The words "professional" and "amateur" make a big difference to some
companies and very little difference to others. Some companies apply them
strictly and others indiscriminately. Kodak, for instance, has separate
professional and amateur divisions. The two have separate advertising
budgets, even.
Among photographers, there are many ways of defining "pro" status. Everybody
has their own way of doing it. At _Photo Techniques_ I defined "pro" as
somebody who has made at least 80% of a viable, sustainable personal or
family income for a minimum of three years from shooting and selling
photographs on assignment or commission, excluding art photographers. A pro
is definitely _not_ somebody who just occasionally makes a little money from
photography.
"Professional" in a 35mm SLR means that:
--It offers whatever the current state-of-the-art in terms of features and
technology is believed to be;
--It's made for a large number of shutter cycles (typically 150k, vs. 5-10k
for an entry-level SLR and 2-5k for a p/s) and high reliability and
toughness;
--It is part of a comprehensive system that makes available every accessory
and lens that a wide variety of pros might need, especially a comprehensive
line of flash equipment and top-quality fast zooms;
--The company has a Professional Services division that actively courts high
level pros and services all pros' needs. This ranges from loaner equipment
and fast turnaround on service to on-site support at major events such as
the Olympics. It costs maybe $8-10 million to launch a PS division, and many
camera makers simply can't or won't make that investment. To even be
eligible for PS membership, a photographer needs to satisfy a list of
criteria that includes multiple tearsheets--published advertising or
editorial photographs that they've been paid for (i.e., not just contest
winners or vanity publications).
--High visibility. This includes name recognition among clients and a
presence at places where photographers congregate, meaning lots of
photographers using the eqiupment at places like sporting events, government
press conferences, runway fashion shows, etc.
--Good used and rental availability, and good repair service availability
both official and independent.
There are really only two "professional" 35mm film cameras at the moment--
the Nikon F5 and the Canon EOS-1v. Other cameras might be _called_
"professional" but that's largely an advertising buzzword meant to appeal to
consumers. And some real pros may shoot other marques but their numbers are
dwarfed by those shooting Nikon or Canon. The only other company that's
making a stab at a pro camera is Minolta with the Maxxum/Dynax 9.
Empirically, you might also claim that the Leica M6 is still a valid pro
camera because a statistically significant minority of photojournalists use
it.
Strictly speaking, Pentax doesn't have a professional camera in its lineup
right now, and Pentax is not a mainline professional company because of the
lack of Professional Services support, limitations in the system lineup, and
scarce rental availability.
The MZ-S, excellent product though it may be, is not by any stretch of the
imagination a professional camera, however astute and appropriate its niche
placement is. Its viewfinder is not adequate and its frame rate is not high
enough, among other things. I'm quite sure the MZ-S exists because it's
going to be the platform for the upcoming 6 megapixel digital camera from
Pentax that will be aimed at both pros and consumers. (This is also the
reason the Contax N1 exists, IMO.)
--Mike
P.S. Whoever said that some professionals shoot Spotmatics or K1000's is
dreaming. Not one in 500 pros shoots either of those cameras as their main
35mm! I'd be surprised if the number is even that high.
P.P.S. There is absolutely nothing wrong with "non-pro" cameras. If
anything, far too many amateurs and rich snapshooter lug around big, beastly
Canons and Nikons under the misguided impression that they're the "best"
because "pros use them," when in fact a variety of other cameras would
actually suit their needs better based on a whole range of criteria.
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