[JinDesu]

People are going to be popping blood vessels when Adam renames this place RicohForums.com!

Stop giving him April Fools ideas.

[RobA_Oz]

No mention of Honeywell anywhere in that - I always assumed they were just a distributor, and only in the USA, but given that's a US website I would have thought they'd be noted somewhere. I could have missed something, of course. That website's not exactly a technological tour de force - scrolling is almost glacial, like the designer's let loose a 15 year-old with the dreaded Flash on it.

[Clinton]

People are going to be popping blood vessels when Adam renames this place RicohForums.com!

I hope he has the domain name in hand.

[scratchpaddy]

I hope he has the domain name in hand.

Actually... it appears that he does.

Ricoh Forums - Discuss Ricoh Cameras at PentaxForums.com

All the links lead here.

[Zygonyx]

WOW, that IS anticipation
Next step to history relegation...

[stevebrot]

The company has been Asahi, Honeywell, Pentax, Hoya and now Ricoh, whats the difference?

...and Ricoh has always been...Ricoh.

This is very strange since Ricoh also has a long history. I think it would have been better if they had continued to leverage the Pentax brand name sub'ed "A Ricoh Company".


Steve

[stevebrot]

I think the claim may be technically correct, since the text refers specifically to the American company (or subsidiary), formerly known as Pentax Imaging. That always was Pentax.

Except when it was Honeywell or Asahi.

There is another angle to this story. Ricoh did not acquire all of Pentax from Hoya, just Pentax Imaging. Hoya retained the medical optical device arm and continues to offer product under the Pentax name. It is the legal successor to Pentax corporation since it holds the original Pentax stock (well 90%+ of it anyway). Ricoh just bought a product line (cash sale with no transfer of stock) and (I believe) rights to use the name. It may well be that Hoya is concerned about brand dilution and has requested that Ricoh not do business under the Pentax name.


Steve

[stevebrot]

I always assumed they were just a distributor, and only in the USA

...Australasia as well, with Heiland branding (both Honeywell, just different labeling).

Most of the Japanese camera companies had U.S. distributors rather than U.S. subsidiaries. There may have been a legal reason that limited Japanese ownership of U.S. companies. It was not until the 1970s that I remember seeing U.S. subsidiaries.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Actually... it appears that he does.

Ricoh Forums - Discuss Ricoh Cameras at PentaxForums.com

All the links lead here.

Yep, the Internet domain name is owned by Adam.

Steve

[Clinton]

Nifty. Next comes the great forum merger.

[RobA_Oz]

...Australasia as well, with Heiland branding (both Honeywell, just different labeling).

Most of the Japanese camera companies had U.S. distributors rather than U.S. subsidiaries. There may have been a legal reason that limited Japanese ownership of U.S. companies. It was not until the 1970s that I remember seeing U.S. subsidiaries.


Steve

Maybe New Zealand, but I've never seen a Honeywell or Heiland branded Pentax in Australia. That's not to say there aren't any, but none has ever passed my way in nearly 50 years of Pentax use.

[drypenn]

My mother-in-law never forgave me when I "inadvertently" changed the last name of her daughter, after acquiring the latter in marriage.

[Kunzite]

"appropriating: Take (something) for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission.".
Breaking news: Ricoh bought Pentax Imaging. Who else do you think owns that legacy? Did it disappear into oblivion, and we should forget anything about it?
Instead of getting upset, I would like to see Ricoh Imaging itself proudly bragging with decades of Asahi Optical/Pentax heritage.

RH is complaining about the most silliest things; RIAC thinking they're Pentax (with new owners and a new name), serial numbers on the lenses (not kidding)... don't join him.

[mrbrightside]

There something weird about the first sentence. Looks like some grammatical mistake.

[RonHendriks1966]

It appears that Ricoh is trying to usurp Pentax' history. Take a look at this quote from their own website in the USA.

"The company now known as Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation, was originally founded in 1919, under the name Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co. and launched its first SLR camera in the 1950s under the PENTAX name. Today, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation continues to produce the heritage-rich, award-winning line of PENTAX DSLR cameras, lenses and sport optics equipment as well as Ricoh’s offering of stylish and compact digital cameras, known for their wide-ranging, rich set of features."

PENTAX - Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation Expands Team with Appointment of Brian McIntosh as Director of Marketing

You can call me a Ricohnian if you like.