Originally posted by plooksta Erm, no, not a fad. It wasn't a fad in the 1920s when the first 35mm cameras came out was it?
Who said 35mm cameras were a fad? Cameras from the 70's evolved and improved. they didn't stay static in design and functionality. That all happened for a reason. I believe that is what will happen with Retro cameras. The grips will slowly get bigger, the cameras bigger, the ergonomics tweeked, functionality added, etc, etc
Originally posted by plooksta Look at how Fujifilm is doing in this market. Skyrocketing
They've done incredibly well in increasing their market share and have some brilliant products and marketing. But they essentially started with a clean sheet and didn't have an in place legacy product and user base like Canon / Nikon / Pentax. So their strategy and formula was good for them, but that doesn't mean it is the right one for other companies.
They've had to make heavy investments in products, lenses, marketing to build market share. Are they profitable at this point? have they recouped their R&D investments. I actually doubt it. No one really knows except the Fuji insiders despite what any shareholder annual reports may say.
Originally posted by plooksta Check out the new GFX model and tell me it's a fad
Boutique, prestige niche product that requires a huge up front investment by Fuji. The medium format market is tiny and getting more crowded. They may well have large ambitions to grow this segment or it may just be a vanity project in the same way car manufacturers build niche high end vehicles that don't actually make any money. We'll see.
Originally posted by plooksta The problem with the KP (fine camera though it undoubtedly is) is that it is exactly already that - a niche camera. It is a sidestep from the current range
No, it's a new product tier sitting between the mid range K-70 and the eventual high-end K3iii.
Originally posted by plooksta If you're going to go niche, don't remould a K-70 - provide an alternative approach, one that attracts a new market
It's not a re-mold of the K-70. More advanced AF system, mag body, improved sensor, electronic shutter, faster FPS, etc, etc.
It's very carefully pitched between the K70 tier and the K3ii successor tier.
Originally posted by plooksta The niche for the KP as I see it, is existing Pentax users with slightly smaller hands (!)
or the existing Pentax K-7/K-5/K-30/K-50 users who want to upgrade but may not necessarily need every single pro level feature on their camera.
or the K1 user who wants a smaller backup camera with similar controls.
or the Pentax user, or APS-C user in general who wants potentially the very best sensor performance in the segment at that price point and is shopping right now.
Originally posted by plooksta Once again, the problem with the Df was that they didn't go full retro. They tried to cram in too many functions of their existing cameras into it, and it ends up being a bit of a frankenstein.
I quite like the Df, but I don't think that was its problem, the problem was the established legacy product line and user base, same with Canon. I'm sure Ricoh rightly took note.
Originally posted by victormeldrew What would be the point in going 'full retro just like Fuji' when you can already buy a Fuji?
Exactly, trying to out-Fuji Fuji doesn't seem like a smart business move for a bit player like Pentax.