[Pande]

Ricoh/Pentax ownreship

Well, it´s gone a while after Ricoh become the owner of the Pentax brand. In my opinion, it looks like Ricoh is taken care of Pentax. The K-3 was a good signal for what they are thinking about Pentax DSLRs. They also "attack" the entry level in a good way. The optics they show, looks like they are going for quality, the pricing is a little to high for us amateurs, and there is a lot of us.... (and i would also prefer the green ring, i don't want to look like a Canonist....)
What do you others think about the first period of the Ricoh ownership?

[GibbyTheMole]

I think Pentax is fine. I'm not worried.

[H. Sapiens]

Well, if I didn't knew already I wouldn't have noticed. It is possible they are working hard in the background, but for better or worse I don't see any signs that Ricoh are going to change things around. But the market for cameras might not be looking too bright right now, and I understand there's are financial crisis brewing in Japan. Some companies will use troubled times to expand, but I think Ricoh plays it safe. If I was waiting for FF, monster tele lenses or anything I would not wait around.

[northcoastgreg]

I think Ricoh has done about as well as could reasonably be expected. Of course, given the unrealistic expectations that Ricoh is saddled with, not everyone will be pleased with how they've managed things in the last few years.

[Mistral75]

I think you posted in the wrong section .

[Pentax Bob]

I am an old timer Pentax user. I have an ME Super, K-x, K-3 and a mix of new and legacy glass. This provides me with a potential for photographic excellence that far surpasses my current abilities. I am very happy that Ricoh is supporting the Pentax brand. I agree that the prices for top of the line Pentax glass and accessories is beyond my reach. I am enjoying experimenting with my tools as I continue to learn. Thanks Ricoh and keep up the good work.


Pentax Bob

[jatrax]

There are lots of complaints that Ricoh has not done this or that, or moved fast enough. But to make a judgement on their performance I think it is important to step back and see where Pentax was before they bought them. When I bought my k-x and joined this forum I was shocked to find most of the rumors predicting that Pentax would close soon and that the current cameras might be the last. The good thing was that used lenses were dirt cheap, and if I had known then what I know now I would have bought every good lens I could and would close to have doubled my money in just a few years.

I think they have done as well as anyone could with what they had to work with, resources available, economy in general and decline in camera sales in particular. Easy for people to wave a magic wand and make things happen, but without a magic wand getting things done and executing a plan is hard work that takes time. So far I'm impressed with what they have achieved and I think they are just getting started.

[6BQ5]

I think H. Sapiens said it very welll. Ricoh is doing pretty good with Pentax considering the economic climate and the camera market. We saw the release of several products from lenses to bodies to accessories. Granted, some of that could have started before Ricoh's involvement but they certainly didn't shut down efforts. That's a plus. We've also seen the announcement of an updated 645 which is no doubt a major undertaking. Ricoh has to be careful and not overextend. That's easy to do with the hopes that money will start coming in. Build the products and the customers will come! Response : maybe.... maybe. Ask Nikon about that and see how it went for them recently.

We don't know what is happening in the background. It's sort of like politics. We can be critical of our leaders and have strong opinions but until we see the papers that pass over the desk we can only guess what it must be like.

[lesmore49]

I'm happy that Ricoh is the owner of Pentax and I'm content with their direction and progress.

[Stone G.]

I'm happy that Ricoh is the owner of Pentax and I'm content with their direction and progress.

+1

But I cannot help adding this: The former owner, Hoya has been blamed for many things, but they took over a company that after several years of poor management was at the verge of bankrupcy. And yet, it was in their time that we got: The 645D, the Q, the O-GPs1, some very good lenses and last but not least the K-5. Innovation at Pentax did not stop completely with Hoya's take-over.

I believe that Ricoh knew very well that they were buying into an intersting technology base and I am confident that they intend to maintain and develop that base - let's only hope that they understand the market conditions and timing opportunities better than we do. I, for one, am pretty certain that they do!

