[creampuff]

I wonder how long before *RH* is all over this talking about Pentax *P&S* being so inferior that the Man don't even use them.

No need for RH to chip in. The fact is many of Pentax PnS cameras... erm just cannot make it in my book. Is it any wonder they lose money on the compacts...

That the President of Pentax USA is openly not using a Pentax product is heresy. Burn him!
It just sends the wrong message. No one says he can't but a Leica or any other camera but taking his position into account and to blog about it?

[Blue]

No need for RH to chip in. The fact is many of Pentax PnS cameras... erm just cannot make it in my book. Is it any wonder they lose money on the compacts...

That the President of Pentax USA is openly not using a Pentax product is heresy. Burn him!
It just sends the wrong message. No one says he can't but a Leica or any other camera but taking his position into account and to blog about it?

I don't think you've got the context here. You can walk into a store in Singapore and look at a K20D. There are many places in the U.S. where we can't. I have to order my gear as a result. Of course Id have to order the Leica as well. Like I said earlier, Leica and several of the German companies got made into niche markets back in the 60s by a joint effort from Pentax and N. I know he is an avid collector and photographer and that is excellent. It would be kind of scary if he weren't. But face it, Leica's ad department is going to have an opportunity here.

Edit: Ned has posted a good response. http://nedbunnell.blogspot.com/

[nostatic]

Maybe Ned will do the 5D Mark II next for us.

If he did, there's your sign of no FF for Pentax.

To me it is pretty clear cut. He would never pimp a directly competing product...for instance I doubt you'll see him extolling the virtues of a D300. But showing the Leica p&s in context with the M6 totally fits. And the previous posts/photos are all with K20d and various Pentax lenses.

Again, I'd rather see an enthusiast in that position than a shill. And as I've pondered before, a Leica-Pentax partnership? That might be interesting...

[Blue]

If he did, there's your sign of no FF for Pentax.

To me it is pretty clear cut. He would never pimp a directly competing product...for instance I doubt you'll see him extolling the virtues of a D300. But showing the Leica p&s in context with the M6 totally fits. And the previous posts/photos are all with K20d and various Pentax lenses.

Again, I'd rather see an enthusiast in that position than a shill. And as I've pondered before, a Leica-Pentax partnership? That might be interesting...

I appreciate Ned's quick response on his Blog.

[Samsungian]

Pentax has nothing like a micro 4/3 mount Panasonic G-1 either.

Hopefully we'll get to see what he likes and dislikes about G-1 too in the near future. I know samsung was working on their own type of G-1 w/ 4/3 interchangable lens system. In the meantime heres his dpreview leica forum link he mentioned in his blog:

My First Post on Leica Talk: Leica Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

If you read the customer owner feedback at B&H this Leica seems to be "noisy" at 400iso and above which is pretty common for all point and shoot cameras, right? Yet I don't see the noise on his blog pix.

I don't think you've got the context here. You can walk into a store in Singapore and look at a K20D. There are many places in the U.S. where we can't. I have to order my gear as a result. Of course Id have to order the Leica as well. Like I said earlier, Leica and several of the German companies got made into niche markets back in the 60s by a joint effort from Pentax and N. I know he is an avid collector and photographer and that is excellent. It would be kind of scary if he weren't. But face it, Leica's ad department is going to have an opportunity here.

Edit: Ned has posted a good response. NED BUNNELL

[deejjjaaaa]

But showing the Leica p&s in context with the M6 totally fits.

one thing is to show a rangefinder... but to mention Leica P&S D LUX 4 is the same as to mention Panasonic DMC LX3 and that is not so far away from Panasonic G1 and G1 is a Km competition

[nostatic]

If you read the customer owner feedback at B&H this Leica seems to be "noisy" at 400iso and above which is pretty common for all point and shoot cameras, right? Yet I don't see the noise on his blog pix.

Pixel peepers can find noise in just about anything. But the reality is that a small sensor is still...a small sensor. There will be some noise as iso climbs. The trick is what the noise looks like and how the camera deals with it.

I don't hesitate shooting iso1600 with the DLux4. But I'm also not confused enough to think that the resulting file will look like it came out of a D3...unlike far too many "reviewers" on the interwebs.

[nostatic]

one thing is to show a rangefinder... but to mention Leica P&S D LUX 4 is the same as to mention Panasonic DMC LX3 and that is not so far away from Panasonic G1 and G1 is a Km competition

Umm...let's see:

LX3 - small sensor, fixed lens

G1 - u4/3 sensor, interchangeable lens

Yup...not that far away. Not.

