>P.S. I propose a new division of terms for this discussion:
> P-DSLR: Any old Pentax Digital Single Lens Reflex, even, or especially, a
>crappy cheapo cynical rushed-to-market cobbled-up little 3-mp mass-market
>sensor jobbie that'll have us all moaning and groaning and venting;
> PDMLDSLR: Pentax Discuss Mailing List Digital Single Lens Reflex, for a
>thoughtfully designed, well-executed camera that many of us would at least be
>interested in and wouldn't mind owning, and that would get some of us to stay
>with Pentax as we switch over to digital.
>(continued in the next post...)
So just for fun, here's my conservative prediction: that the PDMLDSLR will
be a small, innovatively styled, nicely made SLR-style camera with a 6-mp
APS-sized CCD sensor. It will take FA lenses (and perhaps older A lenses
with limitations) with a 1.5X magnification factor, and there will be one
new lens introduced or promised for it that will cover only the digital
sensor and not 35mm film. This will be a wide-angle zoom. It will sell in
the $1,500-$1,600 range, and availability will be late August or September.
It will be seen only under glass at PMA with the sketchiest of descriptions,
Cesar will receive an official picture of it and post it for the rest of us,
and long months will drag by before we really know everything for certain.
That's what I'd bet on. If I were forced to bet on something.
Here's what could also happen:
Pentax could throw us all for a loop. This could be:
Negative; meaning something badly spec'd, or an adaptation of another
company's camera, or basically point-and-shoot capabilities but with
interchangeable lenses, or something designed to be marketed around the
premise of some special feature that turns out to be ridiculous; or:
Positive, meaning something really innovative that will appeal to people and
catch on, but something nobody expects.
And now REALLY just for fun, here's what I'd PERSONALLY be happy to see (I'm
just pulling this out of my butt--with apologies for my french to the PDMLWL
[PDML Wimmins League]--this has absolutely no bearing on reality): the
aforementioned small, innovatively styled, nicely made SLR-style camera, but
with a pellicle mirror that allows real-time preview on the LCD screen, and
a 3-mp (right, 3-mp) Fuji SuperCCD SR (super dynamic range) sensor--and a
6-mp version promised for the not-too-distant future. And, not only a
wide-angle zoom that covers only the digital sensor, but two wide-angle fast
primes as well.
Now, just as Murphy's law is a law, and just as it is only sure to rain if
you don't bring your umbrella, nothing I would specify for my own odd little
desires would ever actually come to pass; so, the only CERTAIN information
in this post is that the features outlined in the previous paragraph will
NOT be found in the upcoming P-DSLR.
And, friends, you can take that to the bank . <g>
--Mike
P.S. Sorry, Bob S., I've let you down.
