Originally posted by Wasp If Leica can sell a digital camera without a screen on the back, surely there's a market for a Pentax DSLR with no video capability.
The thing is, the CPU and associated hardware in the KP already has the ability to do video and autofocus. Developing a new CPU without this will cost money. The end product will be targeted at a niche market. Not a lot of sales to recoup the R&D money, then. That means more expensive, sadly.
Perhaps a KP with no screen will fit the bill. The camera can be a bit thinner as well as cheaper. How much cheaper, I don't know.
Foregoing a screen doesn't mean that you need a computer to replay your shots. You simply open an app on your smartphone that connects to the camera via WiFi. That's how the Leica rolls.
As for me, I would like a GR III with a K mount and an EVF please.
Leica is a special case. They have a history of selling wonderfully engineered cameras and lenses. For decades, they have been the pinnacle of quality, both in design and manufacture.
However, what works for Leica doesn't necessarily work for other manufacturers. People pay a lot of money for that little red dot on the front of the camera.
No one else sells a true rangerfinder camera. Leica does. That doesn't mean there is a large market for rangefinders. There is a market for LEICAs.
Leica sold a digital camera that was incapable of taking color photographs. Would that fly in the wider market? I doubt it.
Comparing Leica to the general digital camera market is like asking why Chevrolet can't build a car with the same features and quality as a Bentley or Rolls Royce. Just as with a Bentley, a good portion of the price you pay for a Leica is for the exclusivity and the bragging rights.