[Art Vandelay II]

Good point, suicidal was a bit much; I should have just said it would be pointless.

Just not the same market. It'll be interesting to see what take Pentax might have on a bridge camera, though... if anything, it seems there's just so many decent ones out there, it'll be hard to find a niche.

If they come out with a bridge camera to compete against the other 30 or so bridge cameras already in the market I think you can forget about calling it a niche product. It looks like Pentax is shaping up to be a niche company without any niche products. Brilliant!

I do disagree about different markets though. I totally agree with Panasonic in thinking this new style of camera will not only cut into entry level SLR sales but also bridge and superzoom sales. Smaller than an SLR, with far better IQ than any bridge camera...now that is a niche.

[Vylen]

Well my Local Field Rep, namely myself.. who isn't an actual rep or has anything to do with the Pentax business, says that the camera they'll introduce at PMA will double as a waffle-iron. For portable waffle-ness.

[Ratmagiclady]

Good point, suicidal was a bit much; I should have just said it would be pointless.



If they come out with a bridge camera to compete against the other 30 or so bridge cameras already in the market I think you can forget about calling it a niche product. It looks like Pentax is shaping up to be a niche company without any niche products. Brilliant!

I do disagree about different markets though. I totally agree with Panasonic in thinking this new style of camera will not only cut into entry level SLR sales but also bridge and superzoom sales. Smaller than an SLR, with far better IQ than any bridge camera...now that is a niche.

I think the 'nicheyness' is all in the execution. I still don't see a bridge camera as direct competition for something that could cost four times as much: the little sensors are what give you such a teeny does-all lens in a little body. I think there's always been a market waiting for something like the bigger-sensor compacts, that may have *settled* for bridge cameras for smallness' sake, but they aren't really the ones the bridge cameras, in general, are made in such quantities for.

Entry-level DSLR prices have been, perhaps, kind of artificially low as a certain market segment kind of opened up. In tighter times, will this stay quite the same? Who knows. Certainly, a lot of the bridge camera market may have been made up of people like me who, really, just couldn't afford a DSLR of any kind and had to settle. (that's why I have an FZ-7, actually, the idea being to learn this newfangled digital stuff and reduce the Ilford bill. ) Which isn't the same market as those looking for the luxury of a compact digital system with real nice IQ.

Would I like such a thing? Probably would very much, indeed, but it'd be a very expensive luxury. And there's the K-m size and little old primes if I come around to really need something little.

Anyway, the possible redundancy of a rumored Pentax bridge camera is one thing that feeds into my little pet theory that maybe some company lines are being rearranged. (I'm just bored and wishing I could be out shooting the past couple of days. It's diverting to puzzle. ) Or, well, maybe Pentax has had this thing in in the works all along, waiting for a last piece or some such. If there's anything to the idea at all.

[*isteve]

...but it won't be a reflex.

My local sales rep tells me that at the PMA Pentax will show a bridge camera a la Lumix FZ-28 or Oly SP570, and that we'll have to wait until May-June for a new reflex. He has zero info about the new reflex.

Pretty much what Ben already said in another post. No new SLR till May/June.

Fine with me I have all the gear I need....

[glanglois]

Rumor of bridge + Pentax announcement on strong interest in robust, portable, outdoors camera = an all-weather bridge that is well-distinguised from the others.

Now .... is that market large enough to justify the development effort that had to be pulled away from FF, K20D "upgrade" with improved autofocus and dynamic range, K2000+ with even more pixels and HD video and live view, expansion of modern (whatever that means) lens portfolio, etc.?

I'm not optimistic, but I did note that the doc used a Pentax machine at the university hospital to look at my insides. I have the images and no, I'm not about to post them ....

[hopey]

What is the name of your "sales rep"? Jack Schitt?

I suppose you're not a stand up comedian. If i'm wrong, i reccomend you to look for another job.

Does it matter if i tell you or not the name of a Pentax rep in Spain? Will you believe me that way? This guy it's the same who told me about the KM and K20D some time before the official announcement. so i tend to believe him.

