Although, I have some sympathy with those who want faster Pentax equipment introductions, I fail to see the sense in wanting an utterly out of date digital slr. Firstly, its generally assumed industrywise that the small size chips are a dead end. Full frame chip is the way of the future. Secondly, the D30 (is it really successful?) will be laughed out of the market within a year or simply given away. It's like buying a 286 computer at an absurd price. Thirdly, Pentax have clearly stated that they want to make a COMPETITIVE digital slr in the near future. In fact, the 6Mpix MZ-D was dropped because Pentax saw no point in having the most expensive digital slr on the market while other manufacturers could offer the same performance for much less. Frankly, we are now in the very early days of digital cameras. I would personally stay away from the first generation digital slr's unless you need it in your work. The market is extremely small and the only reason Nikon and Canon can get away with genuinely bad and overpriced cameras is their position in the pro market segment. The next generation of digital SLR's will be the first serious ones technically speaking. If you want a D30, by all means go ahead. Personally I would be grossly disappointed if Pentax release anything remotely like the D30.
Pål Cotty: >This seems to be in keeping with the look of how things are panning out. >It must be obvious to the whole industry that the success of the Canon >D30 has highlighted the need for medium-priced pro/am digi SLR. With the >previous 6MP Pentax vapoware, the price would have been well within the >Nikon D and upcoming Canon EOS1 D territory - but few would have been >sold, seeing as how Nikon and Canon have cornered the pro market. Very >few Nikon/Canon users would have swapped for a Pentax - even if it was >full-frame. The next cameras from Nikon and Canon will have full frame >sensors. Which leaves us, a few making there living shooting Pentax, >most doing it for love, not wanting to lose all the glass, wanting good >quality. > >If there is anyone at Pentax reading this, or anyone knows anyone at >Pentax, please copy and paste the following and email it to them: > >------------------ >Dear Pentax, > >I am an amateur Pentax user of many years, on the cusp of introducing >digital image acquisition to my repertoire. I am painfully close to >buying a Canon D30, and I do mean painfully. I am prepared to wait - but >not for much longer. The point is, if I don't get the chance to buy a >Pentax DSLR soon (before Christmas 2002 TOPS), I will, without doubt, be >getting a D30, and swapping glass as appropriate. The even bigger point: >very unlikely I will swap back, because then I will be caught up in the >Canon Way, updating bits of kit as and when appropriate. Sure I'll keep >some vintage Pentax kit, but as a company, that's of little interest to >you - what you want is for me to buy a Pentax D, not a Canon D. What you >want is for me to stay Pentax, so I'll then upgrade as new cameras become >available, new lenses, and so on. So please, I know you're working on it, >I know you're building it - give me (and all the rest of us in this >situation) a quick word of confirmation. Tap out a quick press release, >give it to the magazines as a filler even. But give me a confirmation >that we'll see hardware on the shelves sometime SOON! Thank you. >----------------- > >I sometimes think that we, as Pentax users, could do a better job! Anyone >want to bung some money in the hat and we'll buy out Pentax - the PDML >co-operative? - 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 .
