[Ratmagiclady]

I love it.

Canon release an entry level body with the 1000 designation and to hit back at this name thievery, Pentax release a few white L lenses.

Eh, I don't think Canon's intent was name-thievery, probably more like,

"We've finally got a reasonably-orderly name-scheme going, and we're gonna keep this till the 90d stops production! Hooray!"

*someone else running into the room* "Hey, guys, check this out! *Sub* entry level camera, let's call it the AE-1d Mark 1!"

*silenced gunshot.*

*pause.*

"Add another decimal place."

[ftpaddict]

Eh, I don't think Canon's intent was name-thievery, probably more like,

"We've finally got a reasonably-orderly name-scheme going, and we're gonna keep this till the 90d stops production! Hooray!"

*someone else running into the room* "Hey, guys, check this out! *Sub* entry level camera, let's call it the AE-1d Mark 1!"

*silenced gunshot.*

*pause.*

"Add another decimal place."

LOL

So that's how business is done at Canon's.

[séamuis]

K-m for Japan; what about the K2000 (Pictured)?

as far as I know it will be released in the US (supposedly in February). the OK1000 blog has photos of it badged as K2000. I don't believe you will be able to get it body only though. if it is released here in the US, it will also likely be released in Canada as the K-m. that's how I got my K-m here in the US, from Canada. =)

http://www.OK1000pentax.com

[JCSullivan]

Of course, other than the Storm Troopers this is a great colour for Winter shooting so it IS already camouflaged for those doing wildlife in the Arctic, Alaska or north of the 49th.

[NewRsoul]

I really don't understand all this pain towards the little K-m/2k? Most of the upgraders / entry level people at the moment jump on the Nikon D40/60 wagon as it's really cheap here in the UK, and as we know from experience if you start down one path (Nikon), you normally continue. So to get them into Pentax at a low level is a great idea. In fact if they sell enough of the little wonders, then they'll make the money to throw at the FF the FF brigade are baying blood for :->

I personally don't want a k-m, but I think it's a great little DSLR in black or trendy white, lets all promote it to our non DSLR freinds as a fantastic first step into real photography that won't cost them a fortune!!

Peter

[séamuis]

I personally don't want a k-m, but I think it's a great little DSLR in black or trendy white, lets all promote it to our non DSLR freinds as a fantastic first step into real photography that won't cost them a fortune!!

Peter

some of us are already doing that.

[Ratmagiclady]

I really don't understand all this pain towards the little K-m/2k? Most of the upgraders / entry level people at the moment jump on the Nikon D40/60 wagon as it's really cheap here in the UK, and as we know from experience if you start down one path (Nikon), you normally continue. So to get them into Pentax at a low level is a great idea. In fact if they sell enough of the little wonders, then they'll make the money to throw at the FF the FF brigade are baying blood for :->

I personally don't want a k-m, but I think it's a great little DSLR in black or trendy white, lets all promote it to our non DSLR freinds as a fantastic first step into real photography that won't cost them a fortune!!

Peter

It's good points. The thing about the D40s is, they're wonderful entry level cameras for the money, now, ... adding more lenses or VR to them starts adding up the money pretty quickly, though, and there's no real way to use the older lenses till you get into thousand dollar bodies. Probably people *will* tend to want to stay with Nikon, once in, (not a bad product if you can afford it, though I find that anything like an affordable lens just doesn't have the specs you'd want for the money. )


Pentax can probably get somewhere targeting a little more toward 'beginners' than the 'want a better point and shoot' category. Students, ...and folks like my little sister, who's kind of eighty-five percent snapshooter and the rest the creative played-with-photo-in- art-school-who-used-my-hand-me-down FTbs.

Pentax has always been good as a gateway to *photography* ...as a hobby, as getting started learning a trade, as being loved by artists. It's no longer hard to add automation to things: if they took a philosophy of not holding back or dumbing down or crippling the entry level cameras in the name of trying to compete with D40s, they can do well with certain segments.

Make sure things stay compatible and ready to grow with: give em two control dials, and the buttons, maybe, ...have a simpler control interface when you throw a switch from 'advanced' to 'simple' or however you'd phrase it, ...don't leave anything off just to sell a more expensive model: obviously some things'll jack up the price a lot, thus are best left for more advanced models, but it makes me think of the thing that first actually got Pentax my notice, on a different level.

K20d. The put a *PC cord socket on there.* That shows some *respect.* Teeny little thing that probably costs a dime. But it's something that's *not* some engineer somewhere telling me I don't need that if I'm not buying a behemoth that costs more than any car I ever owned.