Well my Local Field Rep, namely myself.. who isn't an actual rep or has anything to do with the Pentax business, says that the camera they'll introduce at PMA will double as a waffle-iron. For portable waffle-ness.

I don't care if you believe me or not. As i said in one of my (few) previous posts i work at the photo department of the biggest european electronic retail store chain, so sometimes i get some info. Of course, usually this kind of info is confidential and we get it with a lot of "it could be'", "i think so" and so on, but this time he told us about this supposed new camera without any reservations and in a very direct way so i understand it's not so secret anymore.

I repeat; it's only 30 days for PMA, so if i'm wrong you can call me whatever you want very soon. No problem. Until then, i stand for what i'm saying.


One last thing (not related with this "new" camera) to lighten a bit all the usual (and recent) doom and gloom in these forums. I understand it not a very scientific study but at the moment, at my store, sales for the KM are a bit higher than sales for the Eos 1000D or Nikon D60, and global sales for Pentax (reflex+compact) are being very good. In fact, this last year we fulfilled our yearly planned Pentax sales by mid November. To make a comparison, Canon planned sales weren't fulfilled till late December. The Olympus rep has been lately quite nervous because this last year Pentax (reflex) has affected his sales percentage quite heavily. Sony (reflex) is missing in action. Things are not going too bad.

[vinzer]

I do disagree about different markets though. I totally agree with Panasonic in thinking this new style of camera will not only cut into entry level SLR sales but also bridge and superzoom sales. Smaller than an SLR, with far better IQ than any bridge camera...now that is a niche.

If ever it will cut into sales, it would be Olympus' version of the m4/3 camera that will do it, not Panasonic. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people who held off on the pricey G1 to wait and see what Olympus will do, which would probably be more decently-priced. Olympus itself isn't really that good with pricing (see E-30), but they certainly don't gouge as much as Panasonic does with DSLRs/interchangeable lens cameras.

That M1 sounds good, though. I just worry that it'll be sold for $1400 and up, body-only.

[ballgofar]

Or a Cotton-Headed Ninny Muffin?



bonus point to those who got that joke

I think it's "muggins," not "muffin." Extra bonus point for correcting you.

But seriously, no need to work up a sweat over this. As hopey said, PMA is in 30 days. If his source was right, it was right. If it was wrong, it was wrong. Who cares? I find it incredible how many people use up so much time in the News and Rumors section.

[whatever7]

A bridge camera with a 1/2.3 or even a 1/1.6 sized sensor would be suicidal seeing as how Olympus is rumored be announcing these at PMA:

Two Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras rumored for soonish release - Engadget

Rumors: Olympus M1 and M100 will be two new Micro Four Thirds cameras - 1001 Noisy Cameras

Rumored specs:

+ Olympus M-100: The "orange carrot-cam" we've seen prototyped at Photokina 2008 with the 14-70mm kit lens (28-140mm 35mm-eq)

+ Olympus M-1: Weather-sealed, with HD video recording, and 3.2" LCD, and a 12-45mm (24-90mm 35mm-eq) lens.

If they drop something like that rumored M1 on the market I'll never even own a DSLR again, much less a bridge camera.

If Olympus do that, I don't trust those dumb zoom rumered spec. But if Olympus do that, that means 4/3 aliance is not betting any money on SLR and set out to quit the DSLR market in 2,3 years.

That's great news for Pentax.

[nostatic]

I would believe the specs, but I'll bet the glass is slow. Right now that is the achilles heel with the u4/3 offerings. Panny is supposed to get a 20/1.7 out the door, but the zooms, while nice, aren't fast and hinder the camera in low light.

It wouldn't surprise me for Oly to stop developing the 4/3 dslr bodies and shift over to u4/3. The 4/3 dslr just never quite got it right and the promised gains over APS never were realized. u4/3 otoh is another ballgame. Oly can compete with Panny for u4/3 and stop being the poor stepchild to Canikon (and Pentax) in the 4/3 dslr.

