<<It has occurred to me that Pentax seems to advertize a lot less than Canon or Nikon. When flipping through photo magazines, there seems to be ten Nikon and Canon adds for every one by Pentax (or other brands). Is this part of the reason why Pentax gear is a bit less expensive than Nikon or Canon? What do you think?>>
You are not reading the right sort of magazines..... Actually in 35mm this is true, but Nikon is a "superbrand" - it's official. Premium brands such as Nikon are able to get away with higher pricing, which in turn reinforces the superbrand. I don't think the ad budget has much to do with the overall pricing; although on the face of it there may appear to be a direct link. And now over to our business consultant.... Kind regards from sunny Brighton Peter
