[Nesster]

[gofour3]

Thanks for posting this ad, very interesting.

After all these years I still don’t understand why Pentax thought the world wanted “Mini” versions of the K series lenses. Some of us have bigger hands and like the feel & extra weight of the K series ones!!

Phil.

[drewdlephone]

Thanks for posting this ad, very interesting.

After all these years I still don’t understand why Pentax thought the world wanted “Mini” versions of the K series lenses. Some of us have bigger hands and like the feel & extra weight of the K series ones!!

Phil.

The trend at the time, both in compact cameras and SLRs, was smaller and lighter. Olympus beat Pentax to the punch with the OM-1, and when Pentax first introduced the K series, they realized the mistake they made in not providing a smaller, lighter system. Hence why the M series followed on it's heels so soon after.

I find it interesting that, my big, bulky Spotmatic was comparatively tiny next to my K200D. When the world went digital, the cameras didn't get any smaller really, except in the compact classes. Most of them got bulkier. Go figure.

[titrisol]

I just discovered 2 years ago how wonderful the M-series cameras are.
Light, small and with a VF that is birghter than bright...
Small and light was the trend, I like it presonally.

[carlb]

I bought an ME for my partners' birthday a couple of months ago. Before I gave it to her I shot the obligatory test roll to make sure everything worked properly and very nearly decided to buy her something else.

It was a great camera. I'd buy one for myself if it wasn't for the fact that I wouldn't really be adding anything new (in terms of features, operating methods etc) to the collection of cameras I already have

And I love the M series lenses

[Nesster]

The OM-1 had changed the game so completely, nearly everyone was on the smaller-lighter binge to try to get sales. Even Nikon. The third party lens makers were downsizing their lenses. Big was not good.

Olympus was in its glory days.

[k100d]

keep em rolling nesster

[séamuis]

that's one heck of an ad! thanks for finding this one man!

[gofour3]

I understand why Pentax released the M series as a business decision, so they could keep up with the “Joneses”. However as a consumer I think it was a bad move.

Pentax also introduced the Auto110 series in 1978, which was even smaller and also had interchangeable lenses; this should have been enough for the masses.

Pentax was too quick in deleting most of the K series lenses & bodies and as a minimum should have kept the K series going along side the M. This would have been the ultimate for the real photographers out there at the time, to have a choice between a full line of K or M series lenses & bodies.

I got into Pentax cameras during the K series and loved the size & feel of the lenses/bodies. Holding a M series lens/body is not the same, the optics/features may be but it’s just not the same. I’ll take the K series any day.

[séamuis]

this should have been enough for the masses.

now that is funny. you honestly believe that?

[Nesster]

Pentax was too quick in deleting most of the K series lenses & bodies and as a minimum should have kept the K series going along side the M. This would have been the ultimate for the real photographers out there at the time, to have a choice between a full line of K or M series lenses & bodies.

I got into Pentax cameras during the K series and loved the size & feel of the lenses/bodies. Holding a M series lens/body is not the same, the optics/features may be but it’s just not the same. I’ll take the K series any day.

They did keep the K1000 going.

Just as the dSLR market is cut throat these days, it was even more so back then with more competitors and a very rapid pace of innovation.

Manufacturers had no choice - as nice as the K cameras and K lenses are, they simply stopped selling enough - and at a livable margin - to keep them going.

Kind of like, though not quite: keeping the K100D or K10D in the catalog now, as there are some people who prefer them to what has come since.

[OregonJim]

Wow - I don't remember seeing that one. Judging by the staples, looks like it was run in the National Geographic? Thanks for sharing!

[lithos]

[b]Pentax:[/i] Sourcing the strongest lilypads since 1978

[B Grace]

The comment about the size of the older film cameras compared to the current digitals is spot on. My M50/1.7 is a miniature lens on my K200D. In fact, my K200D makes my K1000 appear trim and light which it is not, of course.

I used an OM2N kit for a weekend once. I guess I'm not sure the investment required to downsize the K-series lenses to their M-series offspring was worth it. It would be nice to have a complete kit of walk-about Pentax lenses that all use 52mm filters like the Nikon lenses did. It's not like a person could really adopt a smaller camera bag because of the trim M-series lineup.

[ChrisPlatt]

[b]Pentax:[/i] Sourcing the strongest lilypads since 1978

That must have been done by an American ad agency.
The Japanese I worked with would have had a fit seeing a camera and lenses there!

Chris