Originally posted by monochrome That was written in December, 2011. It is April, 2013. In the DPI article Jim Malcolm indirectly addressed the time lapse as an integration problem between the Ricoh and Pentax engineers and I've written about Ricoh's financial retrenchment, which continues. At the same time, we hear from time to time that "good things are coming" and the Ricoh GR looks pretty good. Hope, then disappointment. Rinse. Repeat.
I think part of my problem is the unrelenting negative posts here. Right off the bat the Ricoh was panned - and it by all other reviews except Thom Hogan (who inexplicably dismissed the dual dials as "random wheels, not marked") is reviewed favorably.
Aside from JC doing a digital radio interview - and PRAC actually getting the camera up on its website Day One - we hear nothing. Target doesn't stock the K30 or the WG-10 (developed just for them) as promised..
I fear the brand is dead as a serious camera company. There should be a declared Yes or No on Full Frame. I don't care which. A niche fixed lens compact - even a great one - isn't enough. Maybe watches will be a breakout success.
There should be a K300 below the K30 and a K3 above the K30 by now, and lenses and accessories. There should be third-party buy-in. There should be a massive and continuous series of home-run new products announced one after another, accompanied by large and continuous marketing,
Or there should be a declaration that they are a small counter-cultural company, embracing GenX and GenY and building for 20 years from now (which would actually be pretty smart). If that, then there should be continuous asymmetric marketing warfare such as the GR blog. GR fits this model. Q fits this model. K-01 might have fit this model if they had gotten more of it right. A MILC FF without even a mirror box (and new technology for IBIS) would fit this model but it couldn't be K-mount. I would nevertheless embrace really being different and use an adapter if they did it (how's that for a departure?).
Just tell us what you are or aspire to be and be very very good at what you tell us.
I don't think they have anything.
It's a bit too early to lose patience, IMO; weren't you the one explaining (from your own experience) about the difficulties generated by M&A?
We're one year and a half from the moment Pentax Ricoh started to exist -
only one year and a half. That's a long time for what's left of our patience reserves, yet so small for those who have to make the actual products. Let's be patient for a little while, or move on if we can't; it's not like we can rush things.
Indeed, the "the unrelenting negative posts" are a big issue; and I'm afraid there's nothing Pentax can do to make those happy. A new product launch is a bad thing, around here; a high ranking official talking to their customers, likewise. Some section are no different than a certain blog.
Expecting Pentax to say something clear on the FF, ahead of time, it's unrealistic. Nikon didn't, Pentax won't (actually, Pentax said much more on the subject than Nikon did back then). I also doubt they can possibly afford "a
massive and
continuous series of home-run new products announced one after another, accompanied by large and continuous marketing". Such a strategy could easily backfire, if they won't meet the large target sales it implies; you know this very well.
By the way, they're doing marketing - in Japan, at least.
Originally posted by Eulogy My Questions Remains Simple - What happened to the predicted "Announcement" of the new cameras this month? Nothing as of yet, really wish they'd say something, as my K-5 is seeming rather ancient relative to the Toshiba sensor cameras.
What a surprise, a made-up rumor proved to be false! Let's be disappointed with Pentax!
By the way, what are you appreciating the most about the Toshiba sensor, the banding?
Originally posted by Eulogy Probably. I suppose they also forgot to tell them that they're competitive in some areas, and shouldn't just release watches?
Ignoring the real product and talk as if only the marketing items were released. Great.