Ricoh to buy Pentax camera business from Hoya

robgo2 · 07-02-2011, 02:51 PM

Originally posted by Class A

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.

Missing from this press release are the words "K mount" and "dSLR.". We may infer that this is what Ricoh means, but some straightforward clarification would help allay much anxiety.

Rob

jogiba · 07-02-2011, 02:58 PM - **1 Like**

You Tube

Times Square getting its first 'green' billboard

Powered by wind and sun, avenue sign expected to save $12,000 a month

This winter, New Year's Eve revelers will have a close-up view of Times Square's first environmentally friendly billboard powered entirely by wind and sun.

But the billboard might not be quite as dazzling as some of its high-powered neighbors along the Great White Way.

Construction on the 35,000-pound sign advertising Ricoh Americas Corp. is to begin this month across the avenue from the building where the ball drops on New Year's Eve.

Powered by 16 wind turbines and 64 solar panels, the sign is expected to save $12,000 to $15,000 per month in electricity costs. Ricoh, an office equipment and document storage supplier, estimates the sign will also keep 18 tons of carbon out of the environment.

The billboard will be lighted by floodlights rather than light-emitting diodes. It won't have a backup generator, so it could go dark during a long period with little wind or sun.

But Ricoh spokesman Ron Potesky said the sign's turbines will probably be able to keep the billboard lit even after four days without breezes or bright sun.

"The point is that there are ways of being environmentally friendly to the planet, even on a billboard," Potesky said.

A lighting ceremony for the 126-foot wide, 47-foot tall sign is scheduled for Dec. 4.

http://www.ricoh-eco.com/billboard.asp

Times Square getting its first 'green' billboard - US news - Environment - msnbc.com

robgo2 · 07-02-2011, 03:07 PM

Originally posted by luftfluss

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).

L

Is Zeiss just a brand, given that their lenses are actually manufactured by Cosina? In all likelihood, lens design is still done in-house.

Rob

mookowz13 · 07-02-2011, 03:21 PM

My concern right now is I hope that Ricoh's purchase doesn't affect Canadian distribution (no GXR availability up here, hope that doesn't mean they'll do the same with Pentax products or I may have to reluctantly change systems).

Nass · 07-02-2011, 03:22 PM

I'm surprised by how shallow the analysis of this deal has been in the online media. I havn't found anything I'd call illuminating.

**grhazelton** · 07-02-2011, 03:23 PM

I dropped by Showcase, probably the premier camera store here in the Atlanta area. The place was doing a good business, Saturday at 2 PM. I mentioned that I shot Pentax to the very competent woman I dealt with, and she knew of the Ricoh purchase and wondered what would become of Pentax. It seems that Showcase had carried Pentax but the sales reps stopped coming around! So Showcase dropped the brand. Is this any way to run a business?

Showcase carries Canon, Nikon, Olympus and I think Hasselblad, but I don't think Ricoh. Wolf Camera did carry Pentax, but with their restructuring Pentax was dropped. Wolf also carries Canikon and Olympus.

Is Olympus a bigger player than Pentax? Or do they support their dealers?

Pentax/Ricoh or whatever the brand becomes needs to press the flesh with dealers! Pentax as we all know is a fine brand, but dealers need convincing, and to be convinced that Pentax will support a dealer network.

séamuis · 07-02-2011, 03:23 PM

Originally posted by robgo2

L

Is Zeiss just a brand, given that their lenses are actually manufactured by Cosina? In all likelihood, lens design is still done in-house.

Rob

only the consumer line of lenses are manufactured by cosina, and they are done so under careful zeiss watch. I'm not sure about the Sony Zeiss lenses or any of the other consumer lenses branded as 'Zeiss' like on cell phone and compact cameras, etc. but Zeiss does indeed design and manufacture lenses in house for other purposes. Carl Zeiss Inc. is such a huge company with an even more huge aray of fields and products in which it invests, designs, engineers and manufactures in, that calling it simply a 'brand' would be absurd. the Zeiss lenses we most know about i.e. the 'Z' series is like a microscopic fraction of the products designed and marketed by Zeiss. but yes, the designs are done by Zeiss, only manufactured by Cosina.

johnmflores · 07-02-2011, 03:44 PM

Originally posted by jogiba

YouTube - ‪Times Square's Only 100% Solar Powered Billboard, by Ricoh‬&rlm;

So Pentax was bought by a company willing to spend the $$$ for a billboard on Times Square? That's a big step up from the billboards Pentax had in Minneapolis!

stanleyk · 07-02-2011, 03:44 PM

Originally posted by Blue

You know what, sign me up for a GXR module that has an aps-c sensor and af capable K-mount. I could rock with a DA 21, 35, 40 and 70 ltd on that puppy.

