Cheap & affordable: Isn't that the Pentax way? The enthusiast's camera? Besides, we've got F & FA for those who must have an aperture ring. So what does the rest matter to anyone? The LX & MZ-S are anomalies in the Pentax 35mm line-up. Nice, but out-of-order with the consistent design of the rest. If one needs a PJ body then the LX & MZ-S will be suitable. If one wants a hobbyist body then Pentax does beat C & N in price/features.
What I wish Pentax would figure out (maybe they have and we don't see the evidence yet) is that, at least in the US, people DO plunk down $2000 for what they want, and that even on a whim. They don't have to come in on the bottom end of the price scale any longer. Why? Because they have beat "N" to the consumer DSLR punch and have a chance to grab a really big market share in the niche. The digibino gimicks are just a waste of Pentax' energies & resources. $400 is no longer the restricting price point it was 10 years ago. The new digital marketplace has opened up the floodgates to the same-class buyers who 20 years ago spent $2000 on their first computers. Photography is now making a comeback and reclaiming the leisure $$$ that were lost to IBM PCs in 1983. And just like the PC industry ... this is the first of 3 years of BOOOMING DSLR sales. Watch. Collin ------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 19:50:13 +0200 From: "Alexandru-Cristian Sarbu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Well, IMO it's ok if Pentax makes FAJ lenses and *ist-like bodies - because those are cheap, and most people will simply buy the cheapest SLR they can find in a store. This is not a problem, if we'll have our well-build cameras with K&M compatibility (even if they cost slightly more, like the MZ-5n), nice primes with the aperture ring etc. Even 2 similar lenses, a plastic, very cheap FAJ and a FA with enough metal and aperture ring will be OK for me. Alex Sarbu ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .

