[Ole]

Pentax got a late start on the DSLR market. Nikon introduced the first affordable DSLR in 1999, before that you only had Kodak converted Nikon bodies that retailed for tens of thousands of dollars. Pentax didn't have a DSLR until 2003 a year after Nikon introduced the D100 and three years after Canon introduced the EOS D30.

That's right. Unfortunately Pentax got off to a false start. They developed a full frame 6MP camera early on (2001), the MZ-D using a 6 MP sensor from Philips. Contax did the same. The sensor never worked well, and Pentax abandoned the camera before it hit the market. Contax did bring their camera out with said sensor, and that broke that company.

Pentax regrouped and came out with the *ist D wirh a 6 MP APS-C sensor. That body actually has room for a full-frame sensor but over the course of the next years Pentax decided to focus on APS-C and at a point even declared that they had no intention of producing a full frame becasue they APS-C would be capable of plenty of image quality. That was an unwise decision and now they are again playing catch up.

Press release form 2001:

PENTAX PREVIEWS A NEW PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL AUTOFOCUS SLR
CAMERA

DENVER, Colorado (February 10, 2001) . . . PENTAX Corporation will preview a new digital
autofocus SLR camera (which has not yet been named) at the PMA (Photo Marketing Association)
Show held in Orlando, February 11-14, 2001. The addition of this advanced digital SLR camera
complements one of the most extensive photographic lines of any manufacturer in the industry
including 35mm, APS, medium format and digital for various levels of photographers.

Created along the same developmental concept lines as the new PENTAX MZ-S professional 35mm
autofocus SLR camera, this high-end digital SLR will feature a 35mm-film-sized, six megapixel CCD
image sensor as well as a DSP and other digital processing components. This package was jointly
developed with Philips Electronics in order to realize high-grade image quality, top-level
performance and compact dimensions simultaneously. Offering compatibility with the existing
PENTAX KAF2 lens mount, it will also accept PENTAX 645-system and 67-system interchangeable
lenses (when used with an adapter). This high-performance digital autofocus SLR camera will be
ideal for advanced amateurs and professionals who demand top quality images and SLR
maneuverability.

The camera will be compatible with four new accessories introduced for the new MZ-S 35mm SLR
camera including: 1.) BG-10 Battery Grip, 2.) CS-105 & CS-130 Cable Switches, 3.) TS-110 Release
Timer Switch, and the 4.) AF360FGZ Dedicated Flash Unit. The final product specifications, pricing
and marketing dates will be announced at a later time.

The attached images are borrowed from dpreview.

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[pete-tarmigan]

Hi guys,

You may or may not have noticed that the world loves Canon/Nikon, or so it gives the impression to me. I find work posted by those two brands all over the internet. Kelby training, Lynda.com and many more do trainings about Canon and Nikon products, but not Pentax. I know that Pentax is no less, just maybe the range of products may not be as much as the big two, but with Sigma,Tamron, Samyang etc offering quality lenses for Pentax there shouldn't be a shortage of images on the web. But that's not the case, or am I missing something?
Is it the marketing game that is being played? or is there more to it?

Ultimately it's all about marketing.

[Docrwm]

Marketing seems to be picking up for Pentax lately. I just posted a thread about how I am seeing more Pentax gear in the ads I get from various retailers and used a B&H email as an example. The article that was linked to is on pancake lenses and the two in the teaser were the DA40 limited and that new copy-cat 40 from Canon. The article itself features Pentax as the first company and talks about Pentax's long history of high quality small lenses like the 21, 40, and 70 pancakes. Good stuff.

[VisualDarkness]

I actually saw my first physical pentax ad earlier this year on a plane to Greece.

[Lowell Goudge]

Pentax got a late start on the DSLR market. Nikon introduced the first affordable DSLR in 1999, before that you only had Kodak converted Nikon bodies that retailed for tens of thousands of dollars. Pentax didn't have a DSLR until 2003 a year after Nikon introduced the D100 and three years after Canon introduced the EOS D30.

Wrong. Pentax had a DSLR in about 2000. It was out of the failed joint effort with HP, and they got badly burned. That failed joint venture was part of why they were late into the market.

http://www.dcviews.com/_pentax/2000.htm

[mrNewt]

That FF body they almost introduce back then was a beast ... and I liked it .

