[benjikan]

Hello All;

What I will say is this..Upgrade path for Pentax? Well in one year from now the Big three will definitely be Nikon, Canon and Pentax for DSLR's and not necessarily in that order.

The marketing guys for the C&N are having a major kinipshin fit trying to hold back the floodgate.


I won't be as accessible for the next week as I am in post production. I'll check in when I can. You can still field me questions, I just won't be as prompt in my responses.

See Ya..

---

Last edited by benjikan; 02-01-2007 at 11:44 PM.

[SuperJared]

I smell a K1D...

[Adam]

The only problem for Pentax is that they don't currently produce a good range of lenses, and you have to dig up the older lenses to find some quality and performance.

I sincerely hope they remedy this issue with additional lenses not shown on the current roadmap...

In terms of DSLRs, however, I'd have to agree that they have a promising future.

[wll]

I smell a K1D...

I have feeling Pentax will explode. I think they may have something up their sleeve as far as sensors are concerned. I think they will come right after C and N with the new K1D (if thats what it's called). I think it will be feature packed and turn would be C and N users to Pentax.

The D645 may be medium camera to have if Pentax plays it's cards right. Features and price may turn a few Hassy would be users to Pentax, woudn't that just take the cake :-)


wll


Yes I'm for the underdog !!!!

[Buddha Jones]

I agree with you Mo, everyone that I know who is in photograpy told me NOT to buy a Pnetax just for that reason.

[RBellavance]

I have feeling Pentax will explode. I think they may have something up their sleeve as far as sensors are concerned. I think they will come right after C and N with the new K1D (if thats what it's called). I think it will be feature packed and turn would be C and N users to Pentax.

I think much the same thing as you, but most of all I hope they have something up their sleeve regarding production capacity if they really are launching a new model soon...

[slip]

The only problem for Pentax is that they don't currently produce a good range of lenses, and you have to dig up the older lenses to find some quality and performance.

I sincerely hope they remedy this issue with additional lenses not shown on the current roadmap...

In terms of DSLRs, however, I'd have to agree that they have a promising future.

I agree.... it is a catch 22.... need sales to support more lenses, but more sales are in part a result of a good line of lenses.

hopefully having Hoya with pentax, there will be a bigger investment in lenses, which will give more serious photographers the "nudge" needed for them to jump ship from N&C

a bigger selection of third party equipment would be a big advantage as well


cheers

randy

[benjikan]

I agree with you Mo, everyone that I know who is in photograpy told me NOT to buy a Pnetax just for that reason.

Some of the new lenses for March 2007 which also include the following:

14
21
*35
40
*55
70
100
16-45
*16-50
*50-135
*60-250
*200
*300

*Now these lenses I listed are all of the new generation that will come out in March

I think I would not have any difficulty doing a multiplicity of shoots with only a part of this arsenal...

[kmccanta]

Some of the new lenses for March 2007 which also include the following:

14
21
*35
40
*55
70
100
16-45
*16-50
*50-135
*60-250
*200
*300

*Now these lenses I listed are all of the new generation that will come out in March

I think I would not have any difficulty doing a multiplicity of shoots with only a part of this arsenal...

50macro
10-17FE
12-24

[Adam]

Those are the lenses from the roadmap, but I hope they also come with more. A resurrection of the FA* series would be nice, too!

[benjikan]

50macro
10-17FE
12-24

Your so right...I have the 12-24 pardon the over sight...

[*isteve]

Hello All;

What I will say is this..Upgrade path for Pentax. In one year from now the Big three will definitely be Nikon, Canon and Pentax for DSLR's and not necessarily in that order.

The marketing guys for the C&N are having a major kinipshin fit trying to hold back the floodgate.


I won't be as accessible for the next week as I am in post production. I'll check in when I can. You can still field me questions, I just won't be as prompt in my responses.

See Ya..

Hi Benjamin, glad to see you settling in over here after your tiff with Phil.

Always a bad idea to piss off the Canon fanboys on DPReview I think, but never mind. Over the past couple of years I have lost patience and respect for the site as a whole. It seems happy to rest on its laurels as every other site and even some magazines have caught up and even surpassed it in terms of review detail and even moreso on turnover which has slowed to a complete crawl.

The one thing it (and other internet review sites) seriously lacks is credible input from professional users.

Trying to treat mid-high end SLRs as consumer products is a mistake IMO. These are aspirational products and the potential buyers need to understand that with performance comes committment, a bit like it does with cars or motorcycles.

I have heard that Pentax are planning to announce new SLR models but that the 645 has been delayed to devote resources to APSC bodies and lenses. I dont know any more details but I can speculate that:

The K100 will be upgraded to provide improved burst performance, USM lens support and Lithium batteries, with some other minor upgrades. This will be designed to compete with the D40 and be differentiated by the SR function and price but may well drop older lens mount compatability. A reworked 18-55 and 50-200 kit lens set will be available at the same time at even lower cost. $500 price bracket with 1 lens. Probably PMA 2007.

A lower end 10MP body will be released on a similar chassis to the above (small form factor is seen as a key benefit to the entry level market) with similar feature set but possibly upgraded VF and AF and some of the K10 exposure options. Tuned to provide more consumer friendly output by default so will score well with Phil. This will be a direct competitor to the Alpha and the 400D. $750 bracket. Probably Summer 2007. Likely kit lens will be the new DA 17-70 F4.

A higher end pro-oriented version of the K10D with a built in grip, better AF, 5 FPS (possibly higher with cropping) and perhaps a few other neat tricks up its sleeve will take on the D200 and knock on the door of the D2X. $1500 bracket. Probably YE2007 to ensure success of K10D and give time for pro lenses to come on stream.

