Ricoh to buy Pentax camera business from Hoya

deadwolfbones · 07-01-2011, 07:34 AM

Originally posted by ogl

Announcement regarding Call for Voluntary Early Retirement / News Release | Ricoh Global

Announcement regarding Call for Voluntary Early Retirement

Isn't it funny? No. It's sadly.

Making room for Pentax employees? :P

noblepa · 07-01-2011, 07:34 AM

Originally posted by GordonZA

Looking at the PDF, looks like "Pentax" is dead... long live NewCo!

I am not a legal person so reading legal speak is like trying to use a Canon... does right to use the name also get transfered?

Pentax has been dead, as a corporation, since 2008. Pentax corporation was merged into Hoya and then dissolved. NewCo is just a shell that is being created to own the assets of the Pentax Imaging Division of Hoya. On Oct. 1, ownership of NewCo will transfer to Ricoh. Ricoh will probably merge NewCo into itself or rename the company, perhaps back to Pentax Corporation, and operate it as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Frankly, I'm surprised that Hoya didn't do that.

I am concerned about this. We'll just have to wait and see what Ricoh's plans for the Pentax brand are. Hoya did some good things and returned Pentax to profitability, but were very conservative about investing in new products.

The only reason, I believe, that the 645D saw the light of day, is that virtually all of the development work had already been done and paid for. The only way Hoya was going to recoup any of that money was to go ahead and sell the thing. Even today, though, the 645D suffers from a severe lack of available new lenses. A 645D user is forced to go to the used market. That's no way to sell cameras.

Ricoh might drop the Pentax name, but I doubt it. Hopefully, they will be a little less reluctant to invest in new products. Maybe we'll see some new lenses, a new flash system and more dslrs. Maybe even ... could it be? ... some advertising.

ogl · 07-01-2011, 07:34 AM

Originally posted by luke0622

Good News for Pentax DSLRs... I would hope that Pentax is going into a new direction with Ricoh!

I would personally prefer Panasonic to buy Pentax, and would be great to work out some fancy deals with Leica (lenses) to mount on Pentax DSLRs....

Ricoh is EMPTY PLACE at photo market. New direction could be the death of K-mount.

froeschle · 07-01-2011, 07:35 AM

summary of press conference

DebLewis · 07-01-2011, 07:36 AM

well all I know about Ricoh is we switched from Xerox to Ricoh copiers/printers at work and they are cheap/plastic pieces of crap.. I sure hope that won't be the trend with cameras..

and I don't want a camera named Ricoh..

ogl · 07-01-2011, 07:37 AM

Originally posted by noblepa

Pentax has been dead, as a corporation, since 2008. Pentax corporation was merged into Hoya and then dissolved. NewCo is just a shell that is being created to own the assets of the Pentax Imaging Division of Hoya. On Oct. 1, ownership of NewCo will transfer to Ricoh. Ricoh will probably merge NewCo into itself or rename the company, perhaps back to Pentax Corporation, and operate it as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Frankly, I'm surprised that Hoya didn't do that.
.

HOYA's capitalization is 6.2 billion yen.
Ricoh's capitalization is 154 billion yen.

Feel the difference!

KLSMpls · 07-01-2011, 07:39 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by DeadJohn

I welcome the new Pentax. It will hopefully bring about a shakeup in how Japan HQ and Pentax USA communicate with each other and with customers. No more "we can't answer your question because Japan has told us nothing" replies, please.

My other hopes:
Retain the staff and policies that created the Kx/K7/Kr/K5 cameras.
Expand the K mount lens lineup.
Streamline the Pentax+Ricoh compact offerings. There are too many overlapping models.
Don't abandon the upcoming GPS accessory. I am *so* looking forward to that for astrophotography!
Reevaluate the Q and GXR. Are they complementary or competitors?
Increase USA marketing. Do it in a way that informs customers. Don't hire Ashton Kutcher

This is right on target. This could be a good thing if managed well. I've been hoping they were bought out by somebody with deeper pockets and the desire to increase market share. The Pentax brand has so much going for it that has not been utilized. Indeed get back into at least some B&M stores to get some brand recognition. In that regard I'm not sure how much Ricoh's distribution system can help. Can't say I've ever seen a Ricoh in a B&M either. Or even seen an ad for Ricoh now that I think about it.

