No but let me know your experience, it's on my list this year

Well, without going off on a big old rant, it's that "home market" bit that concerns me. Pentax is a great brand when it does a 'photographer's product' ie 645D, K-X, K-5. But when it does its thing of 'we have to make it slightly different' at the cost of 'what the photographer wants' then maybe I think it goes off the rails a little bit myself.

Ya know, honestly not saying other stuff is 'awful', just think the new product development team or whoever decides what they make is overly optimistic about making a big sale with a slightly whacky cult product rather than focusing on making its primary constituency happy. As in, with the Q, a bit of a hmmm sensor to accomodate small/trendy, the K-01, all the emphasis is on how it looks rather than the practical features people actually need. I might have bought the K-01 but without a VF, I can't even take pics of my boy playing rugby... sadly just not worth it for me =(.

Yep, let's hope for "photographer's" products ahead, solid functionality in bodies that are good value for money and are durable whetever the elements throws at us!

Just tested, I hear 2 clicks (a switch click and a second 'small spring' type click) on K7 when going MF => C, only 1 (switch click) when going C => AF.S.

CSC, yes, I certainly saw some noise about that, especially with others doing similar.. But Q, with those sensor specs at that pricepoint? There's always been a lot of 'small is nice, Pentax is good at it', but specifically this small with this tiny a sensor and that pricepoint?!? Must be before my time

As I understand it camera shops are hit by all sorts of woes at the moment

- accessories are cheapier from China from ebay so sell less in shops
- compacts which used to be pile em high sell em cheap are declining because of phone cameras
- there's a bit of a recession on so people don't have as much spare money
- instead of high street shops now having a catchment area with inevitable trade, they now have online competition... Which doesn't have their high street rent costs
- on top of that there are supply issues and exchange rate issues

So I can see it's hurting. But I'd also argue that camera shops don't always help themselves that much

- I haven't seen much innovative marketing from them. When I open AP it's always the same price lists, why don't they do more like intelligent user bundles, bundles with training hours, landscape photography 'cam plus 3 lens plus tripod plus filters plus books plus software' packages, user loyalty cards, try and buy schemes, creative financing etc. The rest of us are doing that and they need to catch up.
- I know people mourn the loss of the high street but being in sales and marketing myself I do think the high street is a bit lazy. As in it expects trade because it's there. Like it or not, the high street is going to have to realise that it needs to offer something more, because online retailers are also there. And this isn't going to go away.
- I don't entirely blame the high street cam shops though because I think they get handed a fairly rotten deal from some cam companies in the first place. I mean I don't get a feeling that for example Pentax really takes usergroup or feature feedback into much account when it developes new products, I think it's more a case of 'this new product is what we think will sell, here it is. I don't remember too many people asking for a Q or for a OVF-less K-01

Maybe we're all just going to have to get used to the idea that our hobby will become ever more niche, ever more expensive and therefore some brands will surely drop out the race.

Ned responded to a question by me citing "no price rises", if that was true in Europe too

Yes, agreed John. And I'm really not some rabid anti capitalist - companies need to make money, SRS included. Of course. But, here's the rub, if a product is suddenly going to cost me 25% more, well my salary hasn't gone up so, well, I'd like a little more value as well, please - only just I think?

I appreciate that he US and the UK may be different cases, hence the question. But you know, both Pentax and its distributors seem to be falling over themselves to deny they are responsible for price rises, but in both cases its the consumer that suffers and has to pay all sorts of extra money out of their own hard earned cash. But what has the consumer actually had in return? Nothing as far as I can tell?

Wobbly, thank you. But the question wasn't put to you, it was specifically and only put to SRS. I hope that this doesn't come across as rude but you and I don't have the facts to hand, we're uninformed. I'd rather have it from the horse's mouth so to speak.

Personally I can't help but be a little bit sceptical when no price rises have seemingly ocurred anywhere else. Ned confirmed none in the US and we've seen none in Europe. So just here? Or, none by Pentax themselves, but brought on by exchange rate shifts?

I've no doubt that Pentax and SRS are both cuddly fcompanies with great service and some terrific people there and all but you know, this camera stuff costs us a lot of money and I for one have no intention of just being a doormat and accepting being told you will now pay XYZ. Maybe some people are satisfied just to do as they're told - I'm not one of them!

Quick question for SRS, Ned specifically said in his statement that Pentax HADN'T increased any pricing recently? So are your price rises an exchange rate thing, or is there a different pricing sheet for Europe, issued quarterly?

Thank you

I maybe wrong but it looks to me like a spotmatic to eyepiece adapter