[Blue]

Guys, the death march has started. Ricoh will mess it all up, as they have done to themselves.

I am more optimistic than that, but Ricoh needs to allow Pentax to operate. There will be a lot of interesting things to see over the next year and half. Where will the manufacturing remain? While they keep the Vietnam and Philippines assembly lines going or consolidate them, will they even get them.

[dgaies]

Still, there's a lot of upside potential here.

No doubt.

Personally I'd prefer to wait and see how things work out before I assume the worst.

[Fontan]

I am more optimistic than that, but Ricoh needs to allow Pentax to operate. There will be a lot of interesting things to see over the next year and half. Where will the manufacturing remain? While they keep the Vietnam and Philippines assembly lines going or consolidate them, will they even get them.

I doubt they are savvy enough to do something wortwhile with Pentax. In particular, as a 645d owner, this is extremely worrisome. Financially they just had an awful quarter. This to me reflects their wishful thinking knee jerk reaction. This isn't like Apple computer acquiring Pentax.

[johnmflores]

I doubt they are savvy enough to do something wortwhile with Pentax. In particular, as a 645d owner, this is extremely worrisome. Financially they just had an awful quarter. This to me reflects their wishful thinking knee jerk reaction. This isn't like Apple computer acquiring Pentax.

One awful quarter does not an awful company make. Remember, Apple's had some awful quarters.

What makes you think that Ricoh will do worse than Hoya with Pentax?

[Jeff Bennett]

1+ I am a proud American but I totally agree, this would be a disaster. Japan/Germany = Cameras/lenses. USA... not so much.

Not saying it's a conventional idea. Just saying it seems like a small amount for an international brand in an era when companies that have no real value are traded for much more.(like the 550m purchase of myspace that just got resold for 35m) No there isn't camera manufacturing going on in the US right now but if I'm not mistaken we are still the number two manufacturing country in the world. I'd like to think we are perfectly capable of manufacturing a camera. As to the 10-20 percent premium I mentioned I seem to remember that figure being bantered about in relation to additional costs related to automobiles manufactured here. Whatever. Obviously it's not going to happen.

[Fontan]

One awful quarter does not an awful company make. Remember, Apple's had some awful quarters.

What makes you think that Ricoh will do worse than Hoya with Pentax?

But, Johnny, they have not had a good quarter in years . . . .

[Blue]

So they stopped making SLRs 20 years ago because they weren't making money and you make it sound like an act of willful malice.

And as I've said, that's precisely why they bought Pentax - to give them the capabilities to do something they haven't really done since the 80s.

Sure this deal can go horribly wrong if Ricoh mismanages it. But they've managed to carve out a nice niche for themselves in the document imaging business, acquiring other companies along the way - Lanier, Gestetner, IKON, etc... - and letting them maintain their corporate identities post acquisition.

The biggest risk that I see is their marketing and distribution. Setting up and maintaining a business-to-business sales and marketing organization is fundamentally different than setting up and maintaining a business-to-consumer organization. That is still a gap in Ricoh's DNA, and one that needs to be filled in order for their push into consumer markets to work.

Still, there's a lot of upside potential here.

No, I implied a failure at the slr business, not malice. We know the slr and lenses is what Pentax brings to the table. Overall, Ricoh isn't a very impressive company. Maybe Pentax will jaz that up some. If Ricoh folds up the k-mount for the second time, it will be over and done except for the Q-GXD crowd.

[jackseh]

What makes you think that Ricoh will do worse than Hoya with Pentax?

GRD for a start.

With all due respect, I hope you're not commenting on how good Ricoh is, because we've all witnessed how bad Hoya had been.

[Blue]

GRD for a start.

With all due respect, I hope you're not commenting on how good Ricoh is, because we've all witnessed how bad Hoya had been.

Ricoh has done what Pentax couldn't, kill the K-mount.

[Blue]

I doubt they are savvy enough to do something wortwhile with Pentax. In particular, as a 645d owner, this is extremely worrisome. Financially they just had an awful quarter. This to me reflects their wishful thinking knee jerk reaction. This isn't like Apple computer acquiring Pentax.

Like I said in an earlier post, I am surprised Ricoh can get together enough capital to buy a cup of coffee.

[johnmflores]

GRD for a start.

With all due respect, I hope you're not commenting on how good Ricoh is, because we've all witnessed how bad Hoya had been.

Say what you will, but Hoya got Pentax's financial house in order and helped them release some pretty good cameras. Under Hoya's watch, Pentax released a top entry-level dSLR (K-x), a top APS-C dSLR (K-5), and a market-changing MF (645d).

Truth told, Pentax would not be around today were it not for Hoya.

[sjwaldron]

It didn't say jack about the use of the name after Oct 1. I hope they use the Pentax name. It would have been nice if Sony would have been able to get use of the Minolta name as well but at least the Sony name was already renowned.

Ricoh has nothing to do with Pentax until October 1st. That's the day this new company is created and immediately sold to Ricoh. My interpretation of the Ricoh release means they will both use the Pentax brand name. I'm sure we can go back and forth with this forever, but my interpretation of their wording means Ricoh will use the text "Pentax" on some of their cameras (most likely everything Pentax currently offers).

I've been thinking of de-labeling my camera bodies and getting aftermarket straps for a few years, so I'm with you in not caring much what label the camera has. What is important is that the tools will be as good as if not much better than what we currently have.

[johnmflores]

Ricoh has done what Pentax couldn't, kill the K-mount.

Then I'll be looking for your used gear in the marketplace!

Give me a couple of K-5s and I'll use my DA Limiteds and DA* until the end of my days...

[Fontan]

GRD for a start.

With all due respect, I hope you're not commenting on how good Ricoh is, because we've all witnessed how bad Hoya had been.

I don't think Hoya has been bad. They did what they could to not get in the way of Pentax. Everything Pentax shelled out during Hoya ownership had alreday been conceived by the time of take over.

[acrollet]

only for what it's worth - Ned Bunell says that he's excited about the acquisition... Sam's Nose by 35mm Macro Limited - Ned's Photo Journal