Didn't think I'd be in the market for a fourteen MP DSLR so soon, or be fussing about ...well, much in terms beyond 'Can I email the local papers something printable and save me some film and be in a position to modernize' But a little thing like that got my attention.

To talk about niche markets, you know, a little less likely to happen with most digital shooters than how it was with film, but if a company made a nice affordable backup that was small enough to stay out of your way and not annoy you, that was gold: also, you could say to beginners, when they ask 'What camera should I buy?" "Here, one of these is good. Still use em for backup, myself." "What's the difference?" "It's... kind of like a better tennis racket. "

If as starting things, Pentax can be the brand for those intending to drive *stick,* from the get-go, (maybe without all that embarrassing stalling) ...that can be something.

---

Last edited by Ratmagiclady; 01-09-2009 at 01:18 PM.

[NewRsoul]

Sorry to disagree with you Ratmagiclady, but what your asking for is a k20 in a k-m body, which is just too much money to make and sell in this market slot. The reason Nikon sells so many D40/60 is there's so cheap period, the people I see in the shops asking assistants and also the one I've spoken too say 'I'll get this camera (D40) because it's a Nikon (they know the name) and it's affordable!"

That's the market that's selling and Pentax need to be in it to win the business for more expensive units later, if you give them a k20 in a k-m box why do they need to outgrow it and buy the next model up? They don't, so have a range of camera's for them to work up through, and the one's who buy the k-m on a whim will stick with it and it's just more Pentax sold and that's got to be good for the brand image generally.

[kenyee]

IK20d. The put a *PC cord socket on there.* That shows some *respect.*

Actually, what's impressive about it is that I think it's a Nikon screw PC socket. They're more reliable than a plain PC socket, so kudos to Pentax for spending the few extra cents to do this. That's one of the main reasons I upgraded from a K10D to K20D...

[séamuis]

Sorry to disagree with you Ratmagiclady, but what your asking for is a k20 in a k-m body, which is just too much money to make and sell in this market slot. The reason Nikon sells so many D40/60 is there's so cheap period, the people I see in the shops asking assistants and also the one I've spoken too say 'I'll get this camera (D40) because it's a Nikon (they know the name) and it's affordable!"

That's the market that's selling and Pentax need to be in it to win the business for more expensive units later, if you give them a k20 in a k-m box why do they need to outgrow it and buy the next model up? They don't, so have a range of camera's for them to work up through, and the one's who buy the k-m on a whim will stick with it and it's just more Pentax sold and that's got to be good for the brand image generally.

I kind of agree with you here because this is exactly why the K200D hasn't done so well. it is basically a slightly cheaper K10D and has no real place in the line up. too expensive as an entry level and not too great as a 'prosumer' (I hate marketing terms) those who bought it love it but currently see no real path of upgrade. the K10D isn't really an option and the K20D just doesn't offer enough for a K200D owner to justify. of course all of this isn't taking into account the fact that they have only been out less than a year? and there should be no reason for anyone to need an upgrade.

[NewRsoul]

I think it (k-m) will sell better when the dust settles and the price drops a bit, down to the £200-£250 D40 bracket (it's at £299 -£30 Cashback today), but your right on with the differential between models. The K200 is not a leap from below or above, I suspect that's why it's (allegedly) been discontinued. I like many others believe that we will see 2 new models released at PMA in March, a higher spec k300 to move it above the k-m and a much higher spec k30 so as to put some real space between this and the k300.

[sorksoft]

I'd love a close up shot of the information board of the TC next to the 60-250mm. Looks like a 1.4x or 1.5x to me.

It is the Pentax DA 1.4x SDM

It should become available some time this spring/summer.

More here: Flickr: Discussing Smc pentax-da 1.4x rear converter sdm in Just PENTAX?

[sir_bazz]

Eh, I don't think Canon's intent was name-thievery, probably more like,

"We've finally got a reasonably-orderly name-scheme going, and we're gonna keep this till the 90d stops production! Hooray!"

*someone else running into the room* "Hey, guys, check this out! *Sub* entry level camera, let's call it the AE-1d Mark 1!"

*silenced gunshot.*

*pause.*

"Add another decimal place."

Hehehehe...and it's probably just coincidence that the new white Pentax lens has an L designation.

bazz.

[séamuis]

Hehehehe...and it's probably just coincidence that the new white Pentax lens has an L designation.

bazz.

common sense really. as far as I know L stands for lightweight. designating the plastic mount (and maybe a few other plastic bits).

[rparmar]

These White Km are Japan homemarket only items. Limited edition is 3,000 units.

Not true. SRS is expecting them later this month. I read somewhere that 100 units are designated for the UK. Have no idea about elsewhere.