"Pentax" Was "Contax"!

RiceHigh · 06-10-2009, 01:35 AM

This is not commonly known by many people, including quite some Pentaxians, I believe. So, if you're interested, go find out the complete history of Pentax yourself!

<<Edited>>

cateto · 06-10-2009, 01:55 AM

From your own article:

"Well, who will be the next Pentax owner then? Will HOYA own Pentax and keep the brand name for longer? That depends. If the new wave of Pentax DSLR products marketing campaign by Hoya can succeed, I think so. Otherwise, I bet the next purchaser will appear very soon as it is very likely Hoya will be rather eager to seek a buyer soonest if the unfortunate thing happens, i.e., still poor marketing and sales results."

Quite strange comment from a Pentax supporter.

[/sarcasm mode off now]

gazonk · 06-10-2009, 01:57 AM

That's interesting info! I always thought these japanese camera brand names were made similar to german brand names on purpose (Pentax-Contax, Nikon-Zeiss Ikon), I had no idea Zeiss came up with the name themselves.

RiceHigh · 06-10-2009, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by gazonk

That's interesting info! I always thought these japanese camera brand names were made similar to german brand names on purpose (Pentax-Contax, Nikon-Zeiss Ikon), I had no idea Zeiss came up with the name themselves.

In fact, Pentax has been the most Western/European style name for a Japanese brand name. Just think about Canon, Nikon, Minolta or Fuji etc. All these are just Japanese pronounced names!

Only Pentax is a name with true English meaning.

RiceHigh · 06-10-2009, 02:04 AM

Originally Posted by cateto

Quite strange comment from a Pentax supporter.

WHO says I am a "supporter" of Pentax? ;-)

Douglas_of_Sweden · 06-10-2009, 02:05 AM

Originally Posted by RiceHigh

This is not commonly known by many people, including quite some Pentaxians, I believe. So, if you're interested, go find out the complete history of Pentax yourself!

RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: Complete History of Pentax (Very Detailed)

Well, nothing new there, there are severall sources on the web that cover in parts this and combined together all of this and more. Cannot really comment on weather this is a nice write up since the google English is not that good.

It is known from other sources that the Asahi Kogaku Goshi Kaisha was founded in November 1919. Since we are therefore approaching the 90 years birthday of Pentax, it would be nice to known the exact date that Asahi Kogaku was founded. Worth a celebratrion at the forum I believe. Probably there is some document from the registration of the company, if it still is preserved. I have not been able to find out the exact date from any web sources. Does anyone know? Perhaps we should write to Pentax and ask?

BTW, other sources also claim that Pentax was suggested when Nikon was looking for a good name...but the suggestion was rejected!

ogl · 06-10-2009, 02:06 AM

wikipedia/camerapedia have more info.

RiceHigh · 06-10-2009, 02:20 AM

Originally Posted by ogl

wikipedia/camerapedia have more info.

Not really.

Wikipedia's article (here) doesn't tell how come the name of "Pentax". It doesn't tell about who created and registered the brand name. It doesn't tell it was just a Contax! Nor, it tells who sold the brand name to Asahi Optical and when!

Maybe its time for you to update the Wikipedia's article! :-)

RiceHigh · 06-10-2009, 02:33 AM

I think there was no formal and exact date for the establishment. It was only a small OEM factory who made film projector elements when it was found.

Originally Posted by Douglas_of_Sweden

Well, nothing new there, there are severall sources on the web that cover in parts this and combined together all of this and more. Cannot really comment on weather this is a nice write up since the google English is not that good.

It is known from other sources that the Asahi Kogaku Goshi Kaisha was founded in November 1919. Since we are therefore approaching the 90 years birthday of Pentax, it would be nice to known the exact date that Asahi Kogaku was founded. Worth a celebratrion at the forum I believe. Probably there is some document from the registration of the company, if it still is preserved. I have not been able to find out the exact date from any web sources. Does anyone know? Perhaps we should write to Pentax and ask?

BTW, other sources also claim that Pentax was suggested when Nikon was looking for a good name...but the suggestion was rejected!

Douglas_of_Sweden · 06-10-2009, 03:11 AM

Originally Posted by RiceHigh

I think there was no formal and exact date for the establishment. It was only a small OEM factory who made film projector elements when it was found.

