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11-28-2010, 06:36 AM   #1
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So I was at Frys on Black Friday...

Now I've seen a few threads here and there but at Frys on Friday and I wanted to look at the Kx and K7 as they didn't have a Kr or K5 in stock. The batteries were dead as they were the last time I was in. Some guy walked up behind me and said "Frys never charges their batteries but you don't want Pentax anyway" When I asked why he said "They're going out of business". I said oh really, why do you say that and he just went on to say that their sales were off and nobody was interested in them anyway. I let him know that they just released new bodies and a new, popular lens. He proceeded to show me his favorites which included a few Sony models, Olympus and a Lumix.

Sometimes when you're standing shoulder to shoulder with somebody it's hard to get a good look at them but he finally made me feel uncomfortable so I excused myself. As I walked away I noticed a lanyard flipped around backwards with a Sony badge attached and a Sony jacket in his cart.

So that left me wondering if he was just trying to promote some of his products or if there's any truth to what he was saying. I understand that a good camera is a good camera but if they did go out of production today, I might have a hard time buying tomorrow. Why? Well, I don't want to stock up on lenses and a body and never really be able to upgrade.

That happened to me during the HD DVD / Blu Ray wars too. I bought into HD DVD as at the time they had more titles that interested me.... A few months and a few thousand dollars later they stopped production. Movies could and still can be hand for pennies on the dollar and my old player, well, it's my garage CD player now

11-28-2010, 06:55 AM   #2
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Best put on your flame retardant suit, I posted a joke about this topic and got a LOT of responses. Best of luck.

Just FYI, Pentax sales appear to be on the upswing with the K-x and now the K-r opening a lot of doors for new Pentaxians. The company has been around 100 years, has a nice lineup of consumer dSLRs with excellent features, and a great reputation for lenses. Would you let the Nissan Rep explain to you why Toyota was going out of business and take what he said seriously? Why listen to the Sony rep about Pentax?
11-28-2010, 07:04 AM   #3
Ananta Androscoggin
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I for one am adamantly against the purchasing of any products from Sony, or from any Sony-owned subsidiaries. I still remember the Root-Kit debacle they perpetrated on the public with music CDs from many of their labels not so long ago, and the even more devastating-to-computers so-called "rootkit removal" software they provided after the whole thing was exposed.

I don't believe in rewarding such bad corporate citizens with my money.
11-28-2010, 07:19 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ananta Androscoggin Quote
I for one am adamantly against the purchasing of any products from Sony, or from any Sony-owned subsidiaries. I still remember the Root-Kit debacle they perpetrated on the public with music CDs from many of their labels not so long ago, and the even more devastating-to-computers so-called "rootkit removal" software they provided after the whole thing was exposed.

I don't believe in rewarding such bad corporate citizens with my money.

Oh, I won't buy Sony if I don't have to. I've had a few bad pieces in the past and when they wouldn't stand behind their product it left a bad taste in my mouth.

As for letting a Sony rep get in my head like that, you're right, I shouldn't. I didn't know who he was until I walked away. When he seemed surprised that Pentax had just dropped new bodies and lenses I lost respect for him. If you're going to fight something you should at least know what you're fighting.

My only point is that there seems to be a lot of chatter. Is this a new thing? I don't know, I'm new to Pentax. It came highly reccomended from a friend and I'm ready to buy I just need to know ( in my mind) that it's safe.

11-28-2010, 07:27 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by chadci Quote
So that left me wondering if he was just trying to promote some of his products or if there's any truth to what he was saying.
I can't believe you let a simple salesman burrow into your head so far. If he said 'Olympus is going out of business' or 'Nikon is going out of business' I guess you take him at his word too?

Pentax has been around for a long time and are doing fine. If you were really concerned about the matter you could have researched the latest Hoya group financials, which show the group recording a profit and growing income.

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=7741:JP

Ironically it's Sony and Nikon at the moment that are running at a loss, not Hoya/Pentax

Last edited by rawr; 11-28-2010 at 07:32 AM.
11-28-2010, 07:55 AM   #6
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I hope sony go down the drain so i can get their camera for cheap...

Seriously I don't know what that dude is talking about. It's not like you'll be buying all the lens that'll come out in the future for the camera. For these things, the common folks probably need like 1 good all around lens and call it a day, more advance folks = 3 or 4, and the whores buy like 20 but that's about it, if the body breaks, it's probably time to get a new one.

