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07-02-2011, 03:25 AM   #376
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QuoteOriginally posted by johnmflores Quote
To the doomsayers ... If Ricoh's intent is not to use the Pentax name and not to continue developing K-mount dSLRs, then what exactly did they pay $120 million for? The right to make Ricoh Optios?
From what I've read, the $124 million figure is not official - just an estimate made by Nikkei. The real number is secret, and it will remain so.

HOYAとリコー、ペンタックスブランドの譲渡について会見 - デジカメWatch

07-02-2011, 04:02 AM   #377
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
I like this sentence from the Ricoh press release:
Expansion of product lineup and interchangeable lens portfolio.
Surely this likely means more K-mount lenses.

Let's hope the new Pentax owner will realise all potential this new situation has.
I hope...It's all what I can do.
07-02-2011, 04:33 AM   #378
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Could we see consumer Pentax cameras incorporating Ricoh technologies?

Ricoh has a RZ-10 competitor, the CX series (both have 10x zoom).
07-02-2011, 05:15 AM   #379
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QuoteOriginally posted by Fontan Quote
Financially they just had an awful quarter.
Financially, all of Japan just had an awful quarter and there are several more to come. These are extraordinary times.

I'm looking forward to seeing the adventurous new models that the new Ricoh-Pentax partnership will produce.

07-02-2011, 05:22 AM   #380
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kunzite Quote
From what I've read, the $124 million figure is not official - just an estimate made by Nikkei. The real number is secret, and it will remain so.
Hoya purchased Pentax for $770 million, stripped off the medical business and sold the camera business for about $124 million. So, it appears that the consumer camera business was just a small part (~ 16%) of the original Pentax Corporation and business.

07-02-2011, 05:35 AM   #381
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QuoteOriginally posted by ozlizard Quote
There is no mention anywhere of even maintaining the current DSLR cameras, never mind producing more. Forget about a FF here, it's not going to happen. And if Hoya are retaining the Pentax brand for their other optical products, then we will no longer have Pentax branded cameras.
So, do you want to own a Ricoh?
Why then buy Pentax if they don't need the DSLR line...?
Doesn't make sense to me. Ricoh bought Pentax because they do want to add a DSLR line-up to their portfolio.
07-02-2011, 05:47 AM   #382
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QuoteOriginally posted by s饌muis Quote
isn't that what Hoya did? I mean Pentax is nothing more than a brand name now, not its own company. .
Not true. Pentax is not only a brand name. It is factories, R&D teams and sales and marketing. The only difference is the owner. Whether it is Asahi Optical, Hoya or Ricoh doesn't reall matter - nor how the business ownership is organized.

07-02-2011, 05:52 AM   #383
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QuoteOriginally posted by kthung Quote
Compact bodies = less weight = already more stable
actually, Less weight <> more stable. it is usually the other way around
07-02-2011, 06:10 AM   #384
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QuoteOriginally posted by Raffwal Quote
Whether this all turns out good or bad in the long run, I wonder what is its effect on product development and release timetables. Considering the deal becomes effective in some months. Will Pentax engineers now just drink coffee, clean their tables and wait for commands from their new overlords? Also, Ricoh was planning to let go of 10% of their staff even before this. I'm sure quite a few former Pentax employees will be axed too.
Sadly, I think so from personal experience.
I do hope Ricoh work double hard (the way Japanese are known for) to get some products and road map out in the next 3mths.
07-02-2011, 06:12 AM   #385
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QuoteOriginally posted by P虱 Jensen Quote
Not true. Pentax is not only a brand name. It is factories, R&D teams and sales and marketing. The only difference is the owner. Whether it is Asahi Optical, Hoya or Ricoh doesn't reall matter - nor how the business ownership is organized.
I fail to see how that makes them anything more than a brand. when they were Pentax Co. Ltd. they were the same company as Asahi Opt. Co. Ltd., just a new name. when hoya bought them, Pentax Co. Ltd. seised to exist. everything became the property of Hoya. that makes them a brand under the Hoya Co. where as before they were there own company. Pentax wasn't just a brand name of camera's etc, it was its own company, just like canon and nikon. now Pentax is still a brand name, but no company. everything may still exist internally the same, but they aren't there own company anymore. the name Pentax and everything that come with it is owned by Hoya and Ricoh. I'm no business expert, so if I'm wrong I'm wrong, but they way I understand it, that makes 'PENTAX' nothing more than brand owned now by two different companies.
07-02-2011, 06:33 AM - 2 Likes   #386
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QuoteOriginally posted by Raffwal Quote
But then somebody here or on the other forum commented the Q turd had to have Ricoh's approval and I realized that was true. Such an announcement in the last days of negotiations and release just before the deal taking effect is 100% certain to have Ricoh's approval. And what does it tell us that they want products such as GXR and Q? Not very promising IMO.
As I see it, the only thing that is 100% certain about Ricoh's involvement with the Q product is the timing of its announcement in relation to the announcement of the acquisition of Pentax. There seams to be no question considering the timing of the release that Ricoh wanted it announced under Hoya. Would Hoya have released it at all if not for the sale to Ricoh is unknown. Hoya certainly doesn't care about releasing a turd from a division they never wanted, and are off loading. And, clearly Ricoh has little confidence in the Q product or they would not have required its release prior to announcing the acquisition. I could be wrong bit it seams Ricoh wants to judge reaction to the concept and then quickly kill it if it flops. Judging by the online reaction to Q thus far, if I am correct, it will never hit shelves in the US. If Ricoh blindly tries to push marketing on the still born Q, that indicates they truly believe in the product, and I can have no confidence in Ricoh-Pentax. If they quickly kill it howeber, I have high hopes. So, the Q is good for something, its the perfect litmus test for Ricoh-Pentax's direction going foreward.
07-02-2011, 06:40 AM - 2 Likes   #387
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It seems to me that there are two possibilities here. Ricoh either bought Pentax optical for its technologies, in which case we will not see much progress from Pentax branded cameras. The sensor pipeline, SR etc. will find their way into Ricoh products, none of which I have any interest in whatsoever. In this scenario the Pentax brand might be dropped entirely somewhere down the line, or indeed sold on once again.

