K7 versus 7D

[brad_n]

<p>I visited my local dealer yesterday. FYI. He has received 3 K7s but hasn't sold any. In approximately the same period of time, he has received 16 7Ds all of which sold before they were shelved and has 4 more people on the waiting list.</p>

[personalphotos]

<p>That's cheerful. But really it just shows the weakness of the marketing end. Pentax engineering has always done a great job of creating cameras (even if they were slow to adopt certain things) and built advancements in the industry. But unfortunately only the forum members and little groups of loyal followers know what they have available.</p>

<p>Nikon has those AK ads running on TV all the time and creating hype about the brand. If you want a lifelong camera consumer, get some cool celeb hyping your product and the kids will check it out. Once they buy a few lenses, you could easily have them for 30 years. But first your brand has to be known to more than 50 year old guys like me that loved his K1000 and never left.</p>

[james_gay]

<p>To frugal ol' me, it looks like he's got more people with cents than common sense.<br>

Cheers...</p>

[shots worth sharing]

<p>Well I'm doin' my part: my K100D is Florida-bound to Abe's nephew. I guess I'm so cool he just had to have it ;~) Pretty soon he'll be bidding up lens prices on eBay. </p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>Sounds like the store is not familiar enough with these products to introduce the advanges of each to customers. Or maybe they make more money upon the sale of a 7D, and are thus more motivated to push that model. If customers come in already inquiring about a more expensive model, and about IS lenses, why disuade them in favor of a less expensive model having other advantages?</p>

<p>It would seem that SOMEONE coming in the door as a potential customer would be interested in a more compact body of excellent construction, having built-in SR that works with both old and new lenses, the fine compact Limited prime lenses, and Pentax' unique operating modes, along with Hyper operation and a RAW button... IF the salespersons were interested enough to know and convey these features.</p>

[laur1]

<p>I am looking at the facebook members for Pentax, Nikon, and Canon: Pentax has over 5k, Nikon and Canon have over 100k. Based on that 1:20 ratio, you can expect 20 Canons to be sold for each Pentax - 16 just isn't enough to trigger a Pentax sale :)<br>

And I expect the K-x to be a more attractive option for someone deciding to give Pentax a try than the K-7, which is a more significant investment - I expect it would be very rare that someone would get a K-7 as his first DSLR with no Pentax past.<br>

I've had someone ask me recently how did I even consider Pentax because he only knew about Canon or Nikon. Sad but true.</p>

[johnw436]

<p>If it weren't for Herbert Keppler I would never have given Pentax a second thought. His articles always grabbed my attention, perhaps due to his willingness to choose a product based on his own personal needs regardless of hype. He never came across as a shill to me. Aside from Herbert Keppler I can't name a single person who first introduced me to the brand. There has never been in my short photographic history any buzz about Pentax to the outside world.</p>

<p>I was in my early stages of photography with a Nikon N65 and a couple of zooms. When I read his article on the *ist D it really got my attention. The way he explained Pentax' huge quality to price ratio made me think.</p>

<p>I ended up getting a *ist DS and I was hooked. Now it's a K20d and handful of Limiteds. I couldn't be happier.</p>

<p>But I do understand what the OP is saying. When I'm out with my K20d and battery grip people remark about my "Pro" camera. When I'm shooting next to a Canikon shooter many of them give me the same quizzical look as though they didn't know there were DSLRs made by anyone but Canikon. </p>

<p>Recently there was a thread on the digital cameras forum where someone asked "If Nikon offered a body with VR built in, would you buy it?" I was amazed that so many respondants thought it was a new idea. At least that was the impression I got from them.</p>

<p>Pentax has done itself no favors through a total lack of advertising. It's great to be a 'best kept secret' unless your company actually intends to turn a profit.</p>

[petrana_batik]

<p><em>"It would seem that SOMEONE coming in the door as a potential customer would be interested in a more compact body of excellent construction, having built-in SR that works with both old and new lenses, the fine compact Limited prime lenses, and Pentax' unique operating modes, along with Hyper operation and a RAW button... IF the salespersons were interested enough to know and convey these features."</em><br>