Wrong. Pentax had a DSLR in about 2000. It was out of the failed joint effort with HP, and they got badly burned. That failed joint venture was part of why they were late into the market.

http://www.dcviews.com/_pentax/2000.htm

"extra features: flip-up lcd 90°"

WHAT!? They had the tilt-screen since then? Nice ... why they give up that!?

[boriscleto]

Wrong. Pentax had a DSLR in about 2000. It was out of the failed joint effort with HP, and they got badly burned. That failed joint venture was part of why they were late into the market.

Pentax EI-2000

Doesn't really count, it was more of a bridge camera with a non-interchangeable lens and a 2/3" sensor.

[timmijo]

Although relatively new here, I vouch for the excellent reputation of Pentax including the Pentax K1000 which is in a class by itself. Now that it is the end of 2012 with new developments always on the horizon, Pentax has proved it can design some awesome digital cameras and has "caught up". Nevertheless, the general populace knows only Nikon and Canon.

An ad on Craigslist the other day posted a job for a photographer. One important requirement of applying for the job was that you must have either a Nikon or a Canon. I felt that to be simple ignorance and/or prejudice.

I own a Pentax K-r, and it is rewarding me each day for my hard work last fall when researching which camera to choose for a first DSLR. I bought it for the features that were not available on entry-level Canons or Nikons at comparable prices. And that every k-mount lens that ever existed could attach to my camera.

It is sad that there is so much bandwagon thinking going around. I truly believe that a quality camera (no matter the brand name) combined with skillful photographic technique (that anyone can learn) is what makes a good picture. It's not just about the label on your equipment.

[em-tx]

I can relate to what I read here. I think best marketing are good - really good and lot of photos from users. I try to do that and that's my share of marketing for Pentax.

Places I live, everyone knows Pentax. They do not consider as Pro Camera Manufacturer, cause there is no FF and little knowledge of K5 capabilities. However, I do not like to point marketing weakness, since it brings worse light on the company actual is.

I hope for better (in terms of resolution, otherwise great) lenses, I hope for more lenses, better and more service support in Central Europe.

[Astroviz]

When I recently purchased my K-30 in Jessops in Reading they told me that Pentax does not pay for shelf space whereas Canon and Nikon do. Hence the overwhelming large presence of those two in the shop. To be fair to the sales guy he didn't try and change my mind .... but that might be to do with a Pentax employee living in the town and recently complaining about the lack of Pentax cameras in stock, so I suspect he was hoping to show he had sold at least one!

[sadatoni]

Almost right. The SF1 came out in 1987, the SF1n came out in 1989. The PZ-1 and the FA series were introduced in 1991.

The SF1 was even somewhat innovative in '87, it was the first SLR to have a built in flash. Minolta was able to beat everyone to market with a workable AF system because they simply stole it from Honeywell, everyone else had to play catch-up.

I still have my SF1. Sometimes I use it's kit lens on my K-5.

[gjtoth]

If you think it's bad with Pentax, Olympus is even WORSE! Pentax at least gets an "also ran" every now and then. Olympus rarely is even acknowledged as being alive in the market. And, I think justifiably so. It is not the same innovative company that produced the E-volt line in the not-too-distant past. There's a reason I shifted to Pentax: After a lot of comparison research, they offered the most innovation, bang for the buck, and IMAGE QUALITY.

[ThatPoshGirl]

Pentax made a fairly big marketing push for the Optio a few years ago, but it was an embarrassing disaster. Remember "The Official Camera of the Internet (TM)." It actually made the brand look stupid.

[p38arover]

Looking at the pix of the MZ-D above, one can see many of the features are still on today's Pentaxes. We'd have no trouble using that camera.

[VisualDarkness]

If you think it's bad with Pentax, Olympus is even WORSE! Pentax at least gets an "also ran" every now and then. Olympus rarely is even acknowledged as being alive in the market. And, I think justifiably so. It is not the same innovative company that produced the E-volt line in the not-too-distant past. There's a reason I shifted to Pentax: After a lot of comparison research, they offered the most innovation, bang for the buck, and IMAGE QUALITY.

Here in Sweden Olympus get some serious promotion and even more photo media coverage but until recently the coverage of Pentax was almost nil. No store close to here caries Pentax lenses (K-30 and K-01 sits silently as demos though) while Olympus have quite a nice selection of cameras and lenses. How did they think when selling cameras but with nothing but kit lenses?