It is troubling to think that Ricoh probably signed off on the Q system and I hope that is not a precursor of things to come. My fingers are crossed. It does make me put a hold on any further Pentax purchases until we get more of a road map though. I love my K-5 and don't mind being an oddity in my photo club, but I have always wondered how long Pentax would last with their tiny market share and Hoya's handcuffs. Unless I see a commitment to the Pentax brand from Ricoh, I will need to rethink my commitment.

deadwolfbones · 07-01-2011, 07:41 AM

ogl, do you ever get tired of yourself?

Nass · 07-01-2011, 07:42 AM

^^ DeadJohn, I've been pondering some of the marketing/organisational issues and I wonder what the result will be.

For example, in the UK Pentax is represented by Pentax UK which looks after all things Pentaxy - medical and optical. Now that the optical bit has the new Ricoh overlord, it would seem to make sense that Pentax UK be split up in some way and that the sales & marketing functions for the optical bits go to Ricoh. But! Having called various people in Ricoh UK, Ricoh does its marketing for its optical bits from Dusseldorf, Germany, centrally for all of EMEA, whereas the other bits of Ricoh (photocopiers and the like) are all devolved to national HQs. Clearly there are challenges there as localisation and national presence does mean better marketing. On top of that, and I hate to be so negative, but the Ricoh crowd seem to cite poor marketing as one of their weak points too. Argh!

Something I do find encouraging is the idea of Pentax being bought for its photography systems strength rather than the afterthought that it was for Hoya. It's not such a bad thing when a company states that it wants to develop its interchangeable lens systems gets together with consumers like us crying out for a wider range of lenses. I also do like the look of the Ricoh way with QA - they seem very proud of their quality emphasis and good service which, if it trickles across to us consumers, can only be a good thing.

Lineups - judging by the press statements, the 645d is the least likely range to fold or be terminated. I wish that I had a much better idea of the profit produced by all the various ranges, as that's ultimately what will decide what stays and what goes. The noises from the bottom end don't sound too promising, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if there's a bunch of rationalisation there.

Lastly, whilst we're all dissing Hoya, I think it's worth remembering that in their very short ownership they've come out with some models that do seem to have worked rather well. Would Pentax actually have survived had Hoya not bought it?

ogl · 07-01-2011, 07:42 AM

Quotes from Ricoh statement:

"Now Ricoh aims to establish a consumer business."

Does it sound good for K5 and 645D?

**Ahab** · 07-01-2011, 07:45 AM

Originally posted by Vylen

I for one do not like the idea.

I don't either. Ricoh is not known for customer service, especially in their laser printer division.

deadwolfbones · 07-01-2011, 07:45 AM

Originally posted by ogl

Quotes from Ricoh statement:

"Now Ricoh aims to establish a consumer business."

Does it sound good for K5 and 645D?

K-5 is a consumer camera. 645D is niche, which Ricoh already panders to with the GXR. I doubt much will change.

KLSMpls · 07-01-2011, 07:45 AM

Originally posted by froeschle

summary of press conference

I'll have to wait for my Japanese Rosetta Stone to arrive I guess.

stevebrot · 07-01-2011, 07:46 AM

My first camera was a Ricoh Singlex TLS. I currently own that model, an XR-2s, and an XR7. All are well-built and dependable cameras. The other day ago I was in a used camera store and handled a mid-50s era Ricoh 500 rangefinder. Very nice and very well-built.

Now I know, history is history, but the truth is that Ricoh is a stronger company than Hoya, has a long history in photographic products, enjoyed a collaborative development relationship with Pentax during the early days of the K-mount (both lenses and body), and is probably thrilled to have acquired the marque. Some people here would have been thrilled if the purchase had been by Leitz or <insert famous camera name here>, but get real. Leitz is even weaker than Pentax. At least the new owner is not Samyang.

Steve

ogl · 07-01-2011, 07:47 AM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

ogl, do you ever get tired of yourself?

what about you?

