Our local PC World recently closed down. It has re-opened next door as a big tarted up Curry's PC World. Looked at their whole camera range and not a single Pentax in sight. Did get the odd one in both old stores from time to time. Doesn't affect me as I wouldn't buy a camera there, well only in a big sale when they did occasionally sell off Pentax things at ridiculously low prices. Not a good sign for increasing the general market share.

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I'm conclusively the opposite. I've tried Q, K30, Panasonic Lumix, Samsung NV3 in live view to name a few and have yet been able to see anything clearly in live view outdoors in any sort of bright light. Then as for focusing on the 1 cm bird in the middle..........
Perhaps it's me age.

I feel Ricoh Pentax now have a good range of DSLRs if the K3 turns out to be as good as it first appears. (Except of course the FF fans unfortunately). The upgrade possibilities are quite good as well. I have been lucky so far in that I have made small to reasonable gains by upgrading with only relatively small costs of £100 or so each time after selling previous model. So far I have gone K-m, K-x, K-r and now K30 (A close run thing to the K5 but so much cheaper upgrade to K30 at time).
I now have four options - K5, K5ii, K5iis and K3. This time, if the K3 tests well, I may make a big financial leap straight to it, but if the gains become reported as not great I will have the advantage no doubt of slightly cheaper K5 ii's
Dave

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We all find a solution or workround I guess. Funnily enough I couldn't survive without raw and can never fully interpret the relevance of a histogram on the exposure of my small bird in the middle of the frame. To me the sliders are pretty much the same for raw as jpeg, just more effective. Not a criticism, just highlighting the differences in how we deal with similar challenges.

What is the specific reason why Pentax struggles with aspects of fast AF compared to the opposition? Of course this may be much better on the K3 but if there is a fundamental technical difference that cannot be resolved I have my doubts. It only really affects bird photographers in the main really. An example is that I was in Norfolk at the weekend and shooting a smallish bird on a lagoon when a flock of Brent Geese flew above quite close, really. Swing the K30 up with DA* 300mm and focus back, forward and then eventually lock on a rear view of a large flock of geese!
Dave

This is an interesting statement. So it's an entry level camera but it's not!
"The Pentax K-30 is a 16 megapixels APS-C DSLR which produces images of exceptional quality. While being the size and price of an entry-level model, the K-30 provides more professional features than its peers. This includes a 100% coverage viewfinder, a weather-sealed body which is freezeproof to -10C (14F), dual control-dials, built-in Shake Reduction and Automatic Horizon Correction."

SO is it price and size that defines "entry level" or is it features?
My perfect camera is entry level size and price with K3 features, sod the snobbery of not being able to call it a pro camera

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.... after all, what's the odd wedding going to cost in comparison
Dave

I was a bit underwhelmed with it but thought perhaps it was jealousy in not thinking of spicing mine up with a fisheye filter. I'm pleased for Bill though and also surprised I've not bumped into him up there.
I think with any competition of 55000 entries there are probably about a 1000 potential winners in reality. Just think when you take 200 shots on an outing how difficult it is to pick your favourite and that probably changes each time you look!

At the time I always wanted one of those. Not sure why I ended up with K mount Cosina but it was pretty good anyway.