[infoomatic]

I think their work has improved ... I mean the ads are a looooot better and they are more present, at least what I feel. The Facebook account is more active, the ads aren't boring any more etc. It's a good sign!

[FullertonImages]

Yeah, Pentax marketing is looking great right now. In addition to that ad, they also have hte same one full page in American Photo, which also has a full page piece on the 645D as one of the "12 Tool That Change The Rules". There's a review of the 55-200 WR in Pop Photo, billing it as the first weathersealed tele kit zoom, which it is. Add tot that all the physical marketing they are doing with billboards and a full train wrap for hte W90, and it looks like they've really got a good thing going.

When the K-7 came out, there were a number of full back coverpage ads for it, and I can assume we'll see the same for the K-5. But none of those were until after it had been out for a bit. So it looks like maybe they've started with advertising it inside the mag before it's release to build up the hype machine. I think they'll be building their image and notoriety, maybe even their market share, a lot in the next year or so.

[rod_grant]

Obviously the photo mags are a good place to start, but there are a lot of casual photographers who would never buy a photo mag. (Compare camera sales to mag sales!)
Magazines that need to be covered are in the business and outdoors sectors, and for the coloured K-r, even women's mags (of which there are many!)
I bought my *ist DS because I saw a half page advert in the tech pages of a daily paper - but the advert was inserted by a retailer, not Pentax. It was the first yime I had ever seen a dSLR for less than $1000 (Aussie dollars).

[falconeye]

We should get a thread going where everyone can scan the Pentax magazine ads, new or old and post them up. Or would that be a copyright violation of some sort?

Any scanning advice for this ad?

(2 years old, DA*300 on a film full frame body)

[falconeye]

the advert was inserted by a retailer, not Pentax.

In Germany, retailers earn ad points with Pentax (I believe by every user registration). So many ad points then translate into Pentax covering half of the ad costs up to amount x. This produced some marketing presence in the country. A little bit more in cities with successful Pentax dealers. I even heard a story about one dealer planting a Pentax ad opposite to a competing dealer's shop in a neighbor city -- and subsequent turmoil

I'm not sure if this program is still in place. But I guess so.

[uchinakuri]

I think the ad looks so old fashioned......just my opinion.

Actually, it's the exact same look as their K20D/K200 ads.

[FullertonImages]

Any scanning advice for this ad?

(2 years old, DA*300 on a film full frame body)

Not bad for being on an FF. The corners look good, was it cropped at all? What's with the ghosting/halo/CA above the bus outline?

[dadipentak]

Not if its for journalistic purposes. In any case, can you imagine how Pentax could step on their PR crank any more than they usually do by making us take down their own ads posted for more eyes to see?

Ouch!

[glanglois]

I finally saw that ad in a magazine this week. And I don't like it. Looks rather clumsy and very '80s ... or maybe '70s. Should be a Spotmatic ad, perhaps.

The earlier work for K-7 and K-X were generally of a much higher caliber - fresh, lively, engaging. Very sorry to see the quality move backwards. But probably, maybe, better than none at all.

[r0ckstarr]

Any scanning advice for this ad?

(2 years old, DA*300 on a film full frame body)

You need a big scanner.

[falconeye]

Not bad for being on an FF. The corners look good, was it cropped at all? What's with the ghosting/halo/CA above the bus outline?

Just looked up the original. No cropping except for the black masked part from the scan.

The luminance contrast is pushed a lot. The original looks more film like, but also dark and with wrong colors The pushing revealed a mild ghosting from what must be shake from pushing the trigger or so. Can also be a reflection in the film emulsion layers. Or whatever. It wasn't noticeable before pushing the film. And the highlights were pushed 1 stop, but darks were pushed 3 stops I guess.