Pentax versus the Rest

"So you're saying you shot all this with your new SLR?"

"Yeah, wait to you see it, the quality's amaaaaazing!"

(plugs camera into TV and switches on)

"Awwwwwww, Little Sally looks so cute!"

"Wait 'til you see the arty one I did of the dog."

"That. Is. AWESOME! I gotta get one of these! What's that funny buzzing noise? Did you have a fan on or something?"

"That's the lens changing focus. We found it a bit annoying so Bob's ordered a quiet one that's won loads of awards and is even better than this one."

"Cool."


I don't have hard figures but I'm willing to bet Pentax make a lot more money from lenses than bodies, so I say well played Hoya!

I find the cheaper bodies too plasticky, the ergonomics don't suit me, I don't like the IQ as much as Pentax and Nikon, where there are aperture rings they operate the opposite way, the more expensive bodies are too bulky and clumsy, they have had several serious issues and even complete product recalls.

In addition, I find it unacceptable that bodies costing thousands of pounds can be subject to poor image quality and need repairs, even under guarantee.

Which I guess is not what you want to accept, but that's just my opinion anyway!

Or the user could just buy a cheap directional microphone :

I did think of that, but most consumers wouldn't always carry it with them. How many of your (non-enthusiast) SLR owning mates carry and use so much as a remote cord? None of mine do because they bought gadgets that they don't really understand and they're quite happy to throw additional gadget-bucks at it to make it even more bling. Dangling wires ain't bling...

Either way, if I was Pentax Marketing I'd be bundling a DA18-55 WR too.

Good point

Hefty, making assumptions about consumer behaviour is obviously fraught with difficulties but I nevertheless have little doubt you are taking an extremely Panglossian view here.

Further, if the K7 is to marketed as video capable, but has useless sound (absent the use of an externally connected soundman) it seems to me Pentax will fall foul of not only irate consumers but also the fitness for purpose provisions of the Sale of Goods Act.

Consider another exchange:

Punter: "I'd like to look at that new dual slr/video camera from Pentax "

Jessops salesman: "Sorry, can't help you there, we only stock leading brands"

Punter: "That's strange, I've heard really great things about it"

Jessops salesman: "Don't you want one that does the talkies?"

Confused: "W...w...w...w...waddaya mean?"

Jessops salesman: "Can't hear a thing with the racket their lens makes; if you want something decent that'll cost you an extra monkey"

Confused: **Censored**

Jessops salesman: "Let me show you what Canon and Nikon do. They've carved up the market between themselves you know, and there's a reason for that [nudge, nudge, wink-wink]"

N/C newbie: "Lead the way"

Have you not noticed he big thick rubber plug on one side of the camera in the available images that's labelled "Mic" ?

Good point, but there is a flip side here.
By the time the K7 hits the market, chances are great there isn't any Jessops i.e box shifting sales man working there left.
So were does Punter go ?? SRS ------> PUF----------> dslr heaven

Martin.

I'm sorry, but you just don't get it.

There is no way that a setup like that is remotely close to useable holding the camera in one hand while waving around a handheld mic with the other.

I suppose you might obtain better results if you could rig up some kind of microphone- based headdress, but then you'd walk around looking like a complete tit all day long.

I thought most DSLR users did that anyway.

My Sennheiser mic. fits a hot shoe.

What can I say, I'm a glass half-full kind of guy.

As for the rest; yes certain shops will always push certain brands that offer the best incentives to them - it's not exactly a new concept.

If I was Pentax I'd have refused to supply a debt-ridden and weak looking chain with a large proportion of my stock on the never-never too. Instead I'd concentrate on online sales (where people who like to price-check shop), supermarkets/Argos/etc (for those who want it *now*) and specialised boutiques where those with the cash can make impulse purchases with four-figure price tags. For an example of the latter check out the Pentax display at Harrods - it's bigger than any of the other manufacturers' displays and has a full spread of Limiteds and Stars as well as the red crystal K200D (nestled on a satin cushion of course!).

Pentax are not going to be rivalling Canon or Nikon in terms of sales for a very long time (decades even) but as long as they keep coming up with great products I really don't care. After all, I don't hear many Ferrari owners complaining about Toyota because they sell more cars.

I was about to make the same comment Peter, external microphones making using of a hot shoe is a pretty regular set-up.
My Sony HDR-SR11 can be configured in the same way

Well then it must be me who doesn't get it, because I am utterly unable to fathom why an external mic mounted immediately above the lens should fail to pick up the focusing motor noise.

External mics are usually directional, that is they record in a forward cone, so less chance of camera focus noise as it will be below the cone.

I think