07-01-2011, 07:42 AM	#174
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	^^ DeadJohn, I've been pondering some of the marketing/organisational issues and I wonder what the result will be. For example, in the UK Pentax is represented by Pentax UK which looks after all things Pentaxy - medical and optical. Now that the optical bit has the new Ricoh overlord, it would seem to make sense that Pentax UK be split up in some way and that the sales & marketing functions for the optical bits go to Ricoh. But! Having called various people in Ricoh UK, Ricoh does its marketing for its optical bits from Dusseldorf, Germany, centrally for all of EMEA, whereas the other bits of Ricoh (photocopiers and the like) are all devolved to national HQs. Clearly there are challenges there as localisation and national presence does mean better marketing. On top of that, and I hate to be so negative, but the Ricoh crowd seem to cite poor marketing as one of their weak points too. Argh! Something I do find encouraging is the idea of Pentax being bought for its photography systems strength rather than the afterthought that it was for Hoya. It's not such a bad thing when a company states that it wants to develop its interchangeable lens systems gets together with consumers like us crying out for a wider range of lenses. I also do like the look of the Ricoh way with QA - they seem very proud of their quality emphasis and good service which, if it trickles across to us consumers, can only be a good thing. Lineups - judging by the press statements, the 645d is the least likely range to fold or be terminated. I wish that I had a much better idea of the profit produced by all the various ranges, as that's ultimately what will decide what stays and what goes. The noises from the bottom end don't sound too promising, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if there's a bunch of rationalisation there. Lastly, whilst we're all dissing Hoya, I think it's worth remembering that in their very short ownership they've come out with some models that do seem to have worked rather well. Would Pentax actually have survived had Hoya not bought it? Last edited by Nass; 07-01-2011 at 07:47 AM.

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07-01-2011, 07:34 AM	#166
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by ogl Announcement regarding Call for Voluntary Early Retirement / News Release \| Ricoh Global Announcement regarding Call for Voluntary Early Retirement Isn't it funny? No. It's sadly. Making room for Pentax employees? :P

07-01-2011, 07:34 AM	#167
noblepa Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bay Village, Ohio USA Posts: 1,142	Originally posted by GordonZA Looking at the PDF, looks like "Pentax" is dead... long live NewCo! I am not a legal person so reading legal speak is like trying to use a Canon... does right to use the name also get transfered? Pentax has been dead, as a corporation, since 2008. Pentax corporation was merged into Hoya and then dissolved. NewCo is just a shell that is being created to own the assets of the Pentax Imaging Division of Hoya. On Oct. 1, ownership of NewCo will transfer to Ricoh. Ricoh will probably merge NewCo into itself or rename the company, perhaps back to Pentax Corporation, and operate it as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Frankly, I'm surprised that Hoya didn't do that. I am concerned about this. We'll just have to wait and see what Ricoh's plans for the Pentax brand are. Hoya did some good things and returned Pentax to profitability, but were very conservative about investing in new products. The only reason, I believe, that the 645D saw the light of day, is that virtually all of the development work had already been done and paid for. The only way Hoya was going to recoup any of that money was to go ahead and sell the thing. Even today, though, the 645D suffers from a severe lack of available new lenses. A 645D user is forced to go to the used market. That's no way to sell cameras. Ricoh might drop the Pentax name, but I doubt it. Hopefully, they will be a little less reluctant to invest in new products. Maybe we'll see some new lenses, a new flash system and more dslrs. Maybe even ... could it be? ... some advertising.

07-01-2011, 07:34 AM	#168
ogl Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sankt Peterburg Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,382	Originally posted by luke0622 Good News for Pentax DSLRs... I would hope that Pentax is going into a new direction with Ricoh! I would personally prefer Panasonic to buy Pentax, and would be great to work out some fancy deals with Leica (lenses) to mount on Pentax DSLRs.... Ricoh is EMPTY PLACE at photo market. New direction could be the death of K-mount.

07-01-2011, 07:35 AM	#169
froeschle Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Germany Photos: Gallery Posts: 552	summary of press conference

07-01-2011, 07:36 AM	#170
DebLewis Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 34	well all I know about Ricoh is we switched from Xerox to Ricoh copiers/printers at work and they are cheap/plastic pieces of crap.. I sure hope that won't be the trend with cameras.. and I don't want a camera named Ricoh..

