[Michael Piziak]

Why doesn't the Japanese love for the Pentax brand not convert into Japanese citizens spending their Yen on Pentax equipment? In articles, Pentax market share in Japan hovers around 3%


As a Westerner (U.S. Citizen), it's hard for me, and I think others, to understand how surveys of Japanese show that they love the Pentax brand (perhaps the most), yet Pentax has low market share in the Japanese market place...

There has to be a cultural explanation for this, that I don't understand. I know In Japan, the yen is not the only thing that's relevant. "Keiretsu," conglomerates, tradition, status, etc... are very relevant.

A Penny for your Thoughts please....

And an article to feed your thought(s): https://petapixel.com/2021/05/17/japans-favorite-camera-brand-isnt-canon-nik...urvey-reveals/

---

Last edited by Michael Piziak; 07-13-2021 at 07:03 PM. Reason: Made a mistake

[vonBaloney]

Could also be that the results are just not real -- hard to say with online polls (or any polls).

[Paul the Sunman]

Far fewer options from Pentax.

[stevebrot]

I dunno, I don't buy cameras in Japan. BTW, why would we put that expectation on them? Sketchy surveys aside, I don't see any rational for conjecture except that, like those in Europe and N. America, they buy what they can afford and what appeals to them.

FWIW, my favorite camera brands, historically, have been Nikon and Olympus, but I have purchased Minolta, Ricoh, Olympus, and Pentax product new. My lack of Nikon purchases says nothing beyond what they were offering when I was buying.


Steve

And an article to feed your thought(s): https://petapixel.com/2021/05/17/japans-favorite-camera-brand-isnt-canon-nik...urvey-reveals/

Same lame survey as the other posts. I think you may have gone to this well too many times.


BC'd

[biz-engineer]

Why don't Japanese vote with their Yen for their favorite camera brand (Pentax) - ?

You assume that people's decision making is rational, logical and consistent. It's not, it's something known as limited rationality and cognitive biases. I've seen people handling a Pentax camera, liking it better than other cameras, selecting Pentax according to price/features and finally buying a Canon. Does it make sense? No. At last in the buying process, they looked around, saw a lot of Canon cameras, asked a few people owning a Canon, and played it "safe" by following the majority (Canon).

[Cerebum]

My favourite car brand is Alfa Romeo but my need is for a Honda. I read another survey where M4/3 was the hot ticket. It would be lovely if Pentax had a bigger market share but like Paul said, we don't have the range compared to other manufacturers. I am taking this survey to mean that of the people asked, the majority think Pentax is the coolest brand, and I think I prefer that to "biggest"

[Madaboutpix]

You assume that people's decision making is rational, logical and consistent. It's not, it's something known as limited rationality and cognitive biases. I've seen people handling a Pentax camera, liking it better than other cameras, selecting Pentax according to price/features and finally buying a Canon. Does it make sense? No. At last in the buying process, they looked around, saw a lot of Canon cameras, asked a few people owning a Canon, and played it "safe" by following the majority (Canon).

Fully agree, with the exception that thinking of a whole camera ecosystem can also be a rational process and influence people's decisions. There're arguably fewer options, not just lens options, in the K mount. And while I decided for myself that the Pentax system should have me covered for most of my conceivable photographic needs, and that it makes little sense to obsess about hundreds of lenses and accessories, most of which I will never own, other buyers may come to a different conclusion. I can say that as an evolutionary Pentaxian, i.e. as someone who has shot other brands before adopting and falling in love with the Pentax system, but it needs to be said because it's undeniably true.

[Fogel70]

There are not that many Pentax cameras to buy. The only camera released between KP (2017) and K3 III (2021) was K1 II, and existing K1 users could upgrade their cameras to K1 II.
Buying into a camera system is a long term investment, and they may not feel confident it what Pentax brand may offer for the future.

But Japan is still Pentax strongest market, and I believe they nowadays sell more cameras in Japan than Europe and US combined.

[Cerebum]

There are not that many Pentax cameras to buy. The only camera released between KP (2017) and K3 III (2021) was K1 II, and existing K1 users could upgrade their cameras to K1 II.
Buying into a camera system is a long term investment, and they may not feel confident it what Pentax brand may offer for the future.

But Japan is still Pentax strongest market, and I believe they nowadays sell more cameras in Japan than Europe and US combined.

They also get what are to my eye stunning special editions which may raise the profile and bolster the vote. Do the other makers have their own version of J-Limited?

