A year or two later, no A700 replacement and no sensible A200 upgrade path. The A500/550 came along at last, with entirely different ergonomics that didn't really fit me well. Knowing that I'd need to relearn my shooting routine to move up I went diagonally instead, to Pentax. Their cameras fit right again, and I found the nearly-ideal camera in the K-5. I juggled my lens lineup too many times to count (and I kinda tried!) but I didn't feel that any upcoming features would be missed in the near future. Yes focus peaking looked cool and video features sounded fun - but not enough to cause me concern.
Then the K-01 came out, which addressed a few things but went its own way in others. No weather seals, no viewfinder, and a curious shape - and the price was pretty high. No thanks. The K-30 had more cool features and was closer to the K-5 in many ways, but again my gut had been right: no reason to regret a K-5 here. I wasn't seeking a full-frame option, yet I saw just how many lenses I owned that would smoothly cross that line. What relief then, when Pentax announced no 2012 FF option!
Then recently the K-01 came crashing down in price. $550± for that camera was intriguing, and I could see its values in a new and cheaper light. That was still too much to pay though, and I managed to look the other way.
Well then it dropped another $200 - and the A700 endgame was playing out again. Could I look away from a $350 camera body with all those features, an incredible sensor, and with full PK-mount (and K-5 battery) compatibility? Well yes I could.. for a week or so, when forums announced that batch was gone. Would more appear? Probably, and that price might stick around.
But I thought the A700 would do that too - and I was very wrong.
So after another cut of about $20 on a few sites, my willpower failed, and a white K-01 has entered the building. For days when video is important and weather sealing less so, it will be great fun, a few grams lighter, and catch a few eyes. Thankfully most of my old gear has sold (and I let the Lumix GF2 / 17mm Olympus micro43 pair go as well), so this was a net zero in the bank accounts while clearing some shelf space! Now to grow the funds, and my willpower, back to their former levels!