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Now, when it comes down to spending my $CDN, I'll buy online from thecamerastore.com in Calgary. Lower prices, less tax, and they know what they're talking about (if I call with a question). Sometimes I can save enough to buy another lens! And with the Canadian dollar dropping faster than the US, buying from B&H or others is no longer an option.
I agree with you. I too shop from thecamerastore.com in Calgary several times before for less tax (minus provincial tax) and lower shipping. It would be nice if they can price match with Prodigital2000. I also wish that there is another Prodigital2000 like online store operated outside of Ontario so we can take advantage of paying less tax.
Truth is Pentax is the lowest units-sold for 2007 of all brands... not just the major DSLR players, all brands. We can try and dance between the raindrops on this one, and speculate about what Hoya is going to do, but the apparent fact is that they are letting the Pentax brand die on the vine. I've cited this before, but in the sixth largest city in the country (Phoenix) there is not one dedicated camera store selling a full line of Pentax products. Hell, Ritz has the most: two stores with one K200 kit each, no lenses. You can't rent Pentax lenses and the used inventory is shrinking as the inventory slowly gets bought up (stores have either stopped buying them or low-ball them because they don't want them, there's no new-customer base to support the brand and upgrade is non-existent).
I don't know what it portends but it feels a lot like what happened to we die-hard British sports car owners (MG, Austin-Healy, Triumph, etc) in the late 1950s and early 1960s when those marques lost market share, demand dropped, technology lagged because there was no sales to support R&D, parts and service availability problems increased, no advertising and finally just no new customer demand. Yeah, a few of us hung on, but we were simply outgunned on the steet and eventually on the track.
And please don't flame me with comments about then why don't I just shutup and go buy something else. I want to use Pentax gear, I just want my commitment to be matched by the people who make and sell the gear and see a clear demonstration of innovation, growth and stability.
FHPhotographer
Couldn't agree more; seems like they're afraid to succeed or something these days.
luckely i didn't really trusted all the bull**** that guy at the store was saying.
Well done! It is sickening what store staff sometimes tell their customers. Several times I had the feeling (this was in audio stores) that they are telling porky pies in order push a product where they get the biggest margin from.
Plus, if you read some magazines, online stuff, visit forums, you'll typically know more than your average staff Joe. There are exceptions, of course, but they have become really rare.
At this weekend's Hunt's camera show (Hunt's is probably the biggest camera store in the Boston area), Pentax is noticably absent in the flyer :-P
There are sales on every brand including Olympus, Fuji and Sony but nothing from Pentax. Very odd. Maybe Pentax should make some fans honorary/virtual Pentax reps so they can cover shows like this and they don't have to incur the expense of sending actual reps down...
Same here in the Metro Detroit area. 1/3 of the camera stores have gone out of business in my area. This leaves two dedicated mom and pop shops, one appliance shop that is also a major camera shop (Adrays Dearborn) and a couple Ritz camera stores, not bad, but there is a problem. As you guys have stated all the stores are dropping or really lowering the quantity of Pentax gear.
What really disappoints me is when I go in Best-Buy or Micro Center or Circuit City and they have tons of Oly, Sony Nikon and Canon gear, nothing Pentax. And it seems just months ago my mom and pop stores had lots of Pentax stuff and even Samsung, like my GX10 I bought local, its almost like Pentax is going out of business if you just shopped at the stores and not the Internet, and many people do just that. They are Doctors, Lawyers and other well paid professionals or busy business people who just want a dSLR have deep wallets and dont want to do all the research and spending time on the Internet, they go into these mom and pop stores knowing they will get the best and buy Canon/Nikon, as do the pros. The other typical consumer is starting to buy Sony and Oly at Best-Buy along with Canon and Nikon. What and where does Pentax sell to in my area I dont know. There are a few of us Pentax guys in my area, thats what one of my sales man said at one of my stores and some Pentax Pros but nothing like C/N.
But there is another side to the story and that's the mom and pop stores always recommended N/C. When I went in to try the A100, E510 and GX10 out, the sales man was pushing me Canon first Nikon second, he even showed me a used D80 Nikon for $500 and said this is the camera I should get the others are not good. So I kinda dont blame Pentax for putting a stop to that type of marketing where the stores pushes Pentax down for others. So I think the Pentax logic is make them sell a certain amount and the stores wont do that anymore because they have to sell some Pentax and not let them sit there and collect dust. I think I see the logic, but its not working out. I think Pentax needed better and just more advertising, they had a great couple years and to me a typical consumer where looking like the top dog in the under $1000 dSLRs or low-mid cost dSLRs.
Another Metro Detroiter here who shares the sentiment. It seems like the only choice we have these days as far as Pentax goes is Ritz camera or a roadtrip up to camera mart up in Pontiac. I can't stand Ritz anyhow, and the other place is friendly, but it's also almost an hour away. So what does that leave me with when I'm out looking to try out something new, or a new lens? Ritz...
This is an issue, especially when I've begun to notice that all of the salespeople don't have a clue what they're talking about. For example, I was recently at a Ritz looking at the 50-125mm f2.8 on my K20D, and the salesperson actually started trying to persuade me that my shutter button was broken, alleging that it was because I bought it online and he went on to suggest that it was grey market. The best part? He began to compare and contrast the shutter feel on the K110D (his only Pentax) in stock, and the shutter feel on the sealed button on my K20D... I've brought in my K20D and K100D on different occasions and it seems like every sales associate there has owned each one some time or another. Hell, it seems like they've owned just about every camera out there at some time or another, haven't they? Sorry for the rant but, it's a reason why I don't buy from Ritz.
As far as Metro Detroit goes, it seems like Pentaxians are a pretty limited bunch, but to be honest, I really don't mind buying online in comparison to the barrage of BS that might be fed to me by a local salesperson.
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