[biz-engineer]

Buying into a camera system is a long term investment, and they may not feel confident it what Pentax brand may offer for the future.

humm, that was somehow a valid concept back in the days, not so sure about long term "investments" in a camera system now. Personally, from what I learned, I'll never buy a lot of lenses again (I'd only buy the 80% most used focal lengths), and I'll never buy a camera alone or a lens alone, as I have no control over what camera companies may decide to develop or not to develop in the future and when they will do it. In other words, if I ever buy another camera system, it's likely going to be a five years old system with decent lens lineup ready to buy off the shelves. I don't need the latest camera tech to take pictures and history showed that owning the latest camera tech is luxury rather than necessary, the Pentax K1 just show that, it doesn't have the best specification figures but it just works fine for all the pictures I take. For me, choice of format and focal length makes a lot more difference than brand or latest tech.

[Michail_P]

" I like Pentax cameras" and "I'll buy Pentax cameras" are not translated as one and the same. The variety of options from other brands makes a huge difference. The beginners' market is almost entirely not a Pentax thing. Price range is surely one issue for them. You can buy a new canonikon kit for <400€. Repairs can be done in a lot of places. Parts are widely available. Of course the Japanese shouldn't have such issues, but any brand is widely spread there.
I love Jaguars. I would state that honestly in any poll. But I will buy Toyota.

[Fogel70]

humm, that was somehow a valid concept back in the days, not so sure about long term "investments" in a camera system now. Personally, from what I learned, I'll never buy a lot of lenses again (I'd only buy the 80% most used focal lengths), and I'll never buy a camera alone or a lens alone, as I have no control over what camera companies may decide to develop or not to develop in the future and when they will do it. In other words, if I ever buy another camera system, it's likely going to be a five years old system with decent lens lineup ready to buy off the shelves. I don't need the latest camera tech to take pictures and history showed that owning the latest camera tech is luxury rather than necessary, the Pentax K1 just show that, it doesn't have the best specification figures but it just works fine for all the pictures I take. For me, choice of format and focal length makes a lot more difference than brand or latest tech.

I do not know many that switch system with every camera they buy. If you buy into a system you tend to hold on to it for some time.
So many users buy into the "safest" system they feel they can develop with. Even though they may like another brand more for other reasons.

[jatrax]

Lot's of photographers in the US have fond memories of learning on a Pentax back in the day. Nostalgia might make them vote for Pentax as a favorite brand but they are mostly shooting Canon or Nikon because those are the brands available to buy.

[MikeNArk]

Even though I like Pentax, I've not helped their sales a lot. I did purchase a new 55-300 plm lens to pair with my KP (bought used), but have made few other new purchases. I also bought the K100D new. The K100D might have been my most expensive camera purchase. Pentax cameras seem to last a long time and many users may love the brand, but use and buy older older models.

[AfterPentax Mark II]

The same reason I don't do it with my Euros? Or maybe I cannot do it with my Euros, because hardly any shop that sells camera's, neither the small ones nor the retail chain stores, has any Pentax on offer. The small shop near my home town has a Pentax on offer and that is a new black K-S2. And only with the SMC version 18-50mm RE WR. Canon, Nikon and Panasonic camera's in many options are available, but only one out of date Pentax (if the camera fails, Ricoh will not, can not repair it anymore). So if the seller does a good job, he listens to what you want and sells you anything but Pentax. The back-up by the three I mentioned is so much better and more inviting to buy any of these brands.A Panasonic S5 with a free Sigma lens or an interesting discount on a lens of hundreds of Euros. What does Ricoh offer? A Pentax K-3 Mark III as a kit with a special strap. They think we are collectors of limited models instead of users of the models. Not everyone likes a grip, so why should I buy the new Pentax with a grip. If they gave it for free I might consider buying it, not if I have to pay 300€ for the grip and the strap. And it would have been much more interesting if they had a nice offer on a few lenses with an interesting discount. That is why it is easier to sell a Canon, Nikon, Panason and even Fuji, because they make interesting offers. Pentax is just behind the others I mentioned. Not competitive? Dull? I do not know. So what did I do? I bought recently the KP with a free grip, a bag and a memory card. This was on offer just after the announcement that the KP is discontinued. The other brands regularly offer a cheap workshop on any kind of photography and you can join in with your own camera or they have a recent model available for you. Sometimes you even get lunch. Nevertheless, I buy Pentax and I enjoy it, because they do not have to attract me to their brand. But it will be hard for them to harvest new users for their camera's and lenses.