John Lewis

Given the lack of photographic retailers in Edinburgh, it was good to see two Pentax cameras ( the K-S1 and K-50) on display in John Lewis. Even noticed someone trying one. Must be Christmas.

I remember being in there not so long back and they had quite a few, nice to see em keeping it up, they had quite a good range of Pentax Fuji and Olympus not just the big three, choice is good...

John Lewis started stocking Pentax around a year ago, maybe more. Good to see, certainly.

Looking at their website, the prices are competitive and they have a two-year guarantee.

not been impressed by their sales staff. Picked up an xt1 to have a look at and the chap didn't have a clue about what I would of thought would be a fairly well selling system. So not sure how much use they'd be when it comes to Pentax kit then!

The Pentax were surrounded by the usual brands but it was nice to see them in the "flesh". Can't recall the last time I saw one in a shop in Edinburgh.
Actually saw three in operation yesterday- one white, one yellow and one red - all with young folk!!!

Interesting isn't it that a couple of years ago it was the big two with Sony apparently going nowhere in the camera business.

Wonder what would have happened if they had bought Pentax instead of Minolta.

In all out sales worldwide I think it's probably the big one by now and if it isn't it soon will be, If Sony ever get the hell out of the TV market which they won't, who knows they may even sniff a profit!
The numbers published however rarely tally and vary widely,
The last BCN ranking had Canon #1, Nikon #2 but that was for Japan and I think for interchangable lens camera's only.
Oddly Sony has a smaller percentile of that particular home (Japan) market than Pentax/Ricoh
We're "Big in Japan"
Well, quite big...

People moan about the number of lenses that Pentax have, but conveniently seem to forget that Sony probably have more bodies than lenses now!

From memory CanNik lens sales were about 150% of camera sales so the money is in the lenses.

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Just about to purchase a K3 elsewhere when I noticed they'd dropped the price this last week. So that's £70 cash back and double points on the partnership card

Why do people go on about Sony it's only a dam Minolta rebadged and at one point you could only get them in dixons

Pentax NOT available in John Lewis Reading...

The Reading store had K-S1 in stock the other day

Because Sony is taking massive steps that Pentax is afraid to.

Sony has full frame, and take a look at the variety of full frame. Sony has cameras such as nex. Sony has quite the line of pocket cameras; some even having 20x optical zoom in a nearly pocket size. Sony has the entire camera line covered, except medium format (but naturally the same can be said about Canon and Nikon on the medium format).

More about the Sony camera line, take a look at those prices; from entry level pocket digitals all the way to their top of the line full frame. Compare those prices with Pentax's existing line. Which is just another reason which forces Pentax into more of a bind. If Pentax ever does come out with full frame, it will almost have to be at the same price levels as Sony. Could that ever really be possible??

Also look the stats of the big three; even the complete sales figures for still digitals. Then take a look at the entire sales numbers of Pentax.

Sure I have more than a fair share of camera bodies that still have that Pentax label on them; and an extraordinary line of lenses, although still somewhat limited (due to PK lens availability restrictions?? I'm not the only one out there that is seriously beginning to question Pentax. It's unfortunate. Really like some of their current items, but can they really compete? Plus also imagine, how many people out there will have a genuine need to have a second system, such as a Sony or a Nikon. Because each and every time that anyone needs to look outside of the Pentax label, then hoping that the person will not permanently give up on Pentax

We should be grateful to dam Minolta for introducing the first "in body" AF SLR, the first "in body" image stabilisation (DiMAGE A1) and certainly for me, some terrific "G" lenses.

Best regards

Might want to brush up on their current product offering before writing a post like that.

With regards to lenses, yes they don't have many, but mirrorless opens up compatibility with nearly all lens types, including rangefinder lenses. More native lenses with come, but the fact is that they don't need many to still be able to offer an immediately useful range.