Still unsure as to their source of sensors for future cams >2008 or the advisability of exceeding 10MP with APS sensors (better surely to work on noise and DR by increasing fill factors and well depth of existing pitch sensors). One assumes the above 3 cameras can be produced with existing hardware (keeps the costs down). Also pretty convinced that larger sensors are not on the SLR Pentax or Nikon horizon for the time being at least. I would expect Pentax to release 645 to cover that end of the market when profitibility is more secure and market share is closer to 20%.

I also suspect that lens development is taking up a huge slice of current resources. Whether the Hoya relationship is a help here I have no idea but it should reduce raw material and supply chain costs in the medium term. Word on the grapevine is that news of the takeover came as a complete surprise to staff and there is some uncertainty regarding strategic plans other than that the Pentax brand will continue as the primary brand for comsumer imaging products (cameras, lenses, binoculars) and the the current business unit will continue more or less as it is with current investment and business plans as they are for the time being.

If necessary one would expect the whole business and brand to be sold off as a complete entity along with its IRP so that its value to a potential purchaser/investor would not be diluted. Either way the future is probably assured barring some major corporate stupidity or analysts cold feet. It would not be unreasonable to expect another major Japanese concern to take an interest. This fact alone is likely to calm investor fears over the advisability of the takeover, and ironically may make such a sell off less necessary.

But then who knows - this could all be nonsense by this time next week.

[davemdsn]

Those are the lenses from the roadmap, but I hope they also come with more. A resurrection of the FA* series would be nice, too!

I would definitely like to see the FA* back in production, especially since Ben mentioned FF in Pentax future in another thread. Those DA lenses won't be worth a hill of beans on a FF camera.

[Lowell Goudge]

Hello All;

What I will say is this..Upgrade path for Pentax. In one year from now the Big three will definitely be Nikon, Canon and Pentax for DSLR's and not necessarily in that order.

The marketing guys for the C&N are having a major kinipshin fit trying to hold back the floodgate.


I won't be as accessible for the next week as I am in post production. I'll check in when I can. You can still field me questions, I just won't be as prompt in my responses.

See Ya..

See my Pentax Digital Wish List in this forum, there are some points you may wish to consder.

[benjikan]

Hi Benjamin, glad to see you settling in over here after your tiff with Phil.

Always a bad idea to piss off the Canon fanboys on DPReview I think, but never mind. Over the past couple of years I have lost patience and respect for the site as a whole. It seems happy to rest on its laurels as every other site and even some magazines have caught up and even surpassed it in terms of review detail and even moreso on turnover which has slowed to a complete crawl.

The one thing it (and other internet review sites) seriously lacks is credible input from professional users.

Trying to treat mid-high end SLRs as consumer products is a mistake IMO. These are aspirational products and the potential buyers need to understand that with performance comes committment, a bit like it does with cars or motorcycles.

I have heard that Pentax are planning to announce new SLR models but that the 645 has been delayed to devote resources to APSC bodies and lenses. I dont know any more details but I can speculate that:

The K100 will be upgraded to provide improved burst performance, USM lens support and Lithium batteries, with some other minor upgrades. This will be designed to compete with the D40 and be differentiated by the SR function and price but may well drop older lens mount compatability. A reworked 18-55 and 50-200 kit lens set will be available at the same time at even lower cost. $500 price bracket with 1 lens. Probably PMA 2007.

A lower end 10MP body will be released on a similar chassis to the above (small form factor is seen as a key benefit to the entry level market) with similar feature set but possibly upgraded VF and AF and some of the K10 exposure options. Tuned to provide more consumer friendly output by default so will score well with Phil. This will be a direct competitor to the Alpha and the 400D. $750 bracket. Probably Summer 2007. Likely kit lens will be the new DA 17-70 F4.

A higher end pro-oriented version of the K10D with a built in grip, better AF, 5 FPS (possibly higher with cropping) and perhaps a few other neat tricks up its sleeve will take on the D200 and knock on the door of the D2X. $1500 bracket. Probably YE2007 to ensure success of K10D and give time for pro lenses to come on stream.

Still unsure as to their source of sensors for future cams >2008 or the advisability of exceeding 10MP with APS sensors (better surely to work on noise and DR by increasing fill factors and well depth of existing pitch sensors). One assumes the above 3 cameras can be produced with existing hardware (keeps the costs down). Also pretty convinced that larger sensors are not on the SLR Pentax or Nikon horizon for the time being at least. I would expect Pentax to release 645 to cover that end of the market when profitibility is more secure and market share is closer to 20%.

I also suspect that lens development is taking up a huge slice of current resources. Whether the Hoya relationship is a help here I have no idea but it should reduce raw material and supply chain costs in the medium term. Word on the grapevine is that news of the takeover came as a complete surprise to staff and there is some uncertainty regarding strategic plans other than that the Pentax brand will continue as the primary brand for comsumer imaging products (cameras, lenses, binoculars) and the the current business unit will continue more or less as it is with current investment and business plans as they are for the time being.

If necessary one would expect the whole business and brand to be sold off as a complete entity along with its IRP so that its value to a potential purchaser/investor would not be diluted. Either way the future is probably assured barring some major corporate stupidity or analysts cold feet. It would not be unreasonable to expect another major Japanese concern to take an interest. This fact alone is likely to calm investor fears over the advisability of the takeover, and ironically may make such a sell off less necessary.

But then who knows - this could all be nonsense by this time next week.

If you don't mind, I would like to send this letter off to Pentax...Very well thought out hypothesis.