Well, the LX probably sold only 1/20th as many as the Nikon F3,
but many on this list would say it was the better of the two.
High end cameras other than Nikon or Canon have a tough row to
how. They do not sell well, but of course the dealers don't
stock them so you can not walk in and by one, but that is
because they don't sell well (tautology intended). Actually
what is really happening is the dealer is thinking the Pentax
costs me $800 I can buy ten P&S for that, the Pentax will sell
within the month, but I will sell the P&S within a week so they
will be more profitable. So, why doesn't that apply to Nikon
and Canon? It does, have you ever looked for an F5 or an EOS-1v
in a mall store? But, they are asked for 20 to 1 over the other
brands.
Most people don't even know that there are other brands of pro
cameras. Say Nikon to people in the street and they say Pro
Camera. Say Pentax the say, "What is that?", say, Minota they
say, "Amateur Camera", even say , Leica they say, "What is
that?" (note that is the same thing they say about Pentax. In
fact if you ask people on the street what a pro camera is they
will say, "Nikon, Canon, Hasselblad <capital period>". They have
never even heard of any of the others.
But it is all a chicken and an egg situation. They don't sell
because you can not buy them because they don't sell. What? BS
you say? Hey, six months ago I tried to buy a ZX-5n. "Sorry,
we don't carry them because they don't sell". When I asked
about ordering one they wanted suggested list for them. B&H and
Adorama didn't have any in stock either. I don't think that was
because they don't sell, I think that was because the sold them
as fast as they could get them.
Every single list member who has handled the MZ-S has said they
liked it and thought it was worth the money. So far, two have
said their dealers said it was not worth the money. I say the
dealers said that rather than, "We have no intention of carrying
it". I asked the manager of a local store if they had seen it.
You know you know what he told me? "The Pentax Rep knows better
than to come in here." At least he was honest about it, unlike
the other dealers who have been quoted here.
--Tom
John Edwin Mason wrote:
>
> I talked to my favorite camera dealer today for the
> first time since he got back from the PMA. His
> reaction was the same as Dick's brother's. My guy
> also doesn't feel he can sell it for at the price
> Pentax will be asking (dealer cost about USD 800).
> He's frankly perplexed at Pentax's marketing strategy.
> The only people he sees buying the camera are serious
> Pentax fanatics, an exceedingly small market.
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