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07-01-2011, 01:17 PM   #1
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Official announcement from Pentax about sale to Ricoh

QuoteOriginally posted by Toshiaki Iue:
July 1, 2011

Dear Valued PENTAX Customers and Partners,

We would like to hereby inform you that we, HOYA Corporation, have made an agreement regarding the business transfer of our PENTAX Imaging System Business to RICOH Corporation today, July 1, 2011.

The effective date of the business transfer is set for October 1, 2011. The business areas to be transferred as PENTAX Imaging System Business are digital cameras, interchangeable lenses, digital camera accessories, binoculars and security-related products, including R&D, design, manufacturing and sales for those product categories.


PENTAX Imaging system business will be succeeded by a newly established company scheduled on October 1, 2011, and then RICOH Corporation will acquire 100% of its stock right after the establishment.

No operational changes of PENTAX Imaging System Business are anticipated for the time being by making this agreement. All employees will be transferred to the new company accordingly. Also, all current products will continue to be sold with the PENTAX brand name under current operations.

PENTAX, under the guidance of RICOH, will continue with our best effort to grow and evolve our business and partnerships and deliver quality products and services designed for a high level of customer satisfaction.

Again, we appreciate your continued support of PENTAX.

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Toshiaki Iue,

President

PENTAX Imaging Systems Division


Here's a PDF of the details of the transaction: http://www.hoya.co.jp/english/news/latest/d0h4dj0000001fv8-att/d0h4dj0000001fwi.pdf

07-01-2011, 01:26 PM   #2
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This is a duplicate thread, see this news post and related discussion thread: Pentax to be sold to Ricoh - Pentax News - PentaxForums.com (as well as the 10 others spread around the forums )

My thoughts about the brand name seem to be confirmed, though! No changes there.

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07-01-2011, 01:28 PM   #3
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The letter from Toshiaki Iue is new news though isn't it? If not, just purge my thread
07-01-2011, 02:13 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
This is a duplicate thread, see this news post and related discussion thread: Pentax to be sold to Ricoh - Pentax News - PentaxForums.com (as well as the 10 others spread around the forums )

My thoughts about the brand name seem to be confirmed, though! No changes there.
Again, its a wait and see because the "Name" is for current operations.


QuoteQuote:
No operational changes of PENTAX Imaging System Business are anticipated for the time being by making this agreement. All employees will be transferred to the new company accordingly. Also, all current products will continue to be sold with the PENTAX brand name under current operations.


07-01-2011, 03:00 PM   #5
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07-01-2011, 07:45 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Clinton Quote
It sounds rather sadly. If you can read between the lines...
07-01-2011, 10:17 PM - 4 Likes   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by ogl Quote
It sounds rather sadly. If you can read between the lines...
With respect, ogl, I'm sure you read sadness between the lines of color in a rainbow. I don't see any reason to be prematurely pessimistic about any of this.

07-02-2011, 02:58 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by v5planet Quote
With respect, ogl, I'm sure you read sadness between the lines of color in a rainbow. I don't see any reason to be prematurely pessimistic about any of this.
I hope for the best...To say honest. But...I'm sad that Pentax is only name now...
And it seems to me Pentax wasted time with HOYA merger. I'm with Pentax and no plans to switch.
07-02-2011, 03:26 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by ogl Quote
It sounds rather sadly. If you can read between the lines...
Between the lines there's only space
07-02-2011, 03:39 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by ogl Quote
I hope for the best...To say honest. But...I'm sad that Pentax is only name now...
And it seems to me Pentax wasted time with HOYA merger. I'm with Pentax and no plans to switch.
But Pentax didn't have a merger with Hoya. It was a (relatively) hostile take over, with Hoya absorbing a Pentax whose camera division was bleeding all over the place. For the first year after the acquisition, the camera division continued to have serious losses.

I think Hoya's interest was just in releasing enough new products/raising prices on existing prices enough that the camera division could actually turn a profit. Its certainly too soon to weep tears about this sale.
07-02-2011, 04:37 AM   #11
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From reading that, it does sound as though there's a possibility of a name change after the changeover. They certainly weren't promising to keep the Pentax name on anyway. It doesn't matter too much to me, except in hoping that the K5 prices come down for me to afford one! lol.
07-02-2011, 06:27 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by NicoleAu Quote
From reading that, it does sound as though there's a possibility of a name change after the changeover. They certainly weren't promising to keep the Pentax name on anyway. It doesn't matter too much to me, except in hoping that the K5 prices come down for me to afford one! lol.
I highly doubt the Pentax name will go away in the consumer camera market. Ricoh didn't buy the camera division just to acquire some patents. I guarantee that Ricoh saw an opportunity to capitalize on an existing brand and use it to turn profit, not to dissolve it into non-existence. it would actually be in Ricoh's interest I think to not only keep Pentax and Pentax branded products, but to also aggressively market them and use them to both the advantage of Pentax as a brand and also the Ricoh brand of cameras. I believe that Pentax will remain structurally the same as it is now and continue to put out products just the same, only under the ownership and guidance of Ricoh instead of Hoya. I think we might possibly see some Ricoh Kmount DSLR's in the near future similar to the samsung versions of the recent past, and I think Ricoh will use the patents and ownership of things like the Kmount and SR, etc. to further develop their own current line of digital cameras. I'm not sure of the fate of the 645D but I highly doubt the PENTAX brand will be disappearing to be replaced soley by Ricoh anytime soon, or possibly ever. Ricoh didn't buy the camera division for the same reasons hoya bought out Pentax, and unlike hoya Ricoh has a real interest and the actual camera portion of the Pentax brand. something hoya never did. I'm cautious just like everyone else, but a part of me can't help but to think this may be the saving grace of the Pentax brand. they may have been doing better in recent years vs the past (before the hoya buyout) but because of hoyas goals, business models and interests the Pentax brand at least in regards to the cameras, was slowly dying. under Ricoh I can truly see a reversal of that in a big way. I guess we will just have to wait and see though.
07-02-2011, 06:29 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kunzite Quote
Between the lines there's only space
For whom can't see an inch before their noses
07-02-2011, 06:31 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by séamuis Quote
I highly doubt the Pentax name will go away in the consumer camera market. Ricoh didn't buy the camera division just to acquire some patents. I guarantee that Ricoh saw an opportunity
We can't guarantee anything about bussiness of big corporations...And we can't even guarantee when we'll die.
07-02-2011, 06:55 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by ogl Quote
We can't guarantee anything about bussiness of big corporations...And we can't even guarantee when we'll die.
your statement is both stupid and so obvious it need not be said. of course we can't guarantee anything and I don't think my statement was anything close to such. it was merely a best guess based on the possible reasons fr Ricoh to purchase what they did. and how I believe Ricoh will act due to what at least seems to be the most profitable and reasonable for both the immediate and long term for their consumer camera division. Hoya bought pentax for the medical division. they got the cameras in the deal, but didn't care to have it, so they sold it. here comes ricoh seeing a camera brand on the market with huge potential and although small, a very well established and loyal user base. a HUGE potential at a great price. a company with an obvious interest in continued development of digital camera technology now owns a long standing, well established, and respected camera brand. well looking at it from a distance, it would seem to me that Ricoh bought Pentax to further develop the Pentax brand for profit and use that ownership to further Ricoh cameras at the same time. having two brands especially one acquired so cheaply sounds like a win win to me. maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

also, if you have nothing better to say besides whats obvious and a waste of time saying just to be purposely opposing and pessimistic, why not just say nothing at all?
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