Well, the sky *IS NOT* falling. Sorry Pentax bashers.

[Lance B]

I also posted this on DPR:

A friend of mine in California, named Ned, has been corresponding with me via email and he talked about a camera company that he works for and it's future. I was surprised because it has many similarities to Pentax. Fancy that!

Here is an excerpt from his email to me:

"It looks like saner minds are prevailing due in part to "timo" and your posts. It appears that many folks on the forum have as much problem reading a financial statement as they do a focus chart.

Hoya is re-tooling the operations, changing our organization including the attitude and culture. We're focusing on dramatically improving our planning, time to market, and overall efficiencies.

As you know, Pentax was a very conservative, slow to change, risk averse organization. This will be a thing of the past, and was truly needed if Pentax is going to succeed long term.

Having worked at Canon, Polaroid, Adobe, all of these actions make perfect sense to me.

And, despite our having an expected loss in OP due to restructuring costs and weak demand for certain models, we were not alone in struggling with severe changes in the market and economy. In this same quarter, Canon's profit was -10%, and Nikon's was -23%.

Personally, I'm really enjoying working with the new execs that Hoya has put in place to turn us around. They're very sharp, understand the market, and are making everyone accountable for their actions.

Hope this helps give you a perspective that might not be evident from all the FUD that's being promoted on the forums.


Best Regards,
Ned"

Rest well Pentax DSLR owners. :-)

[ftpaddict]

Like you didn't know that was going to happen.

[philmorley]

well that should hold the sky up (at least until next month when there is a new reason LOL)

ooh camera announcements next month, that'll do it, pentax has been double doomed everytime they announce a camera ROFLMAO!!!

[Lance B]

Originally Posted by ftpaddict

Like you didn't know that was going to happen.

????????????

[zntgrg]

Thinking about Fuji and Olympus [lower sales than expected here too] probably bailing out from DSLR market really keeps sky upthere.

[kenyee]

Originally Posted by Lance B

I
As you know, Pentax was a very conservative, slow to change, risk averse organization. This will be a thing of the past, and was truly needed if Pentax is going to succeed long term.

I'd have to agree w/ this and I'm also glad Pentax/Hoya recognizes this. Things seem to be changing quickly in the DSLR market w/ fairly aggressive feature additions.
E.g., GPS, horizon indicators, FF, faster shutter speeds, recording video (which the K20D started with though not in a single file), etc.
Back in the old film SLR days, new features were introduced a *lot* slower, though probably only the older folks remember that It was probably half the pace or less...

[vievetrick]

Thanks for the update Lance. I was try not to read focus charts or threads saying the end is near. I do check out info from credible sources. I think you should have said a friend how name rymes with Ted and works with a company that rymes with Contax.

[RiceHigh]

Bloomberg? Nikkei Financial News? Hoya themselves??

What's the quote from Ned's email tells actually? Anything that we don't know or have already known well?

Yet, he've told one more fact. Canon and Nikon are both profitable, despite that their profits declined (ditto Hoya). But, how about Pentax?

In Hoya's report, it is told that the camera business is to be downsized and production volume is to be cut to save cost. Hoya bash Pentax??

You subject title in your OP doesn't make any sense at all, I would say, Lance.

Last but not least, why not invite Ned to post his views and some insider knowledge that can be disclosed directly instead of you copied his words for him? Would it be more direct and messages will be more exact?

[Gooshin]

Originally Posted by RiceHigh

Last but not least, why not invite Ned to post his views and some insider knowledge that can be disclosed directly instead of you copied his words for him? Would it be more direct and messages will be more exact?

You are aware of certain restrictions certain employees have on the freedom with which they discuss internal management politics and future plans with the public before due time, right?

Some may even consider what Lance has posted internal leak of info, and heads could roll, i hope they dont.

[Tom S.]

Originally Posted by ftpaddict

Like you didn't know that was going to happen.

I for one didn't know. Here in the states, we have people called corporate raiders who buy up companies, get rid of anything non profitable (including customer service!), then turn around and sell it for a profit because it's bottom line has improved. The unfortunate result is a year or so later the company ends up bankrupt.

That was my fear with the Hoya take over.

[BrendanPK]

No suprise, All is even headed of what Ned said, and seamingly on track with what other mergers have done.
He is correct that Pentax always had a ultra low-risk atitude and they have needed some freedom to spend $$ and take a risk on a new concept.
As far as insider info, I think not. Its general knowledge of most of the stuff. Him saying the New Boss will let them take some risks is no big deal IMHO

[MRRiley]

Ricey ma boy.... Pentax will far outlive you! Go play with your Cannon...

Originally Posted by RiceHigh

Bloomberg? Nikkei Financial News? Hoya themselves??

What's the quote from Ned's email tells actually? Anything that we don't know or have already known well?

Yet, he've told one more fact. Canon and Nikon are both profitable, despite that their profits declined (ditto Hoya). But, how about Pentax?

In Hoya's report, it is told that the camera business is to be downsized and production volume is to be cut to save cost. Hoya bash Pentax??

You subject title in your OP doesn't make any sense at all, I would say, Lance.

Last but not least, why not invite Ned to post his views and some insider knowledge that can be disclosed directly instead of you copied his words for him? Would it be more direct and messages will be more exact?

Rice,

I wasn't willing to enter this kind of threads because honnestly I think they are just a big waste of time. But I gave you my word that I will bring down with arguments any blatant lie and/or spin you put on a Pentax related story. So, here it goes:

1) according to the bloomberg article: Bloomberg.com: Asia Hoya is making a better than estimated profit (arround 200M USD) as a group and Pentax has lost in the last quarter something like 365K USD (to put this in perspective it means 365 Pentax K20D bodies. RH, you wish that this is a loss in fact they break even after a period with heavy investments in developing the most new lenses and cameras in a year ever for the modern days at Pentax.
2) Hoya's shares "climbed the most in almost seven years following the results."
3) "camera business" could very well mean digicam business and if you were not that biased by the hate you have for Pentax you could take this into consideration. In fact I bet that they'll outsource p&s' and focus on DSLR gear (just to make you even bitter if this is possible) ;
4) I could tell you some subjective oppinions I have about how a merger really happens or when one company could see the results of such a kind of action but it would be useless.

I know that it really hurts you to see Pentax not being burried and I can only imagine the pain you'll feel in the next months/years as Canon will be losing 5-7% market share a year and others will progress (Nikon, Sony, Pentax).
We'll need you for fun in the next year or so.
BTW I must confess that seeing the Olympic Games this days the very image of those BLACK lenses (at least on par with white ones in numbers) makes me full of joy.

Be well,
Radu

[Oldschool]

RH does seem to bring out the best in people.

[ftpaddict]

Originally Posted by Lance B

????????????

I was sure that's what Hoya was planning to do with Pentax from the get-go. Restructuring, aggressive marketing, improving efficiency etc.

Pentax has been way too conservative. This just can't do in today's competitive market.