I guess I didnt make my point clear enough earlier, I never said that that kind of economic model does not exist for some system products, it's just that I dont believe that todays or future DSLRS, especially anything above very bottom line entry level models, are being sold on a "loss leader" economic model. It is not the same as razors and blades because obviously lenses, unlike razor blades last for decades, and a person buying a DSLR doesnt necessisarily have to buy any lenses when he buys that DSLR so the camera mfgrs cannot afford to or assume they will make up losses on future lens sales like a razor company can on blades.
Secondly, I DID make it very clear in an earlier post, the only M42 (or at least the first M42) DSLR camera that I could see being viable would be a universal screwmount version that supports the auto aperture pin on the rear of all auto aperture M42 lenses ( this WAS a universal M42 lens feature and is on the vast majority of all M42 lenses) and NO open aperture metering ( this WAS NOT a universal feature and was implemented many different proprietary ways on only a small portion of M42 lenses). Metering could be done exactly the same way GB is now being done with K/M lenses on the current Pentax DSLR bodies, which is stop down one shot metering. Continuous stop down AE would also be possible, the same as it is on Pentax DSLRS when using a M42 adapter. Both of these would be possible with ALL M42 lenses which is the key thing to make a M42 DSLR become possible. I dont believe the implementation of open aperture metering and AE would ever happen unless the first generation M42 DSLR without them was very sucessful. jco -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Anthony Farr Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 9:27 AM To: 'Pentax-Discuss Mail List' Subject: RE: 85mm f1.8 SMCT on ebay : $400+ Not only is the economic model I described a valid concept, it even has a name. See, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_leader This one is also applicable, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razor_and_blades_business_model You are perfectly correct to state that a competitive free market won't sustain subsidised pricing of a standalone product. A DSLR in a legacy mount would be just such a standalone product, so would need to be sold at its full value. It would seem overpriced compared to a similar camera with a modern lens mount, whose lens sales combined with the camera sales create the marketing models referred to in the articles above. As well, the fact that there is a zero supply of m42 DSLRs could be indicative of the demand for them. A question for you. If there was to be an m42 DSLR, what iteration of the "universal" screw mount should it follow? Pentax ES and ES-II mounts were not the universal variation, nor was the version by Fujica among others. The final "electric" mount by Praktica was perhaps the technically superior system and would be a better basis for an on-going system. The 42mm thread and the aperture actuating plate were just about the only universal aspect of the mount, while many manufacturers had different approaches to aperture indexing and sensing. I'm not saying there shouldn't be an m42 DSLR. I'm saying that one is not likely to happen. Even if it did happen there is no certainty that it would function any better than a k-mount DSLR with an m42 adapter. It may be quicker to have Cotty make you a Frankencam out of a spare Spotmatic and something modern, digital and expendable. Regards, Anthony Farr -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of J. C. O'Connell Sent: Friday, 23 February 2007 2:52 AM To: 'Pentax-Discuss Mail List' Subject: RE: 85mm f1.8 SMCT on ebay : $400+ hi, I dont agree with your economic model of DSLR pricing even on todays available models so I certainly dont agree that the M42 DSLR cannot be economically unfeasable forever becuase there would be no lenses sold to subsidize the price of the body. That is not even the case now, pricing of anything in the long run is always driven by the market, i.e. supply and demand, ( right now there is zero supply of m42 DSLRS), and I dont believe subsidized pricing of stand alone items can be sustained in a competitive free market. jco -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
