Henry wrote: > Pentax would end up having 3 SLRs with 3 different chassis: the unique MZ-S, > the new MZ-?, the old MZ for MZ-60. It would be a nightmare for the > factories and maintenance centres to keep 3 different production lines and 3 > sets of spare parts.... I don't think that's realistic from a business point > of view.
True, and thats why I think the Pentax UK claim of one platform for four bodies is correct. What is a fact is that Pentax have developed a new platform, and as you say keeping all three platform don't make sense. However, there's no problem for Pentax to make MZ-60/6 and MZ-S for stock designed to last until replacements are ready. > I wonder if this is again the usual tricks of Pentax Japan: they show the > prototypes to keep their overseas distributers' hope and sales contract. In > their heart, they know that they are never going to manufacture it in the > near future. That's why they don't show it to the public. They have made > one big mistake with the full-frame D-SLR MR52 prototype by showing it to > the public and they won't do this again. I think you're being too pessimistic. It was explicitely expressed to me that this was not another MR-52 stunt. Pentax couldn't afford that and they would loose all credibility if they did. Although they haven't shown it to the public, they have claimed that they will release it in spring. > My conclusion is: if they don't have guts to show the product to the public, > it means the product is still very very far away from production. Well, almost no product are "shown" before close to release date... > > Therefore, if they say they are going to release a D-SLR in the next spring, > judging from their low profile manner in Photokina, we should not be > expecting something too exciting. The re-born MR-52 sounds reasonable: it > could be a stopgap due to the urgent need for a digital solution for the > existing Pentax users to keep them happy after the disappointment in > Photokina 2002, as the innovative D-SLR design shown under table is not yet > ready in the near future. But according to those who has been under the Pentax table and seen the thing, it is not an new version of the MR-52, but a brand new and very stylish camera of very different design. P�l
