This (the MZ-D) was when DSLRs cost $5000-6000. When the *istD came out, it was about $1500 IIRC. I think Pentax may have made a real impact if their DSLR had cost $2500, but that price was probably out of the question with that sensor. I can't remember what other sensors were out then. Kodak?
Still, I don't think the pro market would have noticed. Wheels aside, the AF was way behind the others. On Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 10:48 PM, Rick Womer <rwomer1...@yahoo.com> wrote: > Yes and no... If the sensor had been any good, Pentax would have been way > ahead with a 24x36 digital SLR right from the start. > > BUT... > > Let's face it, the user interface of the MZ-S isn't nearly as good as that of > the PZ-1, 1p, ist D, K10, etc. For some reason they had forgotten about the > two-wheel, green-button (IF button on the Z's), HyperProgram system. > > Unfortunately, Pentax was =very= slow to recover from the MZ-D debacle, and > when it did the result was the istD--a competent camera, but a placeholder > while waiting for the K series (and =where= did they scrape that name from??). > > Rick > > http://photo.net/photos/RickW > > > --- On Sun, 10/17/10, Steven Desjardins <drd1...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> BTW, I always wondered how things >> might have gone if that sensor >> hadn't been such a bust (or they had chosen another sensor) >> and this >> camera had been produced. I can hardly blame Pentax >> for not making it >> since the company that went ahead with their version >> (Contax) has a >> horrible failure on their hands. >> >> On Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 5:52 PM, Steven Desjardins <drd1...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> > That's what I meant, although I did say it badly. I >> meant we could >> > have had the same ergonomics in both cameras since the >> MZ-S and grip >> > was basis the Pentax digital camera with the Phillips >> 6 MP FF sensor. >> > Here are lots of pics fro those who weren't looking at >> Pentax 9 years >> > ago: >> > >> > According to Wikipedia (which is never wrong) the film >> version did come first: >> > >> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentax_MZ-D >> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentax_MZ-S >> > >> > One look at the MZ-D prototype clearly shows its >> common basis with the MZ-S: >> > >> > http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/bodies/prototypes/MZ-D.html >> > http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/bodies/film_MZ-ZX/mzzxS.html >> > http://www.dpreview.com/news/0102/01021106pentaxdigitalslr.asp >> > >> > Amusingly, I began to try to find the MZ-S review in >> dpreview before I >> > realized how truly dumb that was. >> > >> > On Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 2:40 PM, John Francis <jo...@panix.com> >> wrote: >> >> On Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 01:08:48PM +0000, drd1...@gmail.com >> wrote: >> >>> The funny thing is that the MZ-S was supposed >> to be a digital camera. >> >> >> >> No - the MZ-S was supposed to be the >> top-of-the-MZ-line Pentax film body. >> >> >> >> I presume you're thinking of the first planned >> Pentax digital camera >> >> (often referred to as the MZ-D), which would have >> shared much of the >> >> ergonomics and appearance of the MZ-S. But >> suggesting that this was >> >> driving the design, and the MZ-S was just a >> film-based offshoot, is >> >> questionable at best. >> >> >> >> I always loved the feel of the MZS with the grip. >> Sadly, I finally sold mine to buy the K-7. >> >> >> >> If an MZ-S with grip can fetch anything close to >> $1000, I may well be >> >> selling mine to get a K-5. I've still got a PZ-1p >> (and a couple of MXs) >> >> should I ever feel the urge to shoot film again. >> I prefer the control >> >> style of the PZ bodies (which matches the digital >> bodies, too) to that >> >> of the MZ bodies. >> >> >> >> -- >> >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> >> PDML@pdml.net >> >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the >> link directly above and follow the directions. >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > Steve Desjardins >> > >> >> >> >> -- >> Steve Desjardins >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> PDML@pdml.net >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link >> directly above and follow the directions. >> > > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. > -- Steve Desjardins -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.