[abmj]

The same thing happened when United Airlines merged with Continental. The only thing that remained of United was the name because it had more worldwide name recognition. Unfortunately, the merged company is pretty much just Continental by another name. That is a major reason I, along with a huge number of their other frequent flyers, have jumped ship. We just hate the "Continental way" of doing things - including screwing the frequent customers.

The same sort of calculus will have to happen with Pentax-Ricoh becoming simply Ricoh. Ricoh has far more resources and could grow the Pentax brand. Pentax cameras have always been the more recognizable and "popular" between the two. The press release seems to say this is just a corporate thing, consolidating under one name but that Pentax cameras will still be Pentax. Lots of corporations have many brands. After all, (warning, America-specific reference ahead) we still buy Post Toasties cereal, not General Foods Toasties and Chevrolet Impalas, not General Motors Impalas. We will just be buying Pentax cameras by Ricoh. I can live with that. I'll stay a Pentax shooter as long as Pentax cameras continue offering so much more value per dollar of cost than the 'major" brands. If the primary Ricoh DSLR stops being Pentax, however, I will have to rethink the whole thing. I like being a contrary, iconoclastic Pentax shooter.

[MouLaG Ôfr]

It is a stupid change, from my point of view!
Two different names for two half-product lines
Who will make the link between a Ricoh compact and a Pentax DSLR?
No one, as long as the name Pentax exists, just a matter of time before it finally disappears

[JPT]

I just noticed that "Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company" has not been used in any customer facing material anyway. It's just the official name. All brochures and websites use the brand "Pentax - A Ricoh Company". That includes the brochure for the Ricoh GR, which bizarrely has "Pentax" written on it more prominently than "Ricoh". So again, I think this is purely a behind the scenes change and nothing to do with the way the cameras are branded.

[SyncGuy]

...Safest bet?
M42 mount, the universal mount.

....I'm already using Takumars on a 5D, as long as K mount is available or usable on something, its pretty fine for me.
The brand/naming is irrelevant, but the system usability/philosophy must fit the user (me).
Personally, I think the quality a dslr can give now is good for most stuff (viewing/printing) for the next 5-10yrs.

Woah!! Hold it there pinhole bro! Safest bet I believe is the A series lenses due to the "advancement" in many things including coatings as compared to the Taks.

Just snip them off aperture lever and ta-da!! M42 mount! LoL!

You don't lose a lot, paying only slight "extra" for advancement in coatings compared to equivalent Taks.

The hardest hit IF there is a drop in K mount would be the F and FA series glasses I think, mainly due to their poorer MF control in comparison to the Taks/K/M/A series lenses. :/

It is a stupid change, from my point of view!
Two different names for two half-product lines
Who will make the link between a Ricoh compact and a Pentax DSLR?
No one, as long as the name Pentax exists, just a matter of time before it finally disappears

Hey, simple mathematics man... Two halves equal one whole, haven't we heard?

[r0ckstarr]

I don't care what they call it, just so long as they keep the K-mount and continue the pentax tradition of making quality glass.

[WPRESTO]

Aside from cameras, lenses and associated photographic products, Pentax makes a line of binoculars, spotting scopes, astronomical refractors and associated eyepieces, all of which have a very good reputation, if not top-of-the-line. Ricoh has had an independent name in cameras, but never, so far as I know, in those other forms of consumer optical products. Insofar as the binos, etc are a reasonably successful products associated with the Pentax name, it would seem imprudent for the company to substitute "Ricoh" in a field where the name is otherwise unknown. I think they'll keep "Pentax" in the same way that grocery megacompanies maintain product line brand names because of perceived quality of those brands on the part of consumers. A greater threat to Pentax survival would be failure of Sigma,Tamron and other lens & accessory makers to discontinue manufacture of Pentax compatible products.

[MouLaG Ôfr]

I just noticed that "Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company" has not been used in any customer facing material anyway. It's just the official name.

The RICOH GR is officially branded as "PENTAX RICOH IMAGING" GR (see the exifs of photos taken with the GR)

[MouLaG Ôfr]

Hey, simple mathematics man... Two halves equal one whole, haven't we heard?

Of course, but who knows the two half are related ?
No one, except the guys here who are aware of it (and the staff of PRI)

[Beerdadtwy]

My first adult camera was Asahi Pentax, now they are Pentax badged, meh! I shan't give up taking photographs until they prise my capture device from my cold, dead, hands. It's brand loyalty gone mad!

[Gray]

I like being a contrary, iconoclastic Pentax shooter.

Me too!!!!

[audiobomber]

I prefer the Pentax name, but as long as Ricoh continues to make great cameras that mount my K-lenses. I'm all good.

[Sandy Hancock]

Seriously, who cares?
Maybe they were just sick of being referred to as PRIC. Can't imagine why....

[Racer X 69]

Meh.

My first SLR was a Ricoh XR2S.

If this does change nameplate on the next camera I buy then it will have come full circle.

Provided they don't change the legendary K mount.

[Waratah]

Me too!!!!

Me three. :-)

[Ishpuini]

As much as I liked to agree from an engineer's point of view, I am sorry to disagree. Having worked for truely innovative companies, I tell you that innovation only occurs if management sets a stage of vision and committment to achieve the formerly impossible. And is able to attract the brilliant people it takes to make dreams come true.

I've been working for ICT companies all my carreer and as such I've been through dozens of management vision updates as well. Hence I agree with what you're saying. I was referring (with a wink) to the fact that R&D was probably able to continue their ongoing (?) work for a short period while the name game was being played. Indeed, once the game played the focus may return to implementing the renewed vision and the impact will/should be felt again in R&D... but there's always a lag.

Not that it matters much. We'll only ever see the results and most of what was not to be because of changes in vision will forever be in the field of the better guess work.

Wim