[pxpaulx]

It would if he'd get the point that the K-x is a replacement for the K-m and not the K200D, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

There are a few people on here like this!

When it comes to the k200d, I almost see it as an experiment on Pentax's part - i.e., they asked themselves if they have enough marketshare to carry a 3 model system?

It really was a step above entry level, but priced aggressively with regards to specs (which has always been Pentax's M.O.). Unfortunately I think the smaller market that Pentax caters to also tends to be a more frugal/savvy/knowledgeable (however you'd like to word it!) buyer - all of which breed patience, and with that patience I think buyers of Pentax are more willing to wait for prices to drop, or the 2nd hand market, or a combination of both. So when it comes to a middle model, pricing at MSRP/introduction may be $300-500 from the flagship model, but at the end of their run the difference is less than $200 - which makes it an easier pill to swallow.

For that reason I think Pentax is best served (at least at the moment) with having two clearly defined models which target two different segments (I think the arguments come from the fact that the K-x offers a whole lot for the asking price). Bottom line, if you need weather-sealing now there are still K20's or K200, or even K10s to be found used, new or refurbished for great prices.

[Marc Sabatella]

Well, I'm not saying I don't think Pentax could possibly support a three-tiered system. I agree the K200D proves that it is nowhere near as simple building as camera that is otherwise comparable to entry level models but adds weather sealing and a top LCD and makes you pay for it with a larger/heavier body and a higher price point. It was experiment that failed in that sense, but one failed experiment doesn't disprove the hypothesis. Could have been timing as much as anything. A K200D but with a K-x sensor & frame rate would presumably be pretty easy to build if they were to decide it was worth another try. I suspect they'd have to find a couple of other things to update about the K200D - also give it the K-x's control system in other respects. but the problem is, there will always be those who will say, "yeah, but they should have also added a pentraprism, or a second dial, or some other feature that makes me reject it in favor of the K-7". That's the problem with trying to define the middle tier - you need enough extra features over the entry level to make people willing to pay for them, the right ones so they don't choose to skip right over it and go to the next level (or just stay at the lower level, or choose another brand).

Anyone who imagines they know the exact feature set that would lead to a sucessesful camera at this (or any) tier is simply demonstrating how out of touch with reality they are. might as well claim to know the secret to world peace, or have definitive proof of how and when the world will end, etc. If this sort of information were knowable, don't you think every camera manufacturer would be producing exactly that model?

[SteveB]

I can vouch that I did get more than 1000 shots off my one set of eneloops in a 5 hour shooting spree, but I never seem to reach 600 when I use it spread along multiple days... I guess they do still discharge after all!

I use an out of date panasonic charger

ALL NiMh batteries, Eneloops etc included, have a tendency to have their voltage gradually drift down over the first few days after a charge, then settle. It's not really self-discharge in the usual sense, it's just a characteristic of the chemistry involved. This means that you will be able to get more shots out of a freshly charged set because the camera just responds to the on-load voltage for its shutdown threshold and a few tens of millivolts per cell can make a big difference, delaying the shutdown by a lot of shots.