[macdaddy50]

Today I received an e-mail from B&H stating the arrival of the new Nikon flagship, D4s. They also have just announced the new D5300 I think or something. My point is, you can still buy the D3000, 3100, 3200, D5000, D5100,5200 and now the 5300. And what are you getting? They are all just improvements on if not just minor improvements on the previous model plus now you have to decide which model you want to go with. To me I realize Pentax doesn't have the largest current lineup but it is a lot more consumer friendly from a purchase stand point. I like the fact that if I want the latest I don't have to decide between 5 other similar models which I, as a beginner, probably don't really understand the differences in the first place.Canon is similar like Nikon with the T1,T1i,T2i,3i,4i,and I think 5i plus the new SL1 or whatever it's called. Come on, retire the old ones or doesn't anyone realize you are making more than you can sell? Just my point and I was wondering if others see it this way or if I'm a black sheep gone astray. So glad I went w/Pentax.

[FrankC]

First to be fair, a lot of the models listed in your post have been discontinued and cannot be purchased from retailers as new. If you're shopping on eBay, well, then that's a whole different bag of hammers since you'll most likely find a copy of all but the most collectible models ever made by any specific manufacturer.

You're not alone. A local ABC affiliate ran a story about choice overload in the supermarket. An example that they used was Crest toothpaste. Crest makes 56 different types of toothpaste. Statistics on consumer buying habits show that when confronted with brand X with two choices, and brand Y with 56 choices, that the average consumer will most likely choose something from brand Y. However, the report also noted that 20% of consumers will get overwhelmed and not buy anything at all.

You'd think that making so many different models would add to their R&D and overhead. However, I'd guess (and that's all this is, a guess) that a lot of the "improvements" of one model vs another is software based. That is to say the only thing a manufacturer has to do is flip a couple of zeros and ones around and, Voila! a new model.

[j2photos]

Today I received an e-mail from B&H stating the arrival of the new Nikon flagship, D4s. They also have just announced the new D5300 I think or something. My point is, you can still buy the D3000, 3100, 3200, D5000, D5100,5200 and now the 5300. And what are you getting? They are all just improvements on if not just minor improvements on the previous model plus now you have to decide which model you want to go with. To me I realize Pentax doesn't have the largest current lineup but it is a lot more consumer friendly from a purchase stand point. I like the fact that if I want the latest I don't have to decide between 5 other similar models which I, as a beginner, probably don't really understand the differences in the first place.Canon is similar like Nikon with the T1,T1i,T2i,3i,4i,and I think 5i plus the new SL1 or whatever it's called. Come on, retire the old ones or doesn't anyone realize you are making more than you can sell? Just my point and I was wondering if others see it this way or if I'm a black sheep gone astray. So glad I went w/Pentax.

Honestly Pentax was the exact same way. The K-7 was a minor update on the k20d. The K-5 was a new sensor but not much update on the metering/AF system. then you had the k-5, k-5ii, and k-5iis which were all very similar. You cant blame the manufactures for not release a revolutionary changed camera every time otherwise we would be wait a long time for a new body.

[MSL]

Today I received an e-mail from B&H stating the arrival of the new Nikon flagship, D4s. They also have just announced the new D5300 I think or something. My point is, you can still buy the D3000, 3100, 3200, D5000, D5100,5200 and now the 5300. And what are you getting? They are all just improvements on if not just minor improvements on the previous model plus now you have to decide which model you want to go with. To me I realize Pentax doesn't have the largest current lineup but it is a lot more consumer friendly from a purchase stand point. I like the fact that if I want the latest I don't have to decide between 5 other similar models which I, as a beginner, probably don't really understand the differences in the first place.Canon is similar like Nikon with the T1,T1i,T2i,3i,4i,and I think 5i plus the new SL1 or whatever it's called. Come on, retire the old ones or doesn't anyone realize you are making more than you can sell? Just my point and I was wondering if others see it this way or if I'm a black sheep gone astray. So glad I went w/Pentax.

I've mentioned this before because it does mean the retailers can advertise multiple models at once and have a range of price points. It was pointed out in return, that one reason the retailers have so many models to sell is that the camera makers may have lots of old inventory to get rid of due to possible over production in the first place. I can't claim to understand the relationships between the dealers, middlemen and manufacturers, but it does seem like Pentax works hard not to have excess stock and this may not be the approach taken by others.

