and accelerating state of phasing out dslr cameras at other companies. I can imagine this has effects on where they feel Pentax can go from here. It is enough for me that they use the phrase "cannot go on forever" when speaking about the Pentax patronage.
I hope Pentax has other possibilities, but come on, Pentax users should prepare for the possibility that new product development and releases might end. Existing equipment will go on working for a long time, and the K3III at least will hit the market sooner or later, I think that is a given.

I think the main point is that this "news" were not news, but a, very considerate, analysis of highly unspecific sentences on a slide for a presentation to a completely different audience than consumers. Noone should fall in the trap and mix up the analysis and the speculation that followed with any "news" from the CEO. This CEO personally made some statements and showed some support for this lates product at CES, where they invested time and effort to present the system to the public, to us. Internal business discussiins in such a large company can be given as a fact, but in which direction they are heading and what that means, even for which time frame they would be valid is absolutely not accessible to us.
To mix this up with "signs" like a delay in the start of the production due to communicated supply chain problems is a very personal thing of individuals who want to see this as a confirmation of their already existing opinion, but this is more of a matter of personal character and insecurity (no judgement).

[troenaas]

Not much. It's like - and I apologize for the America-specific bias here - counting sales at Walmart, but not B&H and Adorama.

The larger your sample size, the greater the likelihood that the sample accurately reflects the entire group as a whole (assuming the sample is scientifically designed and random). A group of 100 customers will more accurately reflect your entire customer base of 1,000 customers than a group of 10 customers would. The larger your sample, the more accurate your results are inclined to be.

40% is a substantial sample.

[MMVIII]

Maybe the Ricoh's strategy so far has been to offer APS-C as an action oriented camera, and FF as a type of a studio/field camera? This however may not be future proof, looking at the emerging trend of high res FF with tons of action features like Sony A1.

For the Sony α1 with a 200-600 f5.6-6.3 lens you have to pay 9.300,- €. A K-3III with 150-450 f4.5-5.6 you pay (assumed) 4.300,-€

[Serkevan]

The larger your sample size, the greater the likelihood that the sample accurately reflects the entire group as a whole (assuming the sample is scientifically designed and random). A group of 100 customers will more accurately reflect your entire customer base of 1,000 customers than a group of 10 customers would. The larger your sample, the more accurate your results are inclined to be.

40% is a substantial sample.

The problem is that here you're overestimating the casual customers - not the people who would shop at a specialist photo chain. In Europe, I wouldn't trust the numbers from MediaMarkt to reflect the photography market - their sales will almost certainly skewer towards entry level stuff that people buy to have "a" camera.

[MMVIII]

For the Sony α1 with a 200-600 f5.6-6.3 lens you have to pay 9.300,- €. A K-3III with 150-450 f4.5-5.6 you pay (assumed) 4.300,-€

Quoting myself. And this also shows that APS-C is not APS-C. If you bring people to spend 5000€ for something that suits them, or Chris 7.566,- for the camera with the 560 f.5.6 I am sure management has no problem with that.
What might get lost would be the K-70(follow up).
The average camera value of dold cameras in Germany is slightly above 500€. The KP was already the double of that. The K-3 III will be 4x this value. As I said, the problems of the decline lie within the millions of rebels and D40 that don't get sold anymore.
For those interested in numbers for Germany you can dig into this Statistiken zu Digitalkameras | Statista
Only mentioned in the text: Mirrorless in Germany 273.000

[BarneyL]

For the Sony α1 with a 200-600 f5.6-6.3 lens you have to pay 9.300,- €. A K-3III with 150-450 f4.5-5.6 you pay (assumed) 4.300,-€

This is true, but I'm talking about a trend, not just the current state of affairs. High Res full frame sensors with fast readout are getting cheaper. Few years ago, if you brought an idea of 50 MPix action oriented camera, people would see it as pure fantasy, money no object. Things are changing at mind boggling pace. The more I read about these new cameras, the more I think about buying Chamonix 5x7 or something.

[Kunzite]

Far from it, I don't expect Ricoh staff or Ricoh employees to lie at all, not in videos, not in press releases.

But that's exactly what you're doing, since Ricoh Imaging provided a different, official reason.

I hope Pentax has other possibilities, but come on, Pentax users, including me should I choose to become one again, should prepare for the possibility that new product development and releases might end because of the increasing thrust behind the switch to mirrorless. Existing equipment will go on working for a long time, and the K3III at least will hit the market sooner or later, I think that is a given.

You mean we should stop buying Pentax products now, including the K-3iii when it will be released, and switch to mirrorless like you'll be doing?
That's how FUD works.