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rfortson · 08-07-2012, 08:57 PM

Just saw an email from Houston Camera Exchange, a large, independent camera store in Houston (obviously). They're carrying Pentax again featuring the K30 and the waterproof Optios. They've been absent from HCE for the past few years, and before that they were that big. Of course they feature the big two, and Sony. I haven't been in a while so not sure what else they carry, but I'll have to go vote with my wallet for something Pentax-related.

TomTextura · 08-07-2012, 09:04 PM

That's good news. I hope we see more of this around the country. My brother is in Houston so I end up out there from time to time.

I was just commenting in another thread that I don't know of any Pentax DSLR dealers in Denver, or Colorado for that matter. A sorry scenario, if you ask me, being that PRIC headquarters is in Denver. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong about there not being any shops that carry Pentax DSLRs in the Denver area.

alamo5000 · 08-07-2012, 09:40 PM

Originally posted by rfortson

Just saw an email from Houston Camera Exchange, a large, independent camera store in Houston (obviously). They're carrying Pentax again featuring the K30 and the waterproof Optios. They've been absent from HCE for the past few years, and before that they were that big. Of course they feature the big two, and Sony. I haven't been in a while so not sure what else they carry, but I'll have to go vote with my wallet for something Pentax-related.

Maybe its because I kept calling and bugging the heck out of them

Hopefully its more because somebody from Ricoh/Pentax was actually making real marketing moves...

Mjm · 08-07-2012, 11:37 PM

DenverProShop carries Pentax. They recently carried them to help promote their new store location.

Mjm · 08-07-2012, 11:45 PM

oops meant Denver Pro Photo.

mikemike · 08-08-2012, 06:53 AM

Thats cool, will have to go check that place out when I go to houston this labor day. I can dump the wife at the galleria and go there since it looks like it is a few blocks away.

P.S. It would be cool if there were a section of the site to post local camera shops that carry or specialize in pentax gear

rfortson · 08-08-2012, 07:04 AM

Originally posted by alamo5000

Maybe its because I kept calling and bugging the heck out of them

Hopefully its more because somebody from Ricoh/Pentax was actually making real marketing moves...

Well, both would help, so thanks for the calls. I must admit I never asked them after the first time a few years ago.

rfortson · 08-08-2012, 07:06 AM

Originally posted by mikemike

Thats cool, will have to go check that place out when I go to houston this labor day. I can dump the wife at the galleria and go there since it looks like it is a few blocks away.

P.S. It would be cool if there were a section of the site to post local camera shops that carry or specialize in pentax gear

It's a nice store and you can spend an hour or so there, but don't expect a lot of Pentax gear. Before they stopped carrying them, they just had a small section. I asked the manager and he was pretty honest. He said he liked the Pentax stuff, but it was just much safer from a business standpoint to push the big two. He mentioned how he was burned pushing Minolta in the past, so I can see his point of view.

Still, it's a nice independent store. Another one is Houston Camera Coop, but they're several miles away, and they've never carried Pentax that I've seen.

TomTextura · 08-08-2012, 08:30 AM

Originally posted by Mjm

DenverProShop carries Pentax. They recently carried them to help promote their new store location.

Originally posted by Mjm

oops meant Denver Pro Photo.

Awesome! Thanks for the info! I didn't know about their new location. I've been out of town for a while. Sorry to hijack this thread with a different topic.

alamo5000 · 08-08-2012, 09:06 AM

I will have to say that I shared my experience of the K-5 with the people in the store...I told them flat out that they were missing the boat.

I wasn't irate or anything---just when asked I told them how I ended up buying a K-5. Maybe it sunk in.

Haven't been to camera co-op yet.

Mjm · 08-08-2012, 09:10 AM

Originally posted by TomTextura

Awesome! Thanks for the info! I didn't know about their new location. I've been out of town for a while. Sorry to hijack this thread with a different topic.

No problem. Also Mogil at the Mountains in steamboat springs carry Pentax also.
Sorry for the thread hijack.

I guess for Texas stores, San Antonio and Arlington carries Pentax also. Can't remember the store names at the moment.

**EricBrown** · 08-08-2012, 09:13 AM

Originally posted by Mjm

No problem. Also Mogil at the Mountains in steamboat springs carry Pentax also.
Sorry for the thread hijack.

I guess for Texas stores, San Antonio and Arlington carries Pentax also. Can't remember the store names at the moment.

I will be in San Antonio for work for a week, maybe I will have to investigate while I'm there. !

Mjm · 08-08-2012, 09:23 AM

Originally posted by EricBrown

I will be in San Antonio for work for a week, maybe I will have to investigate while I'm there. !

San Antonio Camera Exchange
There we go.

**EricBrown** · 08-08-2012, 11:34 AM

Originally posted by Mjm

San Antonio Camera Exchange
There we go.

Thanks! I will see if I can stop by!

thegoderic · 08-10-2012, 05:27 AM

Originally posted by Mjm

No problem. Also Mogil at the Mountains in steamboat springs carry Pentax also.
Sorry for the thread hijack.

I guess for Texas stores, San Antonio and Arlington carries Pentax also. Can't remember the store names at the moment.

There's a shop in Jackson (can't remember the name but just along from the Million Dollar Bar) that had an awesome collection of Pentax stuff when i was there last year.

