[JPT]

The Asahi Newspaper reported the following news. It looks like the Pentax brand will disappear from compact cameras and be focussed on DSLRs (I guess MILCs as well) aimed at the high end of the market. Ricoh will be the brand for compacts.

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Google translate:
"Noboru Akabane president of Pentax Imaging Ricoh, has announced plans to abolish the future of Pentax compact digital camera, SLR digital camera to focus on. Hopes to bring back the fans with high-performance line. SLR is a Pentax compact is under consideration in the direction of a unified brand of Ricoh."

I don't have access to the original article but the Asahi Shimbun is a pretty major newspaper, so I'd say it is reasonably reliable information.

[ENicolas]

This has some implications in that a company wants the compacts to drive repeat business into the higher-end systems. This means a Ricoh user will have to know that Pentax is Ricoh when they want to move to a DSLR or mirrorless.

[Kunzite]

So they should visibly display in their advertisement: PENTAX. A Ricoh company.
I'd guess it's OK, since Pentax was quite weak in the compact market. Maybe using it as a high end, undiluted brand will pay off.

[JPT]

This has some implications in that a company wants the compacts to drive repeat business into the higher-end systems. This means a Ricoh user will have to know that Pentax is Ricoh when they want to move to a DSLR or mirrorless.

If most people upgrade from a smartphone in future, this might not be such a big issue. I agree that it means they have two brands to establish in some markets, though.

[ronnies]

This is simply a return to what Pentax meant originally. :-)

Ronnie

[RonHendriks1966]

Smart move I think. I hope that and think that Ricoh will only make good quality compacts and drops the market <200USD and only makes good camera's.

[Asahiflex]

This has some implications in that a company wants the compacts to drive repeat business into the higher-end systems. This means a Ricoh user will have to know that Pentax is Ricoh when they want to move to a DSLR or mirrorless.

The problem is really the other way around. Namely how to sell Ricoh compacts to users already invested into Pentax DSLR's. Right now the waterproof Pentax Optio series is well known, even among Pentax users. If the compacts are branded RIcoh then it's not an obvious choice anymore.

[starbase218]

The problem is really the other way around. Namely how to sell Ricoh compacts to users already invested into Pentax DSLR's. Right now the waterproof Pentax Optio series is well known, even among Pentax users. If the compacts are branded RIcoh then it's not an obvious choice anymore.

You're right. I'm actually considering a rugged Optio, in part because it carries the Pentax brand. It may be a stupid reason nowadays, but if the camera performs well (still looking for reviews that actually talk about image quality and not just about what punishment it can survive) I don't care much about that. I would be much less inclined to buy a Ricoh Optio though.

[mecrox]

Could be a turf war thing for all we know; the Ricoh imaging folks wanted some territory to call their own and this is what they got. I wonder if it will stick for long, anyway. As cameras on mobiles improve so today's compacts will become more sophisticated and move up the scale until they start to bump into the lower end of the MILCs. In the shape of the Q this is already happening to a degree and there is more scope for bumping around the 1" sensor mark as in the new Sony RX100. Premium compacts for enthusiasts sounds Pentax territory just as much as Ricoh's. I'm sure either would do it very well though where I live you can find Pentax in the shops but hardly ever at all Ricoh. Hmmn. I guess the Flat Framers may see this as more evidence that Pentax is being taken up the market to you know where.

[Clavius]

I guess the Flat Framers may see this as more evidence that Pentax is being taken up the market to you know where.

Ssshhh... Quiet... Or this thread wil turn into "one of those."

[Adam]

I don't think that Pentax compacts will cease to exist- they've invested too heavily in their outdoor marketing for that to make sense. I can see how Ricoh would want to only make compacts, though, and brand future high-end products as Pentaxes.

[eurostar]

Ssshhh... Quiet... Or this thread wil turn into "one of those."

You can't escape FF-entropy!

[boriscleto]

You can't escape FF-entropy!

It's Godwin's Law of PentaxForums. Just replace Hitler with Full Frame.

[Mistral75]

I don't think that Pentax compacts will cease to exist- they've invested too heavily in their outdoor marketing for that to make sense. I can see how Ricoh would want to only make compacts, though, and brand future high-end products as Pentaxes.

Here is the original text from Asahi Shimbun:

ペンタックスは一眼、リコーはコンパクト　ＰＲＩ方針

　リコーが老舗カメラブランド「ペンタックス」を買収して設立した「ペンタックスリコーイメージング（ＰＲＩ）」の赤羽昇社長は、ペンタックスのコンパクトデジカメを将来廃止し、一眼デジカメに特化する方針を明らかにした。高機能路線でファンを呼び戻したい考えだ。

　ＰＲＩはリコーのデジカメ部門とＨＯＹＡから買い取ったペンタックス事業を統合して昨年１０月に設立された。現在は２ブランドの製品が混在しているが、一眼はペンタックス、コンパクトはリコーのブランドに統一する方向で検討中だ。

　ペンタックスは、一般的なカメラの４倍の大きさのイメージセンサーを使う「中判カメラ」で世界トップシェア。画質のよさから中高年の男性を中心に根強いファンが多い。ただ、近年は事業再編や合併に翻弄（ほんろう）され、販売が低迷。昨年の国内販売台数シェアはリコーを足しても６．５％の８位にとどまる。

　赤羽社長は「成長が見込めるアジア市場にも進出する」とペンタックス事業を国内外で拡大する方針。今年度中にも中国やインド、ロシアに販売拠点を設け、２ブランドの２０１３年度の売上高は、１１年度の約２倍の計７００億円を目指す。

　赤羽社長は旧日本長期信用銀行や新生銀行などで多くの企業再生を手がけ、昨年１２月にリコーに入った。

[LaurenOE]

I saw this one coming. It's throwing the Ricoh camera division a "bone". No one wants Ricoh cameras. The cachet is with Pentax. It makes more sense to "spin" it as "There will be no more Pentax compacts". Aside from the Optio WG/WRs, Optios don't really sell given cell phone cameras. If the next Optio WG becomes a Ricoh WG, it will be interesting to see how Ricoh manages the brand since Ricoh has zero "rugged" history in cameras.

My guess?

All GXR and Ricoh camera projects are dead.

<note: I apologize in this thread for my comment about "zero" history above>