[Male Gorilla]

And what about a soft K-m?
One can use it instead a pillow...

[ryan s]

A metal chassis underneath plastic is OK with me. Be thankful we have skeletons inside our cameras...

[Cambo]

I really hope this is not the upgrade that Hoya talked about in their annual report.

Colors on the K-m make some sense but on the K20D which is an advanced camera, it is silly.

+1,000 to those...

I love silver/black cameras as long as the silver is, you know, metal. However, when they use silver plastic instead of metal it just looks like a wanna-be camera from yester year.

On a side note, does anyone else find it odd that all of these camera companies use plastic on their $900 SLR's and metal on some of their $200 P&S cameras? It would be nice if Canikon would branch out a bit and leave some of their magnesium SLR's silver instead of painting them black.

Yeah, exactly; and my aforementioned thought that even the plastic doesn't match anything they have ever made...strange. You'd think they'd reuse something.

I just got uber happy and uber sad at the exact same moment in time.

Damn, that is one fooking great looking camera.

Carl

It IS a great looking camera, but just think how nice it would be if it FELT as nice as it looked...I don't know, that cheap shiny plastic everwhere... and I am really NOT enamoured with the back.

Would some little pieces of stamped and formed metal REALLY have cost that much?

Cheers,
Cameron

[ryan s]

Yeah, exactly; and my aforementioned thought that even the plastic doesn't match anything they have ever made...strange. You'd think they'd reuse something.

Still on the "nothing matches" thing?

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/535484-post55.html


Yeah…this doesn’t match at all either


Neither does this:


This discussion reminds me of the game “Forumwarz”…*Bang on keyboard with helmet* seems to be your favorite command.

[dugrant153]

I like my camera to be discreet, especially when it comes to street or candid shooting

I think the white camera and lens would grab so much attention that it would become a distraction. Although, you could blend in with the snow and go camo with the white K-m or blend with the jungle with olive green K-m?

Anyways, I think this silver and black matte finish is pretty nice. I'm really happy with the K200D, but I may just have reason to get another camera body and move up to the K20D!!

And another thing to think about is... maybe who cares what color the camera is? DSLRs will grab attention due to their size. I think color would have more to do with defining one's own fashion statement than the actual production of the pictures When I'm doing a photoshoot, I care care more about how the model looks than how my camera looks... unless it becomes prop!

But if someone takes a picture of me, I'd like it to be with that titanium finish! Woo!

[Cambo]

Still on the "nothing matches" thing?

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/535484-post55.html

.

Yup, because that lens and that camera don't match either, not to mention I haven't shot film since....? The silvers are two different colours.

The titanium-coloured plastic camera doesn't match ANYTHING...sorry. You can be as rude as you like.

Cameron

[MSM]

Why the big deal? I look at it like this. There are more choices!! You may not like the silver but you like the black or olive or white. Hey, I see that as 1000 more 20D's sold and all the extra K-m's in various colors that might not have sold. Perhaps a present K20d user buys an olive K-m when s/he would never considered it when it was only in black. That is more money to help Pentax/Hoya become economically sound and provide R & D funds. Actually, everyone wins. I hope they come out with more colors and draw more interest. As it has been said there is minimal cost involved relative to bringing out a new model.

For those mortified with the colors, consider the alternative. We could be looking at the K-m/200(discontinued)/20D all in black and asking why are sales down and there are no new models.

[vinzer]

It IS a great looking camera, but just think how nice it would be if it FELT as nice as it looked...I don't know, that cheap shiny plastic everwhere... and I am really NOT enamoured with the back.

Would some little pieces of stamped and formed metal REALLY have cost that much?

Cheers,
Cameron

Again, like the white K-m, you're not forced to buy this one. The point of this exercise is to get some well-heeled Japanese to buy these so there would be quick cash to line Hoya's pockets for R&D and whatnot, not to mention the extra publicity. Seems to have worked in the publicity department, since it got people buzzing about it, even in other non-photography-focused forums.

I'm not sure how metal actually costs now, but yes, it does add to the price, and yes, the assembly line has to be retooled to accomodate for the change in body material. The cost to create those limited edition K20Ds suddenly adds up, especially in terms of manhours.

[Boris]

I must say I am most underwhelmed by what Pentax did with this silver K20D (or should I call it abomination?!). I've silver 77 ltd lens, but it looks just great on my black K10D (with or without the battery grip)... This is quite silly IMO. I'd rather Pentax did introduce a real camera, not the old stuff with different colors. K20D is great, but it does not mean that Pentax can actually stop doing development in their R&D department.

