[Blue]

and this is exactly why I believe that the PENTAX name won't be going anywhere.

Its not just the name, its the k-mount system and for some the 645 system. If they orphan the aps-c lenses its going to make them the digital version of the Canon FD lenses depending on how long the current digital bodies hold out.

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

I don't expect him to publicly go "Ricoh! Those bastards!" I also saw that Ned likes the DA 35 LTD a lot on his K-5. That is my favorite DA lens.

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Last edited by Blue; 07-02-2011 at 07:08 AM.

[séamuis]

Its not just the name, its the k-mount system and for some the 645 system. If they orphan the aps-c lenses its going to make them the digital version of the Canon FD lenses depending on how long the current digital bodies hold out.

well in all fairness I mean the Pentax brand as whole. this includes the Kmount cameras, etc. (although I'm very unsure of the fate of the 645D!) I consider that to all fall under the 'name' but I guess I should be more clear. basically Pentax isn't going anywhere anytime soon in the world of consumer digital cameras, because I can't see any way in which it would be in Ricoh's best interest to simply dissolve the brand away only leaving them with the technology and patents, etc. the brand itself is just as important financially as the technology behind it. at least as far as I understand and see things. and so thats why I believe that Ricoh purchased Pentax specifically to leverage Pentax, not just the kmount, or Qmount, 645, or SR, etc. Pentax as a brand and its products won't disappear under Ricoh and in all honestly, I'm willing to bet money on that. Pentax is here to stay for the foreseeable future, and I feel the new 'management' is much better than the old.

[Emacs]

I also saw that Ned likes the DA 35 LTD a lot on his K-5. That is my favorite DA lens.

It's funny how many people here like this piece of lens. It's tokina 35mm macro, its real price is one of tokina, not the current of 35Ltd. And it shouldn't be Ltd, it's not just good enough.

[audiobomber]

The more I look at this, the more I see Ricoh eventually replacing the Pentax brand with Ricoh. That is the norm in business acquisitions. At first you keep the purchased brand name for its reputation, often in hyphenated form (Ricoh-Pentax), then once established in the market you substitute your name. Of course there are exceptions, but usually the end game is that you drop the original name and promote only your own.

I know this would bother some of you, but I don't care that much. Pentax is changing again, there's no denying it. This is a far more significant change than Hoya's caretaker role. I honestly think that Ricoh is an excellent fit for a lot of reasons. Pentax should be better off with a parent company that is interested in maintaining instead of selling it off.

[Blue]

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.

This is my concern as well.

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.

It is unclear how Ricoh will infuse them with capital but maybe they can operate after the streamlining by Hoya.

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

Hoya has slowed down a lot of things though just like the disappearance of a lens roadmap. They mostly put out what is in the works.

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!

Its not animosity. Many hoped Hoya would stay a major player in this arena and advance the Pentax division. At present they are undowing the merger with a split to sell the split.

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. ;-)

A cut rate K-5 may be a win on the short term.

P.S. If I'd had 124 million I would have bought Pentax myself. That seems like an incredible deal!

I thought the same thing.

[dgaies]

P.S. If I'd had 124 million I would have bought Pentax myself. That seems like an incredible deal!

I thought the same thing.

Me three. I even got my wife on board. Then we realized we don't quite have a spare 124 million

[Blue]

It's funny how many people here like this piece of lens. It's tokina 35mm macro, its real price is one of tokina, not the current of 35Ltd. And it shouldn't be Ltd, it's not just good enough.

You sir are full of it. It is not a Tokina design per se. It rides with my FA 77 all the time. But you probably don't like it either. The packaging is smaller for the DA than the mounts provided by Tokina. Tokina also sells a version of the 10-17 which is a Hirakawa design.

[aleonx3]

I personally don't think it is necessarily bad for Pentax with Ricoh as the new owner. Unlikely the SONY-Minolta deal where sony was not able to use the name on their new products, Ricoh can use the Pentax name to the advantage. I am hoping that there will be more lens roadmap, R&D as well as marketing presence once Ricoh takes over.

[luftfluss]

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.

Just my .02 here...

When someone refers to a company as merely a "brand", I think of something like the old GM structure, which had Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, etc. selling the same vehicles with (essentially) different trim packages. Or when the name "Polaroid" was purchased and then used to sell generic cheap electronics.

But if Pentax continues to have what we now consider to be essential Pentaxness - Pentaxicity? - that is, small, well-built bodies, and increasing amount of WR equipment, distinctive primes - then I don't see how anything gets lost. *If* Ricoh allows Pentax to continue to blaze the "Pentax Trail", then Pentax is a Brand with a capital B, in similar vein to Subaru (a Brand of Fuji Heavy Industries) or Rolls Royce (a Brand of BMW).

[justtakingpics]

$124 million? That doesn't sound like a lot in the big business world. I think youtube was sold for $900 million.

[audiobomber]

"Battling falling prices for its compact cameras, Ricoh hopes to establish a presence in the profitable upmarket single-lens reflex camera segment, the Nikkei business daily said."

UPDATE 2-Japan's Hoya: to sell Pentax camera business to Ricoh | Reuters

DSLR sales are expanding and Ricoh wants to play.

[séamuis]

$124 million? That doesn't sound like a lot in the big business world. I think youtube was sold for $900 million.

when you are a company at the bottom of the sales figures and you are being parted out, you aren't worth as much! Ricoh only purchased the camera imaging division of the company. and that division was doing a lot less business than the other division(s)? when it was bought out by Hoya. I think it would be similar to Leica Camera AG being sold vs say Leica Microsystems. we all se Leica as a huge profitable luxury brand, but the camera company is probably worth far less than the other two companies that make up the Leica umbrella.

[TZH]

If Tokina made K mount again,that would be so cool.
Pay less for optical ?

[violini]

I don't know why no one wants to make cameras here in North America; every one just wants to consume. Perhaps Research in Motion should be making cameras instead of tablets. I am more comfortable driving a GM instead of Toyota.

[Blue]

I don't know why no one wants to make cameras here in North America; every one just wants to consume. Perhaps Research in Motion should be making cameras instead of tablets. I am more comfortable driving a GM instead of Toyota.

Kodak actually made a full frame dSLR for 3 or 4 years. The Kodak DCS Pro took a canon lens mount. However, the images I have seen from it weren't really impressive.