I would be very surprised if this doesn't happen sometime soon. A friend of mine has a GXR. It's really quite an amazing camera. The image quality is easily as good as the X100. I was really torn between the two I just preferred the 35mm focal length. That said I do plan on getting a GXR next year.

The GXR and the X100 really aren't cameras for people who really like DSLR's. I actually prefer them over the my K5 but that's just a personal and I'm sure extreme minority opinion.

**rparmar** · 07-02-2011, 05:48 PM

Sorry but I need that explained to me. How would a GXR with a k-mount module be better than the K-5?

**robbiec** · 07-02-2011, 06:03 PM

No explaining to do; K-5 would wipe the floor with any GXR image wise or a PL* or a X100 for that matter.

bobmaxja · 07-02-2011, 06:14 PM - **1 Like**

Wow, I am so surprise so many Pentaxian want Ricoh to fail. I am so totally piss off that I will take a break from this Pentax forum , I have better thing to do. Peoples are ony looking at the negative.
See you in few months

**robbiec** · 07-02-2011, 06:59 PM

Bob, suggest you just move down to the Photography and Photo Sharing and Galleries areas where the actual Pentax users live instead of the 'I want FF' | 'I want a 35 f/0.5 lens' | 'I want a K-5 for $500' | 'I think Pentax does not care about me and my personal needs' ... delete as applicable sections that are the Pentax Cameras & Pentax Lens (with notable exception of the Lens Fan Clubs) areas. By in large a lot of the negative posters are serial 'Pentax is doomed types' or members with very strong opinions on just about anything and yet not that many posts or posts that include images that they have taken.

glanglois · 07-02-2011, 07:00 PM

Originally posted by Blue

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

Did you actually read the 2010 annual report? I expect not. Or did I miss something that someone here wants to point out?

Please take a look at their free cash flow and think about that cup of coffee again.

glanglois · 07-02-2011, 07:12 PM

Apologies to those who get it but I have to vent about the thread in general:

Amount of analysis of this as a business deal = very high.

Quality of analysis (understanding of how businesses actually work) = very low.

Resulting value of said analysis = abysmal.

Time to take a breather with a book about anything other than photography ....

07-02-2011, 02:51 PM	#436
robgo2 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Mexico Photos: Albums Posts: 1,125	Originally posted by Class A 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. Missing from this press release are the words "K mount" and "dSLR.". We may infer that this is what Ricoh means, but some straightforward clarification would help allay much anxiety. Rob

07-02-2011, 06:03 PM	#446
robbiec Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cork Photos: Albums Posts: 1,882	No explaining to do; K-5 would wipe the floor with any GXR image wise or a PL* or a X100 for that matter. Last edited by robbiec; 07-02-2011 at 07:13 PM.

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07-02-2011, 03:07 PM	#438
robgo2 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Mexico Photos: Albums Posts: 1,125	Originally posted by luftfluss 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). L Is Zeiss just a brand, given that their lenses are actually manufactured by Cosina? In all likelihood, lens design is still done in-house. Rob

07-02-2011, 03:21 PM	#439
mookowz13 New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Calgary, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 21	My concern right now is I hope that Ricoh's purchase doesn't affect Canadian distribution (no GXR availability up here, hope that doesn't mean they'll do the same with Pentax products or I may have to reluctantly change systems).

07-02-2011, 03:22 PM	#440
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	I'm surprised by how shallow the analysis of this deal has been in the online media. I havn't found anything I'd call illuminating.