07-01-2011, 07:37 AM	#171
ogl Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sankt Peterburg Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,382	Originally posted by noblepa Pentax has been dead, as a corporation, since 2008. Pentax corporation was merged into Hoya and then dissolved. NewCo is just a shell that is being created to own the assets of the Pentax Imaging Division of Hoya. On Oct. 1, ownership of NewCo will transfer to Ricoh. Ricoh will probably merge NewCo into itself or rename the company, perhaps back to Pentax Corporation, and operate it as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Frankly, I'm surprised that Hoya didn't do that. . HOYA's capitalization is 6.2 billion yen. Ricoh's capitalization is 154 billion yen. Feel the difference!

07-01-2011, 07:39 AM - 1 Like	#172
KLSMpls Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 77	Originally posted by DeadJohn I welcome the new Pentax. It will hopefully bring about a shakeup in how Japan HQ and Pentax USA communicate with each other and with customers. No more "we can't answer your question because Japan has told us nothing" replies, please. My other hopes: Retain the staff and policies that created the Kx/K7/Kr/K5 cameras. Expand the K mount lens lineup. Streamline the Pentax+Ricoh compact offerings. There are too many overlapping models. Don't abandon the upcoming GPS accessory. I am so looking forward to that for astrophotography! Reevaluate the Q and GXR. Are they complementary or competitors? Increase USA marketing. Do it in a way that informs customers. Don't hire Ashton Kutcher This is right on target. This could be a good thing if managed well. I've been hoping they were bought out by somebody with deeper pockets and the desire to increase market share. The Pentax brand has so much going for it that has not been utilized. Indeed get back into at least some B&M stores to get some brand recognition. In that regard I'm not sure how much Ricoh's distribution system can help. Can't say I've ever seen a Ricoh in a B&M either. Or even seen an ad for Ricoh now that I think about it. It is troubling to think that Ricoh probably signed off on the Q system and I hope that is not a precursor of things to come. My fingers are crossed. It does make me put a hold on any further Pentax purchases until we get more of a road map though. I love my K-5 and don't mind being an oddity in my photo club, but I have always wondered how long Pentax would last with their tiny market share and Hoya's handcuffs. Unless I see a commitment to the Pentax brand from Ricoh, I will need to rethink my commitment.

07-01-2011, 07:41 AM	#173
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	ogl, do you ever get tired of yourself?

07-01-2011, 07:42 AM	#175
ogl Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sankt Peterburg Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,382	Quotes from Ricoh statement: "Now Ricoh aims to establish a consumer business." Does it sound good for K5 and 645D?

07-01-2011, 07:45 AM	#176
Ahab Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Arnold, Md. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 762	Originally posted by Vylen I for one do not like the idea. I don't either. Ricoh is not known for customer service, especially in their laser printer division.

07-01-2011, 07:45 AM	#177
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by ogl Quotes from Ricoh statement: "Now Ricoh aims to establish a consumer business." Does it sound good for K5 and 645D? K-5 is a consumer camera. 645D is niche, which Ricoh already panders to with the GXR. I doubt much will change.

07-01-2011, 07:45 AM	#178
KLSMpls Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 77	Originally posted by froeschle summary of press conference I'll have to wait for my Japanese Rosetta Stone to arrive I guess.

07-01-2011, 07:46 AM	#179
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	My first camera was a Ricoh Singlex TLS. I currently own that model, an XR-2s, and an XR7. All are well-built and dependable cameras. The other day ago I was in a used camera store and handled a mid-50s era Ricoh 500 rangefinder. Very nice and very well-built. Now I know, history is history, but the truth is that Ricoh is a stronger company than Hoya, has a long history in photographic products, enjoyed a collaborative development relationship with Pentax during the early days of the K-mount (both lenses and body), and is probably thrilled to have acquired the marque. Some people here would have been thrilled if the purchase had been by Leitz or <insert famous camera name here>, but get real. Leitz is even weaker than Pentax. At least the new owner is not Samyang. Steve

07-01-2011, 07:47 AM	#180
ogl Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sankt Peterburg Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,382	Originally posted by deadwolfbones ogl, do you ever get tired of yourself? what about you?