New Name Rumour and Some Told Specs - "K7D"

All the news almost come from a single origin, in fact.

First, it started to appear at the front page of a German web store for Pentax items, TeKaDe, just after photos of the new Pentax photos exposed (here, here and then here) that the store is accepting new pre-orders for the new Pentax DSLR - but without any technical information disclosed about the cam, but just a EUR 1500 price tag and the targeted shipment time frame:-

"Pentax neue DSLR KxxD ab sofort per Mail bestellbar. Preis um EUR 1500,00. Auslieferung Ende Juni/Anfang Juli 2009!"

Actually, I had seen it quite early and I opted not to particular post anything about it as I couldn't verify anything on this claim nor the actual source of information. Thus, I treated it as a wild rumour. Just see my previous response to one of my Blog readers here.

And, I was also not convinced that Pentax is to re-adopt the "D" letter again in this new body (which they have already dropped with the K2000/K-m), for what the webstore suggests. Isn't it rather odd and inconsistent to have a "K7D" to be in a "family"(?) with a "K-m", as least as named and to be marketed in the Europe??

However, the rumour continues.. One of my readers have made a post at my Blog here in Anonymity to tell that he has pre-ordered a "K7(D)" and then with some brief specs told in a firm tone (which I believe is that the shop told him verbally):-

"@ RiceHigh

Well, i pre-ordered one, a K7 ;D
at tekade.de. and yes, i wouldn't preorder something i wouldn't know a thing about...

but here are some of the specs, that are pretty sure!:

100% viewfinder, kind-of-metal-housing, hd-videomode, better, faster and more accurate af, 5-6fps, many little changes in order to improve ergonomy..."

But then the (single) source of information is actually the same, as he pre-ordered from the TeKaDe.

The webstore owner has also posted at an Austria forum himself, here is his post:-

http://www.fotografie.at/forum/fotografie-at/3-aktuelle-news/20514-neue-pentax-k7d/
(Google Translation in English Here)

It is also told that the new body will be announced by Pentax in the 3rd week of May.

In his signature, you can see that he is also the online dealer of Pentax gear with address http://www.pentaxshop.at/. On the front page of it, it can be seen that yet again it is just the TeKaDe! So, this guy is just the owner of both the German and Austria online webstore(s)! And, he is no Pentax official anyway nor he is actually a direct staff of any Pentax branch in Europe, as opposed to some hearsays with mis-information told (examples here at the PentaxForums and here at the DPR Pentax Forum).

But since this Pentax dealer has good reputations as told and he can be considered as a Pentax insider to a certain extent. I start to believe what he tells! :-) Probably, it is true. But, how dare he is to break the Embargo! And let's see how Pentax/Hoya will "punish" him in the meantime for breaching the NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement)! ;-D

Last but not least, if the 1500 Euro set price range is true, I don't think marketing wise Pentax will succeed again! Why not just go buy a popular/common FF DSLR like the D700 or 5D MkII just for a few more bucks if so? And, Hoya senior official told us last time at PMA that the new DSLR in Summer will be in the "same price range" of the K20D.. So? He actually *should* tell, "the new DSLR in Summer will be priced higher than the *original* set price of the K20D when it was first marketed"! ;-> :-0