[Christopher M.W.T]

Photokina, incorrect information etc has all really got me wondering what on Earth Pentax is doing?

I don't really get their management style, secrecy and poor advertising and marketing of their products.

Simple things should be known as it would help keep people with the system. Ie what is the lens roadmap, accessories roadmap etc right now many users are in the dark which is only contributing to people umming and arring whether or not to jump ship. Is this just something Japanese companies do, because from a Western perspective it seems totally counter productive and damaging.


It's amazing that simple things can't be answered by the reps and no one from Japan is really talking, so very strange and bizarre.

Do they want to succeed or not is the question?

[eurostar]

When we had a roiadmap, like up until last year, item where always late, even nearly three years late, things appeared on and then were retired from the map... I have never seen a roadmap from Canon or Nikon.

Also, for the launch of the K-7 i'd say marketing worked very well, at least concerning fans of the brand, and the same goes for 645D, even if it was just a Japn thing.

This time, they choos the secrecy route, and worked well for the K-r, while failed for the K-5 because along secrecy came a very poor transmission of camera specifics, I guess due to being late in developement relative to the date of Photokina. Al seemed rushed because probably it WAS rushed. But with the choice of to gibve the spot only to the k-5 (no mock up of futurible cameras, of 645 lenses et etc) without a working K-5 there would have been no show for Pentax.

[Asahiflex]

I agree, the introduction of the K-7 went very well. Good viral marketing.

But now with the K-5... Hoya and/or Pentax Germany ****ed the specs up big time, and still no-one is very sure about the ISO range of the camera. Other things are still unclear too (US pricing). I find this a bloody shame. It's as if Pentax did not know how to react to the D7000. They're a bunch of ****ing amateurs, as Walter Sobchak always says... :ugh:

[brecklundin]

Photokina, incorrect information etc has all really got me wondering what on Earth Pentax is doing?

I don't really get their management style, secrecy and poor advertising and marketing of their products.

Simple things should be known as it would help keep people with the system. Ie what is the lens roadmap, accessories roadmap etc right now many users are in the dark which is only contributing to people umming and arring whether or not to jump ship. Is this just something Japanese companies do, because from a Western perspective it seems totally counter productive and damaging.


It's amazing that simple things can't be answered by the reps and no one from Japan is really talking, so very strange and bizarre.

Do they want to succeed or not is the question?

Agree it is a near cluster *^&% of an intro of the product. I have wondered for a while if Hoya Corporate does not treat the Pentax camera division as the "red headed stepchild" giving them minimal support and operating funds so everything has to be a juggling act. Combine that with the pet projects of the higher-ups and those trying to make it all work get boxed into corners.

Sony does this with some of their divisions. In fact they treat their ebook reader group like crap with almost no support from corporate in Japan. Despite that they are producing some really nice devices and managing to stay in the game and near the top...there is where they diverge from HoyaTax.

I think Pentax needs to hire Bruce Willis to counter the Ashton Kutcher for Canon....I mean they both did Demi Moore and Willis got out in time so he is the Anti-Kutcher...

[Christopher M.W.T]

I agree, the introduction of the K-7 went very well. Good viral marketing.

But now with the K-5... Hoya and/or Pentax Germany ****ed the specs up big time, and still no-one is very sure about the ISO range of the camera. Other things are still unclear too (US pricing). I find this a bloody shame. It's as if Pentax did not know how to react to the D7000. They're a bunch of ****ing amateurs, as Walter Sobchak always says... :ugh:

Agree it is a near cluster *^&% of an intro of the product. I have wondered for a while if Hoya Corporate does not treat the Pentax camera division as the "red headed stepchild" giving them minimal support and operating funds so everything has to be a juggling act. Combine that with the pet projects of the higher-ups and those trying to make it all work get boxed into corners.

Sony does this with some of their divisions. In fact they treat their ebook reader group like crap with almost no support from corporate in Japan. Despite that they are producing some really nice devices and managing to stay in the game and near the top...there is where they diverge from HoyaTax.

I think Pentax needs to hire Bruce Willis to counter the Ashton Kutcher for Canon....I mean they both did Demi Moore and Willis got out in time so he is the Anti-Kutcher...

I get the impression Pentax Japan likes to have a tight hold and control over everything, it would seem to be clear as there appears to be pretty poor communication with subsidiaries and distributors across the world, no one seems to know what's going on outside of Japan.