[vinzer]

I must say I am most underwhelmed by what Pentax did with this silver K20D (or should I call it abomination?!). I've silver 77 ltd lens, but it looks just great on my black K10D (with or without the battery grip)... This is quite silly IMO. I'd rather Pentax did introduce a real camera, not the old stuff with different colors. K20D is great, but it does not mean that Pentax can actually stop doing development in their R&D department.

So you know that Pentax has stopped doing R&D how? Do you have knowledge from an insider? Please share such information, we'd really appreciate it.

And please define what a "real" camera is, since as far as I'm concerned, those limited-edition cameras can also take photos.

[Boris]

Vinzer, let us see. The year was 2003 - the *istD was introduced. Then *istDS, *istDL, *istDS2, *istDL2 were introduced in some sequence, all being based on the very same sensor with slightly different electronics and software. Then came K100D, K110D, K100D Super. Did I miss any? All based on that very same sensor with some minor additions or subtractions. I remember how many people who use Pentax were not too happy about that.

This time, it seems Pentax does not even pretend to do anything - they just change the hmm how you call it - the process of producing the shell of the body - color it this color or that color.

Now, please understand me correctly, I like my gear and I am happy about my camera (being K10D) and lenses (3 FA limiteds, DA 21 and some others). However I do wear glasses and I am not blind to the fact that Pentax hasn't yet delivered what we seem to have been promised - 3 new (notice, new, not like in olive green, startrooper white or limited silver) camera bodies. So far only K-m came to be.

The night is still young and we have at least two full quarters (may be more, depending on how Pentax corporate counts time and dates) ahead of us in 2009.

Nonetheless, I stand by what I said in my previous post in this thread - Pentax probably could have done better than just change colors of their cameras. And, I am sorry if I am not falling in line with others here, but I prefer my cameras in unobtrusive black color, thank you so much. I don't appreciate any of these colorful models.

As for your question - the real step forward from from *istD (my first DSLR) to K10D (my current model) or from K10D to K20D. The step from *istDL to *istDL2 or from K100D to K100D Super is best seen with some good macro optic, and I am certian you know what I mean.

With respect.

[séamuis]

Vinzer, let us see. The year was 2003 - the *istD was introduced. Then *istDS, *istDL, *istDS2, *istDL2 were introduced in some sequence, all being based on the very same sensor with slightly different electronics and software. Then came K100D, K110D, K100D Super. Did I miss any? All based on that very same sensor with some minor additions or subtractions. I remember how many people who use Pentax were not too happy about that.

This time, it seems Pentax does not even pretend to do anything - they just change the hmm how you call it - the process of producing the shell of the body - color it this color or that color.

Now, please understand me correctly, I like my gear and I am happy about my camera (being K10D) and lenses (3 FA limiteds, DA 21 and some others). However I do wear glasses and I am not blind to the fact that Pentax hasn't yet delivered what we seem to have been promised - 3 new (notice, new, not like in olive green, startrooper white or limited silver) camera bodies. So far only K-m came to be.

The night is still young and we have at least two full quarters (may be more, depending on how Pentax corporate counts time and dates) ahead of us in 2009.

Nonetheless, I stand by what I said in my previous post in this thread - Pentax probably could have done better than just change colors of their cameras. And, I am sorry if I am not falling in line with others here, but I prefer my cameras in unobtrusive black color, thank you so much. I don't appreciate any of these colorful models.

As for your question - the real step forward from from *istD (my first DSLR) to K10D (my current model) or from K10D to K20D. The step from *istDL to *istDL2 or from K100D to K100D Super is best seen with some good macro optic, and I am certian you know what I mean.

With respect.

are all of you conveniently forgetting that these are Japan only releases? you think this is the first time Pentax has done this? come on people, Pentax has released special edition cameras in Japan only many times. this is nothing new. I swear, every time Pentax releases ANYTHING most of you throw up your arms in anger.... no its not an all black magnesium bodied 25 pound 'pro' monster. so what? its just a Japan only special edition. you cant even buy one unless you live in Japan, or have it imported.. christ.

[jeffkrol]

There corporate year ends at the end of this month. Then the 2009 "annual report" will be published.
http://www.hoya.co.jp/english/investor/investor_02.html

[séamuis]

There corporate year ends at the end of this month. Then the 2009 "annual report" will be published.

excuse my ignorance of corporate affairs, but how could a corporate year end only 4 months into the year?

[jeffkrol]

It's a Japanese thing:
Actually a US "corporate year" can end at anytime. We just usually use Dec 31st but there is really no reason anyone has to.
Japanese use March 31st......