On the other hand, you were at fry, they had the A500 1 lens kit for 400. that's a deal right there, sony uses old minolta maxxum lens, even cheaper than pentax K mount lens. Although there might not be as much lens available.
11-28-2010, 07:55 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by rawr Quote
I can't believe you let a simple salesman burrow into your head so far. If he said 'Olympus is going out of business' or 'Nikon is going out of business' I guess you take him at his word too?

Pentax has been around for a long time and are doing fine. If you were really concerned about the matter you could have researched the latest Hoya group financials, which show the group recording a profit and growing income.

HOYA CORP (7741:JP): Financial Statements - BusinessWeek

Ironically it's Sony and Nikon at the moment that are running at a loss, not Hoya/Pentax
Umm he didn't burrow into my head? I just want to check my facts before I get burnt on another purchase. I don't care what name or label is put on a product, if I heard / read numerous comments about the possibility of a company going under I think it's my right if not responsibility to do so.

Thanks for the link, it is ironic indeed.

11-28-2010, 07:57 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by clockwork247 Quote
I hope sony go down the drain so i can get their camera for cheap...

Seriously I don't know what that dude is talking about. It's not like you'll be buying all the lens that'll come out in the future for the camera. For these things, the common folks probably need like 1 good all around lens and call it a day, more advance folks = 3 or 4, and the whores buy like 20 but that's about it, if the body breaks, it's probably time to get a new one.

On the other hand, you were at fry, they had the A500 1 lens kit for 400. that's a deal right there, sony uses old minolta maxxum lens, even cheaper than pentax K mount lens. Although there might not be as much lens available.
Right, what I'm interested in is 1 good walk around. The 18-135 fits that bill. 1 good long range zoom, the 55-300 fits as do a few others. And one good portrait the da 35 or one of the 50s would be perfect here. I think, for now, that this is all I need.
11-28-2010, 09:00 AM   #9
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Relax.

Even if it was true (which I doubt), I'm sure somebody will buy the rights to k-mount as an easy way of entering the SLR market...
11-28-2010, 09:23 AM   #10
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I think the appropriate response would have been something like:

"So, is that the only way Sony can compete now; by telling lies about Pentax?
11-28-2010, 10:24 AM   #11
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It's a grab-and-go electronics supermarket!

I almost never ask for or expect any advice at Fry's Electronics - it's a geeks' supermarket, after all. The level of expertise in their sales associates is pretty low, in my experience.

Their camera department is particularly disappointing, as you can rarely find a working camera to hold or test and I have never found anyone there to be particularly knowledgeable.

I do buy from them - usually electronics, not cameras - but I usually know what I want and just grab and go as fast as possible!

Mike
11-28-2010, 11:40 AM   #12
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Pentax has been dead for 30 years. Probably will be the same in another 30.
11-28-2010, 11:40 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by chadci Quote
I don't care what name or label is put on a product, if I heard / read numerous comments about the possibility of a company going under I think it's my right if not responsibility to do so.
After Daewoo went kablooie, I considered visiting the lot of a dealer in Southern Maine who still had an entire lot filled with those vehicles, and offering him $100 USD for one, but only if he threw in another one I could put up on blocks to cannibalize for repair parts.

Never did bother to do it, though, as I really hadn't wanted a Daewoo in the first place.
11-28-2010, 11:55 AM   #14
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I guess this was going on at all Fry's locations for this weekend?

I was in the Fry's near here yesterday. Me and my girlfriend went over to the camera's to see if the K5 was on display. They still had the K7 and Kx, and just as the OP said, they didnt work here either.

A salesman with a Nikon camera around his neck came up to us and tried to persuade us into looking at Nikon instead of Pentax.

I heard a voice behind me saying something along the lines of: "Nikon has the X5million out right now..."

Rather than engaging into a conversation or debate about which is better, we just politely said "no thanks" and started to walk away.

While walking away, he spoke up and asked us what it was that had our interest in Pentax to begin with. We continued walking without looking back.

I understand that he's just doing his job, but I had no interest in someone else telling me why he thought Nikon was a better camera. Just the same, I could have told him my opinion on which was the better camera, but the difference is, he was trying to make a sale. I was only browsing.
11-28-2010, 12:30 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by chadci Quote
Some guy walked up behind me and said "Frys never charges their batteries but you don't want Pentax anyway" When I asked why he said "They're going out of business".
That's and old salesman trick. The good answer is to say "I talked to my Pentax representative and they said that Frys was going out of business". Funnily it did happen for Ritz camera, one of their salesman was pulling that same old trick on Pentax.
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