Or, Ricoh bought Pentax to infuse with capital and carry forward as their top-end brand. Which makes sense given the potential of the 645D and K-5. In this case the single best thing they could do has nothing to do with technology. Rather, Pentax needs a professional service network so that pros feel good about investing in the system. Secondly, an increase in marketing and retail presence would help raise awareness. Focusing on Pentax as a professional wing of their camera operations would, I believe, be good for all of us.

In any case, the short term effect will be a delay in new Pentax products while the change-over takes place.

I must say that I don't understand the negativity directed towards Hoya in this thread. They have released a significant number of products, invigorating the Pentax brand during their tenure. The 645D was finally released by them, not for any monetary reasons, I believe, but instead to preserve their honour and standing among keiretsu. Which is not a bad reason in the big scheme of things. The K-5 is a stunning achievement by any standard. Finally reviewers and those attached to other brands have had to sit up and take notice of Pentax. This has not translated into market share since too many other pieces are missing from the puzzle. But it's an important step forward. Finally, look at the great lenses we have seen under Hoya!

If scenario one unfolds, Pentax will disappear and I can finally buy a K-5 at a cut-rate price. If scenario two unfolds we may see wonders yet from Pentax. Looks win/win to me. ;-)

P.S. If I'd had 124 million I would have bought Pentax myself. That seems like an incredible deal!
07-02-2011, 06:50 AM   #388
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QuoteOriginally posted by ozlizard Quote
I still stick to my original feeling after reading the press release that Ricoh will be aiming at middle range consumer products, not prosumer, not pro. Lets hope that the K5 is not the end of the line for Pentax pro quality cameras.
However I have a bad feeling about this.....
You've put a lot of words in your statement that were not in the press release. Ricoh did not use the words middle range, prosumer or pro. I believe it's clear that "consumer" is used in this press release simply to differentiate between a company and an individual. It is not being used as it sometimes used in camera discussions to denote mass-market level products. Here's the excerpt that I believe you're referencing.

The goal of the Acquisition is to establish a firmer presence in the consumer business, which has been a considerable challenge for Ricoh.

Ricoh believes that the borderline between office and home will fade and this will be reflected in a major change in products and services. Ricoh aims to provide more consumer撲riented offerings not only in the field of digital cameras but also video conferencing systems, network appliances, and others, to their customers around the world. The Acquisition is the first step in this direction.

http://www.ricoh.com/release/2011/pdf/0701.pdf

What this means to me is that they have strength when selling to business, but see a need to focus on selling to individual consumers, because households are becoming more technologically sophisticated. Camera gear is mainly sold to domestic consumers, not to a purchasing department, and therefore requires a different marketing strategy than a copier.
07-02-2011, 06:58 AM   #389
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QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
Camera gear is mainly sold to domestic consumers, not to a purchasing department, and therefore requires a different marketing strategy than a copier.
and this is exactly why I believe that the PENTAX name won't be going anywhere.
07-02-2011, 06:59 AM   #390
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QuoteOriginally posted by johnmflores Quote
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...
No you won't. What part about me not sticking with a non-kmount system did you not get. I'll especially keep the things that work on my af film bodies and mf film bodies since I have been using k-mount for a long time. However, your aignorant if you think a digital k body will be in service for long as a K2. The aps-c lenses in k-mount could become orphaned. I don't know of an Eric Hendrickson of the digital bodies.
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