Pentax *ist Upgrade...not?

[Mr. Pickles]

I don't have a Pentax, but it sure seems odd when camera people do this. Pentax upgraded the *ist (again), and now they have the *ist-DL2. Apparently they added a couple more focus points, and it is now really the same camera as the Samsung GX-1S that came out earlier.

But this newly upgraded Pentax is only for Asia and Canada. What the

The rumor is now that Pentax will be the brand name for Asia and Canada (others), and that Samsung will be the brand name for US and Europe (others). What the

Is it just me that doesn't like this whole bit of garbage? No wonder Konica Minolta failed. They should have had a Konica and a Minolta. maybe one day there will be a Canon in the US, but in Canada it will be the Pistol?

Oh well, I guess these camera people thing that it is how it should be. Car companies do it they aren't hurting for buyers

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pickles

Car companies do it they aren't hurting for buyers

Try telling that to Ford or GM.

I have wondered myself about this tendency, but it had been confined mainly to giving different model names in different markets to basically the same camera. Olympus gets my vote as being the worst at this practice in the past, giving unrelated model designations to the same camera. For example, the Oly D-435 and C-180 are really the same thing, as are the D-545 and C-480 model pair; D-595 and C-500; D-630 and FE5500; and D-425 and C-170. Those are all current models, nor is this anything like a complete list. Canon does it too, calling the 300D and 350D the Digital Rebel and Digital Rebel XT in the U.S., but so far Canon has been less successful at confusing the public.

[Mr. Pickles]

Your right, but those less confusing ones are based on model numbers or names. What they may do is NOT sell a Pentax in the US, but sell the same camera as a Samsung.

Guess it would be like having a Ford XYZ car in the US, and the exact same model is a Volvo ABC in Canada. If you want a Volvo, you have to move, or import one yourself.