<br /> -- all of these features came standard with the K10D, and still didn't place a dent on neither Canon nor Nikon. In fact, I believe that the K7D has less to offer over comparable Canikon models nowdays than the K10D did 3 years ago. People don't hop systems that easily, and newbies buy whatever their friends (or dealers?) tell them to buy..</p>

[brad_n]

<p>My dealer did a very competent job of selling me a K10 over the current Rebel Model because I have big hands and honestly needed a weather-proof camera and was going to save $$$ buying lenses because of the built-in VR. The k10 also was built like a tank and had some inovative features. When the K20 came out I bought it too and relagated by K10 to back-up duty.<br>

He told me the whole sob story about what Pentax has evolved into: no reps, no product information, very slow release of new lenses (other than short to normal, which they have an over abundance of). He says that he doesn't want to deal with them and that he really doesn't want to sell people on Pentax.</p>

<p>Now I am adicted to birding and there just aren't any decent Pentax lenses. They were supposed to release a 400mm: but where is it? It must be on the same schedule as their TC which must be about 24 months late by now. There were a couple good lenses made, most notably the 600mm/f4, but try and find one. Plus, you will have to pay nearly the price of a new Canon 500.</p>

[laur1]

<p>I have to admit that the way I initially found out about Pentax was due to confusing their name with that of Contax some 15 years ago :)</p>

[dan_stegal]

<p>Sigma for the long lenses needed for birding. Most of Sigma's offerings are also available in Pentax mounts. Or those cheapy ProOptic and other makers that are really really slow.</p>

<p> </p>

[personalphotos]

<p>Brad, there's the other issue. Near zero marketing and then they pulled all the reps out of the US market. So no one is educating and pushing the dealer network. You can't just produce a camera and send 3 to a store with the brochure and hope the 26 year old sales person reads it and sells a Pentax. Opps I forgot, they don't make brochres either. What was I thinking.</p>

<p>Plus that sales person probably sees the Canon or Nikon on a monthly basis. He or she drops off cameras and goodies for the staff to play with for nothing.</p>

[joe ogiba]

<p>When I purchased my first SLR system (Canon Pellix QL w/58mm F1.2, 200mm F3.5 and 200-400mm F5.6) in 1966 Pentax was the top selling SLR. I switched to Pentax in 1974 when I purchased the Pentax 6x7 system with ten lenses from 35mm fisheye to 400mm F4 telephoto.</p>

[bob_rapp1]

<p>Pentax's strenght over other manufacturers is their 100mm and under primes. However, that is not what the general public are looking for when they drop by Walmart, Best buy, Kmart and Costco. They want a zoom and many pros want only zooms and do not care for primes. It that regard, Nikon produces the best pro short zooms and Canon the best long zooms.</p>

<p>Pentax'x 2.8 zooms fell on their face due to early manufacturing flaws, but I think they have improved. If the lenses have been significantly improved, they they should have a now model desigantion to distinguish them from the earlier lenses.<br>

That said, I am a happy snapper with my Pentax primes as i deplore zooms and have since my first SLR i bought in 1968 (Spotmatic).<br>

Oh, and yes, advertising and in-shop pamphlets do help! I still have some I dreamed over from the 60's.</p>

[tomadakis]

<p>I bet that 99% of Pentax DSLRs and lenses are sold on the web. The buyers are educated consumers and probably readers of forums like this. Or loyal Pentax film guys and gals. Or their children that can resist the Canikon peer pressure.<br>

Marketing Plan: Strictly Word of Mouth.</p>

<p>Why would anyone buy from a store that knows very little about the K7, probably has no Pentax lens selection, Pentax flashes or any other Pentax Accesories in stock? Not even pictures of any of these items on a brochure.</p>

<p>Its a certain kind of people that buys Pentax. We are not the average consumer. Good or bad I have not figured out yet... but definitely different...</p>

<p>One more thing, since you got me talking, it is up to you and me to keep this "Word of Mouth" thing going.</p>

[laur1]

<p>Even if a store has a Pentax lens collection, their prices are most likely considerably higher than what you would see online.</p>