Splendid, very splendid indeed.

Sorry but I don't understand.

I knew you had upgraded to a K3 and I would have thought this scene suited the K3 so I was surprised to see you had used a K5iis - puzzled really. The choice between those two cameras is something I have been looking into so that is why it caught my attention.

I like the scenes but the balance of the elements isn't optimal for me. My personal taste is to avoid the Sun like that. But that is a matter of taste and the image is clearly well liked so that's more important.

Sounds more French than Geordie. My immediate thought on seeing these was why not the K3?

When I was first on the lookout for a Pentax (K20) there was no stockist at all in SE Kent -in fact none AFAICR anywhere east of the Medway, ie: proper Kent . I spoke to Seymour Harrisons and they told me that there was no point in stocking Pentax due to lack of demand and extremely poor backup from Pentax themselves. For the 645Z to have made it to Folkestone is great news from my perspective as Folkestone is where I grew up. I will try and pop in there after New Year as I shall be down that way.

True but the Far East is where Pentax seems most focused. The interesting thing about the Japan figures is that the Q does well. In many ways the K-S1 has that Q ethos and you would think would appeal to a similar audience. The K50, the K3 and the K5iis all figure in the Japan sales. The KS1 is nowhere. So maybe those boys in the video have a point, the K-S1 doesn't really fit in anywhere. If they are wrong why isn't it selling?

Here are the latest top 80 selling cameras from Japan. It is important to remember that how good or otherwise a camera is is not as important as how well it is selling. There is a correlation of course but the camera itself is only part of the story. Is it really Pentax' intention for this camera to be a niche product outside of the mainstream? If not then something is surely not right.

I have no doubt it is perfectly capable. I can also see the appeal of the lights and colours for those looking to move up from a mobile phone. I can also see the attraction of ithe size. But I can't see it being optimally successful as a mid-range model. I just think It had to be an entry level model by design rather than by default - ie: the K50 will be discontinued and the KS-1 price will drop to make it the de facto entry level. But by then the reviews are gathering dust and competitors bring out new entry level models so the momentum is lost. It took Pentax a long time and three iterations to get the Q cost/pricing strategy right because they were overambitious initially and it seems to me that they have't learned those lessons well enough. The camera is aimed at the Far East clearly and I hope I am wrong and it is selling like hotcakes there because it clearly isn't elsewhere.

One can be positive about a product and negative about the business decisions surrounding it.

The camera business is precarious. Not many would be surprised if Olympus went bust. Nikon are seeking to shore up the non-performing camera business with a non-organic growth strategy of acquisitions in the medical imaging sector. Strategy and marketing is key to a larger slice of a small pie, even a key lime pie.

John, I know that you will back Pentax to the hilt in any of their decisions that the rest of the world finds absurd such as the astronomical price of the original Q at launch and the obvious commercial flop of the K01. You were actually hoping for a Lime Pie version of a camera? You expect anyone to believe that? Behind the unerring loyalty is someone who has an extensive knowledge of the camera business. We are not fooled.

The K-S1 should be an entry level model not a price upgrade. The fact that price is flexible misses the point. Launching a product at the right market sector is crucial since that is where it is reviewed and those reviews count. The K-S1 should be an alternative to the Canon 1200 and Nikon 3100. It isn't. I see so many questions about which entry level model to go for the Nikon or the Canon and the Pentax isn't even on the radar. Yes the price can be reduced but the reviews can't be rewritten. Too late, boat missed.