Assuming the claim for the MZ-S to have LX durability, this could be Pentax attempt for a film SLR that will achieve cult status over an extended period of time. Why? Because Pentax did not leave out any major photograph-capturing features. Pros: Excellent feature set - no major Achilles heels like lack of DOF preview or lack of mirror pre-fire (with a nod to Mike and others who are disappointed with the viewfinder, and to those who wanted 1/250 flash sync). Reportedly solid construction and long shutter life. Relatively small size and weight. Vertical grip available. Ability to use K-mount lenses and later. Really useful features like mid-roll exchange and data imprinting. List priced slightly below the direct competition, as usual for Pentax. Although my first impression was reserved, I think the MZ-S will be a big hit, especially with the love-factor crowd who see a camera as a class act in addition to a photo tool. I can envision the salespeople at Arlington Camera. They sell a lot of near-list-price mid-range Canon and Nikon, and also sell a lot of Pentax 35mm cameras. The let customers handle several cameras in a price range. They do a good job of matching people to a suitable camera (rather than pushing the high-profit cameras).The next Doctor or Lawyer or Engineer's wife/husband/significant-other who wants the very best may be bowled over when they handle the MZ-S compared to an F80 or F100 or EOS 3 etc.. One thing I like about Arlington Camera is that their resident Canon and Nikon experts know exactly what I mean when I tell them I won't switch to Canon because I don't want those crappy over-rated Canon lenses, nor switch to Nikon because you gotta spend two grand for a body just to get basic features available in a $500 Pentax... -- Happy Trails, Texdance http://members.fortunecity.com/texdance http://members1.clubphoto.com/john8202 - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
