According to the 2012 DSLR Online Buyer Report from J.D. Power and Associates, Pentax ranks highest in Online Buyer Satisfaction, with a rating of 899 on a 1,000 point scale; performing particularly well in durability and reliability, variety of features, ease of operation, and shutter speed/lag time.
This report also notes that “Pentax’s customer base has shifted since 2011 from casual photographers to those who consider themselves semiprofessional or professional photographers”. So, we suspect that customer perception of Pentax as a higher quality brand may be improving, too.
Another observation that we’ve made here at Steve’s is that overall customer satisfaction between brands is very close now, with very little difference in them anymore when looking at the manufacturers’ DSLR lineups as a whole, versus specific market niches.
For example, this latest report from J.D. Powers and Associates indicates that all of the major manufacturers scored between 801 and 899 on a 1000 point scale. So, we commend all of them for continuing to improve their products over time, and welcome the closer competition between brands.
Another interesting finding in the report is online buyers of DSLR cameras are spending more, with an average online expenditure of $ 1,291, a 10 percent increase from $ 1,175 in 2011.
You can see the entire J.D. Power and Associates Press Release about their 2012 DSLR Online Buyer Report by clicking here.
