I have been digging into the past so as to determine just why the Samsung-Pentax collaboration came to an end. What I have mostly come across are speculations by outsiders. As regards the statements from the representatives of the two companies, I have not been able to read much into them either.

Just two or three of observations:

(i) If Pentax had been so valuable to Samsung, they would have done to Pentax what Sony did to Konica-Minolta.

(ii) Or did Samsung merely 'use' Pentax in order to absorb as much of their knowhow as possible?

(iii) Or was it a mutually beneficial venture of a temporary nature, which would enable the companies to learn from one another?

It is my view that Pentax have left an imprint on Samsung: who taught Samsung how to manufacture tiny lenses of such a high optical quality?

Surely Samsung must have taught Pentax one or two things as well?

[Unlimited]

Pentax used in the past Samsung-built sensors. Probably Samsung backed Pentax for supporting their sensors. When Pentax gave up on Samsung sensors so did Samsung on Pentax.

[lytrytyr]

The collaboration came to an end around the time Pentax started using some excellent Sony sensors (K-x, K5).

As yet another outsider, I can only speculate about any correlation between these two events,
and just recall how Pentax was burnt in the past by sensor issues,
when Phillips failed to deliver the FF sensor that Pentax (and Contax) were planning on using.

The collaboration came to an end around the time Pentax started using some excellent Sony sensors (K-x, K5).

As yet another outsider, I can only speculate about any correlation between these two events,
and just recall how Pentax was burnt in the past by sensor issues,
when Phillips failed to deliver the FF sensor that Pentax (and Contax) were planning on using.

I recall that some K7 owners were deeply attached to the rendering of their Samsung sensor. There can be no doubt that the Sony sensor outclassed the Samsung in terms of low light performance, but on low ISOs, the Samsung sensor certainly has its merits: I was randomly comparing Samsung and Sony sensors on the imaging resource comparometer, and what struck my about the Samsung sensor was its preservation of fine detail and refined rendering of colour in comparison with the smudging and yellow hue brought about by the Sony. Also in terms of low light performance, the Samsung sensors have come a long way.

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Last edited by Unregistered User; 08-18-2014 at 10:19 AM.

[lytrytyr]

Falk Lumo did report one issue with the K-7 sensor:

"The SNR drops faster than required by photon shot noise at gray levels under about 1%. This reduces the dynamic range. Gordon B Good found that this is due to a rather large read-out noise caused by the variable gain amplifiers (VGA) integrated into the CMOS sensor chip."

LumoLabs -- Pentax K-7 sensor quality

[THoog]

The Pentax-Samsung collaboration was announced in 2005, Pentax was purchased by Hoya in 2007, and the collaboration came to an end in 2009. Again, it's pure speculation, but as Hoya had little interest in making cameras, it follows that they had little interest in collaborating to make cameras.

[lytrytyr]

as Hoya had little interest in making cameras, it follows that they had little interest in collaborating to make cameras.

But after the collapse of the collaboration,
they also lost the market for the so-called "Schneider-Kreuznach" versions
of the Pentax lenses that Samsung were peddling.

[Ole]

My guess is that Samsung decided to abandon the DSLR market due to lack of success/profit. They then since focused on mirrorless. And who know, perhaps Pentax still designs or manufactures their lenses...

[Winder]

Samsung went all in on mirrorless and had no need for a DSLR system. I they did they would have bought Pentax. Samsung views it as dead technology.

[boriscleto]

Samsung never met a product it couldn't copy.

[Lowell Goudge]

My own view is that the cooperation was done in fear of sony trying to dictate who got their sensors, and /or sony trying to force an advantage for their cameras over pentax to gain market share. Fortunately for us, Sony seems to be even les adept at capitalizing on markets, their cameras will likely go the way of the Walkman because they have too many competing internal stakeholders to satisfy

[philbaum]

IIRC, most owners seemed quite delighted with the Samsung sensor in the K20. Then the preliminary news on the K7 was that the next Samsung sensor was going to be even better. But the K7 sensor did not live up to its advance billing - forget the details but seemed like noise levels were part of it. I know the criticism was pretty strong in PF.

K5 was issued with a Sony sensor, the relationship with Samsung was dropped and Sony sensors have been used since then.

[boriscleto]

IIRC, most owners seemed quite delighted with the Samsung sensor in the K20. Then the preliminary news on the K7 was that the next Samsung sensor was going to be even better. But the K7 sensor did not live up to its advance billing - forget the details but seemed like noise levels were part of it. I know the criticism was pretty strong in PF.

K5 was issued with a Sony sensor, the relationship with Samsung was dropped and Sony sensors have been used since then.

The K-x had a Sony sensor before the K-5. There seemed to be pages and pages of people saying that the K-x sensor should be put in a K-7 body.

[philbaum]

The K-x had a Sony sensor before the K-5. There seemed to be pages and pages of people saying that the K-x sensor should be put in a K-7 body.

Yep, i forgot that. Kx was and probably is, well loved.

I had the K20 and i liked it a lot- seemed a large step up from the K10. I think the problem with the K7, was: by that time the Sony sensors were showing off their abilities in Nikon and Sony cameras, and the K7 didn't measure up number wise, but folks still liked the camera. It also seemed like Pentax was promised one thing, and the sensor wasn't up to the specs agreed on, but i could be wrong on that. Anyway, the discussion steered me off, and i waited till the K5.