[DeadJohn]

Many manufacturers release new models that are near identical to the prior model. There are many reasons for doing it, few of them benefit consumers.

Brand new models frequently get glowing reviews by magazines and web sites. After the model has been around a few months and any problems are identified - abracadabra, release a "new" model and restart the news cycle. Nikon 610, for example.

[Lowell Goudge]

Many manufacturers release new models that are near identical to the prior model. There are many reasons for doing it, few of them benefit consumers.

Brand new models frequently get glowing reviews by magazines and web sites. After the model has been around a few months and any problems are identified - abracadabra, release a "new" model and restart the news cycle. Nikon 610, for example.

Kind of like purchasing a new model for a firmware fix

[Bob from Aus]

Research shows that when people shop they tend to go to places with more choices. However the place that has 6 choices or less has more sales even though they have less people through their doors.

[AquaDome]

It does not frustrate me. Almost every camera out there does everything I need it to do. The latest configuration of bells and whistles presents me with only two questions: Will I use it? & Can I turn it off?
As long as they keep making cameras, I will jump in and buy one every few years.

[Pepe Le Pew]

Today I received an e-mail from B&H stating the arrival of the new Nikon flagship, D4s. They also have just announced the new D5300 I think or something. My point is, you can still buy the D3000, 3100, 3200, D5000, D5100,5200 and now the 5300. And what are you getting? They are all just improvements on if not just minor improvements on the previous model plus now you have to decide which model you want to go with. To me I realize Pentax doesn't have the largest current lineup but it is a lot more consumer friendly from a purchase stand point. I like the fact that if I want the latest I don't have to decide between 5 other similar models which I, as a beginner, probably don't really understand the differences in the first place.Canon is similar like Nikon with the T1,T1i,T2i,3i,4i,and I think 5i plus the new SL1 or whatever it's called. Come on, retire the old ones or doesn't anyone realize you are making more than you can sell? Just my point and I was wondering if others see it this way or if I'm a black sheep gone astray. So glad I went w/Pentax.

I agree with you.... Somewhat

[SpecialK]

Perhaps car makers should only carry 3 models at any one time, and go 2 years between releases? I doesn't matter either way to me.

[stormtech]

While I know nothing about marketing, I think this type of thing has to do with just that - marketing. A lot of times a consumer will have a preconcieved price they want to pay for something in their mind even if they know nothing about the product. With 5 different models with 5 different prices, the end sale might generate a little more money to the retailer/manufacturer than if there were only 2 choices.

Brand A - model 1 - $50
Brand A - model 2 - $75
Brand A - model 2 - $100
Brand A - model 4 - $125
Brand A - model 5 - $150

Brand B - model 1 - $85
Brand B - model 1 - $135

If the consumer picks Brand A - model 2 or 3, that is more money generated over Brand B - model 1.

Then there is the classic car dealer speal - when looking for a car instead of asking what features a buyer is looking for, sometimes they will first ask what they want their payment to be.

[Pepe Le Pew]

While I know nothing about marketing, I think this type of thing has to do with just that - marketing. A lot of times a consumer will have a preconcieved price they want to pay for something in their mind even if they know nothing about the product. With 5 different models with 5 different prices, the end sale might generate a little more money to the retailer/manufacturer than if there were only 2 choices.

Brand A - model 1 - $50
Brand A - model 2 - $75
Brand A - model 2 - $100
Brand A - model 4 - $125
Brand A - model 5 - $150

Brand B - model 1 - $85
Brand B - model 1 - $135

If the consumer picks Brand A - model 2 or 3, that is more money generated over Brand B - model 1.

Then there is the classic car dealer speal - when looking for a car instead of asking what features a buyer is looking for, sometimes they will first ask what they want their payment to be.

Sound's like the Canon Rebel series to me........

[reeftool]

One positive thing you can say about Pentax is that they don't have tons of unsold merchandise sitting around in stores or in warehouses. It has to be tough on a noob because he could go into a store and buy a brand new Nikon only to find out that what he bought was discontinued 2 years ago. Nikon and Canon have huge production runs and sometimes there is still new stock of cameras that go back 2 models.