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10-06-2011, 11:34 PM   #181
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QuoteOriginally posted by GordonZA Quote
I would not be surprised if some restructuring is about to happen. Management and new owners using the opportunity to get rid of staff they don't want, etc.

How many camera companies actually publish roadmaps anyway?
Lately, it's been the mirrorless systems with published roadmaps.

Samsung NX



Olympus MFT



Ricoh (kind of published...)



Pentax (for compact cameras)


Sony NEX



10-07-2011, 01:50 AM   #182
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QuoteOriginally posted by UdonUdon Quote
Lately, it's been the mirrorless systems with published roadmaps.
There is also a roadmap for Pentax 645.

So I guess we will see a new roadmap for K-mount within the next 6 months and that will span into 2014!
10-07-2011, 04:43 AM   #183
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It seems very strange to me to announce your product plan to the competition. Besides, the K-mount roadmap turned into a complete embarrassment. Products showed up very late or not at all (30mm f1.4, DA Supertele, 1.4X TC). I dont expect to see another Pentax K roadmap.
10-07-2011, 12:23 PM - 1 Like   #184
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If you are in a commanding marketing position announcing new products long before they are ready is good strategy. It tends to 'freeze' customers who might be ready to buy as they will tend to wait until they see the product from the market leader.

If you are not in such a position, then announcing anything early just gives your (bigger, more marketing savvy, with larger ad budget) competition time to react and counter your product release. Potentially by making an early announcement of their own which might not really materialize for some time. But it will freeze the market and hurt your sales.

The worst possible thing I can think of right now would be an announcement for a new camera, lens, whatever that takes longer to market than predicted. It just gives the opposition time to counter and allows the naysayers to point fingers and prognosticate that the Pentax purchase is not working out.

Except to make the several thousand enthusiasts on these forums happy why would they want to make any announcement of anything that is not already on the way to store shelves? There is no sound business reason for it.

10-07-2011, 01:09 PM   #185
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I'm uncertain about Pentax Ricoh's commitment to the K-mount. Do they have any plans for new lenses I want? Will they come out with smaller and hopefully less expensive APC versions of existing full frame lenses? Or is their future mirrorless, GXR, or ???

That is *not* meant to imply that Pentax Ricoh is dropping the K-mount, but until I know more about their plans there's too much uncertainty for me to buy deeper into the system. I'm a fairly new Pentax user with only a 3 lens investment in the system so it's pretty easy for me to jump ship. I'm therefore holding off on buying any more Pentax stuff until I have more confidence that I'll be sticking with Pentax for the next 3 years.

Another risk I see is settling on an existing lens that partially meets my needs, then a week later they release (actually release, not just announce) a new lens that better fits my intended use. As a consumer, that's why I like roadmaps before purchasing fairly expensive items. If something better is due out soon I can delay my purchase, and if it's not due out for years I will settle on whatever's currently available. Without a roadmap I always delay my purchase unless I really need it. Pentax gets *more* sales from me by releasing a roadmap.
10-07-2011, 01:57 PM - 1 Like   #186
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QuoteOriginally posted by DeadJohn Quote
...

That is *not* meant to imply that Pentax Ricoh is dropping the K-mount, but until I know more about their plans there's too much uncertainty for me to buy deeper into the system. I'm a fairly new Pentax user with only a 3 lens investment in the system so it's pretty easy for me to jump ship. I'm therefore holding off on buying any more Pentax stuff until I have more confidence that I'll be sticking with Pentax for the next 3 years.
Understood. They wouldn't even have to come out with a detailed roadmap - even a series of very strong statements in support of K-mount specifically would be good right about now.

Behind the scenes they could follow up with Sigma, Tokina and Tamron, letting them know that K-mount is here to stay, will be growing, and to get their butts in gear and get those new lenses out in K-mount.



.
10-07-2011, 10:37 PM   #187
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QuoteOriginally posted by jatrax Quote
If you are in a commanding marketing position announcing new products long before they are ready is good strategy. It tends to 'freeze' customers who might be ready to buy as they will tend to wait until they see the product from the market leader.

If you are not in such a position, then announcing anything early just gives your (bigger, more marketing savvy, with larger ad budget) competition time to react and counter your product release. Potentially by making an early announcement of their own which might not really materialize for some time. But it will freeze the market and hurt your sales.
But on the other hand, if people are mumbling that the future of your system is in doubt, that you have too small or too uninteresting of a lens lineup, that you're missing key important lens categories — then, a lens roadmap is very important especially if you're not in a commanding market position.

Pentax was at that point back when they published a regularly-updated lens roadmap. I don't think they are anymore.


Now what they need is a flash roadmap.

10-07-2011, 11:27 PM   #188
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QuoteOriginally posted by mattdm Quote
But on the other hand, if people are mumbling that the future of your system is in doubt, that you have too small or too uninteresting of a lens lineup, that you're missing key important lens categories — then, a lens roadmap is very important especially if you're not in a commanding market position.
Haven't "people [been] mumbling that the future of [Pentax] is in doubt" since about 1985?
10-08-2011, 07:19 AM   #189
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QuoteOriginally posted by RioRico Quote
Haven't "people [been] mumbling that the future of [Pentax] is in doubt" since about 1985?
Absolutely — that's why they needed that roadmap. But after Hoya bought them, the situation changed.
10-08-2011, 11:18 AM - 1 Like   #190
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QuoteOriginally posted by RioRico Quote
Haven't "people [been] mumbling that the future of [Pentax] is in doubt" since about 1985?
I have it from a good source at Wolf Camera in 1989 that Pentax is folding. i would go by there ask them when this is going to happen but that store folded.
10-08-2011, 02:08 PM   #191
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QuoteOriginally posted by Blue Quote
I have it from a good source at Wolf Camera in 1989 that Pentax is folding. i would go by there ask them when this is going to happen but that store folded.
Yeah, that's what a guy in a local camera shop told me in 2009, just before the shop shut down. Funny about that.
10-08-2011, 03:37 PM   #192
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QuoteOriginally posted by RioRico Quote
Yeah, that's what a guy in a local camera shop told me in 2009, just before the shop shut down. Funny about that.
I wonder if their margins on other brands are bigger because everyone who walks in, just wants to get a Canikon?
10-08-2011, 04:18 PM   #193
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QuoteOriginally posted by attilaworx Quote
I wonder if their margins on other brands are bigger because everyone who walks in, just wants to get a Canikon?
A lot of salespeople just steer people to the brands they own themselves.
10-08-2011, 05:01 PM   #194
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QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
A lot of salespeople just steer people to the brands they own themselves.
IMHO many salescritters steer customers to brands they've been instructed to push.
10-08-2011, 06:36 PM   #195
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QuoteOriginally posted by attilaworx Quote
I wonder if their margins on other brands are bigger because everyone who walks in, just wants to get a Canikon?
I've heard that that is the case.
I've also heard that Canikon pushes stock on an MOQ basis to shops (at least were I am). So they have no choice but to clear inventory.
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