New Players in the DSLR Market

[Mr. Pickles]

The Samsung one is simply a rebadged Pentax from what I have read. Not a "new" camera based on another firms body. I think Pentax needs Samsung for the techie part of the chip business,a nd probably manufacturing too. I don't know about most people, but if I liked the camera body and lineup, I'd certainly buy a Pentax long before I bought a Samsung, and yeah, I'd pay more for a Pentax too, but I would anyway.

Sony is a wait and see for me. If they stick to normal stuff, like do NOT stick the Memory Stick slot in it, they shoul dbe okay. They CAN make it work, but they have to market and sell it at the right cost. Typically Sony prices their stuff a bit higher thinking people will pay because it says Sony on it. Their new CEO probably knows better, since he admitted the iPod stuck a big dagger in their organization, and Sony lost that battle because of their own stupidity and inability.

Minolta is still making the glass. THis is good. Of course they could let Sigma have that business. Either way, their system isn't dead or ding, but it could if they abandon the existing Minolta crowd.

[Rokcet Scientist]

As a 20 year Minolta SLR vet the mere thought of a Sony 'SLR' in my bag is anathema to me. Brrrr! No, I'm afraid Minolta's time now looks to be truly over for me. When the time comes I guess it'll probably have to be a Canon or a Nikon.
Ah well, in any case I will then have an excuse to go and waste loads of money on a complete brand spanking new set of gear! Wow!
If that isn't an uplifting thought I don't know what is!

[Mr. Pickles]

I think Sony can. Don't think Samsung could. Sony has a pretty good base of mass market Portrait Studio types already using Sony digital cameras. I know Sears has Sony cameras in their "studios".

Perhaps what Pentax and Samsung need to do is really become one company, and have the Pentax name be on the better models, and lean towards pro type line, and the Samsungs be for the amatuer crowd. Lots of camera people know Pentax, but the price would ahve to really be nice to get a Samsung.

[Rokcet Scientist]

Originally Posted by bauerman

[...]People wanting to go "up a rung" from the super zoom all in ones?[...]

From a superzoom all-in-one to a dSLR with a similar optical range would be prohibitively expensive for most of us. I'd hardly call that a "rung"...

[edawn]

IF Sony can make a decent offering soon, I think it will probably retain some customers from the point and shoot crowd looking to move up, perhaps balancing out those that have decided to sell all their Minolta gear now and in the near future. *I think Sony has some fairly popular point and shoot cameras, so those owners probably wouldn't hesitate to stick with Sony for their transition to a DSLR. *And Sony will probably market their stuff better than KM ever did. *I'm not thrilled with the idea of having a Sony brand camera in my bag, but I'd like to see what they come up with before I jump ship. *I don't think I'll have a need to jump ship for a few years anyway, even though this whole thing does make me uneasy and kinda wish I had just gone with Nikon or Canon in the first place. *But, I really like my KM 5D, so...wait and see it is for me.
As far as the professional market goes, I don't see Sony offering something that high level at first. *But if they are able to build on what Minolta has established and get a large enough following in the lower ranks, they may attempt something in the future. *If most of the Minolta crowd and lots more Sony people come on board, then...why not?? *Let the cameras they produce speak for themselves, I say. *They have the power to make or break themselves in this sector. *Sometimes change can be good!

Elaine

[Mr. Pickles]

I don't think the way to the "professionals" is to make a "professional" cmaera. I think you can get them to come down a bit by offering the right stuff at the right price. Give some pros 12-15mp, 5fps, decent buffer, with great color, multiple card slots, and a decent feeling body, for $3000, and some will take the dip. They can do it.

[Kevin Barrett]

I believe I read an article on dpreview about a Sony executive who stated pretty emphatically that they had no intention in venturing
out of the prosumer space. I think Samsung would be smart to do the same.

[dougjgreen]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pickles

I think Sony can. Don't think Samsung could. Sony has a pretty good base of mass market Portrait Studio types already using Sony digital cameras. I know Sears has Sony cameras in their "studios".