08-07-2012, 08:57 PM	#1
rfortson Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston TX Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,129	Pentax back at Houston Camera Exchange Just saw an email from Houston Camera Exchange, a large, independent camera store in Houston (obviously). They're carrying Pentax again featuring the K30 and the waterproof Optios. They've been absent from HCE for the past few years, and before that they were that big. Of course they feature the big two, and Sony. I haven't been in a while so not sure what else they carry, but I'll have to go vote with my wallet for something Pentax-related.

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08-07-2012, 09:04 PM	#2
TomTextura Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Denver Photos: Albums Posts: 570	That's good news. I hope we see more of this around the country. My brother is in Houston so I end up out there from time to time. I was just commenting in another thread that I don't know of any Pentax DSLR dealers in Denver, or Colorado for that matter. A sorry scenario, if you ask me, being that PRIC headquarters is in Denver. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong about there not being any shops that carry Pentax DSLRs in the Denver area.

08-07-2012, 09:40 PM	#3
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	Originally posted by rfortson Just saw an email from Houston Camera Exchange, a large, independent camera store in Houston (obviously). They're carrying Pentax again featuring the K30 and the waterproof Optios. They've been absent from HCE for the past few years, and before that they were that big. Of course they feature the big two, and Sony. I haven't been in a while so not sure what else they carry, but I'll have to go vote with my wallet for something Pentax-related. Maybe its because I kept calling and bugging the heck out of them Hopefully its more because somebody from Ricoh/Pentax was actually making real marketing moves...

08-07-2012, 11:37 PM	#4
Mjm New Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 13	DenverProShop carries Pentax. They recently carried them to help promote their new store location.

08-07-2012, 11:45 PM	#5
Mjm New Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 13	oops meant Denver Pro Photo.

08-08-2012, 06:53 AM	#6
mikemike Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: New Orleans Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,053	Thats cool, will have to go check that place out when I go to houston this labor day. I can dump the wife at the galleria and go there since it looks like it is a few blocks away. P.S. It would be cool if there were a section of the site to post local camera shops that carry or specialize in pentax gear

08-08-2012, 07:04 AM	#7
rfortson Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston TX Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,129 Original Poster	Originally posted by alamo5000 Maybe its because I kept calling and bugging the heck out of them Hopefully its more because somebody from Ricoh/Pentax was actually making real marketing moves... Well, both would help, so thanks for the calls. I must admit I never asked them after the first time a few years ago.

08-08-2012, 07:06 AM	#8
rfortson Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston TX Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,129 Original Poster	Originally posted by mikemike Thats cool, will have to go check that place out when I go to houston this labor day. I can dump the wife at the galleria and go there since it looks like it is a few blocks away. P.S. It would be cool if there were a section of the site to post local camera shops that carry or specialize in pentax gear It's a nice store and you can spend an hour or so there, but don't expect a lot of Pentax gear. Before they stopped carrying them, they just had a small section. I asked the manager and he was pretty honest. He said he liked the Pentax stuff, but it was just much safer from a business standpoint to push the big two. He mentioned how he was burned pushing Minolta in the past, so I can see his point of view. Still, it's a nice independent store. Another one is Houston Camera Coop, but they're several miles away, and they've never carried Pentax that I've seen.

08-08-2012, 08:30 AM	#9
TomTextura Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Denver Photos: Albums Posts: 570	Originally posted by Mjm DenverProShop carries Pentax. They recently carried them to help promote their new store location. Originally posted by Mjm oops meant Denver Pro Photo. Awesome! Thanks for the info! I didn't know about their new location. I've been out of town for a while. Sorry to hijack this thread with a different topic.

08-08-2012, 09:06 AM	#10
alamo5000 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 2,962	I will have to say that I shared my experience of the K-5 with the people in the store...I told them flat out that they were missing the boat. I wasn't irate or anything---just when asked I told them how I ended up buying a K-5. Maybe it sunk in. Haven't been to camera co-op yet.

08-08-2012, 09:10 AM	#11
Mjm New Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 13	Originally posted by TomTextura Awesome! Thanks for the info! I didn't know about their new location. I've been out of town for a while. Sorry to hijack this thread with a different topic. No problem. Also Mogil at the Mountains in steamboat springs carry Pentax also. Sorry for the thread hijack. I guess for Texas stores, San Antonio and Arlington carries Pentax also. Can't remember the store names at the moment.

08-08-2012, 09:13 AM	#12
EricBrown Site Supporter Join Date: May 2011 Location: Arlington, VA USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,060	Originally posted by Mjm No problem. Also Mogil at the Mountains in steamboat springs carry Pentax also. Sorry for the thread hijack. I guess for Texas stores, San Antonio and Arlington carries Pentax also. Can't remember the store names at the moment. I will be in San Antonio for work for a week, maybe I will have to investigate while I'm there. !

08-08-2012, 09:23 AM	#13
Mjm New Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 13	Originally posted by EricBrown I will be in San Antonio for work for a week, maybe I will have to investigate while I'm there. ! San Antonio Camera Exchange There we go.

08-08-2012, 11:34 AM	#14
EricBrown Site Supporter Join Date: May 2011 Location: Arlington, VA USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,060	Originally posted by Mjm San Antonio Camera Exchange There we go. Thanks! I will see if I can stop by!

08-10-2012, 05:27 AM	#15
thegoderic New Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 11	Originally posted by Mjm No problem. Also Mogil at the Mountains in steamboat springs carry Pentax also. Sorry for the thread hijack. I guess for Texas stores, San Antonio and Arlington carries Pentax also. Can't remember the store names at the moment. There's a shop in Jackson (can't remember the name but just along from the Million Dollar Bar) that had an awesome collection of Pentax stuff when i was there last year.

Pentax back at Houston Camera Exchange

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