From an outsiders perspective once again, it would appear that upper management is old fashioned and behind the times.

[Rondec]

The K7 had a nice launch with a lot of very excited people, but there wasn't another camera released just shortly before it was that was viewed as a "K7 killer" by Pentax higher ups. If Nikon had released a D90S at the same time as Pentax released the K7, with really similar specs and a price tag a couple of hundred dollars less than the K7 release price, you would have seen the same scrambling.

It's too bad really. To me, Pentax's products stand on their own because of its unique system and ergonomics, but that's the sort of thing you can't see from a spec sheet. Until Pentax gets some product in stores in the US, they will continue to be an also-ran here.

[JoepLX3]

For foreigners Japan and Japanese people can be very strange (living in Japan now for just over 9 months).

• But one thing you should learn to understand them, is not to try to change them (they have a long and strong history), instead live with them
• The only serious thread for the Japanese camera industry is Samsung (Korea, I lived there 2 years, really differenct culture), so why should they adapt towards US?

[Col]

Agree it is a near cluster *^&% of an intro of the product. I have wondered for a while if Hoya Corporate does not treat the Pentax camera division as the "red headed stepchild" giving them minimal support and operating funds so everything has to be a juggling act. Combine that with the pet projects of the higher-ups and those trying to make it all work get boxed into corners.
cut..

...boxed in with Mark & Carolyn

Well when it comes to a launch, this has felt like the K-5 slipped on the tow path and fell into the canal. It will in all likelihood cause me to delay in purchasing the K5, despite my illogical wish for it. if they were that unprepared for the launch, how ready is the camera?

[raz]

Pentax 645D - sie kommt! | photoscala

Just wanted to share: the camera in the middle (the K-7) is mine! With the 35mm Macro. They ran out of K-5 for a size comparison shot and so I helped out. I had a very nice conversation with the freelance author for photoscala.de too. He was very knowledgable about things pentax and actually thought the APS-C only strategy (still) plays to Pentax advantage. He's a Sony shooter himself.

falconeye, sorry if you already answered, but did you manage to get information about the new DC motor in the 18-135 ?

Is a new SDM implementation on par with canon and nikon versions ? Is faster than curent SDM ?

Thank you

[RonHendriks1966]

To ad some of my PhotoKina fun:

[illdefined]

It's Friday in Cologne, Falk, did you get to return to Photokina?

anxious to hear your thoughts on these usability details of the K-5, namely:

1. if SR activates any quicker on shutter half-press (is there an SR duration option?)

2. is there a way to user-illuminate the top LCD

3. and finally is the K-5 any quicker in processing the Lens Correction options (do lens corrections work on RAW btw?)

also would love to hear your thoughts on the new 18-135 WR DC lens.

[falconeye]

1) Is it possible to check if the AF Light on the K-5 can be turned on?
2) Also are any of the HDR modes now available while shooting RAW?
3) Is NR automatically activated in RAW @ any ISO? (Can i turn it of completely?)

1. I don't think so. I didn't see the corresponding option in the menu but didn't search for it. Anyway, I find the green AF assist light disturbing and I am happy it doesn't switch on except in real dark.

2. I asnwered this already: no.

3. Officially, raw is raw (ie., no NR). But according to DxO, Pentax somehow manipulates the raw files at ISO > 1600.

Would it be possible for you just to ask straight away to PENTAX if they have adressed the shutter blur issue in the K5 ?

Funny they asked me the same question

I'll prepare a small K-5 blog article in the next couple days. So, stay tuned. No need to repeat questions ...

[ogl]

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/115652-my-relationship...g-goodbye.html

I don't understand Pentax policy at all...

[stormcloud]

what that has to do with this noone knows but regardless - ben is not some famous star that people know - giving him free gear will not increase their sales

[ogl]

Maybe Hoya has plans to sale Pentax?

If we compare promotion of K10D, K20D and K-7,
it's easy to say that K-5's promotion is absolutely FAILED!!!


It's absolutely ridiculously that photobrand CAN'T OFFER good flashes, has NO any teleconvertors, has NO any lenses longer 300 mm.

The managers from stand of Pentax say that no any FF in the next 2 years. No any plans. Buy 645D.