07-02-2011, 03:23 PM	#441
grhazelton Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Jonesboro, GA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,972	I dropped by Showcase, probably the premier camera store here in the Atlanta area. The place was doing a good business, Saturday at 2 PM. I mentioned that I shot Pentax to the very competent woman I dealt with, and she knew of the Ricoh purchase and wondered what would become of Pentax. It seems that Showcase had carried Pentax but the sales reps stopped coming around! So Showcase dropped the brand. Is this any way to run a business? Showcase carries Canon, Nikon, Olympus and I think Hasselblad, but I don't think Ricoh. Wolf Camera did carry Pentax, but with their restructuring Pentax was dropped. Wolf also carries Canikon and Olympus. Is Olympus a bigger player than Pentax? Or do they support their dealers? Pentax/Ricoh or whatever the brand becomes needs to press the flesh with dealers! Pentax as we all know is a fine brand, but dealers need convincing, and to be convinced that Pentax will support a dealer network.

07-02-2011, 03:23 PM	#442
séamuis Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Savannah, U.S./Baguio City, P.H. Posts: 5,979	Originally posted by robgo2 L Is Zeiss just a brand, given that their lenses are actually manufactured by Cosina? In all likelihood, lens design is still done in-house. Rob only the consumer line of lenses are manufactured by cosina, and they are done so under careful zeiss watch. I'm not sure about the Sony Zeiss lenses or any of the other consumer lenses branded as 'Zeiss' like on cell phone and compact cameras, etc. but Zeiss does indeed design and manufacture lenses in house for other purposes. Carl Zeiss Inc. is such a huge company with an even more huge aray of fields and products in which it invests, designs, engineers and manufactures in, that calling it simply a 'brand' would be absurd. the Zeiss lenses we most know about i.e. the 'Z' series is like a microscopic fraction of the products designed and marketed by Zeiss. but yes, the designs are done by Zeiss, only manufactured by Cosina.

07-02-2011, 03:44 PM	#443
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Originally posted by jogiba YouTube - ‪Times Square's Only 100% Solar Powered Billboard, by Ricoh‬&rlm; So Pentax was bought by a company willing to spend the $$$ for a billboard on Times Square? That's a big step up from the billboards Pentax had in Minneapolis!

07-02-2011, 03:44 PM	#444
stanleyk Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Taylor, Texas Posts: 1,018	Originally posted by Blue You know what, sign me up for a GXR module that has an aps-c sensor and af capable K-mount. I could rock with a DA 21, 35, 40 and 70 ltd on that puppy. I would be very surprised if this doesn't happen sometime soon. A friend of mine has a GXR. It's really quite an amazing camera. The image quality is easily as good as the X100. I was really torn between the two I just preferred the 35mm focal length. That said I do plan on getting a GXR next year. The GXR and the X100 really aren't cameras for people who really like DSLR's. I actually prefer them over the my K5 but that's just a personal and I'm sure extreme minority opinion.

07-02-2011, 05:48 PM	#445
rparmar Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,819	Sorry but I need that explained to me. How would a GXR with a k-mount module be better than the K-5?

07-02-2011, 06:14 PM - 1 Like	#447
bobmaxja Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Laval, Quebec Canada Posts: 2,171	Wow, I am so surprise so many Pentaxian want Ricoh to fail. I am so totally piss off that I will take a break from this Pentax forum , I have better thing to do. Peoples are ony looking at the negative. See you in few months

07-02-2011, 06:59 PM	#448
robbiec Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cork Photos: Albums Posts: 1,882	Bob, suggest you just move down to the Photography and Photo Sharing and Galleries areas where the actual Pentax users live instead of the 'I want FF' \| 'I want a 35 f/0.5 lens' \| 'I want a K-5 for $500' \| 'I think Pentax does not care about me and my personal needs' ... delete as applicable sections that are the Pentax Cameras & Pentax Lens (with notable exception of the Lens Fan Clubs) areas. By in large a lot of the negative posters are serial 'Pentax is doomed types' or members with very strong opinions on just about anything and yet not that many posts or posts that include images that they have taken.

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07-02-2011, 07:00 PM	#449
glanglois Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Madison, Wis., USA Posts: 1,506	Originally posted by Blue Like I said in an earlier post, I am surprised Ricoh can get together enough capital to buy a cup of coffee. Did you actually read the 2010 annual report? I expect not. Or did I miss something that someone here wants to point out? Please take a look at their free cash flow and think about that cup of coffee again.

07-02-2011, 07:12 PM	#450
glanglois Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Madison, Wis., USA Posts: 1,506	Apologies to those who get it but I have to vent about the thread in general: Amount of analysis of this as a business deal = very high. Quality of analysis (understanding of how businesses actually work) = very low. Resulting value of said analysis = abysmal. Time to take a breather with a book about anything other than photography ....