New K100D Super

Right, but I'm suggesting that very few people will be attracted to Pentax by this increased spec. The only lenses to use SDM when the K100D-Super is released will be the two f/2.8 zooms (and that's assuming they are released then). They're both comparatively high-end lenses, not the sort of thing that most potential entry-level dSLR buyers will be looking at.

No, I don't have to upgrade. I do however have to watch as the company uses its time and money doing things that I don't consider all that useful, when they could be doing other things that to me would seem more constructive, and beneficial to Pentax users (which I take to include current Pentax users, not just potential ones...)

Like Staying in business? It's tough out there, and getting market share matters to us all.

DR alone may not turn people onto Pentax now, but lack of DR will turn many people off in future if every other make has it for every price point. Pentax has to be ready promptly and not wait until they are loosing business because they are falling behind in any one area.

If you want the company to survive, you have to let them spend some of your money supporting products that you are not interested in, personally.

I wouldn't have thought the changes were all that costly anyway since the technology has already been developed. It's just being shared amongst more of the models now - which seems a perfectly natural and good thing, to me.

Yes. Yes it does. Where exactly did I say I don't want Pentax to increase market share? I said I would like Pentax to focus on existing customers as well as potential new ones. More to the point, I also said that I don't believe what they've done with the K100D Super is going to be all that good for the purposes of attracting people to Pentax... in other words, i don't think it's really going to increase (or do all that much to secure) market share, because I don't think it does very much to appeal to the people it's trying to appeal to. I have made that point in two posts now but people seem to be able to reply to my posts without reading them.

Yes. But it doesn't mean I have to agree that they're going about it the right way. Since you point out the costs of what they've done here are low, why not invest a bit more and make the product stand out more, come out with something that will actually draw people's attention a bit more than saying "Hey now you can have dust reduction... oh and support for lenses you won't or can't buy yet".

It's more important than increasing market share. Pentax need to maintain the share they already have.

I think you drastically underestimate the importance of dust reduction to the average consumer of the near future. Advertising from competitors and comments in the media will disuade people from buying dSLRs without dust reduction.

If Pentax don't have DR on some/all of their cheaper models as well as the top models, not only will Pentax not increase their market share, they will go out of business altogether.

That is exactly what they are bound to be doing, but the research and development takes time. Anything more radical simply isn't ready yet. Meanwhile dust reduction and lens support is ready, so they might as well bung it in the cameras now. Every little helps when it comes to maintaining (if not increasing) market share.

Erm... well based on that post it seems to me that you underestimate everything except dust reduction.

The pixel count may not matter to me or you but it's significant that reviews usually have to point out that 6mp is adequate. I am sure than many consumers are not convinced.

If you are concerned about people looking at specs and comparing features, do you not think a larger buffer would also impress potential buyers?

Do you think negative comments about lens range or availability are rare? Here the competitors don't even need to advertise because every photo forum in the world is full of Canon and Nikon users doing it for them, every post of "What dSLR?" being met by comments about how the big two offer more choice, more widely available.

And finally, since we are talking about the importance of perception, there's a wider issue here... it's the same camera body, several years on, with most of the same contents inside it. Each 'update' is a minor one which no doubt you think is valuable, but it can't possibly look that impressive to people not yet invested in the system.

Dust reduction is just one feature, just one entry on a spec sheet, and just one thing which competitors might advertise and reviewers might comment on. There are others too, which aren't being addressed.

OK... You say "every little helps". I'll be willing to concede the point, since you put it in those terms (I have seen people on other forums using other terms, like "Marketing genius" and "awesome". To put it bluntly, what they've done here is a half-arsed move. If it's a half-arsed move which genuinely helps to maintain or increase market share, then good... if.

Fair point about pixel count, but they surely can't be staying with 6MP for much longer.

They can't do everything at once - and for a low price. Doing it in half-arsed advances is OK by me.

I think I would be one of the sorts of people Pentax is aiming their new model at (if I didn't have a Pentax dSLR already). I would prefer dust reduction to 10MP if that was the straight choice, and I don't mind buying lenses from the likes of Sigma and Tamron. With these included, and older Pentax lenses, there is easily enough choice to continually wipe out my bank account

Hehe, I don't mind either but don't get me started - I'm still waiting for Sigma to confirm that they're actually going to make the 70-200mm on which I paid a deposit. I definitely can't blame Pentax for that and I could probably go off on a whole other rant about Sigma's current attitude to Pentax and Minolta customers... but I think I'm all out of rant for today

Sorry for getting agitated, to be honest I think half the time I was actually responding to what I was reading on another forum. Anyway I am now the new owner of a 35mm f/2 courtesy of a fellow poster, so after a day's shooting with that I will return hopefully a lot calmer

Yes, for a moment I thought I was reading another forum. No need to mention which.

G

As I said in an earlier post , entry level DSLR's should be viewed as a consumer electronics product, and as such we can expect every advanced feature to be added, until every man and his dog has got one (VTR parallel).
The majority of people buying will not be particularly interested in photography, to them it will be another gadget to add the collection. Few will ever need anything more than whatever kit lens is supplied.

To attract this type of buyer, the camera needs to appear modern, and have lots of flashy features, whether they are useful or not. Consider this, why not make the K100 Super available in a number of bright colours? Not for the purist, but widens the appeal to the cash rich, fashion concious younger generation.

I also mentioned in an earlier post about thinking more holistically. A savvy company should consider all parts of the value chain and market accordingly. This is about showing off images, shutter, apertures or focal lengths are of no interest.

Camera, Software, Printing, Display
Pentax, Adobe, Epson, Samsung

A holistic strategy would focus on alliances/partnerships and bundled packages, that provide non photographers with all that they need to create and display their images.

Success in the entry level market is vital, as it will fund the development of features, that members of this forum (as photographers) are asking for.

Hot pink k100 super.
sr, gps, dr, ssm, wi-fi, cell phone, lens cap on warning, babel fish translater, currency calculator, mp3 player.
Everything a Paris Hilton wanna-be could want, sorry it cannot parallel park your car.

Especially when over the legal alcohol limit.

Actually it wasn't Dpreview. It was PentaxForums. And as far as I'm concerned, blind brand loyalty and applauding absolutely everything the company ever does, while refusing to accept that any criticism may be valid (which is what was happening there and which is not unheard-of here) is what I see from Canon or Nikon users on Dpreview, and does no more to help Pentax or Pentax users than the negative posts on that site.