Thanks for the post. Such a nice change from the stream of negativity here.

I joined this Pentax forum because I was thrilled with my new KP (replacing my "six months old but couldn't get along with" Canon 90D) and my GR III.
I subsequently also bought a K1 - but threads like this sometimes really make me I wonder why I am here.

[MMVIII]

These are not video cameras. It's 2022, every camera is a decent video camera. It has to be, to justify its price, when any smartphone and cheap Chinese action cam can do 4K 60 fps.

Buy a chinese action camera, easy. Some hipsters want to dictate that any stills camera "has" to be also a video camera. No, seriously, I am part of the crowd who gives a *non citable word* on video in the stills cameras. I also just shake my head if reviews downgrade a camera for "subpar video" and add these points in my mind. This significantly changes ranking lists and I am pretty sure I am not alone, but I know that some have other priorities, which are now taken as the mainstream, but in reality they are not.

[gatorguy]

I joined this Pentax forum because I was thrilled with my new KP (replacing my "six months old but couldn't get along with" Canon 90D) and my GR III.
I subsequently also bought a K1 - but threads like this sometimes really make me I wonder why I am here.

There's always "that thread" that may deserve to be ignored. Chin up Craig; most of us are Pentaxians above all.

[ffking]

Hang on. Up until quite recently, many people thought the K-70 was still one of the best entry-level cameras out there. If it wasn't for the solenoid issue, that is.

Now that's (hopefully!) fixed.

Now that I think about it, that would be a good reason for a name change in itself - to dissociate from earlier problems if they are fixed.

[UncleVanya]

If only Pentax had this level of a sense of humor… and marketing muscle to do this.

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[MarkJerling]

The old adage the more we have the less satisfied we are seems relevant. Do note that the complaints start up every single time Pentax releases a new product no matter what it is.
It's too expensive: Pentax is doomed.
It doesn't have some particular obscure feature: Pentax is doomed.
They stripped some particular obscure feature from the new product: Pentax is doomed.
It doesn't have flagship features at an entry level price: Pentax is doomed and I'm jumping ship.

People have been asking for a new entry level camera for some time now. They say Pentax needs to make a new sub $1K (preferably less) camera to stay relevant in the market. An entry level price point camera is not going to be a full featured enthusiast camera. That's not a realistic expectation, it's going to be a somewhat bare bones camera using technology that has been on the shelf long enough that it can go into a low price product.

It's going to be a camera aimed at the occasional user. It's going to be a camera that spends most of it's life buried under dirty socks in the back of a closet.

People, you got your wish, you are getting your new entry level camera. I didn't think it was going to happen, I figured Pentax would abandon the entry level market for dead and concentrate on cameras that had ample separation from cell phones.

People, you got your wish, you got a budget camera made for people who still want an SLR experience.

People are calling it a rehash because it has more or less the same feature set as the camera that came before it. I've got news for you, every camera made in the last two decades has the same feature set as the one that came before it, except sometimes they drop a higher density sensor into it and do a tweak here and there because they've figured out how to make a minor improvement.

People, you got your wish. Maybe stop complaining because what you wished for is what you already had.

Very well said. Like you, I thought they'd completely write the budget market off, considering there's little money to be made in that market. But, obviously, then must figure there's (still) money to be made in that market.

[reh321]

Very well said. Like you, I thought they'd completely write the budget market off, considering there's little money to be made in that market. But, obviously, then must figure there's (still) money to be made in that market.

and equally important, some people are introduced to the line thru a budget system camera, then move up to a flagship camera.

[MarkJerling]

Because, to put a "consumer electronics" example, I can buy today an Asus ROG STRIX gaming laptop for 1100 USD, and it has better specs in every single component than my $1100 Asus ROG STRIX from 2017. Heck, the 2022 model is better than any laptop I could have bought for $3000 in 2017.

To use another. I bought an HP Z-book Fury G8 17.3" laptop last year. Set me back $5,777.00 The equivalent G9 model is not even available in 17.3" screen and is selling for close to $9k now.
We live in interesting times.

[luftfluss]

Buy a chinese action camera, easy. Some hipsters want to dictate that any stills camera "has" to be also a video camera. No, seriously, I am part of the crowd who gives a *non citable word* on video in the stills cameras. I also just shake my head if reviews downgrade a camera for "subpar video" and add these points in my mind. This significantly changes ranking lists and I am pretty sure I am not alone, but I know that some have other priorities, which are now taken as the mainstream, but in reality they are not.

Many action, wildlife/nature, and reportage photogs want/need to be able to make video clips as well as stills. Photography and videography can be quite complementary ways of capturing events.

[luftfluss]

Very well said. Like you, I thought they'd completely write the budget market off, considering there's little money to be made in that market. But, obviously, then must figure there's (still) money to be made in that market.

I think it helps that the "budget market" is now $850 USD I think if that market were closer to $500 like it was a few years ago we would not see a Pentax model there.

[clackers]

The situation is strange. I believe that the release of the camera is an unequivocal answer to the fact that they will not develop a budget niche.

Yes, this comes as a relief to owners of older Pentaxes.

The K-70 is loved by many Pentaxians ... but manufacture ceased, leaving only the K3-III flagship. The social media influencers imply they'll spit on a camera that isn't a high-end, full frame mirrorless. So here's Pentax continuing to offer entry level, APS-C DSLR in defiance of them - it's a new batch of K-70s.

My own advice for most people coming from a K-5 or K-30 or whatever is to simply buy a secondhand K-70 or even better, a K-3, but some don't want to go through the issues and consequences of buying used gear. I totally get that.

For a certain demographic, they will not get better pictures out of a K3-III than they will out of the KF, that's simply where they are as skilled photographers.

You don't need 50Mp to take a cat photo or a picture of your coffee.

In fact, 'normal' people understand that and use their phones these days.

We're not normal.

I aslo believe that MF is dead

Niches are niches. There is a Chinese poster here who has asserted that the 645 successor has in fact been completed in development for some time. IIRC, Marketing will not yet release it, perhaps because the spreadsheet doesn't add up yet.

Remember, these executives have data you and I sitting in our armchairs have no access to!

[Kobie]

Comparing camera design to computer design is not useful. You can put your computer together in any way you choose and as long as you have adequate power supply and cooling, it will probably work. A camera has to have every single part integrated in a specific way to function..

Yes, just like the laptops that were mentioned. So that analogy was useful.

[clackers]

I think it helps that the "budget market" is now $850 USD I think if that market were closer to $500 like it was a few years ago we would not see a Pentax model there.

Yeah, spot on, Luftfluss!

One thing that might have encouraged them is moving towards direct sales (at least in Japan, as Ricoh themselves announced).

If that eventuates, cutting out the bricks and mortar stores, they get to keep more of the $850 for themselves.

Let's pretend there's a thirty to fifty percent markup each time going from manufacturer to distributor to point out of sale.

Cutting out either or both of the last two alters the economics.

[caliscouser]

Initially underwhelmed, but after some reflection it makes sense.
They have very limited R&D budget and that is rightly focused on K1iii right now and maybe other things we don't know about.

The only mistake here is the blue and white options, should have gone with the black or silver like KP & K3iii. This camera would have looked fantastic in that light silver.

[clackers]

The only mistake here is the blue and white options, should have gone with the black or silver like KP & K3iii.

You know it is black, right, Cali?

The white and blue are limited runs, and the inspiration we hear from the designer for their colours came from sportscars.

This is a very Japanese thing, BTW. As I understand it, there is an element of their wealthy class that loves garish, over the top cars and motorbikes with garish, over the top mods and colours. There is no direct appeal to a middle aged Australian like myself.

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