[RioRico]

Hypotheticals:

* Canon buys Ricoh-Pentax and conquers the lucrative worlds of copiers and dSLRs.
* Facebook buys Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Ricoh, as expanded social-networking tools.
* Carlos Slim buys all dSLR makers; he's tired of phones and wants some cameras.
* CIA secretly buys all camera makers so they can spy on everyone, everywhere.
* Cthulhu returns, devours all humanity, but finds that cameras give him gas.

Discuss.

[adamfogerty]

Thanks for backing up my point - Until we know what Ricoh plans to do with the Pentax name, then everything is merely speculation.

For what it's worth I'm not a doom-monger, I'll be getting a K-5 in the coming weeks.

I just don't see the value in trying to second-guess what strategic direction Ricoh has planned.

Nothing against Falk's post by the way - he merely stated FACT - that the Pentax name will survive. I was just trying to address some of the crystal ball gazing that followed.

EDIT: Re-reading Falk's post, he says that,

"Ricoh will continue to call Pentax PENTAX ! (at least the dSLR part of it)"

Tut-tut Falk - Ricoh never said that at all. The bit of the press release you quoted doesn't mention DSLR's at all. In fact, DSLR's weren't mentioned once in the entire press release.

Thanks,

Adam

[adr1an]

Ok.. But the people who now work with Ricoh do to

In an exclusive interview with Pentax, TechRadar spoke to Marilyn Dixon, marketing manager for the brand about what possible changes we can expect to see in the upcoming months.
...
According to Marilyn, the Pentax brand and name will continue under the new structure, "that's absolutely certain," she told us.
...
The transition to the company comes into effect from the 1st of October. Marilyn says that Ricoh is keen to "hit the ground running" when it comes to developing the existing line-up of Pentax products. "We can only speak for the UK, but certainly we've got established channels for distribution that they would want to see developed in the next couple of years," she revealed.

Pentax UK speaks out on Ricoh sale | News | TechRadar UK

[Coeurdechene]

Hoya really did the bare minimum to keep the brand viable while they looked to get rid of it

And if by doing the bare minimum they managed to make some profit, sell the camera division at a higher price than the one they paid for all the pentax entity and open some interesting paths as the MF one why is so many people panicking over the transaction that have led pentax to a company that has some real interest in the camera division?
I'm sure that ricoh ownership is better for pentax camera division than Hoya...K mount will not be discontinued...it would be a suicide move (on a millionaire investment) alienating the niche of consumers they have, leading them to the Canikon..
.And even if it was the case, it's just another company on the modern capitalism history...we would all cut our losses and move on. It's not as if a brand was meaningfull in any sense to who we are and what we do with the gear.

Hypotheticals:

* Canon buys Ricoh-Pentax and conquers the lucrative worlds of copiers and dSLRs.
* Facebook buys Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Ricoh, as expanded social-networking tools.
* Carlos Slim buys all dSLR makers; he's tired of phones and wants some cameras.
* CIA secretly buys all camera makers so they can spy on everyone, everywhere.
* Cthulhu returns, devours all humanity, but finds that cameras give him gas.

Discuss.
__________

....the CIA one is unfortunately not so crazy...it has been done with mobile phones (and the worse thing is that they didn't need to properly buy phone companys maybe all those gps modules will become mandatory and send some positioning info as well).

Personally i prefer the Cthulhu option but i'm sure it'll be people like Slim the thing that gives him gas.

[adr1an]

maybe all those gps modules will become mandatory and send some positioning info as well).

Meh - its not like they couldn't triangulate to remarkable accuracy the signal anyway thanks to the plethora of micro-cells and phone companies need the ESN in order to be able to bill you correctly so thats not going to change (and its no different to current intercept laws for fixed lines really when you think about it...) the GPS module just saves a few minutes But don't worry, access to the information is protected by wire-tap laws... isn't it ?

[Coeurdechene]

and its no different to current intercept laws for fixed lines really when you think about it

It's easier technically, in fact it's so easy it's scary...and the CIA is well know for it's "extralegal" activities, just type CHAOS CIA in wikipedia for some paranoia inducing facts
I think i'll pass on the gps module and if it becomes common practice i'll just stick to obscure 50s rangefinders (probable buying addiction in that scenario and with some more years of fotography and gear talk on my back XD) and my hassy.

But coming again on the Ricoh topic...people should stop worriying and we'll just see next spring/summer what Ricoh starts to do about Pentax...having interest and being the camera market as it is they definitely want to be a bit agressive and get in the game fast (they've probably been getting familiarized while the negotiations were on).

[Blue]

And if by doing the bare minimum they managed to make some profit, sell the camera division at a higher price than the one they paid for all the pentax entity and open some interesting paths as the MF one why is so many people panicking over the transaction that have led pentax to a company that has some real interest in the camera division?
I'm sure that ricoh ownership is better for pentax camera division than Hoya...K mount will not be discontinued...it would be a suicide move (on a millionaire investment) alienating the niche of consumers they have, leading them to the Canikon..
.And even if it was the case, it's just another company on the modern capitalism history...we would all cut our losses and move on. It's not as if a brand was meaningfull in any sense to who we are and what we do with the gear.