Your speculative thoughts is not a conclusive answer to my question.
The company is said to have been registered in November 1919. A registration means a document with signatures and a date. As far as I know Japan, it is a well organized place, so I would be surpriced if such a document did not exist once...the question is if it still exist, and how to find out what date is on it, to find out what day in November we are going to have the birth day party!

Now, without bothering to go through the whole article, the fact that (at least the google translation) it does not mention that Pentax was founded in November, means that it is not the "complete" Pentax history, which you claim. And of course it can't be, it is far too short for that. You would need to write a whole book. Maybe it is the best write up in Chinese, what do I know. But there was nothing in the google translation I did not know from before, and some interresting details missing. Non the less, I've saved the link.

RiceHigh · 06-10-2009, 03:28 AM

Originally Posted by Douglas_of_Sweden

Your speculative thoughts is not a conclusive answer to my question.
The company is said to have been registered in November 1919. A registration means a document with signatures and a date. As far as I know Japan, it is a well organized place, so I would be surpriced if such a document did not exist once...the question is if it still exist, and how to find out what date is on it, to find out what day in November we are going to have the birth day party!

Now, without bothering to go through the whole article, the fact that (at least the google translation) it does not mention that Pentax was founded in November, means that it is not the "complete" Pentax history, which you claim. And of course it can't be, it is far too short for that. You would need to write a whole book. Maybe it is the best write up in Chinese, what do I know. But there was nothing in the google translation I did not know from before, and some interresting details missing. Non the less, I've saved the link.

I agree with you this time.

Maybe anyone here knows about the birth DATE?

(I have never heard of the date but only the month/year so far. So, its unlike anyone of us here would know..)

gazonk · 06-10-2009, 03:46 AM

Originally Posted by RiceHigh

In fact, Pentax has been the most Western/European style name for a Japanese brand name. Just think about Canon, Nikon, Minolta or Fuji etc. All these are just Japanese pronounced names!

Only Pentax is a name with true English meaning.

Sure, but Nikon is a nice mix of Nippon and Ikon

(I thought of this long ago when I first learned about the Zeiss Ikon cameras (maybe from my mother, who used to have a Contax rangefinder), but Wikipedia also states this: The name Nikon, which dates from 1946, is a merging of Nippon Kōgaku (日本光学: "Japan Optical") and an imitation of Zeiss Ikon. )

Red · 06-10-2009, 05:35 AM

I was under the impression Pentax meant Pentaprism/Contax mount(M42), M42 developed by Ziess in 1938 and first used on the Zeiss Contax S camera.

The Zeiss east German name was Pentacon.

*monochrome* · 06-10-2009, 06:19 AM

Here is an article from Asahi Optical Historical Club, published in their Spotmatic Magazine, No, 32, in April, 2002 A Brief History of the Asahi Optical Corporation.

There is absolutely NOTHING new here.

*woof* · 06-10-2009, 06:47 AM

>> "Pentax" Was "Contax"

Interesting too is the fact that the original use of the name Pentax was for the 1957 Asahi Pentax "AP" or "Original." That useage was as a camera model name... like K10D, K20D. Please see: Pentax Corporation: Information from Answers.com

Quoting:

"By 1954, the company had launched the next generation of Asahiflex cameras. In the meantime, the company began developed of a new camera design, the world's first SLR camera to incorporate a pentaprism. This camera was launched in 1957 as the Pentax, and it thrust Asahi onto the world camera stage.

The success of the Pentax was immediate, and by the mid-1960s the company had sold more than one million SLR cameras. "

Please also see: Asahi Pentax and Pentax SLR 35mm ... - Google Book Search

It was not until later that the name was adopted as a trade name.

There is some dispute over the origin of the name. Some point out that it is meant to be PENTaprism/contAX, still other state that it is PENTAprism/refleX. The latter has some merit. Recall that they were already using the name AsahiFLEX and that the thing that was revolutionary in the 1957 Original was that it used a Pentaprism. Not much of a reach there. It is possible that they came up with the name themselves, did a search to see if it was in use, found that it was reserved and purchased it.

FWIW...

woof!