[Ubuntu_user]

I'll keep my mouth shut until the CP+ show in Japan, early february. I guess everything has already been said and done; now let's just sit back, relax and wait.

That's what I'm waiting for... We have to remind ourselves that we're only 18 days into the year.

A lot is in store for 2012. ...just wait.

[DaveBlack]

I must of missed the Pentax pop corn at PMA @ CES. :-)

I do expect hope for more from Pentax/Ricoh at CP+. Without much in the way of leaks it is tough to figure out what it will be. Maybe just a K-r replacement. Maybe a long lit lens for the Q.

I still wouldn't expect the real exciting stuff until Photokina this fall. Still with the K-r being discontinued and or of stock at places Pentax does have to keep the factories busy making something and have to have something to sell.

Dave

[Samsungian]

Today, Samy's in California sold a few brand new Pentax K-5 for...

$749 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See the "other Pentax slr site" for all the happy buyers, who pushed this deal to already "out of stock" and price NOW back up to MAP.

Had the K-5 special continued at $749 I'd bought a brand new 422xxxxxxx or higher serial # K-5 too today to keep my minty Pentax K20D company.

I just got home so I missed out on this outstanding deal.
No K-5 killer price $749 deal for me, this time.

Hey,
I'm curious,
was/is $749 for the brand new Pentax K-5 about the same as the price for K-5 blogger "members of the media" special discount price too ?

My K20D ran me $689 delivered, which when it was at just a hair above half off original list is when I bought mine.


Pentax K-5 for Less than 1/2 off list at $749 is a KILLER DEAL !!!!!!!!!!

I AM seriously interested in buying a brand new USA warrantied K-5 at about a $50 hair under half off initial list price, reminding me of the good old pricing policies days that I DO miss from Pentax' predictable past.

Brand New K-5 looks great to me at $749 delivered.


Please start a thread when this happens again ?

[Pentaxor]

Luminous landscape



Cheaper glass?

And exactly how much cheaper is the Canon or Nikon FF glass right now?



This is *exactly* why FF glass for all the brands (Sony-Zeiss, Canon, and Nikon) are so pricey.

That's the premium product, not the cheap one.

It was in the 1970's and 80's as well, when all those 50/1.2's and 1.4's came out for that "soft focus" look.

from what I noticed, people wanted a Pentax FF dslr. they didn't say it needs to be cheaper. therefore, there are people willing and able to spend on such camera. the Pentax K mount lenses now have become crazy pricey in a way, yet we still see lots of people buying them. there is a market for it.

[mclarenman01]

from what I noticed, people wanted a Pentax FF dslr. they didn't say it needs to be cheaper. therefore, there are people willing and able to spend on such camera. the Pentax K mount lenses now have become crazy pricey in a way, yet we still see lots of people buying them. there is a market for it.

Exactly. If Pentax do make a FF camera I don't want it to be cheap! I want it to be world class and capable of compeeting with the offerings from Canikon. Functionlity comes at a cost and I dont believe that an "entry level" or "affordable" FF will be able to go head to head with the likes of the D4 or even the 5d MkIII when it launches.

Its also worth noting that more than likely, Pentax wont sell as many FF bodies as the big 2 do and they will have to get a return on their R&D invetment somehow so the price may be a little high just to achieve that.

[Ash]

The FF won't be cheap, but it will be some time before development translates into a product on the shelf. There's currently more emphasis on the Q-mount than FF development from Pentax corporates but they recognise the FF issue won't be going away. In the meantime, the K-5 is a very decent compromise.

[Fontan]

from what I noticed, people wanted a Pentax FF dslr. they didn't say it needs to be cheaper. therefore, there are people willing and able to spend on such camera. the Pentax K mount lenses now have become crazy pricey in a way, yet we still see lots of people buying them. there is a market for it.

Well, if you are willing to shell out lots of money for FF, it makes no sense to slap on cheap lenses. You might as well stick with aps-c and spend that few grand on nice lenses. This is money better spent.

