Originally posted by pentaxmz This whole K-7 vs K20D is very confusing. I understand and appreciate the technological improvements of the K-7, however, Pentax is officially stating:
1. There will be no K30D
2. The K-7 is not a K20D replacement
3. The K-7 is not designed to compete with the Canon 50D. In fact, it is stated that the K-7 is positioned *under* the 50D.
4. The K20D stays in production
What????
Okay, someone please riddle me this.
If a consumer is confronted with the decision to purchase:
a) K-7
b) K20D
Okay, let's assume that the K-7's initial additional cost is not a concern.
Why would anyone purchase the K20D? What is the purpose of keeping the K20D in production?
But how can the K-7's additional cost
not be a concern? It's the choice between a K-7 body only, versus a K20D with a DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 (approx.). I believe the K-7 is being positioned to be the next
tier up, if you will. Yes, they're both 14MP cameras, but what sets the K-7 apart from the K20D may not be worth twice the price to many people, especially if they are upgrading from a DSLR that's three or four years old. I believe the "hole" left by the K20D's departure would leave too great a gap between the K200D and the K-7.
Current (approx.) street costs, body only:
K-7 $1300
K20D $670
K200D $510
K2000 $460
I figure the K-7's cost will eventually settle out around $800-$900 over the next 9-12 months.
Also, speaking of tiers, look how the model designations seem to reflect that:
4 numerical digits, entry-level
3 numerical digits, next tier up
2 numerical digits, the
next tier up
1 numerical digit, top of the line
I dunno...makes sense to me.