Hi Pål,
(I have just browsed my ASCII-tables for the right å: AltGr+134 ;-))
on 18 Nov 02 you wrote in pentax.list:
>The MZ-S has a significantly better viewfinder thatn any other Pentax
>AF camera. It uses the same type screens as the new LX screens. The
>only "controversial" issue with the MZ-S viewfinder might be the
>magnification.
I didn't know that there are old and new LX screens. How do I difference
between them?
>> against this. So the MZ-S might be the final flagship.
>Why? Althoug sales of higher end film slr's are dropping the manufacturers
>still need to make both digital and film slr from the same parts bin. It is
>the only way not to break the back on a digital slr. In the foreseeable
>future DSLR market share will still be largely Mpix/dollar which means there
>is resistance of putting newexpensive technology and features in a digital
>slr before it's payed for, or getting revenues from, a film slr sibling.
>It's no coincidence that the EOS-1Ds is based on the EOS-1V; the D100 on the
>F80; D1 on the F100; the Contax Digital on the N1 etc. I have no doubts that
>the coming Pentax digital slr won't be in the absolute high-end, but if
>Pentax have ambitions of doing more than make initial sales of a digital slr
>for old K-mount users, they need new features as well.
I agree that this platform strategy seems to be necessary. But I guess
that the new models will be settled below the MZ-S. As we have discussed
some time ago, the MZ-S seems to be a quite successfull niche product
("seems" as we don't have actual figures from Pentax). For a larger
market than that niche it is too expensive. For a large pro-market it is
nor "pro" enough. What makes the MZ-S so special for me is its build
quality and the metal chassis. This is also what makes it so expensive.
The Pentax DSLR shouldn't be a niche product. This is a growing market
and there are many semi-professional users waiting for an affordable
DSLR. So its analogue sibling won't be a niche product, either. This new
chassis should be less expensive than the MZ-S in order to address a
bigger market. Let's make some calculations:
EOS-1D: 6500,- Euro
EOS-1V: 2000,- Euro
digital extra: 225%
D100: 2500,- Euro
F80: 500,- Euro
digital extra: 400%
D1: 5000,- Euro
F100: 1500,- Euro
digital extra: 233%
So the digital addon to an analogue SLR seems to cost something between
200 and 400% of the conventional camera. If the Pentax DSLR will really
cost only 1600,- Euro, than the analogue sibling would cost between 530
and 320 Euro. This can definitely be no MZ-S competitor. It would be a
plastics chassis comparable to the MZ-3/5/6.
>I strongly suspect that the new slr to be shown next year will replace the
>MZ-5n, MZ-3
Might be. But what about the MZ3/5-niche of the "classic" user
interface? Will Pentax release a DSLR with classic user elements? Or
will they drop thsi concept?
>and the MZ-S even if it sounds incredible.
Really;-) I guess that the MZ-S will stay a unique product in Pentax's
line-up. As the LX was some years ago.
>If Pentax chose not to introduce the KAF3 lens mount with this camera,
>then I suspect that the camera might be the MZ-1 and it will be
>augmented in the slr line-up with it's digital sibling, which might or
>might not have similar features, and the MZ-60 and the MZ-6.
I don't think that the new models will have much to do with the MZ-line-
up. The UK-based reports speak against this. I assume a complete new
design with similar functions as the MZ-6 has. I would appreciate KAF3
but I wonder if they can realize it in this first step and to that
price...
>I might be wrong though...
Who not?
Regards, Heiko