[Pentaxor]

Well, if you are willing to shell out lots of money for FF, it makes no sense to slap on cheap lenses. You might as well stick with aps-c and spend that few grand on nice lenses. This is money better spent.

not sure about that. the difference between the DA LTD's and FA LTD's are not that far off from each other. it's not like you have to spend more than $1,000 apart. so I don't get the point of money being better spent. also, it depends on what cheap lenses you are referring to. some of the old FF manual focus lenses are the best lenses that money can buy for less cost.

[jsherman999]

Well, if you are willing to shell out lots of money for FF, it makes no sense to slap on cheap lenses. You might as well stick with aps-c and spend that few grand on nice lenses. This is money better spent.

Inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean bad. If you shop carefully you can outfit a FF kit with some inexpensive lenses that are superb optically. I'm sure that's true with any mount.

.

[Chex]

Obviously Fontan hasn't seen any images from a D700 or 5D mark II with a SMC Takumar 50mm 1.7 not exactly a pricey gem, but it sure as hell can deliver the goods.

[Asahiflex]

[markku55]

Is the horse Pentax and the man Ricoh or...

[Clavius]

Exactly. If Pentax do make a FF camera I don't want it to be cheap! I want it to be world class and capable of compeeting with the offerings from Canikon. Functionlity comes at a cost and I dont believe that an "entry level" or "affordable" FF will be able to go head to head with the likes of the D4 or even the 5d MkIII when it launches.

Its also worth noting that more than likely, Pentax wont sell as many FF bodies as the big 2 do and they will have to get a return on their R&D invetment somehow so the price may be a little high just to achieve that.

The contradiction you state above indicates that it would actually be more beneficial for Pentax to issue a version of FF that's more affordable. (I'm avoiding the term "cheap", we want more bang for the buck.)

Pentax will sell less units then Canikon, as you say. Why is that? Because they would be tapping into the exact same market. Which isn't smart. Even IF the Pentax FF would top everything the competitors have to offer, then still lots and lots of Canikon shooters will not switch to Pentax. Because they've already got lots of lenses that won't mount, or because they're pro's and are being sponsored. Or because they, as a pro, need the brand names Canon on Nikon. Or because the lenslineup is terrible. Pentax isn't there yet at all.

However, there's a market wide open, and NOBODY is currently looking ater that. People who want FF, but can't because the prices are just to high. Not the pro's, but the prosumers. That will pull a lot of people away from Canikon. People that are now forced to stay with aps-c, because of the high prices.

Introducting a affordable Pentax FF, with a new FF lenslineup now will start people going to Pentax again. It may even get some attention from starting pro's. Later, next year, Pentax could release a second, superior, FF body.

[markku55]

Introducting a affordable Pentax FF, with a new FF lenslineup now will start people going to Pentax again. It may even get some attention from starting pro's. Later, next year, Pentax could release a second, superior, FF body.

Which price level is affordable, USD 2500 ...?

[mclarenman01]

The contradiction you state above indicates that it would actually be more beneficial for Pentax to issue a version of FF that's more affordable. (I'm avoiding the term "cheap", we want more bang for the buck.)

Pentax will sell less units then Canikon, as you say. Why is that? Because they would be tapping into the exact same market. Which isn't smart. Even IF the Pentax FF would top everything the competitors have to offer, then still lots and lots of Canikon shooters will not switch to Pentax. Because they've already got lots of lenses that won't mount, or because they're pro's and are being sponsored. Or because they, as a pro, need the brand names Canon on Nikon. Or because the lenslineup is terrible. Pentax isn't there yet at all.

However, there's a market wide open, and NOBODY is currently looking ater that. People who want FF, but can't because the prices are just to high. Not the pro's, but the prosumers. That will pull a lot of people away from Canikon. People that are now forced to stay with aps-c, because of the high prices.

Introducing a affordable Pentax FF, with a new FF lenslineup now will start people going to Pentax again. It may even get some attention from starting pro's. Later, next year, Pentax could release a second, superior, FF body.

I can see where you are coming from Clavius. If Pentax were to release a cheap FF though they would need to release 2 bodies. The affordable model and the fully featured professional model.

For me at least, if they only offered a stripped down affordable model I wouldn't be interested. I want a cutting edge fully featured model not an K-r with a bigger sensor.

But there might be some people out there that want that too.