[Reportage]

Lets say in theory everything works for this entry level model, will it be a game changer for Pentax-Ricoh?

[imtheguy]

I thought the 24mp was a mistake when it was first posted having always felt that Nik tended to lag in the megapixal race. If this is their new bottom of the line entry body then I am indeed impressed by their change in attitude. I will be more impressed if compares well to the D7000.

[NZ_Ross]

Hi Reportage,

The D3200 demonstrates just how quickly hardware is advancing, and how determined Nikon is to stay in the game - they have their own troubles - namely Canon at the pro end, and smartphones at the point and shoot end - both after their lunch. They still need pathways to get people into their DSLR system - that is their issue, upgraders do not given them enough volume.

With regard to Pentax-Ricoh - they are hitting different market points and niches so I say no. The DSLR market is becoming very segmented - and Pentax have their segments well covered. The K-r upgrade is the one most threatened by the D3200 - I would think....

Ross

[Reportage]

my worry is the Nikon possible D7100 vs K5 mk2. i dont really see the d800 or d4 as having enough changes for body upgrade. if nikon are now putting all the resources they have into their dx line, they are going to be pretty much amazing. at the price point, the kr replacement has to be one hell of a camera.

[NZ_Ross]

my worry is the Nikon possible D7100 vs K5 mk2

Nikon still have the D300s (their semi-pro dx) update to deliver - the D400 to give it a likely name. This update is well overdue. They have consistently pushed their FF tech (D4, D800) down to the high end dx (D400) series. Their dilemma is to still maintain differentiation between the D400 and the D7100. In reality the D7000 replaced the D90 as the high end consumer model, with the new D400 still being the semi-pro high end dx model.

The Nikon line up is entry dslr D3200 dx, mid consumer dslr D5100 dx, high end consumer dslr D7000 dx, semi-pro dslr D400 dx, small pro dslr D800 ff, pro dslr D4. Thom Hogan has done some analysis that suggests they will end up with a 7 body line up eventually - all hitting different segments and at different price points. They need to keep some feature space between each model and that affects what they can put in both the D400 and the D7100.

They still have the issue that the dslr marketplace is maturing and upgraders don't give them the volume they need to grow and survive.

So where verse Pentax K-5 upgrade - the current K-5 sits between the D7000 and the D300s in terms of IQ, features, build, etc. It seems to have done well enough in it's niche. I would expect that the K-5 upgrade will try and occupy the same niche - semi-pro APS-C offering the uniqueness of a small WR body.

Whether Pentax can keep up in the feature arms race remains to be seen - they achieved it ok with the current K-5.

They know very clearly what the competition is likely to look like, so they will have their targets.

Don't forget the Canon 7D refresh will also come this year - the current 7D is a K-5 competitor and a very capable camera.

Ross

[kenyee]

I'm a bit shocked Nikon chose to use the 24MP sensor on their low end. Makes me wonder what they have up their sleeve for the D400 and the D8000. If it's more MP than the K-next, it won't be good for it because the K-next will then be seen as "low end"... :-P

[luftfluss]

It may have been less a 24MP "choice" on Nikon's part, than a matter of Sony being unable/unwilling to commit to a sufficient amount of (for example) 16MP sensors.

[PPPPPP42]

Definetely going to screw over sales of the K-R at that price, we will see how the D7000's replacement compares to the K5 and its replacement.
The lack of extra external controls makes the D3200 a no go for me but this just makes me want to cry:
Nikon D800 D-SLR Camera | High Dynamic Range Camera
Not that megapixels are everything but I think the sensor and processor combo here is more than just a pretty number. I read it like 5 times thinking I was reading it wrong, that's damn near medium format level.
I may very well keep my lenses for my film cameras which I love, and sell my sailboat and my K20D to buy one of these, its so depressing to keep waiting for the Pentax FF unicorn. Why do I feel like we are falling farther and farther behind.

EDIT: 100% viewfinder coverage & 1/8000-30 seconds shutter speed??? now I really am crying.

[Coeurdechene]

Don't forget the 1/250 sync speed, the intervalometer, and all the other small features that sweeten the deal
But mybe that pentax unicorn isn't so far after all, the rumors do make sense if ricoh is serious about the photo business..and they wouldn't have bought pentax if they were not serious.
Pentax isn't so far behind, the k5 is better than the d7000...i've handled them both and would chose the k5 in a heartbeat. The only thing missing in the pentax lineup is a FF and some features, like a state of the art af system and a better flash system. Not sure how the FF will turn out to be if it comes to reality but if Sony releases an even cheaper a99 pentax will have to release a killer camera to compete.
We'll see what they deliver to compete against that d3200...the thing that "lured" me into pentax was that all entry level cameras from canon and nikon sucked compared to what pentax was offering at the time. They had worse build qualities, worse iso capabilities, and they costed the same while lacking IS, wich just made them pricier if i wanted stabilized lenses.

[Blue]

Nikon was running the same sensor from the D7000 in some lesser models (D5100) so could this be the next "top" sensor and we will see it in the successor do the D7000? It will be interesting to see if the successor to the K-r has a 16mp sensor which would be an upgrade. Of course it will also depend on output. The 16mp is a known quality and Pentax should be able to get a lot of it.

[benhai]

I think this is not a good news for pentax. Will the outside world consider Pentax K-5, K-3 as game changers? I think the answer is NO.

As smart phones are taking the market share from all traditional camera makers, so there is less and less room for traditional camera makers to survive. It's sad to see this trend.

I don't think Ricoh can do many good things to Pentax brand. They just need to integrated Pentax into Ricoh and making profit. Hope Ricoh will.

[RonHendriks1966]

Well maybe the 24mp in D3200 is placing that sensor in the low-end and not the hi-end aps-c camera's, since the performance on hi-iso for the 16mp is better. No way that that sensor will get into D400. They either will put in 16mp, or a new 20mp, or a new aps-H sensor for this when they want 24 mp.

By the way Nikon does cheat with their processors, since they are all called the same, but they are not the same speed.

[JohnBee]

Lets say in theory everything works for this entry level model, will it be a game changer for Pentax-Ricoh?

What really has me questioning is what the D7000 successor might look like against the upcoming K-3. Which may or may not mean anything at this stage, though the question does come-up as: IF Nikon is this determined to take the lead, to what ends will they go to avoid another K-5/D7000 year? Because as far as I can see, the K-5 was an open and shut case last round(SEE: RAW Buffer, FPS, Low light etc).

[joe.penn]

What really has me questioning is what the D7000 successor might look like against the upcoming K-3.

But, what has you questioning a K3 when there is no talk of one or has ever yet been talk of a K5 replacement. I guess being optimistic is great, but this is Pentax we are talking about here; we could very well see a pink marc newson designed K02 release with an add-on OVF and Pentax call that the K5 replacement. Hate to be a downer but when all the real quality DSLR makers are continuing to release new product time and time again and all we get is an MSRP retail sales agenda crammed down our throats some things just start to look cloudy...

[bossa]

We could also see a APS_H sensor as a new K5.. although my local Pentax rep suggested that a FF K5 could be on the cards... ;-)