Nice Pentax K7 video..

[bfitzgerald]

http://www.youtube.com/pentaxian1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I like some of their ideas, I hope Sony can find some of that Minolta type innovation that we have not really seen so far.
A lot of folks are saying Pentax are on top form now, and really nailing what "photographers want". I hope to see a less "consumer" Sony camera division over time.

[Javelin]

The problem is. People aren't going to buy that camera in large enough numbers for Pentax to gain market share which they have been steadily loosing for years because they are not understanding the market they are playing in. Sorry Barry... Photographers don't buy cameras, If the manufacturers cater solely to them then all cameras will be top end 3-5000 dollar machines because the quantities are so low. Pentax needed to do what Sony is doing, the K7 is a well specified camera but it's not going to be a game changer Hopefully they do sell enough that hoya will keep the light on over there. but If I was Hoya I would be wanting them to make a product that stopped their market slide. Also it really is starting to look like the video option is a red hearing amnd might be even worse with these shooting such a high resolution Video(that had to be expensive), I don't think Canon or Nikon got the ride they were expecting with those cameras.

[bfitzgerald]

Javelin, I am merely a casual observer in the Pentax line of things. Had a bit of time with a K10d, and a few older models. But DK would have a much better grasp on what goes on and the system as a whole for K mount.

I don't expect one model to change the world, and it might have some quirks (handling button placement etc), we will see. However, it does seem the company has at last listened to it's user base, and ramped up it's efforts to please them. Pentax have been to me a mini Minolta in some respects, different from the big 2, with some interesting ideas to offer. I think we need more of that in this crowded market.

From my observations things stalled a bit when Hoya took them over, K20d was not as competitive as it should have been, possibly not as refined for the market is was in. They are weak on marketing, and have lost the old 6mp budget SLR pull..and never really found a way to compete there as well as they used to. However,all that aside..they seem back on track, and more on the ball this time around. The K7, is creating a buzz...that's a good sign.

Sony need to find that buzz, and time their product launches better. They also don't seem to be very good at listening to their customers either..but the next higher end bodies will tell us more on that one.

[Dusty]

The new K7 has a few nice, simple features that Sony should incorporate. I especially like the ability to input photographer and copyright data into the camera to have it automatically appear in the exif data.

Dusty

[David Kilpatrick]

If I was not using MinSony, the Pentax line would have been a natural second choice for me. I like the design and features of the cameras.

However, I use the K20D alongside the A350 for a trip and the picture aesthetic quality (contrast, colour, exposure aspects) fell some way behind. For sharpness and detail it was a match or better.

David

[bfitzgerald]

That in camera level meter looks pretty nice.

Small touches that add up to nice things! Saying that, I wouldn't pay £1200 for one..

[Javelin]

well we will see when the sales numbers are known. Henrys guys are saying the D300 and D60 are outselling everything. even the new D5000 is not selling like they thought it would. The D90 I got to try (traded with a co-worker for a day) went back to henrys and was traded for a D300 it's only a couple hunderd more. it's been a topic with the sales guys at work for a few weeks now. I will be at another Henrys store tomorrow to trade my new now dead sigma flash in for another and i'll see what this week was like (first week after their big show) They are having a big trade your old Nikon in sale this week. and this particular henrys is a hardcore Nikon outlet. Where I shop they seem to like Oly better.

Henrys is the only place we can see cameras beyond the entry level ones.

theres something with the ads to I think I can actually show you

[Javelin]

ok well youtube doesn't have our particular ad but they have the euro version thats the same with diferent scenery and music as what they play now here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfzIMJ3_Y8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

there is only a total of 6 seconds in 1.5 minutes that says it has video. ours is even less than that and when it first played a lot more, maybe close to 1/2 the ad was on video and that was all chopped out to look like this one. except they don;t actually show the video result they just say with a voice and text on the screen that it shoots HD video

Contrast with this one from the D90 era

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgGQvI6H8XI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the whole spot is on D90 video. and they only mention LV at the very end. (I guess the guy is famous or something)

I think that video wasn't the draw they tought it was going to be. and theres been a shift in the way they are marketing these. I don't know about Canon. it only caught my attention because I got to try a D90 and I noticed the ads on TV had changed for the new camera, and a Sony rep from DPR pretty much said that this is what happened to Nikon and Canon both.

[Birma]

The feature set of the K7 looks great. Once we have some reviews of the production model then this could make me re-think who comes second in the "which brand would you choose if starting from scratch" poll . LV, HD video, 100% OVF, auto leveling - fab stuff.