[Sideway]

The two companies agreed to a "management integration". Looks like Pentax will keep on working on the digital cameras while the 2 pool resources together for the lenses.

Official news release from Hoya here.

[roscot]

Well... this one came out of left field.

[roentarre]

That news destroys me...

I spent a fortune over last 2 months buying pentax gear. Now I heard the future is pretty grim so desperate merging with hoya (this name does not even sound serious enough with its pronounciation).

What is so special about pentax lenses if there will be pentax quality lenses with canon and nikon mounts available as well? There will be little incentives to use pentax cameras...

Less than a month after the sales of k10d, this is quite a clever management to announce this news. At least, this has destroyed my confidence. I could have waited for fa31 f1.8 and fa77 f1.8 with canon mount instead along with the rest of other lenses like tokina fisheye 10-17, 12-24 etc.

I need to take antacids now

[Photo Tramp]

Well the news sucks but I think I will take a wait and see attitude to the news. Although there was mention of Optics It could be in the area of medical and not in DSLR areas. But as of now anything is possible and it will be ashamed to lose brand name recognition to a brand that is only mediocre in filters and lens development. It seems to me bigger companies are taking the fruit of another and leaving a shell to die. Ie.(Samsung and Hoya)

Good Shooting.
Cheers: David

[roscot]

No need to panic yet. I would prefer to think positive at the moment.

I read the pdf of the merger details, and it states Pentax Imaging Division continues as before.

This could be positive. Although Pentax as a company goes away, Hoya is stronger fiscally, and has some matching and complimentary technologies.

Here's a possible analogy. The Chrysler-Daimlier merger. We all know Daimlier really bought out Chrysler, and totally controls the company. BUT.... todays Chrysler product is vastly superior to what it was prior to the merger. The infusion of Mercedes technology and parts combined with Chrysler's traditional strengths has strengthened the company.

The Hoya-Pentax merger, along with Pentax's strategic alliances with Samsung and Tokina might just strengthen the overall product.

I'm not saying it will happen this way, but it certainly is one possible outcome.


Cheers
-Alan

In the immortal words of Douglas Adams:
"Don't Panic"

[barondla]

Not worried about it. Everyone said Pentax would go to h*ll when they worked with Samsung. Didn't happen. They actually brought out their greatest digital products. Pentax will remain and be stronger for it. Enjoy the cameras and lenses. Hoya makes very good products too.
thanks
barondla

[NaClH2O]

I wouldn't reach for the hari kari knife just yet. From the Hoya press release:
"Significant structural changes have occurred in optical equipment and related materials since the emergence of digital cameras. Competitors in Asia have grown rapidly and are expected to continue gaining market share through low price campaigns and increasing the added value of their products. Along with existing camera manufacturers, home appliance makers have also entered the digital camera market, further intensifying competition in this segment. In order to maintain growth capabilities, cost competitiveness must be strengthened by lowering production costs and focusing on unique, high-end products. Measured structural change is necessary to ensure differentiation in this environment"
emphasis mine. I take this to mean that a: it seems the focus will be on pro and semi pro level cameras and glass and
b: Better marketing "to ensure differentiation in this environment".
I already knew that Pentax was focusing on DSLR's and leaving the P&S segment. That I think is common knowledge. I've also felt for a long time that Pentax's marketing could use a little ...."measured structural change" :-D

[JJJPhoto]

This is GREAT news ... more money and resources for Pentax lenses!!!!

This is NOT bad news no matter how you look at it. The Pentax-Samsung deal meant that Pentax had another company putting money and resources into camera development and production. The new Pentax-Hoya merger means another company is putting money and resources into lens development.

Back before these alliances/mergers Pentax had to fund 100 percent of camera development and 100 percent of lens development ... which meant neither cameras or lenses received the money that they really needed.

The future looks VERY bright for Pentax. We're going to see more cameras, more lenses, and more market share! I'm glad things are staying competitive for Canon and Nikon.

[roscot]

I hadn't realized before that Hoya owned Tokina. This merger makes even more sense now.

