[*isteve]

After trying it for some length of time, I can assure you that FF is not only a "marketing ploy". A bigger sensor does give you better IQ, whether or not the difference is enough to justify the price is for everyone to decide.

Saying that Pentax doesn't need to compete in the DSLR market because the position themselves as the Apple of camera market is pretty ludicrous IMO.

Sure, Pentax doesn't need to own 35% of the market but they still need to be profitable and not to loose too much market share. I can assure you that Canon and Nikon make ample profits from their lineup and the higher grade, the higher the margin per unit (not even counting the profit generated by the "add-ons" like accessories and high grade lenses).

If they really want to be the Apple of the DSLR market, they have to set themselves apart as a viable alternative for every photographer with original products not found anywhere else.

Apart from 3 pancake lenses, what do they have that the others don't? (And I am being provocative on purpose here...)

Well you bought one. Why did you buy one?

Its nothing to do with FF vs APS quality, its purely production economics. Pentax dont have the revenue stream to justify the risk, or the potential sales volume to offset the cost. Its as simple as that.

[lol101]

Well you bought one. Why did you buy one?

I don't know about the economics of a Pentax FF, I imagine they could make good profit of a €2000 model but I can't really be sure.

If you want to know why I decided a Canon would suit me better for the moment, I can always explain how it went...

Basically I rented a 30 and a 5D numerous times at my photoclub and tried them side by side with my Peantax(es) on my usual shooting grounds.

Then I made a list of the 10 most important things for me:
1/ IQ up to ISO 1600 (resolution/noise/DR);
2/ AF precision
3/ metering precision
4/ ergonomics
5/ viewfinder quality
6/stabilization
7/Lens availability
8/ AF speed
9/ fps and AF-C
10/ weathersealing and general build quality

The Canons came in first on item number 1/, 2/, 7/, 8/ and 9/.

The Pentax won item number 4/, 6/ and 10/

item 5/ was a tie with K10/K20's VF being better than 30D but smaller than 5D.
item 3/ was a tie between the K20D/30D/5D (K10 was underexposing significatively).

The decision was made (not by a landslide but still by a significant margin).

But as sure as I am that Pentax will never really top Canon in AF speed/tracking/fps, I am also pretty sure the overall build quality and ergonomics of the Canon will never be as nice as the Pentax's.

So I will try the future Pentax models until I find one that tops the 5D on item 1/ and 2/ and then, I'll be a Pentaxian again (provided they keep their ergonomics, weathersealing and stabilization of course).

I could see me with a 5D + Canon zooms and a K?D (or K??D) and some small primes to replace the 30D in a not-so-distant future if Pentax can't produce my dream FF cam...

[Old Timer 56]

I don't really care about FF nor faster FPS. Better AF might be nice, also cleaner images at high ISO. But I would really like a Pentax with a metal body, like all my other cameras. One of my K10D bodies developed a chip in the lower right corner of the base plate which I'm sure compromises the weather sealing. Pentax fixed that a year ago but recently the chip has reappeared. I'm not going to send the body to Pentax again, mainly because the camera works fine otherwise and I'm afraid that something might happen to it either in transit or while at Pentax. Anyway, I don't expose the camera to rain since none of my lenses are weather sealed.

Does anyone else wish for a Pentax with a metal body (like magnesium alloy) or am I the only one?

Richard