[glanglois]

Well I didn't buy a camera so far this year and my K-7 is getting old.

So ..... if I bought a K-7 and K-X late last year, but didn't make the last payments until this year, have I bought a new camera this year?

Never mind. I'm generally happy where I am but will swap one of those to a K-5 in a heartbeat if it:

* gives me a very good deal on a 18-125 (or similar) WR as I intend to get one in any case

and/or

* demonstrates that I can get significantly more keepers of the toddler twins and aircraft when they're in motion (separately or together).

The former will depend on Pentax bundling strategy (are you listening, Ned?) and the latter on explicit reviews from reputable sources. I'd particularly like to hear what Falk can tell/teach us.

[Wheatfield]

My criteria so far has been is it what passes for a flagship?
If the answer is yes, then I've bought it.

[interested_observer]

We hit 50 samples in the poll, and I thought I would look to see what it might tell us. Now, I should have done a better job in constructing the questions, as it was more of a spur of the moment idea. 50 samples is still pretty small and sparse and certainly not random, but some indications are present. Who knows - other than possibly Pentax as to how close they may be to the actual sentiment that they are aiming the cameras towards.

_____________________________

• There is always the early adapter group - folks that want/need the latest and greatest. 12%
• There is the group whose camera fortunes have befallen the - it was stolen, it died, ... 8%
• There are folks who are new to Pentax for what ever reason and are looking to acquire. 2%
• There are folks who have an entry level model of some vintage and are looking to upgrade to a more capable body. 24%
• And then there is the group with various aged *ists, K10s, K20 and maybe a rogue K7 with 200k clicks on it. 55%

I guess no surprise here that folks are upgrading older cameras for better capabilities that they need, or bumping up from entry level models...

_____________________________
If you were to acquire:

• Right away - within a couple months of the announcement? 49%
• When the price hits $1k? 21%
• When the K5's replacement is pending? 30%

To me it is surprising that almost half would be first adapters, with the rest waiting for the $1K or for it to go on clearance sale.. One comparison here is that 12% of the first question indicated early adapter, while 49% on this question. This is either timing or price insensitivity (or both). This goes against the traditional thought expressed here on the Forum that Pentax users are cheap and will only buy on price?

_____________________________
Then there are the folks:

• Looking to stay with Pentax. 86%
• Looking to leave Pentax [cuz there's no stinking FF] 14%

This was a bit of a surprise to me that 14% would be looking to jump to full frame. I would have thought it would have been less - under 10% (but up to this point- its still a small sample size).

[lurchlarson]

[COLOR="Red"]
_____________________________
Then there are the folks:

• Looking to stay with Pentax. 86%
• Looking to leave Pentax [cuz there's no stinking FF] 14%

This was a bit of a surprise to me that 14% would be looking to jump to full frame. I would have thought it would have been less - under 10% (but up to this point- its still a small sample size).

The People looking to jump either are just saying that or were going to jump regardless of if Pentax had a FF or not.

[Howard2k]

Still getting great results from my K10D and just passed the 10k photo mark. It would be nice to have better low light high ISO performance but that is not a burning issue right now.

Being an amateur, I want to buy a new toy to replace my K20D and I want the camera manufacturer to provide one that gives me pleasure. Under these conditions, I upgrade if/when the price is on the limit I find suitable for a toy.

[RioRico]

I find this poll impossible to vote. No choices apply. I bought my K20D in 2008 precisely because I expected that I would NOT feel any compulsion to 'upgrade' in the foreseeable future. The K20D was/is several orders of magnitude beyond my Sony DSC-V1 (my third V1 actually; I wore out the first two). Any new camera must be at least a couple orders of magnitude beyond the K20D... AND I'll need the discretionary funds for such, since my photo obsession is a money sink, not a cash cow. So, something immensely more advanced, yet affordable. Right. So, no upgrades for me. Not until I get another inheritance.

I should mention: I am very very happy with Pentax. BUT, any next camera could come from almost anywhere, as long as I can mount my 65 screwmount lenses on it. My 30 PK's will just have to live with the K20D, eh? If PenHoya comes up with a 30mpx FF body (mirrorless or not) for US$1k, I'll be quite happy, and only my 3 DA's (10-17, 18-55, 18-250) won't make the move. All my other glass is FF-native.

So to answer the question, What's My Criteria For Upgrading Bodies? I'd say, I have no criterion other than affordability. I use the right camera for as long as I can, and the next right camera will come at the right time for the right price. Selah!

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Last edited by RioRico; 09-19-2010 at 06:18 AM.

[Boris]

I have upgraded from *istD to K10D (early) because I thought that the sensor was getting noisy... Might have been mistaken though. I have upgraded from K10D to K-7 (early) because I couldn't conveniently share my K10D with my daughter. In Israel early adoption is an easy choice, because prices don't follow the same pattern as they do in United States. Presently I want to wait either until Pentax comes up with something that will make me go "wow!" and upgrade from K-7 or reluctantly leave Pentax or adopt a second system selling some of my Pentax gear for its sake.

[snostorm]

Hi IO,

I'm a Pentaxian for the duration.My age and physical limitations have warranted some boundaries for the size and weight I can manage on a shoot, and shooting Pentax allows me to exploit the gear I have to it's greatest potential for reach and resolution.

Any improvements in AF accuracy or speed helps me, so this is one area I'll be looking at. The heavy use of TCs robs me of light, so high ISO is another criterion, and handling speed and convenience keeps me at the flagship level, so the K-5 is the only body I'd consider. Luckily there's not much of a size differential, so if the K-5 can deliver at higher ISO, then this will double as my fun camera, and do it with some style. . .

Scott