[tranq78]

Why so upset? This is good news. As a businesss merger this a lot of sense. Firstly, you already bought Hoya products when you bought your Pentax lenses. Hoya supplies glass for Pentax. Also - and this point is important - there is little product overlap between the 2 companies (except a little bit at Tokina), so the risk of the merger going badly is relatively low. Hoya has been spinning off free cashflow and wanted to redeploy it into a related business. Pentax's medical business is profitable and their camera business has clawed its way back to profitability. Hoya would be crazy to do anything to damage the profitability of Pentax, after they just paid a premium to the recent share price. So they will not be offering premium Pentax lenses like the Limiteds in other mounts. The point I'm making is that if you & I buy a business we do not then immediately go about trying to make it worth less than we paid, and I doubt that business executives will do the same.

Hoya gets the medical business and Pentax's R&D strength. Pentax gets shielded from the volatility of the business environment because it's part of a bigger company - it really isn't very big as a standalone. It also gets a stable and hopefully cheaper source of high quality components (glass).

What is interesting and hasn't been commented on in the various fora is that Hoya will now be competing directly with its customers. That is, the Pentax subsidiary will compete with Canon, Nikon, Sigma, etc but Hoya will be selling glass components to them at the same time. This doesn't seem to be a big deal though. Witness Sony and their digital sensors and the fact that Hoya already had their Tokina subsidiary. But it will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out.

P.S. Hoya (7741 JP) is a public company and info on their business is available.

[tranq78]

Why so upset? This is good news. As a businesss merger this a lot of sense. Firstly, you already bought Hoya products when you bought your Pentax lenses. Hoya supplies glass for Pentax. Also - and this point is important - there is little product overlap between the 2 companies (except a little bit at Tokina), so the risk of the merger going badly is relatively low. Hoya has been spinning off free cashflow and wanted to redeploy it into a related business. Pentax's medical business is profitable and their camera business has clawed its way back to profitability. Hoya would be crazy to do anything to damage the profitability of Pentax, after they just paid a premium to the recent share price. So they will not be offering premium Pentax lenses like the Limiteds in other mounts. The point I'm making is that if you & I buy a business we do not then immediately go about trying to make it worth less than we paid, and I doubt that business executives at Pentax and Hoya will do the same... don't forget that the head of Pentax becomes the Hoya chair even though a Hoya exec will be the CEO of Pentax.

Hoya gets the medical business and Pentax's R&D strength. Pentax gets shielded from the volatility of the business environment because it's part of a bigger company - it really isn't very big as a standalone. It also gets a stable and hopefully cheaper source of high quality components (glass).

What is interesting and hasn't been commented on in the various fora is that Hoya will now be competing directly with its customers. That is, the Pentax subsidiary will compete with Canon, Nikon, Sigma, etc but Hoya will be selling glass components to them at the same time. This doesn't seem to be a big deal though. Witness Sony and their digital sensors and the fact that Hoya already had their Tokina subsidiary. But it will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out.

P.S. Hoya (7741 JP) is a public company and info on their business is available.

[KFrog]

I think I'll take a more positive view of the merger rather than a negative view. The influx of another companies capital is a good thing for product development I would think. Working along side Tokina lenses and Hoya glass can be a good thing for Pentax lens development. I too was not aware Hoya made glass for Tokina and Pentax lenses. This should be good for all concerned.

The Pentax name on the cameras will stay I believe, at least in the forseeable future. It is still a separate division and with its long history and name reconition it would seem foolish to change that.

It all comes down the lenses as far a dSLR photographers are concerned. If the new company puts out more and better lenses with more frequency and good quality that can only be good for us.

[doggydude]

The future looks VERY bright for Pentax. We're going to see more cameras, more lenses, and more market share! I'm glad things are staying competitive for Canon and Nikon.

So you'd say this deal has an aperture of around 1.4 - 1.7 or so?

[mingdie]

I can think of much a worse scenario. As have happened in other fields where businesses are bought to get hold of one lucrative part of the company (read medical optics), the headline could have been "C*n*n to purchase Pentax.
The brandnames Hoya, Tokina and Pentax are wellknown brands that will be used by the new company. I can see Pentax lenses still being sold as a premium brand and Tokina as the more affordable brand.

Cheers

Eddie

[Artymous]

Pentax isn't "Going Away".. the name remains, they'll still be in charge of their lens and camera divisions, and now they have more capital to work with. If, in the future, this merger fails.. so be it.. but right now it looks really, really good.

The worst that can happen is that you have to use your equipment until it fails and buy into another system in 10 or so years.. not really worth doomsaying in my book.