What would you like to see in the new K300D to keep it pure as the K200D but with improvements???
Perhaps a 3" 922 000 LCD screen.
Forget the Live view,
Faster continuous shoot maybe 5 fps.
NO WAY VIDEO!!!!!
Slightly bigger camera with a slightly bigger sensor.
What else people??

jo

Better sensor, better AF, and maybe the 'lens adjust' function. No live view, no video, no in-camera effects of HDR.

Colors? a la K-x
Bigger sensor (may be the one from K-x)
More knobs/buttons for changing metering, changing ISO, changing drive modes. I sometimes miss these on mine.

Faster AF and Assist lamp.
better sensor for high iso
better accurate lcd in viewing images - i sometimes ended up w/ too bright images
lens adjust

dont care about
live view, video, faster fps

Being that the primary reason i bought a K-x is because it's one of the nicer lower end 'HDSLR's' I'm going to have to say I hope Pentax keeps putting video in. The K-x's video quality is incredible, and the k-7 is amazing both as a camera and a video camera. So why not have video functions? The top DSLR's right now have video functions.

A remote control receiver on the back of the camera not the front - or both.

A slightly stiffer diopter adjustment lever.

I would like to see the door that covers the ports on the left side of the camera equipped with a light spring to make it self closing.

I would like to see the flash head on a sliding mount to raise it well above any lens hoods. That might also eliminate red eye.

The LCD screen given the possibility of flipping it up or down for over the head shots and low level shots.

Ten mgp's

That should do it.

Mickey

I hope something like a K300D will be strictly a photographer's camera. Precisely since Pentax's current entry level camera as well as its flagship one have video, I think the company can focus on the photography resources in mid-level camera. Any added capacity will increase the cost. I am interested in SR, weather sealing, basic photo functions, AF speed, and (not least!) sensor quality. I don't care about the color of my camera--actually, I'd like the K300D to come only in black--nor about video, nor about effects (since I shoot raw). If the color mattered to me, I'd likely be an entry-level kind of customer. If I needed HD video, I'd likely be ready to pay for an *absolutely* fully-featured camera. (Oh, and I don't care about going beyond 10-12mp, either.)

Video is the wave of future. Despite the 'purists' out there that don't want it, everyone else does. If i'm going to drop a decent chunk of change on a camera I might as well get one with video as well. It sure as heck does it a lot better than my Flip.

As far as the other features. If it doesn't have at least the SAME features included as the KX i doubt it will sell. Purists make up such a small portion of the people that the k300d would sell to that if they were the only ones that were catered too the k300d would fall completely flat.

If even the top level Canikons are coming out with video as well as every entry level camera, every DSLR needs to have video now. The megapixel wars are over, ISO wars are just beginning but are too complicated for entry level enthusiasts, video is something everyone understands.

Also for the haters of live view and articulated LCDs...my wife's E620 has an articulated LCD and while I rarely use it, it is very VERY useful when doing macro in hard to reach places. Frankly I wish Pentax would start putting them in. They don't detract from the camera. The E3 which is a really good pro level camera has one. I predict that the top level Canikons will get them shortly as well.

Any kind of evidence to back up this statement?
I don't consider myself to be a purist--I simply don't need video in my photo camera. I would welcome it if I could have it for zero money, but since it must involve some expenses on my part, I prefer not to have it. Nothing against the video capability in itself.

IT's call return on investment. If the camera have a smaller audience the devellopment cost will have to be spread on less volume. Same for marketing cost

And for Pentax , volume is critical when you are going after a mass market. Pentax is not #1 or #2 or #3 in DSLR. Also Pentax is not a niche player in DSLR

The cost of implementing video in a camera is very small once the initial hardware/software development has been implemented. It is like what will happen with 3d in tv in a few years. Not everyone is going to use it but it's going to be in EVERY tv shortly simply because it's something that marketers know that if they don't have they're not going to sell the TV. Keep in mind that I'm talking about 5-6 years from now.

As for any hard evidence, I don't know that it is possible to quantify that so you got me on that one. I'm simply making the assumption because even most entry level cameras now have video. At least for me, it doesn't seem to make sense to get rid of features for a better camera. If Pentax wants to increase marketshare they need to appeal to as many people as possible.

First, I would be more than surprised if a camera with the name "K300D", or anything similar to the K200D body, appeared, so I don't quite see the point of this fantasy thread...

But let's say we get a somewhat similar-level model (i.e. somewhere between K-x and K-7 - this is ALSO unlikely, but let's assume it for now).

Seems reasonable to expect
Are you crazy? They can't sell that.
Well certainly faster fps, and also faster max shutter speed (remember the K-x has 1/6000)
NO WAY THEY CAN SELL THAT!!!!!!
I bet it will be smaller. Bigger sensor? No way! Or did you mean more pixels?

I don't understand why you guys want Pentax to make a niche camera for purists instead of just a somewhat upgraded K-x: Take the K-x, maybe slightly larger body, add the focus confirmation, add WR, maybe add a top LCD, and voila, there's your "K300D"! It's like asking them to stop with digital and only make film bodies again! The only way you'll get a camera without video is if there's enough weirdos that think it would be cool to remove the feature, then maybe Pentax will make a "K-x purist version" which simply hides the video mode so you can't access it.

I thought this was more a a rumour that a new K300D was up in the offering but I guess it is more of a wish thread.
Give the K-x a weather sealing and be done with it!

Same here, I guess not everyone realises the "post as much crap as you can" competition has ended.

Damn, I was hoping that this would be a leaked photo or something! I think that it's safe to assume that Pentax isn't going to ever use the K300D name anymore, I don't think that they are actually ever going to use the D (digital) distinction ever again (other than in cases where no other name is appropriate like the 645D).