Perhaps what Pentax and Samsung need to do is really become one company, and have the Pentax name be on the better models, and lean towards pro type line, and the Samsungs be for the amatuer crowd. Lots of camera people know Pentax, but the price would ahve to really be nice to get a Samsung.

Trust me, this is only a matter of time. The only problem is, the ONE company that will result will be almost 100% Samsung, with the possible exception of the Pentax brand name.

[Mr. Pickles]

If they wbecome one, and it is Samsung, they BETTER keep the Pentax name on those cameras.

[Nikonfreak]

Originally Posted by Rokcet Scientist

As a 20 year Minolta SLR vet the mere thought of a Sony 'SLR' in my bag is anathema to me. Brrrr! No, I'm afraid Minolta's time now looks to be truly over for me. When the time comes I guess it'll probably have to be a Canon or a Nikon.
Ah well, in any case I will then have an excuse to go and waste loads of money on a complete brand spanking new set of gear! Wow!
If that isn't an uplifting thought I don't know what is!

You could look at the bright side and get a bunch of minolta lenses cheap right now.

Julio

[Mr. Pickles]

My RCA camera is gonna be a lot better than your Sanyo

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pickles

My RCA camera is gonna be a lot better than your Sanyo

But didn't RCA get out of the consumer electronics (and computer) business while people were still using Vidicon tubes for their imagers?

[Mr. Pickles]

Probably, but it sounded good. Would look good on a camera don't ya think? Just wait till ya see Wal-Mart in white letters, right below the pop-up flash >

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pickles

Just wait till ya see Wal-Mart in white letters, right below the pop-up flash >

If Wal-Mart can get by with that, then surely dSLR bodies will have indeed become commodity items. And that may be good news rather than bad. Surely it will mean that no major manufacturer wouldl be able to get by with charging an outrageous price without offering some justification.

[dougjgreen]

Originally Posted by bauerman

Can we please have one market where Wal Mart is NOT a player.......please - I beg of you.............

Jared

I do believe that WalMart has stayed completely out of the luxury yacht market.

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by bauerman

Can we please have one market where Wal Mart is NOT a player.......please - I beg of you.............

BWAHAHAhahaha....

[Nikonfreak]

I would expect to see more consolidation rather than new entries into the market.

The players are pretty well entrenched. Sony is always willing to buy market share rather than earn it via competitive product offerings.

Expect Nikon and Canon to continue to be the big boys. Olympus and Sony in there next. The rest....kind of an afterthought.

[kkart]

Well, being a 15 year Minolta user (along with Ricoh) I am staying. I don't know why people WOULD jump ship. Just cuz the name on the camera has changed? Inside it is still KM heart and soul. Sony has hired all the R&D and Engineers from KM to help build their 1sr dslr which many do believe is none other than the KM D9i. A camera that WAS supposedly to be released at PMA this year. Minolta didn't have the marketing power to stay alive was the problem, Sony on the other hand does...being the #2 camera maker and seller in sales allows one to do that. If I was Nikon I would be seriously scared, you have to remember than Nikon's use Sony sensors. All but the D2 line. This is going to be veryyyyyy interesting in the next coming months. I stay because reguardless....the KM mount is still around and apparently AS will be as well. Incidentally if ya all wanna read more about all this, the Dyxum website is loaded http://www.dyxum.com

[dougjgreen]

Originally Posted by kkart

Well, being a 15 year Minolta user (along with Ricoh) I am staying. I don't know why people WOULD jump ship. Just cuz the name on the camera has changed? Inside it is still KM heart and soul.

kkart, have you bought your stock of large memory sticks yet?

[Mr. Pickles]

What is really wrong with the SONY Memory Stick Pro

I has the capability of containing 32GB of data. In its Pro Dup format, it doesn't appear to be much different in size to the SD, and it is bigger than the tiny and flimsy XD cards that others have. Don't know of a DSLR that uses XD, but some have an SD slot, in addition to a CF one. I think Sony's latest DSC-R1 (advanced Prosumer) has one CF and one Memory Stick Pro slot.