[regken]

I'd like to upgrade to the K20D from my k10D but won't until the price comes down. The question is how far will the price drop. The only real difference in the K10D/K20D regarding raw goods cost is the sensor. As Richard Day said in an earlier post the Sony CCD sensor cost Pentax about $40. A CMOS sensor is less expensive to manufacture than a CCD but it is a new chip with lower volume so giving it the benefit of the doubt let's say it is costing $50. That translates into an additional $100 at retail.

Samsung continues to offer the GX10 for $650 with lens. It would be reasonable to assume Pentax is selling this to them at a price that gives Pentax the required lowest profit so it is "Priced to cost", meaning production cost plus 10% profit. Subtract the lens from the equation, add the cost of the new sensor and you have a "Priced to cost" selling price of $700 as a bottom number the K20D could be sold for and still maintain profit.

"Priced to Market" is a much more intelligent way of pricing goods especially if you have limited production capacity. The easiest way to hold down the volume you sell is price the item higher. If you think the market is going to perceive the K20D an equal to the Canon 40D you should price it the same. The two are not identical but one has features the other doesn't so they will appeal to different buyers in that price range. As long as sales meets production capacity you can make an extra $600 profit per unit, smart. You can then start dropping price to keep production up.

It will be interesting to watch how this plays out as the reviews of some of the new cameras come out, especially the Sony A350. My guess is it will break the $1,000 mark rather quickly then slowly work it's way down to $700 near the end of the product cycle in 18 months. I'll be a buyer in the $800 to $900 range.

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Last edited by regken; 03-16-2008 at 09:32 AM.

[TomInJax]

I didn't want to pay the full price ($1260), but I need one now. My K10D is being sent in for service and I just happened to get a bonus at work. I feel like I am wasting about $200, but I suppose if you wait long enough you can get a decent used one for about $400 in a couple years!

[k100d]

the last k10d i saw in canada was at black's for $649 ... when the k20d is close to that price, i'll consider it, so far i'm having a great time w/ the k100d

[bymy141]

Since there are international members on this forum, the poll is somewhat hard to do for non-US citizens.

We all know that the average price in Europe of Pentax products is approximately 50% higher than in the US and that's even without regular rebate programs offered in the US.

On average the K20D now costs € 1200 (body only) here, going low as € 995 with some larger retailers. That is $ 1800 to $ 1500 at the current dollar rate.
Subtract between 15% to 20% VAT (depending upon the country) and you will get a comparable price that sits around $ 1250 to $ 1550 here in Europe.

I will buy the K20D when it gets to around € 750 or wait for the K30D or get a lower weighing model. Hopefully Pentax watches what Olympus is doing.

- Bert

[davemdsn]

I don't think it is fair to compare the price of the K20 to the price of the K10. It may be the same body, but it has a completely different sensor (higher res by a good margin and different type of technology) and a whole new group of features. It is a better camera than the K10. I have both and can tell you that it is a true step up.

Also, the K10 was not $600 when it came out, it was $900. Between the technology differences in the cameras and the state of the US economy the difference between the K20 and the original price of the K10 is not that big at all. This camera is worth what I paid for it.

[codiac2600]

Plus with how much the US dollar is worth the price is very fair. I'd say once we fix our economy we should then think about getting better prices.

I think the camera at it's lowest should be around 1000, but thats after the end of this year.

[m8o]

Plus with how much the US dollar is worth the price is very fair. I'd say once we fix our economy we should then think about getting better prices.
I think the camera at it's lowest should be around 1000, but thats after the end of this year.

Or Chris, you could help us all out from your place or employment with a "group buy"...

[MJB DIGITAL]

It just depends on whether you want the K20D or not......or whether you need it.

I guess if you dont need it or want it you arent going to pay. But if you do....well then if you let something like a pricetag stop you, I'm sorry.
(if you just dont have the money....I dont mean you)

....I wont be getting the 20 till all of the firmware has settled.

[Tingchaleun]

It should be noted that i voted on the poll with the assumption that this is how much i'm willing to pay NOW. So, maybe in a couple months, i would vote lower.

[cafinator]

I have to smile at the ongoing harping about Pentax pricing of the K20D. Generally it seems there is little or no argument about the features and quality of the package. I suspect none of this would be happening if the price was the same and the manufacturer was Nikon or Canon.

I have no idea how well the K20D is selling but judging by what I read here and on other sites there was no shortage of buyers ready to order sight unseen as soon as it was announced. Similarly there seems to be a goodly number of owners who jumped in early at or near list telling everyone who wants to read about it that it is a great camera.

If you were the marketing manager for Pentax and you saw this happening, what is going to make you think you got it wrong? Probably nothing! Yes, prices will move down over time to maintain a competitive position but dropping them quickly makes the launch price look stupid and devalues the brand. You can imagine how thrilled people who brought at list would be if that happened just months after launch. And what impact would it really have? Pentax would make more sales but then there will still be a solid group of fence sitters still up there waiting for the K30D and whatever follows after it.

Time for this argument to move on.

[regken]

If you were the marketing manager for Pentax and you saw this happening, what is going to make you think you got it wrong? Probably nothing! Yes, prices will move down over time to maintain a competitive position but dropping them quickly makes the launch price look stupid and devalues the brand. You can imagine how thrilled people who brought at list would be if that happened just months after launch. And what impact would it really have? Pentax would make more sales but then there will still be a solid group of fence sitters still up there waiting for the K30D and whatever follows after it.

Time for this argument to move on.

Welcome aboard my friend. I see you have made 3 posts and are telling us "to move on". IMO a suggestion on your part might be more civil than an order. Furthermore, If I were the marketing manager I'd be looking at actual sales figures rather then what a few posts on a forum or two have to say. If those sales numbers aren't meeting the expected projections I would be dropping the prices in a New York minute regardless of what some early adapters thought. Better to save my job than the feelings of some buyers.

This poll has a very small sampling and so is not a great barometer for the big picture. It does make one wonder how the general public view the price when less than 19% of a group of Pentax fans see it as being worth more than $1,100.

Regards,

Ken

[roscot]

Personally, I don't expect this camera to go down in price as quickly and as steeply as the previous Pentax DSLRs, at least until Pentax wants to clear their inventory for a new model. The reason is, Hoya has made several statements, saying that they thought the Pentax pricing was way to low, and that they expect to increase the profits from the DSLR range. Bearing this in mind, I would expect maybe 15-20% drop at most through the next year or so, until clearance.

[Geekybiker]

I'll probably never pick up a 20d. Not enough in it to tempt me from a k10d. Maybe the k30d.

[Andrew Faires]

The k20d has about half of what I was hoping for. I'll wait and see how spring/summer shapes up and decide if what the k20d is offering is worth it for me. I don't think it's worth more than $1000 for what I'm after though (not saying the k20d isn't worth the price as a whole, but as an upgrade to the k10d, $1000 or less is where I'll consider it). Until then, I've got a k10d which is taking the abuse like a champ.

[vitalsax]

why not $1,299.95?