....the CIA one is unfortunately not so crazy...it has been done with mobile phones (and the worse thing is that they didn't need to properly buy phone companys maybe all those gps modules will become mandatory and send some positioning info as well).

Personally i prefer the Cthulhu option but i'm sure it'll be people like Slim the thing that gives him gas.

Actually, Hoya paid nearly $1 Billion for the acquisition of Pentax.

The 645D was already in the works when Hoya acquired Pentax.

While I agree with that statement, I would rather not be a Lemming.

[Coeurdechene]

Actually, Hoya paid nearly $1 Billion for the acquisition of Pentax.

The 645D was already in the works when Hoya acquired Pentax.

My bad misread it somewhere.

And then you won't be the lemming...it's ricoh who will hypothetically be.

[mdbrown]

Actually, Hoya paid nearly $1 Billion for the acquisition of Pentax.

The 645D was already in the works when Hoya acquired Pentax.

While I agree with that statement, I would rather not be a Lemming.

Hoya paid $770 Million US for Pentax. Based on unit sales and probable profit margins I would venture a guess that Hoya at worst broke even and more likely made a bit of a profit on the sale of Pentax imaging.

[falconeye]

Hypothetical situation. Would you rather:
...
My point being Ricoh's commitment to the Pentax brand name tells us nothing of their intentions for the future.

I just don't see the value in trying to second-guess what strategic direction Ricoh has planned.

Nothing against Falk's post by the way - he merely stated FACT - that the Pentax name will survive. I was just trying to address some of the crystal ball gazing that followed.

EDIT: Re-reading Falk's post, he says that,

"Ricoh will continue to call Pentax PENTAX ! (at least the dSLR part of it)"

Tut-tut Falk - Ricoh never said that at all. The bit of the press release you quoted doesn't mention DSLR's at all. In fact, DSLR's weren't mentioned once in the entire press release.

Adam, thanks for your post.

You're right, Ricoh didn't mention SLRs. But they mentioned the interchangeable lens camera (ILC) business and somewhere I derived that that must mean the K mount business first of all, not the Q and not a possible line of EVIL.

Meanwhile, I received behind the curtain info I cannot fully share. But it confirmed the bit of info about the K mount. Ricoh buys Pentax with no plan to drop K mount or the Pentax brand. Of course, if dropping the K mount makes sense at some moment in time, Ricoh may well do that. But that's independent of the aquisition of the company.

Hoya bought Pentax out of respect for the medical business. Ricoh buys Pentax out of respect for their system camera business.

So, with no further speculation involved, the transition of Pentax from Hoya to Ricoh is a good thing. IMHO.

[Blue]

Hoya paid $770 Million US for Pentax. Based on unit sales and probable profit margins I would venture a guess that Hoya at worst broke even and more likely made a bit of a profit on the sale of Pentax imaging.

That wasn't really my point though. The poster I responded to thought Hoya was selling the imaging unit of Pentax for more than they paid for Pentax as a whole. Besides, I said nearly a $ Billion because I have seen figures about what you posted plus a couple higher.

[adamfogerty]

Adam, thanks for your post.

You're right, Ricoh didn't mention SLRs. But they mentioned the interchangeable lens camera (ILC) business and somewhere I derived that that must mean the K mount business first of all, not the Q and not a possible line of EVIL.

Meanwhile, I received behind the curtain info I cannot fully share. But it confirmed the bit of info about the K mount. Ricoh buys Pentax with no plan to drop K mount or the Pentax brand. Of course, if dropping the K mount makes sense at some moment in time, Ricoh may well do that. But that's independent of the aquisition of the company.

Hoya bought Pentax out of respect for the medical business. Ricoh buys Pentax out of respect for their system camera business.

So, with no further speculation involved, the transition of Pentax from Hoya to Ricoh is a good thing. IMHO.

Thanks for responding

For what it's worth (not much), if I was a betting man I'd put money on their being another Pentax branded K-mount SLR in the future.

I guess I was just feeling argumentative at the time and decided to play devil's advocate.

Thanks,

Adam

[Blue]

Thanks for responding

For what it's worth (not much), if I was a betting man I'd put money on their being another Pentax branded K-mount SLR in the future.

I guess I was just feeling argumentative at the time and decided to play devil's advocate.

Thanks,

Adam

I think there is another dSLR for the upper end and probably a K-r successor in the works so I would expect to at least see those come out.

[lithos]

I think there is another dSLR for the upper end and probably a K-r successor in the works so I would expect to at least see those come out.

Dammit, Blue. I was just thinking of finally purchasing a K-5!

[eddie1960]

Dammit, Blue. I was just thinking of finally purchasing a K-5!

based on history the K5 replacement will fall next year in the spring no earlier
the Kr replacement based on history should be this fall
but now that Ricoh is taking over (and the changes in Photo trade show timing and the havoc the earthquake has played with everyone) all that may change
Personally I'd be happy if the Kr re[placement arrives and they flow the Kr down to the higher end entry level leaving the K5 and it's successor at the top end. A 3 camera DSLR line is far more competitive in the market and an easier sell when trying to open up distribution