[Uluru]

K-3 was indeed good, but one swallow does not make a summer. Most of the last 3 years since purchase was spent on reorganisation, transition issues, culture adjustments and any more serious development started very late, end of 2012 or beginning 2013 (when camera market already started declining more seriously.)

The idea exchange in the joint team was minimal to affect scheduled products, as we see in the K-3 and GR, which both implemented only superficial proofs two teams were working together: the TAv on mode dial in the GR, and variable White Balance on the K-3. It was an orchestrated act through a detail to show users and media things are moving on.

Only truly new product, that could suggest a new investment and a new idea, was the DA20-40 lens, but I had it from the sources that was a Pentax design readying before 2010, but never released until now. It was waiting for the HD, and therefore all lens designs were put aside and the HD introduced first.

However, we have new processes and applications in place, the HD which should be more than a coating formula — also a marketing buzzword, another designed proof things are moving on.

Following months and Fotokina should be interesting, as we may see the new 645D, and possible update/new models to lower grade DSLRs (K50 successor). It would be interesting to see how the K-3 will be disassembled into a plastic and colourful chassis.

Although I believe that the scaling down the K-3 and excellent Crop sensor tech they have developed can be more interesting than a mere K-50's successor alone. There is a room for a true middle-ground camera, that has something new about it, and sits at around $800-900, or in between K-3 and K-50.

As for anything else, I expect a very conservative offer and approach. If we see any new lens design in 2014, we shall be extremely lucky. But that is fine. We shall see mostly rehashes of the old lenses now coming with the HD coating. The production of all SMC lenses has ceased, they are emptying the inventories and any new production will resume with the HD.

As for the FF, I don't see it coming at all.

[neil1]

I think they are doing just fine,more models, just wish they would come up with some sense in the model numbers. I think the K50,K500 should have been there when the launched the K5.If you are new to pentax brand you have a hard time figuring the models

[Winder]

I'm not real happy with the warmed over HD lens refresh at a 20% premium. I hope they have bigger plans in the near future.

[JPT]

I think Ricoh have done well. The have demonstrated absolute commitment to K-mount, which was a big worry immediately after the acquisition. Although prices have increased on their lenses, it mainly brings the US in line with other markets and their bodies seem to be better value than ever. I also think the GR is an interesting case. It went head-to-head with a Nikon competitor and came out on top. The K-3 seems to have users of other brands looking at Pentax too. Despite the nay-saying, they made a success of the Q in Japan.

Consider this list of long-standing user requests that Ricoh has addressed in the last year.
- A true entry-level K-mount camera - K-500
- Wireless and tethering solution - FluCard
- Improved autofocus - K-3
- Higher resolution sensor - K-3
- Teleconverter
- Bigger sensor for the GR
- More aggressive marketing and better distribution (admittedly depends where you live)

I think there are some areas where they could have done better
- Move more quickly to address the perceived weaknesses of SDM
- Improve the way they interact with the non-Japanese media
- Handled the K-01’s pricing and promotion better and come up with an improved successor

Since I was an early adopter of the first GRD and love the Ricoh control layout, the thing I am most saddened by is the thinning down of serious Ricoh branded cameras to only the GR. Perhaps the GXR was the wrong approach, but I think there is so much potential for compacts with large sensors, especially if they can bring down the price to consumer-friendly levels.

[RobA_Oz]

Since I was an early adopter of the first GRD and love the Ricoh control layout, the thing I am most saddened by is the thinning down of serious Ricoh branded cameras to only the GR. Perhaps the GXR was the wrong approach, but I think there is so much potential for compacts with large sensors, especially if they can bring down the price to consumer-friendly levels.

At the time, I suspect the GXR was the answer to a question few people were asking. That makes it a marketing failure, though, rather than a technological one. Given the changes since, I believe the market may now be more interested in a refreshed GXR with an in-built EVF and the option of a 35FF sensor module, hopefully with a K-mount at first, although, strategically, perhaps with a Leica M-mount for premium sales instead, to help write off development costs.