Pentax: keep DSLRs, maybe drop digicams

The arguments from a major Pentax investor that they should drop digital cameras might make sense for compact, fixed lens "digicams" but not for interchangable lens camera systems like DSLRs.

The digicam market has become a fast moving, low margin sector where tiny Pentax might have trouble competing with large consumer electronic companies: Pentax digicam sales of about 2 million last year are way behind leaders like Canon and Sony (almost 20 million) and even mid-level digicam brands lie Olymus and Nikon (around 8 million), and the digicam division is struggling to make any profit.

But interchangeable lens camera systems have the same virtue mentioned for endoscopes: once customers own Pentax DLSR's and lenses, they are somewhat locked in to buying new bodies and lenses in the same lens mount.

So my advice (and hope) would be for Pentax to keep working on the SLR body and lens market.