You're certainly not alone in that this being is at least part of the motivation for many amateurs. For all of our arguments, Pentax cameras have a certain feel to them which many on this list find appealing. I think that the PZ-1P deviated most significantly from this feel and that affected sales. OTOH, I think the MZ-5n definitely had that feel and sold well. I think the MZ-S is there as well, but that seems to be not a general an opinion. As far as the color of the lenses are concerned, it bothers me that Pentax won't sell the black limiteds in the US. It strikes me as an annoying and silly decision, and that puts me off from buying one. Fortunately, I'm an amateur and can happily engage in this level of pouting ;-)
Photography is my leisure time. I want to spend it working with equipment that pleases me. If I don't like the feel of the equipment, I won't want to use it. The best equipment in the world won't give good results if you hate it to the point of not using it. I have handled a lot of cameras that are technically superior to what I am using in most respects. Unfortunately, they have user interfaces that I dislike, or they feel like plastic fantastic crap. I tolerate the foibles of my 3 LX's because I enjoy using them more than any other 35mm camera I have tried out. I like cameras, not photography. Photography is a means to an end. The end is using equipment that pleases me, and gives me an excuse to travel to places I might not otherwise see. If I get a nice picture for the wall, or someone compliments one of my meager offerings to the PUG or Photosig, thats a bonus. However, I am probably in the minority. William Robb Steven Desjardins Department of Chemistry Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA 24450 (540) 458-8873 FAX: (540) 458-8878 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