Oh wait, double negative...sorry

As for the Km, I'd love to get one and shoot it back-to-back with the g/f's G1. Would be an interesting comparison, as I'm pondering a smaller alternative to the K20d.

[Blue]

Umm...let's see:

LX3 - small sensor, fixed lens

G1 - u4/3 sensor, interchangeable lens

Yup...not that far away. Not.

Oh wait, double negative...sorry

As for the Km, I'd love to get one and shoot it back-to-back with the g/f's G1. Would be an interesting comparison, as I'm pondering a smaller alternative to the K20d.

The G1 is NOT an SLR. That essentially makes it an interchangeable lens hybrid that is currently competing with the K-m and K200d. I appreciate Ned's intentions but it is still a slippery slope. He may be the subject of a Leica or Panasonic ad in the future.

[Red]

Odd, while the purchase of the D-Lux maybe out of need, the blog seems to indicate something.

Purposeful.

[dave sz]

While I can understand some of the "outrage", I also find it more positive than negative. He isn't a "company" shill but rather a photographer first and Pentax marketing guy second. And maybe *he* is frustrated with the way some of Pentax product development is going and this is a way to make a statement. Of course it could lead him out the door, but given what little I know about him, I doubt he'd care. I don't think he necessarily needs the job.

I'd rather have a serious photographer in that position (which btw is essentially an evangelist for Pentax in the US as well as a voice *for* the photographer at Hoya) than some bozo like Steve Ballmer (ie is blind to what the competition does well).

And the Dlux4/LX3 is a *great* camera. Easily one of the 2 or 3 best small sensor cameras out there and it will outperform most entry level dSLRs in some ways. Of course the 24-60 2.0/2.8 glass helps just a little. In low light it will obliterate any kit entry dSLR kit lens. Plus it has SR (hmm, where have we seen that before).

Meh, I don't know if I can agree. Yes he's a photog and we can relate to him better than just some shmuck pretending to be one and trying to sell gear from our manufacturer. At the same time, here's a big huncho from pentax not showing brand loyalty and choosing another manufacturer's product even though he can get ours for free. Doesn't look very good to the consumer when they guy selling them his own company's product, goes out and shows the world he'll rather use the competitor's product. I'm not saying the leica is a direct competitor...

[Art Vandelay II]

Well, his blog falls right in line with the Pentax message...
Why not a K-m with a DA 40? Or a Pentax P&S?

Yep; nothing slides into a pants pocket better than an SLR. Seriously, Olympus & Panasonic apparently are the only two companies on the planet that understand that a high quality compact is actually desired by some. I begrudgingly broke down and bought an SLR after realizing there were no decent compacts on the market....but as soon as Olympus' Micro Four Thirds camera hits the market this year there is a good chance I'll never touch an SLR again.

After I can get 4/3's or APS-C image quality in camera small enough to fit in my pocket the only time I will even think about an SLR again will be if/when I delude myself enough to think I "need" full frame IQ one day.

[GaryM]

Yep; nothing slides into a pants pocket better than an SLR. Seriously, Olympus & Panasonic apparently are the only two companies on the planet that understand that a high quality compact is actually desired by some. I begrudgingly broke down and bought an SLR after realizing there were no decent compacts on the market....but as soon as Olympus' Micro Four Thirds camera hits the market this year there is a good chance I'll never touch an SLR again.

After I can get 4/3's or APS-C image quality in camera small enough to fit in my pocket the only time I will even think about an SLR again will be if/when I delude myself enough to think I "need" full frame IQ one day.

You must have really big pockets! I recently handled a G-1 at CES, and although it's a little smaller than my DSLRs, there's no way it will fit in any pockets that I have. The G-1 is small enough to be cute, but not small enough to be of any practical advantage over any kit that I currently use, other than a marginal weight savings. I hope that future Micro 4/3rds cameras try to be more ambitious.

[ryan s]

If Ned just happens to read this...I want a pocket cam that can do more than "push the button" and "see the picture." An advanced compact is exactly what I'm looking for, and, unfortunately, I'm forced to look elsewhere.

24mm f/2.8 on the wide end...manual controls...mechanical SR...respectable noise level at ISO 400...6MP resolution...

And...anything over $300 would be out of hand. This isn't Leica In this day and age it shouldn't be too much to ask. My first 3.2MP PnS cost $300 in 2003...and it was mediocre.

[Sharkonwheels]

I don't think you've got the context here. You can walk into a store in Singapore and look at a K20D. There are many places in the U.S. where we can't. I have to order my gear as a result.

I'll second that.
Couldn't find one in Broward (Ft Lauderdale) or Miami-Dade County to hold.
had to order sight unseen.

T