It'll be an interseting PMA.

[KungPOW]

snip...I'm not optimistic, but I did note that the doc used a Pentax machine at the university hospital to look at my insides. I have the images and no, I'm not about to post them ....

Was it weather sealed? :0

About the other camera...

Anyone think the new camera might be a bridge camera, fully weather sealed, 18-250 fixed lens (or so), aps-c sensor 10 mp Cmos, maybe no viewfinder?

If it was really built "solid" for rugged outdoor use, maybe that explains Ben's hint in the other thread.

On another PMA related topic, I think today is the one year aniversery of the 55 f/1.4 and the 60-250 f/4 (new fat body version) anounced on Dpreview. It astounds me the time that Pentax takes between the anouncement and the ability to buy. Pentax really is a strange company.

[Samsungian]

Here's both the dpreview links with pix announcing Pentax new 60-250 SDM version #1 in Sept 2006 and then Version #2 Fat Body February 25th 2007, 23 months ago.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/46583-k300d-k30d-soon-...tml#post448326

Was it weather sealed? :0

About the other camera...

Anyone think the new camera might be a bridge camera, fully weather sealed, 18-250 fixed lens (or so), aps-c sensor 10 mp Cmos, maybe no viewfinder?

If it was really built "solid" for rugged outdoor use, maybe that explains Ben's hint in the other thread.

On another PMA related topic, I think today is the one year aniversery of the 55 f/1.4 and the 60-250 f/4 (new fat body version) anounced on Dpreview. It astounds me the time that Pentax takes between the anouncement and the ability to buy. Pentax really is a strange company.

[nixcamic]

Well my Local Field Rep, namely myself.. who isn't an actual rep or has anything to do with the Pentax business, says that the camera they'll introduce at PMA will double as a waffle-iron. For portable waffle-ness.

This confirms my previous post. Theres no chance of us both being wrong, so its definantly waffles for the k30d.

[KungPOW]

Here's both the dpreview links with pix announcing Pentax new 60-250 SDM version #1 in Sept 2006 and then Version #2 Fat Body February 25th 2007, 23 months ago.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/46583-k300d-k30d-soon-...tml#post448326

Huh. Look at that. almost 2 years. wow.

I knew that the 60-250 was Pentax's ultimate vaporware, but wow. Two years.

Thanks for the link.

[Art Vandelay II]

If ever it will cut into sales, it would be Olympus' version of the m4/3 camera that will do it, not Panasonic. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people who held off on the pricey G1 to wait and see what Olympus will do, which would probably be more decently-priced...

I'm in that wait and see camp myself. I also want to see what Samsung (and hopefully Pentax) has in store with their EVIL system. That said, although the G1 isn't my ideal camera, once they release the video version and the 20mm pancake it will be a very attractive set up. The price is also really coming down on it. It's only $670 at B&H now. Plus IMHO that kit lens adds a lot of hidden value. The G1's kit lens is the best kit lens on the market this side of the Canon 24-104 f/4 on the 5D. In Nikon land a similar zoom to the Panny 14-45mm would run you $300+. Hell, Pentax doesn't even make a zoom with SDM for under $500.

I would believe the specs, but I'll bet the glass is slow. Right now that is the achilles heel with the u4/3 offerings. Panny is supposed to get a 20/1.7 out the door, but the zooms, while nice, aren't fast and hinder the camera in low light.

It wouldn't surprise me for Oly to stop developing the 4/3 dslr bodies and shift over to u4/3. The 4/3 dslr just never quite got it right and the promised gains over APS never were realized. u4/3 otoh is another ballgame. Oly can compete with Panny for u4/3 and stop being the poor stepchild to Canikon (and Pentax) in the 4/3 dslr.

Fast glass will come. I honestly expect them to drop SLR's eventually. Once full frame comes down to near APS-C prices I just don't see how an SLR like the E-3 will survive. What is the point of a 4/3's SLR the same size of as a Nikon D700?